Chapter 614
Chapter 614:
Ashton’s lips curled into a smile that was anything but pleasant. “If you don’t know who Fraser is, why are you here—at this hour, no less? Is this just a wild coincidence?”
It was meant to needle him, to provoke a reaction. But to Ashton’s surprise, Craig immediately jumped at the chance to spin an excuse.
“Of course it’s a coincidence! I was just… bored, wandering around. My feet got tired, and I needed a place to rest. Who would’ve thought you two would be here?” Craig said, stubbornly refusing to admit anything.
Ashton, taken aback by Craig’s audacity, blinked. He’d caught him red-handed, but Craig still refused to own up.
Frustration boiled up inside Ashton, his voice dropping several degrees colder. “Don’t think for a second that playing the fool will get you off the hook. Your cousin almost lost her life because you leaked our itinerary.”
Craig’s eyes flickered. There was a brief moment of hesitation, but then the cocky smile returned, more smug than ever.
“Clearly, you two have gotten in over your heads,” Craig sneered, his arrogance bleeding through his words like poison. “You’ve pissed off the wrong people, and now you’re too scared to face them. So instead, you’re taking it out on me. And why should I care whether Abrial lives or dies? I’d be glad if she died. Then there’d be one less person fighting me for the family inheritance.”
Abrial’s face went ashen, her fury boiling over, her finger trembling as she pointed at him, but words eluded her, stolen by the sheer intensity of her rage.
Ashton’s expression darkened as though a storm cloud had just rolled in, his eyes flashing with murder. When Ashton remembered how well his two brothers had taken care of him, a stark contrast to Craig’s disregard for family, a murderous intent exploded in Ashton’s eyes.
The sheer weight of his intent was suffocating, even obvious to Abrial. For a moment, it felt as if Ashton could end Craig’s life with the flick of his wrist, his cold glare enough to kill.
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In a desperate move, Abrial grabbed Ashton’s arm, shaking her head, her voice a soft plea. “Ashton, please, don’t do something we’ll regret. He’s my cousin. If anything happens to him, it will come back on you. Let’s think this through.”
Ashton ground his teeth, his gaze flicking to Abrial. The sincerity in her eyes was like a tether pulling him back from the edge, and slowly, rationality began to return.
He turned his icy stare back on Craig, his words clipped and final. “Still refusing to talk? Then stay here and reflect on your choices. I won’t release you until you come to your senses.”
With that, Ashton, ignoring Craig’s shouting and desperate threats, walked out of the room, Abrial by his side.
As they left, it was as if Craig no longer existed—his pleas drowned out by the heavy silence that followed them.
Ashton and Abrial stepped out of the reception room, and the weight of the night seemed to follow them like a dark cloud. As they walked, Abrial couldn’t help but notice the storm still raging within Ashton, the anger that hadn’t yet dissipated. His features were set, tense, as though a lingering fury simmered just beneath the surface, threatening to break free. The earlier events had clearly unsettled him more than she expected.
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