News of Briar taking Manny away quickly reached Ashton. He returned just before lunch.


    However, Briar was not at this vi.


    She had returned to Moonspring Estate alone.


    E


    While wiping the blood from his hands, Ian whispered to Ashton, “After we captured Manny this morning, the Garzas started fighting among themselves and revealed a lot. Briar was there the whole time, so after she heard everything…”


    Ian sighed before taking the cigarette Ashton offered. “Briar’s been through so much. She’s only 18, but the hardships she’s endured in the past ten years… It’s more than most could imagine.”


    Ian exhaled a cloud of smoke, the thin mist blurring his eyes and hiding the moisture within. “Ashton, you are aware of the massive explosion at the underground ck market in Qathana five years ago, right?”


    Ashton nodded. The cigarette in his hand was unlit, and he just twirled it between his fingers. “I know. I experienced that explosion firsthand as well.”


    Ian was stunned. “Holy crap!”


    Ashton’s gaze was distant as he gestured for Ian to continue speaking.


    The shock in Ian’s eyes was almost palpable. He lowered his gaze, took a deeper drag from his cigarette, and paused for several seconds before speaking. “In that explosion, three of Briar’s friends and five of herrades died. I also heard a man was shot dead while saving her…”


    A thought suddenly struck Ian, and he said, “Ashton, you just said you personally experienced that explosion… Don’t tell me, the man who was shot… was…”


    The spection was terrifying–so much so that Ian did not dare voice it.


    Ashton’s eyes darkened, but he still nodded slightly. “That man was me.”


    Ian was frozen in ce, utterly speechless, the shock leaving him momentarily paralyzed.


    His first instinct was to pull out his phone and tell Briar this earth–shattering news.


    But Ashton grabbed him. “I hope you won’t tell Briar about this yet.”


    “Why, Ashton?” Ian blinked several times, his face puzzled. “Do you know that Briar has been looking for you for the past five years? Although we all thought you had been blown to ashes, she never found your body in the rubble, so she was convinced you didn’t die.”


    Ashton’s chest tightened, and the hand holding his cigarette began to shake. The news pierced his heart like an arrow, bringing both warmth and a surge of panic.


    Ashton said, “I know now, but I hope you won’t tell her yet. At least, not until I find the mastermind behind


    13:27 <b>Sun</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b>28 <b>N</b>…


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    this. Don’t let her know that man was me.”


    Ashton’s voice carried none of his usualzy ease; his dark eyes were filled only with coldness and killing


    intent.


    But since Ashton had put it that way, there was nothing else he could say.


    Ian nodded. “Alright, Ashton, I can only promise to keep this a secret for a while. You know I’m always on Briar’s side.”


    Ashton concealed the murderous intent in his eyes and pattedn’s shoulder. “Thank you. I know it won’t be long before the truthes to light.”


    Ian smiled and took two quick drags on his cigarette. “Alright, I’ll continue, then.


    “Hayden and Manny are at each other’s throats, and a lot hase to light in their dogfight. To begin with, those so–called wonder drugs that caused a sensation in Qathana’s underground ck market five years ago- turns out they came straight out of theirb.


    “Also, they teamed up with the Garzas to kill the original leader of the underground ck market and reced him with a Dasmiecian. It was that same Dasmiecian who secretly nted 4000 pounds of explosives underground, causing the sensational bombing that year.”


    When Ian mentioned the Dasmiecian, he failed to notice the brief flicker of remorse and guilt in Ashton’s


    gaze.


    Neither Ian nor Briar’s team knew that the Dasmiecian sent by the Lopez family was actually someone Ashton had personally trained–the only one, in all these years, to betray Ashton and flee the country.


    Because of Ashton’s negligence, by the time he received news of the defector, it was already toote to stop the explosion.


    When Ashton rushed to the underground ck market, he only managed to have half of the explosives removed. He could only watch as the remaining thousands of pounds detonated, reducing the entire market to rubble.


    ording to the conspirators‘ n, they had intended to destroy not just the ck market but half the city above it as well.


    However, Ashton’s men intercepted the bombing n, promptly contacted the local authorities, and evacuated tens of thousands of residents, preventing a greater, irreversible disaster. <fn74dd> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? fινdnοvel</fn74dd>


    But the biggest victim turned out to be Briar.


    The explosion not only left Briar bedridden for six months but also cost her more than half of the subordinates she had trained.


    At the time, Ashton and Briar had only met a few times, so Briar bore little personal hatred toward him.


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    Still, Ashton would never dare let Briar know that he had indirectly caused the explosion–at least, not before he identified the mastermind behind it.


    Ian ryed the details of Hayden and Manny’s interrogations to Ashton, just as Briar had instructed. Since they were both working on the same case, sharing information was only natural.


    “Are you alright?”n asked, seeing the grim look on Ashton’s face. He could not tell if Ashton was displeased with their interrogation results or just lost in thought.


    Ashton waved his hand dismissively. “It’s nothing. Keep interrogating them for now. I’m heading back to Moonspring Estate.”


    Ashton drove off alone.


    When Ashton arrived at Moonspring Estate, he stood in front of Briar’s vi. After a moment’s thought, instead of knocking, he vaulted the wall and jumped into the yard.


    A few secondster, Briar appeared at a second–floor window.


    Ashton looked up, smiling at Briar in the window. “Honey, I don’t have the key.”


    Hiszy, indulgent grin carried a hint of yfulness.


    The wind tousled his hair, yet his dark, shining eyes were impossible to ignore.


    Briar, in her pajamas, gave a helpless smile. “You want the key to my ce, huh?”


    Seeing Ashton nod, she opened the window. “Come on up.”


    Without a word, Ashton climbed the wall with practiced ease, slipping through the window. Secondster, hended steadily inside.


    However, before Briar could speak, Ashton pulled her into his arms, holding her incredibly tight.


    Ashton rested his chin on Briar’s head, nuzzling her gently. “Honey, I missed you.”


    Briar rxed into Ashton’s embrace. Although she could not see Ashton’s face, she immediately sensed his mood.


    Briar jabbed Ashton’s side with a finger. “Honey, why are you being so affectionate all of a sudden? Did you do something wrong? Fess up!”