Amotion erupted in the room the moment Justin was escorted out.


    "What in the world is going on, Mr. Javier? Why did the policee for Mr. Justin?"


    "Mr. Dutton''s death couldn''t possibly have anything to do with him, could it?"


    "The president of Beckett Group was taken away in public! If this gets out, it''ll seriously damage thepany''s reputation!"


    At a critical moment like this, the board members were concerned only with the corporation''s interests.


    That was only natural. After all, those interests were tied directly to their own.


    "That''s enough, everyone. There''s no need to panic." Though Javier''s thoughts were in turmoil, he forced himself to remainposed. "Just as Chief Taylor said, they only need Justin to assist with the investigation. He''s not being treated as a suspect. After all, the deceased was his biological uncle.


    "This meeting is adjourned for now. We''ll reconvene at ater date. Please wait for my notice."


    Even though Justin hadn''t been handcuffed and was merely taken in for questioning, Cyrus had deliberately arranged for two police vehicles to be parked side by side at the entrance of Beckett Group''s headquarters.


    His intent was obvious—to draw attention and stir public spection.


    With a calm smile, Justin stepped into the police car with measured elegance. Yet inwardly, he felt nothing of the sort.


    He knew full well that Jasper and the others had likely instructed Cyrus to bring him in today. They might know about Zachary''s death, but without concrete evidence, they couldn''t prove he was behind it.


    Still, they could manipte public opinion, dragging him into the center of a brewing storm.


    Spection, criticism, and usations... words could be weapons. Not lethal, but persistent clinging to him like glue, restricting his every move. Worse still, his position within thepany could begin to waver under the pressure.


    As expected, the news spread like wildfire the moment he was taken away. Within hours, headlines about the president of Beckett Group being summoned by the police flooded social media.


    This chain of perfectly timed events was no ident; it was the result of Alyssa''s orchestration behind the scenes. This was her opening.. move her first true counterattack. against Justin.


    Seated in the police car, Justin stared out the window at the passing scenery, his gaze dark and unreadable. The usual pallor of his face now seemed almost sickly.


    He wondered if Alyssa had yed a role in everything-the public scrutiny, the summons, the mounting pressure. Had she?


    Perhaps.


    But it didn''t matter.


    From a young age, he had trusted no one. Suspicion, indifference, and cold-blooded cruelty were second nature to him. He had never known sympathy, nor cared to.


    Back then, when he plunged that sharp de into the female helper''s abdomen, he felt neither fear nor remorse. As he watched the blood seep from her wound something. side him Stirred not horror but exhration.


    His pulse quickened, and his mind buzzed as a dark, indescribable pleasure coursed through him.


    Dopamine surged through his veins, and his adrenaline spiked to a fever pitch. However, it wasn''t enough. It still wasn''t enough. So he stabbed her again and again.


    He no longer remembered how many times. By the time he regained his senses, he was standing in a pool of blood-his hands, his body, even his face drenched in it.


    And yet, his expression had remained eerily innocent.


    Perhaps he had always been this way—a twisted soul, rotten at the core. A demon in human form. This was who he was.


    And yet, despite everything, he had chosen to trust Alyssa.


    He knew she had her own agenda for approaching him. He knew she still cared for Jasper. Even so, he had been willing to open himself to herpletely, without reservation.


    Alyssa was like wildfire, but he had no intention of being a moth drawn to the me.


    He wanted to y with the fire itself.