<b>Chapter </b><b>106 </b>


    After sitting down, Ashton casually took out a few snack jars from under the coffee table and ced them beside Briar. He gestured for her to eat, then got straight to the point. “What do you think about the police station trying to detain you earlier?”


    These snacks had been prepared by Ashton specifically for Briar.


    Upon hearing the question, Briar’s expression showed understanding. She had expected that someone as sharp as Ashton wouldn’t miss the hidden implications behind the incident.


    But now she was just an ordinary college student, only eighteen years old. There wasn’t much she could say.


    Briar shrugged with a nonchnt and honest tone. “Not much to think about. It’s obvious someone’s secretly trying to mess with <b>me</b><b>.” </b>


    She had already mentally prepared for sabotage or even assassination after returning to the country. What she didn’t expect was that a small local police station would also have spies from those people.


    It became clear she hadn’t fully grasped the depth and reach of her enemies‘ influence and methods.


    However, she couldn’t fully exin all this to Ashton yet. If he learned her true purpose for returning, he would likely dig deep into everything she had done in Qathana.


    Ashton nced at Briar’s seemingly indifferent face, and a hint of pity shed in his eyes.


    No matter how clever she was, she was still just a newly minted adult. Her way of thinking was too simple. He reached out and gently rubbed her head, feeling the soft fluff under his palm. “Don’t worry. As long as I’m around, I won’t let anyone hurt you.”


    Warmth suddenly spread through Briar’s chest. She nuzzled into his palm slightly. “Thank you, Ashton. You’re really good to me.”


    Briar meant every word. Since returning to Shoneport, the first person to show her kindness was Ashton.


    Ashton didn’t respond, but his expression softenedpletely.


    Since Briar didn’t seem to want to overthink things, Ashton wouldn’t deliberately push her. It was a good thing she could stay pure and cheerful.


    Not everyone wanted to dig into the darkness, even when they were surrounded by it.


    Half an hourter, Briar returned home.


    Once she entered her bedroom, she grabbed her pajamas and went straight to the bathroom. Sitting by the bathtub while the water filled, she tapped away at herptop.


    The screen only showed a simple chat window.


    Briar: [They made a move.]


    Larry: [Are you okay?]


    Briar: [I’m fine. But still no leads on those people.]


    Larry: [No rush. We’ve waited so many years already. A few more days won’t matter. Your safety is the most important<b>.</b>]


    Briar: [I know. I’ll be careful. You all need to be careful too.)


    Briar: [<b>Don’t </b>worry.)


    The exchange was short. The other party quickly went offline, but Briar stared at the silent chat box for a long <b>time</b>, lost in <b>thought</b>, Only when the tub was nearly full did she snap back to reality.


    <b>A </b>sigh echoed in the bathroom. With a nk expression, Briar quickly deleted the chat log and cloaked the signal, then shut theptop. She lowered herself into the warm water, letting it envelop herpletely, as if the heat could warm her cold heart.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, in Qathana, at the Grant family home.


    In the study, Larry Grant closed hisptop and could no longer hide the sorrow in his eyes. He took off his sses and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. “Ruben, those people made a move against Briar.”


    “It was expected.” A tall man slowly walked out from the shadows of the couch and approached the desk. He patted Larry’s shoulder<b>. </b>“<b>Briar </b>didn’t flinch even when she returned alone. We are her only family left in this world. We have to be even more cautious.”


    “I know.” Larry sighed. “I just feel sorry for the child. She’s only eighteen. This should be the most carefree time of her life.”


    Ruben Grant sighed deeply too. “Of course I feel sorry for her. But our family is under constant watch. If we make a move, those people <b>will </b>be alerted. We can only let Briar suffer some grievances for now.”


    Larry nodded. “I understand. Putting her in the open makes those people hesitate. They wouldn’t dare make a tant move on her. In a way, it protects her.”


    Ruben said, “Good. Don’t contact her too often. We can’t afford to have ourmunication line exposed.”


    Larry replied, “Got it.”


    Because of everything that had happened during the day, Briar tossed and turned in bed all night. She only managed to fall asleep around dawn. But at exactly six o’clock, her internal clock woke her as usual.


    She didn’t n on exercising today and just stayed curled up in bed with her eyes closed, rolling aroundzily.


    It wasn’t until 7:30 that the doorbell rang and forced her up. She didn’t need to guess who it was. Her friendly neighbor hade to invite


    her to breakfast.


    She opened the window and looked out. Sure enough, there stood Ashton in a casual outfit. When he heard the sound of the second–floor window opening, he looked up. Their eyes met midair, and they both saw the dark circles under the other’s eyes.


    Ashton frowned slightly and raised his voice. “Didn’t sleep wellst night?”


    Briar leaned against the window, her voicezy and soft from fatigue. “Yeah, didn’t fall asleep until four or five.”


    Ashton’s frown deepened. “Want to sleep a bit more? Ore down and eat something first, then go back to sleep?”


    It was Saturday, and Briar had no sses, so there was no rush to go to school.


    Briar shook her head. “I can’t fall back asleep now. I’ll eat first.”


    Ashton nodded. “Okay. I’ll wait for you.”


    After she closed the window, Ashton turned away.


    Brandon, who was practicing boxing <b>in </b>the courtyard, had overheard their conversation. “Mr. Wade, was <b>Miss </b>Jennings <b>frightened </b><b>by </b><b>what </b>


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    happened yesterday?”


    They were used to seeing dark and shady things. But Briar wasn’t. She was just a regr young woman. Encountering something like that might naturally make her feel scared.


    Ashton’s eyes were pitch–ck and cold. “Our people haven’t found anything yet?”


    Brandon stopped training and walked over, shaking his head. “When we went back to the station, that officer named Deacon Ramos was already gone. We tracked him to his home, but it waspletely empty.”


    Ashton had been busy with work all night and only fell asleep around five in the morning. Brandon had chosen not to report this <b>headache </b>of a situation to him until now.


    As expected, Ashton’s expression darkened even more upon hearing it. His <i>voice </i>turned icy. “Keep looking. I want him alive or dead.<i>” </i>


    “Understood.” Brandon grew serious.


    They had seen this kind of thing plenty of times before.


    Deacon had probably been used as a disposable pawn, then eliminated afterward. His family was probably gone too.


    It would be difficult to find him alive, but finding a corpse would be easier. After all, dead men wouldn’t run.