<b>Chapter </b>294


    Briar had always been perceptive. She quickly sensed the shift in Ashton’s mood.


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    However, after thinking it over, she couldn’t figure out who had upset him, so she decided to probe him.


    Ashton buried his face in Briar’s slender, soft neck, where the intimate and intense marks of their lovemaking from the night before still lingered.


    It was like his love for Briar–so fiery that no one could match it, and nothing could stand in its way.


    “No. I just missed you,” said Ashton. His lips lingered on Briar’s corbone. His voice was tinged with faint hoarseness<b>. </b>


    It might have sounded like the hoarseness of desire, but Briar could tell Ashton was hiding something from her.


    And her intuition told her it was something big–something that concerned her.


    “Honey, you know I don’t like it when people lie to me. The consequences are dire… very dire…” Briar smiled and tilted her head back, fully exposing her neck to Ashton as if inviting him to do as he pleased. <fn8622> For more chapters visit findnovel</fn8622>


    Ashton froze mid–kiss on Briar’s neck. Then, he fiercely left a new mark on her skin.


    “Hiss!” Briar yelped, stung by his kiss. She pushed Ashton away, ring. “That hurts.”


    Ashton smiled and looked down. From his perspective, he could see Briar’s curledshes and soft, pink lips. Despite her fierce words, Briar now looked gentle and sweet.


    She possessed a delicate beauty, exquisite from head to toe.


    It made his heart tremble, stirring something deep within him…


    With a p, Briar hit Ashton hard on his butt. “Kisses are enough. Don’t even dream of any strenuous exercise in broad daylight.”


    Ashton shifted awkwardly, moving his arousal from between Briar’s legs. “Honey, you know it never has any self–control around you.”


    Briar was unmoved. “Don’t think your roguish behavior can hide the fact that you’re holding something back. You’d better spit it out while I’m still willing to listen.”


    Ashton lowered his gaze, cupped Briar’s face, and looked at her quietly and seriously for a long moment. He even stole several kisses from her red lips before finally smiling. “Honey, whether it’s about the past or the future, you can’t leave me if I do something wrong. Deal?”


    Briar narrowed her eyes and said, “Ashton, something’s not right with you. What are you afraid of?”


    Under Briar’s stare, Ashton’s heart felt as if it were being crushed, only to be heartlessly pieced back together by her. The feeling was a painful ache. Still, he shook his head and said, “I can’t tell you yet. Just wait a bit


    longer, okay?”


    Briar said helplessly. “Fine. Just tell me when you’re ready to talk


    Upon seeing Ashton so conflicted and miserable, Briar’s heart ached for <b>him</b>.


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    “Thank you, honey. Don’t worry. I’ll tell you everything once I have fully investigated the matter. I won’t hide a single word,” Ashton vowed.


    “You’d better, Briar said irritably.


    Ashton leaned closer. “So, honey, can you promise me you won’t get mad when I tell you everythingter?”


    The anger Briar had just suppressed suddenly red up again.


    Quickly, Ashton leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, silencing her rising anger.


    By the time Briar and Ashton reappeared, it was already after two in the afternoon.


    It was unclear what they had been up to, but Briar looked utterly drained and listless, as if all her vitality had been sapped.


    “Are you okay, Briar?” Alexia walked over worriedly and shot a discreet re at Ashton.


    She thought Ashton had gotten intimate with Briar again.


    Honestly, Ashton didn’t know how to treat ady, and Briar was still so young!


    Could she handle such frequent and strenuous activity?


    Briar clearly looked like she hadn’t gotten enough sleep.


    Ashton lookedpletely baffled by Alexia’s re. “…”


    Briar covered her mouth, trying to suppress a smile.


    It was true she hadn’t gotten enough sleep, but it wasn’t Ashton’s fault.


    While Briar and Ashton were getting cozy, her uncle called and gave her an update on the investigation from the past two days. She became so anxious and angry that she couldn’t sleep and only napped for less than half an hour.


    However, she had arranged to meet Ian that afternoon to personally interrogate the Garzas, so she showed up looking exhausted.


    Ashton didn’t want her toe, but he gave in to her persistence and drove her here himself.


    Given her condition, there was no way Ashton would let her drive there alone.


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    Alexia was about to say something more, but Briar stopped her and whispered a brief exnation in her ear.


    That calmed Alexia’s anger, and she gave Ashton an embarrassed smile.


    Alex was busy typing on hisputer. Once he saw they were finished talking, he waved to Briar. “Briar,e here. I have something fun to show you.”


    Briar walked over and asked curiously, “What is it…?”


    However, Briar’s expression instantly turned cold when she saw the photos and addresses on Alex’sputer


    screen.


    “Don’t get angry yet, there’s more!” Upon seeing the change in Briar’s expression, Alex opened several other files and showed them to her page by page. “So? Do you feel the urge to kill someone? Ouch…”


    Alexia pped him as soon as Alex said that. “Stop provoking her! Briar is too gentle to go on a killing spree,” said Alexia.


    They might have been ruthless when they were abroad, but this was in Dasmieca. Hadn’t anyone noticed that even when Ashton wanted someone dead, he didn’t do it himself?


    They had to be extra cautious, especially since their investigation was linked to the senior leaders of Dasmieca.


    Otherwise, they would be vulnerable to ckmail. They could be framed with fabricated charges, making it nearly impossible for them to leave Dasmieca.


    Alex was speechless.


    Ian also came closer to see what could make Briar’s expression change.


    A few secondster, Ian cursed, “Damn it! These bastards have no humanity at all!”


    Standing behind Briar with his arms crossed, Ashton also saw what was on Alex’sputer.


    His expression was also grim.


    The photos on theputer were horrific, showing dismembered limbs and the grotesque results of failed. experiments that used live humans as test subjects.


    The bodies were not only those of Briar’s former battle buddies but also many ordinary civilians…


    The sheer number and brutality of the images were appalling.


    That was only part of the information Hayden and Manny revealed about thebs‘ internal operations.


    In other words, even if the Garzas were arrested and the Lopez family fell, theboratories hidden around the world would still operate normally.


    Therefore, arresting the Garzas and the Lopezs would not affect normal research in thebs.


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    ording to Hayden, the experimental drug they were frantically researching was a longevity medicine that could extend life…