“I’ll never forgive you. Wait until you see my downvote, Alex. Don’t think that handsome face of yours can influence our decision.” “Get him inside already! I can’t wait to watch!”
The situation was getting pretty chaotic, while Alex continued waiting for the police to take him inside. Not long after, someone in the crowd suddenly let out a loud cry while holding up a huge banner, sparking a riot.
No one knew where the person had come from. They suddenly began hurling rotten eggs and tomatoes at Alex and the police officers guarding him.
“Asshole! Beat him up!” “Finish him!”
The crowd, which had initially shouted only now and then, erupted like a dam bursting. Several people joined in, throwing plastic water bottles, rolls of paper, and even sandals at Alex.
“Push them back! Move!” one of the officers shouted.
The riot police quickly formed a human barrier. Their transparent shields rose high to block the projectiles. The sound of rotten eggs splattering against them rang out again and again, leaving sticky liquid and a pungent stench across their shields.
“Don’t cross the line!”
But the crowd’s emotions were already out of control. A large man broke through the metal barrier, pointing at Alex with hate-filled, bloodshot eyes.
“A murderer like you doesn’t deserve to live!”
The man had taken only two steps before two police officers slammed him to the ground. The crowd grew even more disorderly at the sight. Shouts of abuse mixed with cheers, echoing outside the Sunrise Entertainment building.
Beneath his thin black hood, Alex could make out the silhouettes of people staring at him like he was a monster.
It was strange. If he had still been trembling with fear last night, his chest now felt completely calm. So calm that even he felt like a stranger to himself.
A rotten tomato struck Alex’s shoulder and burst. Its juice ran down onto his gray prison uniform. The officer beside him immediately dragged him forward faster.
“Move!” the officer barked.
Alex walked on without a word.
“Look at him! He doesn’t even feel guilty!” “Psycho!” “A monster with an angel’s face!”
Camera shutters and live broadcasts rang out one after another. Dozens of reporters stood outside the barricade, fighting to get the best shots. Alex’s name had now become the center of national attention.
The problem was that after three suspects in a row had been found guilty and sent to live these simulated lives, people’s view of the next ones had changed completely. That was on top of the resentment left over from the criminals put on trial before them. After dying from a heart attack just like that, people still needed somewhere to vent their anger.
Amid the chaos, Alex’s steps suddenly stopped for a fraction of a second.
Among the raging crowd, someone stood still without throwing anything or shouting abuse. The figure wore a black hoodie and a low baseball cap that hid their face.
That face ... there was no way Alex wouldn’t recognize it. His best friend, the one who had always stood by him through good times and bad.
Alex sneered from the corner of his mouth.
At last, the police managed to secure the crowd after bringing Alex inside the building. The program team was waiting there, and the executives and directors of the entertainment company also looked extremely excited.
On the other side, the grieving mayor’s family looked gloomy. Clara’s biological mother was being supported by her second daughter. There wasn’t a trace of warmth in the woman’s eyes. Only uncontrollable grief and rage.
As soon as Alex entered, the woman who had been sitting in a daze sprang to her feet hysterically.
“You killed my daughter! Give my daughter back!” “Mom ... please calm down ...”
The police once again tried to restore order inside. The mayor, who was also there, immediately stopped his wife.
“Darling, our daughter will get justice soon. Be patient.”
The black hood had been removed from his face, and Alex’s sharp gaze fixed on the harmonious family across from him. A mocking smile was aimed at the mayor as he held his wife. The middle-aged man’s brow furrowed, anger flaring instantly.
“What are we waiting for? Let’s start now.”