Two dark cars were parked under a building under construction. Four men and women in black suits and sunglasses got out of the cars, walking quickly into the building and taking the elevator to the roof.

They went straight to their companion, who was wearing his coat over Jessica. The middle-aged man with a slightly higher hairline in the lead nodded to his colleague and looked at Jessica.

“Jessica, we meet again.”

Hearing the familiar voice, Jessica looked up at the other party, still looking slightly sad. She nodded and said, “Agent Coulson, we meet again.”

“Jessica, if I remember correctly, you’ve been missing for at least half a year. I don’t know what you’ve been up to in the past six months.”

“The dead guy over there, his name is Kilgrave, codenamed Purple Man. Your homeland’s Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division—and… I’m sorry, I don’t remember, your name is too long. Anyway, your organization is so powerful, you should know who he is.”

Coulson’s expression grew serious. He nodded slowly and said, “I know him. He was a former Yugoslav spy who was betrayed long ago. According to the information, he seems to possess a powerful ability to control people’s minds. Were you under his influence?”

“That’s not hypnosis, but some kind of superpower. He can use his words to control everyone within a certain range. I was controlled by him for over half a year. During that time…”

Jessica choked up slightly but took a deep breath and continued, “During that time, I hurt many people under his control. I even killed some people, until someone killed him just now, and I was completely freed.”

Think about it—there’s a girl who’s been manipulated, controlled, and is beautiful. Now, imagine if you were in her place. What do you think could happen to her.

With a sigh, Coulson squatted down, reached out, and gently patted Jessica’s shoulder, hesitating slightly. He said, “Jessica, he’s dead, and everything he caused you is gone. You’re free now.”

“As for the people you hurt, it wasn’t really you. It was all Kilgrave. You were just a tool in this matter, and you had no control. So don’t carry the burden.”

” Just, Do you know who killed Kilgrave?

“His ability to kill Kilgrave means he could resist Kilgrave’s power of manipulation, and it appears Kilgrave fell to his death.

There were also witnesses who recorded a video earlier. The person suspected of killing Kilgrave seemed to have powers similar to yours. We can’t be sure whether he did it for justice or for some other reason, so—can you tell us who the man who killed Kilgrave was?”

Jessica looked at Coulson, and Coulson, who had taken off his sunglasses, stared back at her.

After holding each other’s gaze for a while, Jessica slowly shook her head and said, “Sorry, he was wearing a hood and something was covering his face. I couldn’t see what he looked like. All I know is that he suddenly appeared inside the restaurant. Under Kilgrave’s control, my memory is hazy—I can’t recall the man’s face at all.”

Jessica wasn’t lying. Not just her, in fact, everyone in the restaurant had been manipulated. While under Kilgrave’s control, the only thought in their minds was to serve him wholeheartedly—like people fanatically devoted to a cause. They couldn’t focus on anything or anyone else around them. And Sebastian had disguised himself well, keeping his identity hidden.

Coulson didn’t press Jessica further. He simply nodded and said, “Alright, we’ll leave it here for now. You’ll go back with our agents. We’ll arrange psychotherapy and intervention for you—it’ll help you recover from the shadows of the past more quickly.”

Jessica wanted to refuse. Right now, all she wanted was to hide away and tend to her wounds in peace.

But she hadn’t told the whole truth. In fact, she had a few guesses about Sebastian’s identity—especially when he killed Kilgrave and muttered something about Kilgrave hurting his family.

Still, Sebastian had saved her, pulling her from Kilgrave’s grip. He’d gone so far as to conceal his face, clearly not wanting to be identified. Jessica didn’t say anything in case Coulson and his team ended up going after him and causing him trouble.

This is the only thing I can do for you right now. I don’t know who you are… but I’ll always be grateful. Thank you.

Holding that silent gratitude in her heart, Jessica followed a female agent off the rooftop and got into one of the cars for a temporary rest.

Once she was gone, Coulson walked over to the agent handling the body and asked, “We need to take Kilgrave’s body. Maybe we’ll find something useful from him.”

“Understood, sir.”

“Alright, let’s head out. We’ve got more leads to follow.”

With that, Coulson and his team left the rooftop.

—————————————

At that moment, the two staff members handling Kilgrave’s body suddenly raised their heads and exchanged a glance. One subtly adjusted his position to block the other from view, creating a blind spot.

Taking advantage of the cover, the second staff member retrieved a flat box from a hidden compartment in the toolbox. With practiced subtlety, he took a tissue sample from Kilgrave’s body, secured the specimen, and placed it back inside the box.

After that, the two resumed packing up Kilgrave’s body and prepared it for transport.

The staff member who had secretly collected the tissue casually handed the toolbox to an agent. In a low voice, he whispered, “Long live Hydra.”

“Long live Hydra.”

With the exchange complete, the two men split up and returned to their duties as if nothing had happened. The agent walked off with the toolbox, and everything continued in silence.

————————-

At the same time, Coulson and several agents stood in the restaurant’s surveillance room, staring at the wiped security footage and the missing master tapes. Coulson let out a helpless sigh.

“This unknown guy is far too cautious. He didn’t leave us a single clue. But we have other ways—videos taken by passersby, surveillance from nearby blocks. Pull it all up. Let’s see if we can uncover his identity. I don’t believe for a second that he left no trace behind!”

After everything that happened at the restaurant, continuing business as usual was out of the question. Once Coulson and his team had left, the restaurant’s upper management decided to close operations for a week. All employees were granted paid leave as compensation.

Although being mind-controlled was deeply unsettling, the prospect of a full week’s paid vacation still made Alisha smile uncontrollably. She parked her car in the lot downstairs, greeted a few neighbors, and carried the groceries she had picked up from the supermarket back home. She planned to prepare a delicious meal for her son that evening—to make up for lost time and reconnect with him.

Lately, she had been swamped with work and often came home late. Alisha couldn’t shake the feeling that Sebastian was hiding something from her. But considering his age, it wasn’t unusual—teenage boys often had their own secrets.

To be honest, after everything that happened that day, Alisha seemed surprisingly unfazed. Whether that was a testament to her open-mindedness or just a big-hearted nature was anyone’s guess.

Cradling the full kraft paper bag in her arms, Alisha was just about to unlock the door when she ran into a delivery man. After signing for the package, she walked inside. Sebastian stepped forward, took the items from her arms, and began placing everything neatly in the kitchen.

Alisha glanced at the parcel she had been holding—it had Sebastian’s name written on it.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep