This meant that, from this day on, this kid was one of the Grant family.


    They hated to admit it, but they had no choice.


    (79)


    E 55 vouchers


    Ashton was very perceptive. He took one look at the two men‘ expressions and knew they were unhappy.


    So, he took out his phone and made two calls.


    “Ruben, Larry, we actually have some more good news to share,” Ashton said cheerfully.


    Ruben and Larry looked at Ashton suspiciously. By now, his smile made them instinctively nervous. “What good news<b>?</b><b>” </b>


    Ashton looked at Briar. “Honey, do you want to tell them, or should I?<b>” </b>


    Briar had already recovered from her low spirits. Hearing Ashton’s question, she said, “You go ahead.”


    Her uncles didn’t like her getting involved in dangerous things like fighting, so it was best for her to keep quiet.


    Ashton nodded and turned to Ruben and Larry, briefly telling them about the official business they had handled earlier that day.


    Of course, Ashton only shared what he could. As for Briar, who had done most of the work during the arrest, he barely mentioned her contribution.


    “What? You’re saying you went out and identally caught Ben?” Larry leaped to his feet in disbelief after hearing this.


    Although his mind was reeling, Ruben was much calmer and moreposed than Larry. He nced at Briar, who sat with her eyes lowered.


    He asked Ashton, “What about him? Is he still alive?”


    Compared to their hatred for Ben, Briar clearly loathed him even more,


    Ruben did not believe that Briar would let Ben live.


    Ashton nodded. “He <b>is</b>, of course<b>, </b>still alive…”


    But then he thought of Freddie’s stooped figure and the order he gave to Connor, so he added for uracy, “Alive for now.”


    Ruben and Larry were speechless.


    His rification was quite intriguing.


    He had a feeling that this person would be dead soon.


    10:05 <b>Sun</b><b>, </b>Sep <b>21 </b>


    :


    ?(79


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    Before Ruben and Larry could give it much thought, their phones began to chime with text message notifications.


    At Ashton’s signal, they looked down and checked their phones.


    The text message contained a short video of an old man who had been tortured beyond recognition.


    There was no need to guess. The old man had to be Ben, whom Ashton and his team had captured.


    Their reactions were a strange mix of shock and pleasant surprise.


    Seeing is believing.


    The video footage was far more shocking than Ashton’s announcement of Ben’s capture.


    Ben was the enemy who had haunted the Grant family for so many years–the demon who had turned Briar from a sweet, innocent girl into a cold, deste assassin.


    They had often imagined what Ben would look like–ugly and repulsive–but they never expected this.


    In the video, a stooped old man was held firmly against a wall, his hands and feet bound to prevent him from struggling.


    Then, someone held an iron rod as thick as an arm.


    The rod was swung and struck with force. With each blow, they could hear the sound of breaking bones and agonizing screams from the video.


    What followed was the man’s body caving in and bulging out, a result of his bones breaking and shifting.


    The mere thought of such a feeling was horrifying.


    This was crueler than killing him outright; it was a savage beating.


    But it was satisfying, incredibly satisfying.


    There was also an unprecedented sense of exhration.


    Larry watched the video twice but was still not fully satisfied,


    He looked up, and his gaze on Ashton had gradually shifted from disgust to fervor. He even looked eager to try it himself.


    Larry asked, “Ashton, good work. Where do your men have him locked up now?”


    Before Ashton could answer, Briar asked warily, “Uncle, what are you up to?”


    Larry red at Briar. “What could a delicate man like me, who can’t even lift a finger, possibly do?”


    Briar was at a loss for words, thinking her uncle was as shameless as Ashton. “Larry, have you forgotten the time you broke two of a man’s ribs with a single kick?”


    <b>10:05 </b><b>Sun</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>21 </b>


    ‘A delicate man? Can’t lift a finger?‘ Briar sneered inwardly.


    <b>79 </b>


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    Unable to win the argument, Larry pulled rank. “Don’t interrupt when adults are talking. Run along and y.”


    Briar pouted and turned toin, “Uncle Ruben, look, Uncle Larry is bullying me again.”


    Ruben smiled, enjoying his niece’s yfulint. “I’ll have a word with Larryter. Be good.”


    While Briar and Ruben were talking, Larry sat on Ashton’s other side and began pressing him with questions.


    Noticing the young girl’s exasperation, Ashton took her hand and gave it aforting squeeze as he answered Larry’s questions.


    “Larry, this man is Freddie from the Lopez family in Shoneport. Have you heard of them?” he asked.


    Larry was taken aback. “His surname is Lopez? Not Garza? Does this mean we’ve been investigating the wrong Mr. Garza all these years?”


    Ashton nodded. “Yes, his surname is Lopez, not Garza. Twenty or thirty years ago, the Lopez family was just a minor family in Shoneport. The only reason they established a foothold in the city was because the family produced a young medical genius…”


    Hearing this, Ruben frowned. “This young medical genius, was his name Brody Lopez?”


    Ashton nced at Briar, confirming she had no strong reaction to the name.


    He then nodded. “That’s right, it’s him. What do you know about Brody?”


    Larry said coldly, “We don’t know much about him, but our hatred for that name is far greater than for some Freddie.”


    Briar’s brow twitched. “What do you mean by that?”


    She sensed that his words held the truth she had been investigating.


    Overreacting in his agitation, Larry forgot Briar was still there and shot Ruben a panicked look, silently pleading for help.


    It was all over. He had identally let slip a secret that had been kept for so many years.


    Ruben sighed. “At this point, Briar, there are some things we can no longer hide from you…”


    Briar had a bad feeling. “Uncle Ruben, what do you mean? What have you been hiding from me?”


    Instead of exining right away, Ruben turned to Ashton. “Ashton, I trust you’ve had people look into this as


    well?<b>” </b>


    Ashton met Briar’s sharp, scrutinizing gaze and held up his hands. “Briar, I swear I wasn’t intentionally hiding it from you. I only found outst night myself.”


    Ruben had some nerve, shifting the me to him right in front of her.


    10:05 Sun<b>, </b>Sep <b>21 </b>