Chapter 35
Walter turned to his short-haired secretary, who stood behind him in her crisp suit, leather shoes clicking as she approached. “Write me a check for 30 million…” he instructed, his tone calm but commanding.
The secretary promptly retrieved a checkbook and pen from her briefcase, scribbled the amount onto the paper, and tore off the check with a swift motion. She handed it to Walter, who then turned to Brian with a warm smile.
“I hear you recently led a team to conduct free clinics in some of the most impoverished areas, Dr. Tanner,” Walter remarked smoothly, the polite words hiding his ulterior motive. “The Watsons are a charitable family, and we’re happy to support such a noble cause.”
Brian knew exactly what Walter was doing. The check wasn’t for the free clinic project—it was a bribe, plain and simple. The clinic’s expenses were minimal, and Walter was clearly trying to use this high-sounding reason to smooth over the tension with Nash. He wasn’t fooling anyone.
Brian hesitated for a moment, but ultimately took the check. “On behalf of the patients in those areas, thank you, Mr. Watson,” he said, his voice polite but guarded. “I’ll speak to my grandmaster again, but I must warn you not to expect too much…”
Nash had returned to Hera’s apartment, the soft hum of the city in the background as he settled on the couch. He pulled up the video footage from the Lewis family estate, the recordings he’d copied earlier. He needed answers. He had suspected Helena’s family might be behind the plot against Herman, but something didn’t sit right. Hubert didn’t seem like the mastermind—there had to be someone else pulling the strings from his side.
Nash sifted through nearly half a month’s worth of surveillance footage, scanning for any clues. At first, there was nothing of note. But then, on the 23rd—just three days before the incident—something caught his eye.
Hannah had been summoned by Cain, the head of the family. From the footage, it was clear that Cain had scolded her, his voice rising as he reprimanded her for neglecting the garden. The plants were withered from poor care, and he made sure she knew it.
After that day, Hannah’s demeanor changed drastically. She seemed distracted, almost depressed. Gone was her usual cheer, and she even began making mistakes—knocking over glasses of water when serving Herman. Nash couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t just a small issue; something deeper was at play.
Just then, the doorbell rang, snapping Nash out of his thoughts. He rose and walked over to the door, glancing through the peephole. A man stood there in a blue delivery uniform, carrying a bag of takeout.
“Who is it?” Nash asked, his suspicion already piqued.
“Food delivery!” the man called back.
“I didn’t order anything,” Nash replied, his voice tinged with caution.
The man seemed impatient. “Someone ordered it for you.”
Nash frowned. “Who ordered it for me?”
“You’ll have to ask the restaurant about that,” the delivery man said, his tone curt. “Hurry up. I’ve got another order to deliver.”
Nash opened the door, just enough to receive the food. But in a split second, the delivery man’s hand shot out from under his sleeve, revealing a sharp knife. With lightning speed, he lunged toward Nash.
Instinctively, Nash grabbed the man’s wrist, twisting it as he stepped on his foot, bringing him down with ease. The man tried to struggle free, but Nash pressed his foot onto his back, pinning him to the ground with cold precision.
Nash leaned in, his voice steady but threatening. “Who sent you?”
The delivery man gritted his teeth but didn’t respond, continuing to squirm in an attempt to escape. Nash’s patience thinned. He stepped harder on the man’s back, his voice turning icy. “I’ll ask you again. Who are you? Speak now or you’ll die here.”
The man let out a low growl, his words dripping with venom. “You people killed my son. Now it’s your turn to die.”
Nash’s brow furrowed. “Who’s your son?”
The man’s anger flared, and his voice trembled with fury. “You really don’t know? Do you think you can buy my son’s life with a measly 200 grand?”