After Warner''s arrest, the public uproar made The Bright Group the center of a scandalous storm.
Though concrete evidence linking The Bright Biopharmacy to human drug trials was yet to surface, suspicion alone was enough to tarnish their reputation. In a world where perception often outweighs truth, the mere hint of doubt could seal one''s fate.
"Mr. Chambers, you''re a genius! Your foresight is unmatched!"
In the office, Harvey scrolled enthusiastically throughments on his iPad, showcasing them to Avery. "Warner has be our perfect scapegoat. Public opinion has turned against The Bright Group, painting them as the real viins behind the hical experiments! Mr. Chambers, everything is ying out exactly as you predicted!"
Avery, hands wrapped around a golf club, swung smoothly,nding the ball in the hole with ease. "Those who work for me must be under my control. I have no use for those who can''t be managed. I promised that this matter would be handled cleanly. When I make a promise, I keep it."
Harvey, smug with sess, chimed in, "Now, Warner''s caught in a web of his own making, with no easy way out! If he dares mention your name to the police, even in passing, the video of him drugging a woman, leading to her cardiac arrest, will be all over Elmsworth. Drug trafficking might get him a decade or so in prison with a goodwyer, but manughter, coupled with evidence tampering, couldnd him on death row! As long as we have this evidence, he''ll take this secret to his grave!"
"You''re right; he should take it to his grave." Avery''s tone was calm, as he swung again.
Harvey gasped, "You mean-"
Avery smiled slightly, "Find the right moment. Eliminate him."
"Mr. Chambers, at a time like this, why add more fuel to the fire?"
Harvey, puzzled, handed back the golf club, "With this leverage, Warner won''t dare speak out. You could rest easy."
"Firstly, I trust no one but the dead."
Avery approached the sofa, picked up a wine ss, and swirled it elegantly, his lips barely touching the rim, "Secondly, if Warner dies now, what do you think the public will believe?"
Harvey had an epiphany, his eyes widening, "They''ll think he couldn''t handle the pressure and took his own life?!"
"I like to extract all possible value from something. Warner''s final worth lies in this."
Avery sipped the wine, tasting the sweet vor of imminent victory, "Make it happen soon. Make it look a suicide."
"Yes, Mr. Chambers!"
"Any news on Wayne recently?" Avery''s sses glinted coldly.
"I''ve had someone on him since he helped Warner dispose of the body. Except for work and visiting hisatose wife at the nursing home, he''s beenying low."
"Keep me informed of any developments."
"Mr. Chambers, I mean, if Director-General Wayne does something drastic, what will you do?"
"How I always do."
Avery nced at him with a hint of irritation, "Don''t y coy."
Harvey bowed repeatedly, feeling a chill run down his spine, treading on thin ice.
To Mr. Chambers, the world was but pawns in his game.
Only Ms. Evadne shone like a bright moon in his dark sky, the most unique and precious.
Leaving the nursing home, Wayne felt the weight of the day. He decided to spend the night in the hospital room, keeping his wifepany. Exhausted from caring for her, he took a walk to clear his head.
Passing an electronics store, he saw a crowd watching a news report on Warner''s arrest and the illegal drugs scandal. Wayne walked by, feeling disconnected from the chaos.
He entered a quiet café, ordered the cheapest coffee, and sat in a corner, lost in thought.
Recalling his wife''stest medical report, his eyes reddened with pain.
"Ah, my dear."
Wayne closed his eyes in anguish, pulling out a cigarette. Searching his pockets, he realized he had no lighter.
Suddenly, a spark of orange light appeared before him.
Looking up, Wayne''s heart skipped a beat at the sight of the tall, elegant man standing there.
"Director-General Wayne, what a coincidence."
Thaddeus, with a slight smile, lit Wayne''s cigarette for him.
A gesture that spoke volumes, considering the few who could im such attention from Thaddeus.
"May I join you?" Thaddeus asked, his demeanor gracious and approachable. "Be my guest."
Thaddeus sat down, alone, without any entourage, creating an atmosphere of silent confrontation.
"Mr. Thaddeus, a man of your stature wouldn''t normally frequent a ce like this for coffee."
Wayne took a deep drag, his gaze dark, "So, this isn''t a coincidence. You''ve been following me."
"Not exactly."
Thaddeus'' lips curved slightly, his gaze sincere, "The incident at the nursing home reached me through my wife. She said if you weren''t at your office, you''d be here.
After all, you and Mrs. Jones share a deep bond. We''re both men who prioritize our wives, even if it means going out of our way to meet."
Their conversation,yered with meaning, was a dance only the clever could appreciate.
Wayne took a long drag from his cigarette, "So, Mr. Thaddeus and Ms. Evadne are tying the knot?"
The man''s gaze flickered briefly, "Not yet."
"So, calling Ms. Evadne ''your wife'' is just a term of endearment. We''re not cut from the same cloth, you wouldn''t understand my predicament."
Thaddeus'' superior jawline tightened, but he remained cool andposed, his voice deep and maic:
"Out of the blue, Warner got nabbed. Doesn''t that strike you as odd?"
Wayne''s expression remained untroubled, "The Elmsworth PD isn''t just twiddling their thumbs, after all. He got what he deserved."
Thaddeus stared at him unblinkingly, "And who do you think will be next?"
The air suddenly felt thicker.
"How would I know?" Wayne replied coldly, his fingers trembling slightly around his cigarette, ash falling softly.
"Warner had close dealings with Avery, spreading contraband far and wide, raking
in cash by the bucketload. Despite being the head honcho at the Bright Group and holding clout in Skyrim, Avery still threw him under the bus. It just goes to show, in his eyes, no one can be trusted."
Thaddeus'' sharp gaze narrowed, "When the rabbit''s caught, the hound''s cooked. Director-General Wayne, do you think you''re any different in his eyes?"
"If you''ve got nothing else to say, I''ll be leaving."
Wayne was far from untroubled, but he knew all too well that Avery''s spies were everywhere in Elmsworth. If he was caught fraternizing with Thaddeus, he''d have no way to exin himself to Avery!
That man was cold-blooded, paranoid, and distrustful. No matter what, he had to survive, to protect himself and his wife!
Besides, he was already in too deep with Avery.
There was no turning back now!
Just as Wayne was about to stand, Thaddeus leaned forward swiftly, hisrge hand pressing down on Wayne''s rough one, and insisted on cing his silver lighter into his palm.
"Need a light? Feel free to use this if you don''t mind."
Wayne''s pupils contracted slightly, a surge of inexplicable bitterness rising in his chest.
He clutched the lighter, bowed his head, and left the cafe with swift strides.
Thaddeus remained seated, gazing at the bustling night scene, the man now nowhere in sight.
Then, his phone buzzed with a message from Evadne:
[Babe: Did you see him?]
He smiled softly, his calloused fingers typing out a careful response.
[Yeah, we talked.]
[Babe: And it went south, huh?]
[If you couldn''t sway him, what chance did I have?]
Thaddeus paused, his gaze deepening.
[But, I never intended to convince him to betray Avery in the first ce.]
After a moment of silence, Evadne bombarded him with a series of emojis before
replying.
[Babe: So, you met with him just to draw Avery''s attention, to make him doubt Wayne? To stir trouble between them?!]
[You''re sharp as ever.]
[Babe: You scheming devil!]
[At this point, only a bold move will give us an edge in toppling Avery.]
Meanwhile, outside the cafe-
A ck sedan hidden in the shadows quietly retracted its camera lens back through the window.