<b>Chapter </b><b>130 </b>
This bloody scene <b>stunned </b>everyone in the hall into silence. For a moment, only the groans <b>of </b><b>the </b>captured <b>men </b><b>could be </b><b>heard</b><b>. </b><b>Everyone </b>was staring at Briar<b>, </b>who <b>was </b>surrounded by <b>a </b>chilling, murderous aura. No one spoke.
<b>It </b><b>wasn’t </b>until quite a whileter that Hamish let out a yful whistle and sincerely praised, “Wow! That was badass.”
No one had expected that the seemingly frail Briar could fight like that. The way the knife had been stabbed into the man’s body was masterful. It was close <b>to </b>the heart. It was enough to maim, but not to kill.
Ashton had already reached Briar, kicking away the injured man at her feet, then began checking her up and down carefully.
After confirming that she was unharmed, he finally managed to suppress the rage burning in his chest and asked in a low voice<b>, </b>“Are <b>you </b><b>hurt</b><b>?</b><b>” </b>
Briar was wearing a white T–shirt today, with a long–sleeved ck id shirt on top. The shirt, which had been open before, was now fully <b>buttoned </b><b>all </b>the way to the cor.
She had buttoned it up only after entering the interrogation room. Perhaps <b>in </b>case she got hurt<b>, </b>and he wouldn’t see.
Worried she might have gotten injured but was hiding it from him, Ashton gently asked again.
“Nope.” Briar shook her head, eyes glinting yfully, her tone even carrying a light chuckle. “That guy was too weak.”
He really was. She’d knocked him down with a few kicks, and when he panicked, he even tried to sh her with a knife….
Seeing that she still had the mood to joke, Ashton finally rxed.
He grabbed a few tissues from a nearby desk and took her hand, carefully wiping the blood off each of her delicate fingers.
Then he ced her behind him protectively and turned his cold gaze on Ronan, who was sweating profusely.
He warned, “Mr. Ramos, you’d better give me a damn good exnation for why non–police personnel were in your interrogation room. Otherwise, the Wade family won’t let this go.”
Briar had barely left his sight for a few minutes, and someone had already tried to kill her. Things like this shouldn’t happen in the police station.
While Ashton was busy fussing over Briar, Hamish had already taken a quick trip to the interrogation room ande back.
Hamish returned from a quick trip to the interrogation room just then. His usualzy attitude was gone, and he spoke in a harsh tone. “Ashton, there <b>was </b>a serious fight inside. Someone even passed out. And… he had a gun on his waist.”
Ashton’s pupils shrank suddenly. The look he shot at Ronan couldn’t be described as merely angry. It was outright murderous.
Ronan wiped his sweat furiously, stammering, “Mr. Wade, I swear I didn’t know<i>… </i>You have to believe me…”
He really hadn’t known they were carrying firearms. Now he deeply regretted not heeding his father–inw’s warning to stay out of it and protect himself.
Everyone else in the hall, especially the other police officers, dared not make a sound.
That female officer from earlier was pale. She finally understood the hidden meaning behind her mentor’s warning. When she nced <b>at </b><b>her </b><b>squad </b>captain, who had been the one to sneak those men into the interrogation room, his face was equally grim. He wanted <b>to </b><b>find </b>an
<b>to </b><b>escape</b><b>. </b>
Maybe Ronan had no clue how those guys slipped in, but she saw everything crystal clear. Those men were brought <b>in </b><b>by </b><b>their </b><b>own </b><b>captain</b><b>, </b><b>sneaking </b>them right into the interrogation room.
She just couldn’t wrap her head around it. A police station was supposed to keep people safe, but it was so full of red tape and power <b>games</b>. <b>And </b><b>when </b>trouble hit, every single one of them suddenly went dead silent.
Ashton wasn’t in the mood to waste any more time with Ronan. He pulled out his phone, made a quick call, said a <b>few </b><b>words</b>, and hung up
Then he sat down with Briar, pulling her close and ignoring everyone else.
Hamish, meanwhile, looked like he was having the time of his life watching a good show. He and Brandon handcuffed the captured <b>men </b>and dumped them in the middle of the hall. Hamish even took photos of them and cheerfully posted them to his social media.
Less than thirty minutester, two police vehicles roared up to the station. When the final figure stepped out, everyone inside went <b>rigid</b>.
Ronan stuttered in disbelief, “Mr. Thiago Wade. You came?”
It was Thiago, the younger brother of Griffin and the top official at Shoneport’s police department. He was a proper high–ranking provincial–level <b>officer</b><b>, </b>Compared to him, Ronan, a mere district chief, was nothing.
More importantly, Thiago wasn’t just any official. He was the very man who had personally trained Ashton in cunning and strategy. Of all <b>the </b><b>Wade </b><b>family </b>members, Ashton’s formidable skills came from this man.
Thiago barely nced at Ronan before his eyes fell on Ashton and the curious little girl poking her head out from behind him.
Ashton pulled Briar out from behind him and made a brief introduction. “Uncle Thiago, this is Briar. Briar, this is my third uncle.”
Briar obediently greeted him, “Nice to meet you.”
Thiago nodded, managing to pull out a smile from his usually expressionless face. “Scared you a bit, huh, kiddo?”
Then he turned to Ashton. “Alright, you’re done here. Take your people and go. I’ll handle the rest.”
On the way there, Thiago had already been briefed. In Shoneport<b>, </b>connections and power were the only things that mattered.
Had Ashton not stepped in, this neglected girl from the Jennings family would have been ruined.
As for the so–called evidence against Briar, it was <i>nonsense</i>. Surveince footage near the park that night had been analyzed and proven to be falsified. If the video was fake, then the fingerprints supposedly found on the bodies couldn’t be trusted either.
Ashton had no objections. In fact, he had only called Thiago to avoid wasting more time on this mess.
Ashton said, “Thanks<i>, </i>Uncle Thiago. I’ll take them and go. Call me if you need anything.”
Then<i>, </i>with Briar in hand, and apanied by Hamish and Brandon, Ashton walked out. Hepletely ignored Edgar, who looked utterly shocked.
Edgar desperately wanted <i>to </i>follow them. <i>The </i>situation had spiraled far beyond hisprehension, and he needed to report back to Ben immediately. But just as he <i>took </i>a step<i>, </i>Thiago cast a nce his way, and Edgar instinctively drew his foot back.
What the hell am I supposed to do now? How the hell am I supposed to get out of this mess?‘ Edgar thought.
‘I didn’t do anything! Why the hell is Thiago Wade keeping me here? <i>Did </i>they find something out?‘ With a guilty conscience and facing a high–ranking official like Thiago, Edgar was utterly panicked.
Briar, on the other hand, walked quietly behind Ashton the entire time. Just as they were about to exit the hall, she suddenly turned <b>around </b><b>and </b><b>gave </b>Edgar a slow, sweet smile.
Her smile was picture–perfect, showing off eight little white teeth, but when Edgar saw it, <b>a </b>chill crept <b>up </b>from the soles of his feet<b>, </b>crawling <b>all </b><b>the </b><b>way </b>through his bones.
Chapter 131.