However, Anthony did not spare him another glance. Instead, he turned to address Shane. “Why don’t you explain yourself!”
Right at that moment, the woman stepped out from behind the screen. She was already fully dressed and exuded an enchanting aura. Languidly, she leaned against the screen and looked at Holden. “Mr. Taylor, did you forget about me the moment you got dressed? Don’t forget about our agreement!” she said.
Her sharp gaze swept towards Shane as she spoke. Immediately, Shane’s hands balled into furious fists as he seethed in anger.
It was blatantly obvious that the woman was involved with Shane.
“Although I’ve agreed with your deal, your boyfriend has invoked the wrath of someone he shouldn’t provoke! Additionally, he nearly caused the death of Mr. Featherstone! You should ask Mr. Featherstone if he’s willing to overlook the grave sins committed by your boyfriend!” Holden spoke airily as he took a seat.
Having heard his words, I frowned. The woman who hooked up with Holden was Shane’s girlfriend? Earlier, the woman was flirting shamelessly with Holden…
That alone was unacceptable, at least to me. Furthermore, Shane was still present the entire time. This was a great insult to him!
The woman’s face turned beet red upon Holden’s statement. However, she remained extraordinarily calm. She must have gotten used to dealing with such shady situations.
“Mr. Taylor, it seems like you are acting recklessly on purpose!” she turned towards Holden and remarked with a smile.
Holden merely shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m not going against my word. After all, I promised to leave your man alone. However, Mr. Featherstone made no such promise. Now that you’ve kept me company, why don’t you offer your services to Mr. Featherstone?”
Although she was ridiculed by his comment, she did not lash out. Instead, she turned to Anthony with a charming look that gleamed in her eyes. “Mr. Featherstone, I…” the woman began sweetly.
“I have no wish to mingle with trash like you! You’d better keep your distance!” Anthony warned darkly before she could say more.
“Your lust is insatiable!” Anthony then turned to Holden and condemned him with a solemn expression.
“Well, let’s just say that I don’t like turning people down,” Holden replied as he scratched his nose in an unbothered manner.
Anthony scoffed at Holden’s unbothered attitude. “Take this opportunity and leave while I’m still in a good mood! If you don’t, I’ll feed you to the sharks!” he ordered her mercilessly.
The woman flinched in shock and terror. After a lingering glance at Shane, she fled from the room with her tail tucked between her legs.
“Mr. Featherstone, you should change your horrible attitude towards women. In the future, your wife might run away with someone else if you keep it up,” Holden teased after the woman’s departure.
Anthony shot him a stern look before he opened his mouth. “Go ahead and ask!”
Following that, Anthony pulled me aside and waited for Holden to interrogate Shane.
Holden pursed his lips; there was a glint of annoyance that flickered in his eyes when he looked at Shane. “Go to the kitchen and bring it back! It will serve as a wonderful surprise,” he instructed the henchmen.
I was clueless about his intentions. “Why don’t you admit your mistakes?” Holden asked in a tone that was deceptively kind, “Don’t force me to play the role of a villain.”
Shane lifted his head as he looked around the room. “Mr. Taylor, what do you want me to say? What do you want me to confess? I swear that I’ll blurt it out immediately. I’ll say anything that you want to know!” he asked Holden quizzically.
“Haha!” Holden burst out laughing. A trace of mockery crossed his handsome face. “You want to act clueless? Fine by me. This means that I get to have my fun.”
The henchmen that Holden had ordered earlier returned with an object in their hands. “Let’s give Mr. Shane a little punishment!” Holden said and leaned against the chair.
I couldn’t help but stare at him in utter disbelief.
Quickly, Anthony pulled me into his embrace. “Don’t look!” he repeated. Once again, my vision was obstructed as Shane’s crazed screaming pierced the air.
“If you like, you can continue to act like a fool. I’m fine with that! After all, I have all the time and energy to play along with your antics! Take your time!” Holden called out over his screams.
I pushed Anthony’s hand away and was greeted with the sight of Shane sprawled across the floor. It was clear that he was in significant pain as he convulsed on the ground. “I’ll speak, I’ll speak! Take those things out!” he shrieked in pain.
Holden looked towards the two henchmen, and they quickly stripped Shane’s pants. The sudden removal of his clothes left him trembling as he was partially naked.
“Speak!” Holden ordered with a stoic expression.
“It was Abe; he ordered me to trail after Mr. Featherstone. The goal was to transfer Moranta’s foreign trading rights under Mr. Featherstone to Abe. On the day of the accident, I was the one who sabotaged Mr. Featherstone’s car. It was a mistake on my behalf! I should not have acted that way! Yet, I had no choice! Abe would have killed me if I did not obey his commands!” Shane cried out; his body trembled as he spoke. He must not have expected Holden to act in such a perverse manner.
“So, the few hundred thousand that you’ve lost in the casino belonged to Abe?” Holden asked as his eyes narrowed.
Shane nodded fearfully; he was shaking like a leaf.
“When the incident occurred, did the police find out who the corpse belonged to?” I asked after a brief moment of hesitation.
Holden frowned; he must have thought that my question was out of the topic. However, Shane jolted in shock as he looked at me with a widened gaze. “It was Abe. He was murdered by Armond’s henchmen. After his death, he was even covered in sulfuric acid,” Shane murmured tentatively.
With a scowl, I turned towards Anthony. Shane’s words were full of contradictions and uncertainties. He shouldn’t be trusted so easily!
Anthony pondered for a brief moment as he clutched a glass of water in his hand. “Have you located Abe’s coordinates?” Anthony asked Holden.
“He vanished after the accident,” Holden shook his head.
How is this possible? Why would Armond murder Abe? The possibility of Abe’s murder seemed impossible. Aren’t they in an alliance? Why would they turn on each other?
Once again, I asked Shane to reclarify the truth. “Are you sure that the corpse belongs to Abe?”
Shane nodded his head in earnest. “That night, Abe was the one who blocked your path. After he dragged Mr. Featherstone out of the car, the killer in the other car killed Abe without any remorse. If you don’t believe me, you can inspect his corpse. They shot Abe in the chest and even stabbed him to ensure a proper death. After they had confirmed his death, they poured sulfuric acid across his corpse. I witnessed all of these myself! I swear that I’m not lying!”
The room fell silent upon his proclamation. “You’ve performed well today. I’ll be generous enough to spare your life. However, you’d better maintain your loyalty. If you try to pull a trick to deceive me, I’ll end your life!” Holden ordered coldly.
With a single glance at his henchmen, they quickly escorted Shane out of the room. This left the three of us alone in the room.
I couldn’t help but question curiously as they remained silent. “Why did Armond kill Abe? I know that they have had a complicated relationship ever since what happened in Venria. But even if Abe had acted out of line, Armond could not have killed him in such an indifferent manner. Furthermore, we are living in a society ruled by strict laws. Even if Armond had countless men working under his command, it is impossible for him to get away with this murder due to the scrutiny of the police force. How could he blatantly kill Abe?”
“You should handle the matters at the police station. I will send someone to settle the company’s affairs in Moranta,” Anthony addressed Holden.
“Hold on a second, Mr. Featherstone. It looks like you’re going to leave the mess for me to clean up whilst you return to your country?” Holden frowned.
“If you want the Taylor family to be destroyed, I am more than willing to stay!” Anthony said coldly, “Armond is already plotting his next move. He wants more than just the control over Moranta’s foreign trading rights!”
“What are you implying?” Holden turned and asked him with a solemn gaze.
Anthony shot him a knowing look before clutching my arm as he pulled me along. “Let’s go; we should hurry back.”
Although I still felt confused at their exchange, I trailed after Anthony obediently.
As we walked out of the room and past the cruise cabin, I caught sight of a fight that had broken out between a couple. Upon closer look, I realized that the couple was none other than Shane and the woman.
“I must have been blind to fall for such a disgusting woman like you! Do you think that Holden is better than me? He’s nothing but a brat!” Shane cursed at her. In just a split second, his palm landed on the woman’s cheeks a few times heavily.
She must have endured countless slaps under his wrath as her face had been beaten to the point that it looked swollen. Her elegance and alluring aura had been reduced to a disheveled appearance.
Despite so, the woman seemed to be no stranger to his violence. After he landed a few more blows, she remained as motionless as a puppet and bore the brunt of his relentless abuse.
I couldn’t help but frown when I saw his display of cruelty. Hurriedly, I stepped forward to put a halt to Shane’s actions. “If I were you, I would have left this place in embarrassment. Did you really think that your useless information was enough to save your measly life after you nearly caused Anthony’s death? If it weren’t for her help, you would have ended up as a corpse in the ocean. Why don’t you utilize your own skills and capabilities instead of relying on a woman like a leech?”
My unannounced appearance stunned Shane. Just when he was on the verge of losing his cool, he saw Anthony behind me and he got on his knees immediately. “Mrs. Featherstone, you’re right. I’m at fault. I will never do it again!”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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