Chapter 549
Chapter 549
“I really thought it would be someone like Matthew or Jeff,” Aaron pondered with growing suspicion. “But it was indeed one of Byron’s own who did the deed.”
He brooded, “And, you know, I’m worried Byron might be cooking up some nasty scheme. I’ve even had his lawyer tailed for the past couple of days. Apart from his attorney, he hasn’t seen a soul. But his attorney’s been squeaky clean, too. Checked his call logs, and there’s no connection to the killer.”
“That’s where it gets fishy. Maybe one of Byron’s loyal goons panicked about the whole thing blowing up and took matters into their own hands without telling him. Ha, does he even have such capable henchmen?”
Evadne frowned deeply, then let out a cold laugh, “Or maybe Matthew, when he made his move, left himself an out with a little ‘murder by proxy‘ action.”
“Using Byron as a tool to commit murder?” Thaddeus’s voice was deep and icy.
“Matthew was in a rush to act, for sure. The moment he learned that Beverly had been in touch with us, he wanted to silence her permanently.” NôvelDrama.Org holds this content.
Evadne, though hot–tempered, became especially composed in critical moments, analyzing calmly, “But to pull this off was a huge. risk. It had to be done in one go and under our noses at lightning speed. So, Matthew thought of using Byron’s people. If the ‘weapon‘ gets caught, the suspicion falls on Byron, and he has ways to wiggle out.”
Thaddeus stared at Evadne, struck by her brilliance, as if she were an angel descended from the heavens.
His mind stopped working, and he was simply smitten.
“Huh, the Chambers family really is one for the books – a real ‘happy family‘!”
Aaron clenched his teeth in anger, “I’ll start digging into Matthew’s affairs. Neither of these devilish brothers is getting away with this!”
“Chances are, Matthew’s already caught wind and cleaned up his act. This isn’t a direct hire, so there’s no concrete evidence. Catching him by the tail is going to be tough,” Evadne said, her eyes hard and determined.
“I’m obsessed, can’t rest until I catch that bastard. I can’t even eat!”
Aaron was seething, “I hate this, knowing who the culprit is but not being able to nab him. It’s infuriating!”
“Don’t worry, Aaron, just follow your pace. Don’t rush or obsess too much. Things might unfold in unexpected ways.”
After hanging up, the room fell silent.
“Evadne.”
Thaddeus opened his arms and embraced her, his chiseled jaw grazing against her fragrant hair, “I know it’s not the best thought, but I can’t help feeling it’s not so bad. If all the evidence points to Byron, it won’t just be a charge of assault. It’ll be conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder. He’ll be looking at a long stretch behind bars.”
“That’s just typical; you’re always on the same page as me.”
Evadne nestled into him, her slender arms around his waist, flushing his cheeks crimson, “Just giving Byron a decade or so would be letting him off too easy. I was thinking of hiring the best legal team in the country for Beverly and that girl, determined to take that scumbag down for good. Hah, who would
have thought, before I could even make my move, his own brother would step in such touching brotherly love.”
“That kind of dysfunctional family, always backstabbing each other, they don’t know what kinship is. Even if we do nothing, they’ll self–destruct.”
He spoke softly, his hands wandering under her shirt, his touch igniting fires within her.
With one touch, she melted into him, her mind bursting with fireworks as his lips claimed hers in a deep, entwining kiss.
Unable to resist, Thaddeus whispered huskily by her ear, “I’m going to lock the door.”
Evadne felt a shiver of desire but managed to pinch him sharply, “Stop! This is a hospital, no frisky business!”
The news of the killer’s capture, of course, reached Matthew immediately.
He had been prepared, but the fact that Aaron was involved in the arrest kept him up all night, his mind churning like an overheated boiler.
“Mr. Chambers, you needn’t panic.”
His confidant said with a sly grin, “You foresaw this issue and took precautions. We have leverage over the hitman – his family is in our hands. Do you think he would dare implicate you? To protect his family, he’ll keep his lips sealed.”
“No, it’s not enough to just keep silent.”
Matthew rubbed his temples, his eyes emitting a sinister gleam, “He must pin everything on Byron. This needs a mastermind, or do you think the Ashbournes will let it go?”
Quincy nodded in agreement, “You’re right, sir.”
Matthew swirlca his whiskey, the ice clinking, his smile cold, “Let him clean up his own mess, a final contribution to the Chambers Group.”
“Mr. Chambers, there’s still the issue of keeping the Ashbourne heir away from this case so we can proceed.”
Matthew’s eyes narrowed dangerously, “I have a plan for that.”
The very next day, the explosive revelation that Aaron was Emeric’s son spread like wildfire online, causing quite a stir.
[The handsome police officer was the son of the wealthiest man in town? And he’s so down–to–earth!]
[He’s Evadne’s brother? They don’t look alike, do they?]
[Word around town is that Aaron’s just a stepson, not from the first wife. Back in the day, he’d be nothing more than an unimportant kid!]
[Come on now! Suri’s Emeric’s second wife, and even if she’s second in line, she’s still the queen bee, alright?]
[Quit showing off your ignorance, pal. The kids from the second wife are top–notch, every single one of ‘em. Your family’s lucky streak couldn’t hold a candle to theirs!]
Despite the overwhelming support surfacing online, Aaron was still ordered to step away from the Byron case.
Given that the victim was his sister Nydia, Aaron had to recuse himself on the principle of conflict of interest and hand the case over to another team.
On the day of the handover-
Under the watchful eyes of the department, the smug team captain asked Aaron, “You’ve been working hard, Aaron. Anything else you need to pass on?”
Aaron cocked his head, half–joking, “Well, it’s about time to find out if you’re one of the dirty cops.”
The captain frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Aaron raised his voice on purpose, “Everyone knows the Chambers Group loves their dirty deals, sugarcoating their bombs before they let ‘em explode. The case was buried by them, and it was my sister who braved the storm and exposed Byron’s crimes live, bringing the nation’s attention back to it.”
All the colleagues turned their attention to him.
“So now, I’m not asking you as a colleague but as a family member of the victim. Make sure that bastard Byron rots behind bars and gets what he deserves. The whole Ashbourne family is waiting for your good news.”
The captain’s face stiffened, and his legs shook beneath the table.
Aaron patted his shoulder with a smirk and walked away with a swagger.
After the murderer was caught-
Beverly and another girl violated by Byron, along with their families, came to the police station to report the crime under the protection of Evadne and Thaddeus.
With this, Byron’s crimes were firmly established, and he had no chance of turning things around!
Outside the police station, the media swarmed, and the news spread like wildfire.
The police kept the identities of the two girls completely confidential, and although the media didn’t get a single photo, that didn’t stop them from hitting the headlines.
“Byron Guilty of Rape”
“The Chambers Group Threatens the Victims‘ Families”
“Byron Suspected of Attempted Murder”
“Byron was Done for!”
Public opinion was shifting
Those who had slandered, doubted, and mocked Nydia were nowhere to be found, replaced by cheers and admiration.
Nydia, despite the immense pressure, had revealed her own wounds to speak up for the victims. What a hero4]
[What about those online trolls who accused her of seeking attention? Come out and show your faces
[The Chambers Group even threatened the victims‘ families to keep them from reporting to the policet They are lawless! if it weren’t for Nydia, this case would never have seen the light of day‘]
is there s such a thing as law and justice in front of the wealthy?]
If Byron doesn’t get life, then there is no law or justice in this country!]
The Chambers Group, which had just settled down for a few days, was once again facing massive backlash of public opinion.
If it weren’t for Avery stabilizing the stock price of the Chambers Group and restarting the Helgen project, this time, the company might have been severely wounded!
After the group meeting, Jeff kept Matthew and Avery behind.
With a whoosh, Jeff angrily threw the documents on the table at Matthew’s face, but he dodged nimbly.
“It was just rape, wasn’t it? Now it’s turned into attempted murder? How the hell are you cleaning up this mess? Is your time as CEO coming to an end?”
Avery’s refined face showed no emotion, just the corners of his lips twitching almost imperceptibly as he pushed up his gold–rimmed glasses.
“Dad! This has nothing to do with me, I’ve done everything I could to get Byron off the hook!”
Matthew looked innocent and wronged, “But that dumb kid couldn’t sit tight and didn’t fully trust me. He came up with the crazy idea of killing to silence the witnesses. Not only did he screw over the Chambers Group, but he also backed himself into a corner. Those two girls came forward to testify, protected by Evadne and Thaddeus. Dad, we can’t cover for Byron anymore!”
“It’s odd. With Byron locked up, even if he wanted to, he couldn’t have done anything.”
Avery twirled his pen, eyebrows raised teasingly, “Matthew, you weren’t the one messing things up in his stead, were you? After all, aside from his lawyer, he’s only met with you during this time.”
“Avery, don’t sling mud!”
Matthew’s chest shivered, “I’m not as stupid as Byron!”
“What do we do now?”
Jeff pointed furiously at Matthew’s flustered face, “By sunset tomorrow, you better have a solution for me! Otherwise, step down from the CEO position and let Avery take over!”