Marvin and Joshua were speechless. They didn’t know what to say. Realizing he could not get through to Ashton and Briar, Mr. Goodwin turned to Griffin, who was standing behind Briar. “Griffin…”
Marvin cleared his throat, braced himself, and got straight to the point. “Ahem! Briar, we actually came to you today to ask about the whereabouts of the Garzas.”
He knew bringing up this topic would certainly make Briar resent him and Joshua. The reason why Briar had not yet moved against them was that she had no evidence. The second was perhaps because, unlike others, they had not jumped out to get in her way.
There was nothing wrong with Briar avenging her mother. Those who openly or covertly tried to stop Briar were all direct or indirect participants from back then. Even if they were not participants, they were beneficiaries of the experimental drugster developed by theb.
But those were the very people Briar nned to take revenge on. Seeing them brazenly approaching her to talk about how her mother was skinned and bled to be used as a catalyst for experimental drugs triggered her killing intent.
Marvin thought that the only reason Briar hadn’t pulled out a gun and shot them both on the spot was that she was kind–hearted. Sure enough, before Marvin could finish speaking, the smile on Briar’s face vanished and was instantly reced by a dark expression.
Briar dug a finger in her ear, her voice deceptively light. “Sorry, Mr. Goodwin. I was distracted and didn’t quite hear what you said. Whose whereabouts were you asking about?”
The strained smile froze on Marvin’s face. He didn’t even dare to look Briar in the eye. He was at a loss for words for a long moment, unable to say anything more.
Under Ashton and Griffin’s scrutinizing and critical stares, Joshua struggled to continue where Marvin had left off.
“Briar, we’re just acting on someone else’s behalf. We have no other choice. We came to ask about your intention for the Garza family. Can you spare their lives?”
He managed to ask all his questions in one breath. Joshua wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He never imagined that the cold gaze of someone so young could be so oppressive. Joshua hadn’t felt this oppressed since Ashton caused a huge stir in Shoneport.
The intimidating presence Briar exuded was simply overwhelming. Joshua would never have waded into this nerve–wracking mess if his family hadn’t been threatened.
The anger on Briar’s face intensified, but a smile spread across her lips. She was smiling with a sweet, beautiful smile. But was that the case?
It was so beautiful that as Marvin and Joshua looked at her, they felt as if they were looking past her to the delicate Rosalia from years ago.
Suddenly, even though it was broad daylight and they were sitting under the sun, Marvin and Joshua felt a bone–chilling cold creep up from the soles of their feet.
<b>12:49 </b><b>Mon</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>29 </b>
It crept up their legs and into their bodies, finally burrowing into their wildly beating hearts, where it coilet impossible to shake off Guilt, distress, panic, nervousness, bewilderment mixed.
A wave of strange yet familiar emotions washed over them again. Marvin’s face visibly drained of color<i>. </i>growing paler by the second. Meanwhile, Joshua, who was beside him, was in no better state.
Seeing his two friends in such a pathetic state, Griffin was both exasperated and unable to bear it. He rugged on Ashton’s sleeve, signaling for him to step in and smooth things over.
He didn’t want to have two corpses in his house. If that happened, even more people would likelye looking for trouble with Briar.
Initially, Ashton didn’t want to get involved, but he had to admit his grandfather had a point. So, he said, “Mr. Goodwin, Mr. Swift, you’ve seen for yourselves. My wife is good–natured and easygoing. The scenario you described could never happen on her watch.”
Ashton deliberately emphasized hisst sentence, his tone so harsh and sharp it was unnerving to hear. He made it obvious that the issue with those two families had nothing to do with Briar, and they should talk to him if they had a problem.
If they could talk to Ashton directly, perhaps their higher–ups wouldn’t have <i>to </i>go to such roundabout lengths to have them y the sympathy card with Briar.
Even though Ashton was the head of the Wade family, the most powerful of Shoneport’s four great families, he was a total loose cannon. Even more rming was that he retaliated against everyone who had ever offended him.
Sometimes, one act of revenge wasn’t enough. Ashton would utterly humiliate his opponents, crushing them repeatedly, just because he felt like it.
To make matters worse, no one in the Wade family could control him. Even when Griffin himself intervened, Ashton would sometimes refuse to listen.
The higher–ups wanted to avoid a confrontation with Ashton, fearing that he’d pull one of his stunts-ughing with them one second and flipping the dinner table the next.
Seeing that Ashton intended to protect her, Briar decided not to protest. She shrugged with an innocent look. “I’ll do as Ashton says.”
Marvin and Joshua were speechless. They didn’t know what to say. Realizing he could not get through to Ashton and Briar, Mr. Goodwin turned to Griffin, who was standing behind Briar. “Griffin…”
“Oh! My head is suddenly hurting. Did I not take my blood pressure medication today?” Griffin clutched his head and called out, “Butler? Butler! Did you forget to give me my blood pressure medication today?”
The butler, waiting just outside the courtyard, was startled for a moment when he heard Griffin. He then quickly put on an anxious expression and hurried over. “Oh, Mr. Wade, how could I have forgotten. You really haven’t taken your blood pressure medication today!”
As he spoke, he ran to Griffin’s side and took his arm. “Let me help you take your medicine. We can’t be careless about this.”
<b>12:49 </b><b>Mon</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b>29
<b>70 </b>
10 vouchers
“Ouch, my head is killing me! How could you forget something so important?” Just like that, Griffin and his butler left, perfectly ying their parts.
But their acting was hardly acting at all. Anyone could see at a nce how fake and contrived their conversation was. Even Marvin and Joshua were so furious that they almost stomped their feet.
‘Who was it that said during a previous chess game that he was still the one to call the shots in the Wade family? And what happened? When it was his turn to step up and take charge, he faked a headache.
‘At that brisk pace, did he look like someone who had forgotten his blood pressure medication?‘
But the man was already gone. Marvin and Joshua couldn’t do a thing. Besides, they could not exactly stop him from taking his blood pressure medication. After all, what if his headache was actually true?
Sensing the awkwardness between Marvin and Joshua, Ashton offered them an out. “Mr. Goodwin, Mr. Swift, please continue. We’re listening!”
AD
Comment
Send gift <fncde5> Original content can be found at Find?Novel</fncde5>
No Ads