Harvey was utterly shocked and immediately made a frantic call to cancel the meeting.


    Avery was helped back to his office, copsing onto the couch. His chest heaved in pain as if his insides were on fire. His trembling hand touched his feverish forehead, his vision turning dark.


    "Mr. Chambers, please, have some water," Harvey pleaded, kneeling by his side with reddened eyes. He pressed the cup to Avery''s still-bleeding lips. "I''ve called your personal doctor. He''s on his way as fast as he can. Just hold on a bit longer..."


    With a snap, Avery swatted the cup away, his voice a hoarse whisper of dark intensity: "For years... Wayne has been my fixer, handling the dirtiest jobs with not a trace left behind. How could there possibly be evidence? Let alone video evidence!"


    "It''s like walking by a river and not expecting to get your shoes wet! Wayne might be exceptional, but he''s not invincible," Harvey gritted his teeth. "Since he''s in the hands of the police, he''s a liability we can''t afford. I''ll do whatever it takes to silence him. We can''t let this fire spread to you!"


    "You make it sound so easy," Avery coughed painfully. "Wayne, being the Chief of Police, is no small fry. Even if guilty, he''d be locked away in a high-security cell, heavily guarded. Our people can''t just walk in there."


    Harvey''s lips thinned, frustration boiling over.


    Soon, the personal doctor arrived, providing Avery with some immediate care.


    "How is Mr. Chambers?!" Harvey asked, filled with concern.


    "Has Mr. Chambers been taking various strong medications over the years?" the doctor inquired cautiously.


    Harvey''s heart skipped, "He has taken some... What''s the situation?!"


    "Mr. Chambers has a long history of medication use, which is inherently toxic and has adversely affected his organs. Coupled with his recent hospitalization and increased medication dosage, his body is overwhelmed."


    Harvey felt a chill, "But why is Mr. Chambers vomiting blood?!"


    "The stress on his damaged organs,bined with severe emotional distress, caused his stomach to overproduce acid, corroding blood vessels and leading to acute bleeding. However, we need further tests to be sure. He needs to be hospitalized."


    After the doctor left, Harvey waved him away, and Avery''s condition stabilized somewhat with medication.


    "There''s something very peculiar about this situation," Avery said, sitting up with Harvey''s help, his gaze dark and foreboding. "The murder video of Wayne was recorded at the scene. If someone had the evidence, why sit on it for two months only to expose him now?"


    Harvey was at a loss for words.


    "Lionel took the fall for this, and S-Star Group suffered greatly. If the evidence had been revealed then, all this trouble could''ve been avoided," Avery''s eyes grew colder. "The only exnation is that the person only recently got their hands on it. You mentioned Elsie left The Velvet Haven briefly?"


    Harvey stiffened, his heart racing, "Mr. Chambers! I swear, Elsie was with me the whole time. She didn''t even touch her phone, let alone leave my sight. She couldn''t have gotten any evidence!"


    "Are you absolutely sure she never left your sight?" Avery asked ominously. Harvey suddenly remembered a car ident where he had to leave Elsie alone for a few minutes. "Truly, she didn''t meet anyone. I swear!" Harvey insisted, though his heart pounded fiercely.


    Avery leaned back, a chilling smile on his lips, "It seems you''re quite fond of her."


    Harvey, flustered and speechless, blushed deeply.


    "In that case, I''ll make the decision for you. Marry Elsie."


    Harvey was stunned, "You want me to marry Elsie?!"


    "You''ve always liked her; I''m aware," Avery closed his eyes, detached. "The Chambers Group hasn''t had much to celebratetely. You''ve been loyal through and through, asking for nothing in return. I''m not heartless. I remember what you truly desire. So, I''m giving Elsie to you as a token of my appreciation."


    Overwhelmed with emotion, Harvey could barely speak, "Thank you... thank you, Mr. Chambers! Marrying Elsie is my greatest joy, your gift to me. How could I possibly refuse? I must be dreaming!"


    "n the wedding soon. I''ll ensure the wedding gift is substantial," Avery''s smile didn''t reach his eyes. "The wedding should be in Helgen. Afterwards, keep Elsie there. Don''t let her return to Elmsworth. It''s tough on you, the groom, to travel between ces."


    Harvey realized the gravity of the situation, "Yes, Mr. Chambers. I understand. But, about Wayne... What''s the n?"


    "He''s been in the political arena for decades; he should know better," Avery''s eyes glinted menacingly. "Besides, he has vulnerabilities I can exploit. A smart man would know better than to betray me."


    The arrest of Chief of Police Wayne for murder caused a national uproar, shattering the public''s trust!


    The real culprit faced justice, and Lionel, once wrongfully used, was cleared of the murder charges, though still prosecuted for assault. But in the grand scheme


    of things, it was a p on the wrist-a new lease on life.


    In the wake of a near miscarriage of justice, and thanks to Lionel''s exemry behavior during his time in the detention center, the Griffith family managed to secure his bail and probation.


    On the day of his release, Evadne and Aviana Ashbourne went to pick Lionel up.


    "Miss... I''m so sorry for all the trouble!" Lionel, uponying eyes on his dearly missed Aviana, was overwhelmed with emotion. Even in the face of someone as formidable as Mark Griffith, he nearly broke down in tears.


    “Lionel, what are you saying? We''re family," Aviana said, her voiceced with tears as she stepped forward to hug him. "You''ve been through so much."


    "It wasn''t bad. I owe my freedom to Ms. Evadne and Mr. Thaddeus," Lionel said, casting a grateful look toward Evadne.


    "Mark, you were exonerated. I didn''t do much," Evadne responded, her eyes sparkling with an exceptional rity. "All thanks go to a girl who provided crucial evidence. She was brave, strong, and wise. I could neverpare to her."


    The Griffith siblings, in unison, asked, "Who is this benefactor?!"


    Evadne smiled mysteriously, her voice soft and gentle: "It was my sister-inw." Just then, her phone rang, a call from her loved one.


    "Thaddeus, how did it go?"


    "Evadne, Wayne confessed to the murder, but beyond that, he''s not talking," Thaddeus''s voice was heavy on the other end. "Getting him to rat out Avery is going to be tough."