Chapter 187

Chapter 187:

Sheila’s hands shook as she reached out, trying desperately to touch Phillip and somehow wake him up. Ashton, who had been trailing behind, finally entered the room and immediately noticed the multitude of sleeping pills that littered the area around Phillip.

Noticing Sheila’s deep distress, Ashton gently restrained her and said, “Step back. Let me handle this.”

Sheila retreated, giving Ashton the room he needed. Ashton bent over, carefully checking for any sign of a pulse or heartbeat in Phillip.

Ashton glanced up at Sheila, his voice flat as he stated, “He’s gone. There’s nothing.”

The last glimmer of hope vanished, leaving Sheila’s mind an empty void.

She stood frozen, words failing her.

Ashton remained silent, offering no comfort. Even if Phillip had survived, Ashton knew he wouldn’t have shown him mercy.

Yet, despite the appearance of suicide, Ashton found himself riddled with doubts.

While the room showed no obvious signs of a struggle, the state of Phillip’s disheveled clothing hinted at some kind of conflict. It appeared possible that Phillip had been forced to take a lethal dose of sleeping pills.

Instantly, Fraser’s name flashed through Ashton’s mind. Phillip and Fraser seemed to have worked together in the past. At the bidding event, it was evident that Fraser had emboldened Phillip, fueling his ambition to take on Ashton.

Although Ashton harbored suspicions about Fraser, he had no solid evidence to back them up. Fraser was good at covering his tracks, never leaving behind anything incriminating.

So, Ashton was left to wrestle with his suspicions, unable to leap to any definitive conclusions. But one thing was undeniable—Phillip was dead. Ashton ensured the scene remained untouched before calling the police.

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The police arrived shortly after. Following a thorough investigation, their conclusions aligned with Ashton’s suspicions.

“There were no signs of a struggle, and no foreign fingerprints were detected. However, the disarray of the deceased’s clothing is odd for someone who took sleeping pills. With the evidence at hand, we can’t confirm whether this was a suicide or a murder. We’ll know more after the autopsy and further investigation.”

The police’s findings were unsurprising to Ashton, though still disheartening.

If Phillip had taken his own life out of guilt, it would have been a straightforward matter. Yet, the memory of Fraser’s gaze before he left lingered, keeping Ashton’s suspicions alive.

Once he left the scene, Ashton wasted no time in contacting Rosalie.

“Rosalie, it seems digging into Fraser is going to be trickier than we anticipated. If you’re planning to investigate him, be incredibly careful. Don’t let him catch wind of your real motives. I know you told me to stay out of this, but I need to help you with some of the investigation. From what I’ve seen of Fraser’s methods, it doesn’t look like he’s acting on his own.”

The outcome did not align with Ashton’s expectations.

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