Chapter 5

I was taken to a secret base.

The buildings here were minimalist and austere. A steady stream of people passed by, all in uniform, faces set in grim determination.

In a spotless room, I was greeted by Hayden and a woman in a white lab coat, her presence calm and insightful.

"Hello, Ms. Sullivan. I'm Lindsay Brooks, your psychologist," she said with a warm smile. Her gentle voice made me relax before I even noticed.

Lindsay Brooks? That name sounded familiar. I might have heard it somewhere before.

Oh, I remembered. In my previous life, when I was stuck in that mental hospital and barely holding it together, my family finally grew a conscience and brought in a famous psychologist, Lindsay Brooks.

Too bad, by then I was already too far gone for anyone to help me.

I never expected that in this life, we'd cross paths like this, way earlier than last time.

"Hello, Dr. Brooks," I said, nodding.

Over the next few hours, I laid everything out. My previous life, my current one, and all the details about Chris's thoughts.

I didn't hide the fact that I had a previous life. I knew that in front of this mysterious department, any lie would be exposed.

Hayden and Lindsay listened quietly, never interrupting, their faces showing no surprise at all. It was like having a second chance at life was just another day at the office for them.

By the time I finished, I felt utterly exhausted. All the pain and resentment I'd bottled up over two lifetimes finally had a chance to be released.

Lindsay handed me a glass of warm water and spoke softly, "You've really been through so much, Anna. We've carefully recorded everything you've shared.

"From a psychological standpoint, the trauma from your previous life has left you with severe PTSD. But you're lucid and thinking clearly. There are no signs of hallucinations or paranoia."

Hayden continued, "We've also gotten some information from Chris. Turns out, things are a bit more complicated than we thought."

My heart clenched. "Did he spill?"

"Partially," Hayden replied. "He admitted he's a traveler from a higher dimension. In that world, 'Thought Broadcast' is a common ability, but it's strictly regulated by law.

"He was exiled to our world for illegal experiments, and his powers were weakened. He came to your place to steal the Sullivan family's assets, hoping to use them as a springboard for his comeback."

None of this really surprised me.

Hayden went on, his tone shifting, "But there's a key point where things went off track."

"What exactly went off track?" I pressed.

Hayden's gaze grew more complex as he looked at me. "We questioned him with the most advanced lie detector and brainwave analyzer. Turns out, he lied about what his thoughts was saying."

I froze. "He lied? What does that even mean? Are you saying those vicious words weren't really his?"

"No, those words were definitely his, and he did send them your way," Lindsay explained. "But the thing is, he says he can't fully control what comes out as his thoughts.

"It's more like his darkest, most twisted feelings from deep down just spill out without him meaning to."

I frowned, totally lost.

Hayden put it in plainer terms. "Picture Chris as a radio tower. What he means for you to hear might be something like, 'Hello.'

"But all those dark, jealous, insecure thoughts buried in his subconscious, like 'You're such an idiot', get broadcasted too, like background noise he can't control. And that's what your mind ends up picking up.

"According to him, he's been trying to control that 'noise,' but he failed.

"Once he noticed how strongly you reacted to those negative emotions, he started using them to manipulate you. He deliberately made you appear crazy in front of your parents, isolating you so he could eventually seize control of the Sullivan family."

I listened in a daze, my thoughts all tangled up and chaotic.

So those nasty thoughts were partly Chris's real feelings, and partly mental junk he couldn't control? And he took advantage of it, using it all against me?

It didn't make him any less guilty. But for some reason, something even more bizarre welled up inside me.