Chapter 546

Chapter 546:

Suddenly, he seemed to realize something. “No wonder the cake looked different from what I ordered. I almost fell for their trap,” he said through clenched teeth.

Fortunately, he had invited Ashton to cut the cake with him out of personal motives. Otherwise, nobody would have noticed the problem, and the cake would have been distributed to the guests.

Rayden realized the gravity of what had almost happened. If Ashton hadn’t intervened, the poison-laced cake would have been served, decimating Staville’s elite. It would have been a disaster beyond imagination, with catastrophic consequences.

However, although Ashton had saved everyone from eating the poisoned cake, Rayden was still uneasy about the current situation. He quickly asked Ashton, “Mr. Baldwin, are those people from the Dark Night Organization still in the banquet hall? If they are, what should we do? Should I notify the police station to send reinforcements?”

Ashton shook his head. “No need. Don’t worry. I’ve already arranged for the military’s special forces to come and seal off the area. If the time is right, we can catch them all in one go.” He paused, then added in a low voice, “But when I stopped you from cutting the cake, I might have already alerted them. They may no longer carry out their plans and just flee. So, to stabilize the situation and prevent them from escaping too soon, we need to put on a show. I need you to cooperate with me. Continue the party as if nothing is wrong. This way, we can lure the mice hiding in the gutter. Once they feel safe again and drop their guard, we’ll make our move.”

The upper echelons of Tacland had already made it clear—every senior official in Staville was to cooperate fully with Ashton’s investigation.

With such explicit orders, Rayden had no room for hesitation. He couldn’t afford to cross Ashton.

“Mr. Baldwin, just say the word. I won’t let you down!” Rayden promised, bowing his head in a display of respect.

𝖁𝗂𝖊𝖜 𝗍𝗋𝗎𝖾 𝗎𝗉𝖽𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝗇 gal𝖓𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀﹒ⅽ𝗈𝗆

Ashton gave a small nod, about to respond when his expression shifted, and he hesitated.

“Someone’s coming,” Ashton murmured, his tone sharp.

Rayden blinked, puzzled. The room was quiet. How could Ashton sense someone approaching when even he heard nothing?

But within moments, hurried footsteps echoed down the hall, and the door to their private room flew open.

It was Alisha.

Her normally composed demeanor was shattered, her face painted with panic. She rushed in, breathless, eyes darting between her father and Ashton. “Dad! Something’s gone terribly wrong in the banquet hall! That fool, Luther—after you and Ashton left, he cut himself a slice of cake and ate it, trying to prove Ashton was bluffing about the poison. But… he collapsed. He’s foaming at the mouth!”

Both Rayden and Ashton froze. Anger flickered in their eyes.

Ashton clenched his jaw. He had orchestrated everything meticulously, and now Luther’s stupidity was throwing his carefully laid plans into disarray.

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