Chapter 1676 A Risky Bet
With the wine bottles destroyed and their contents spilled across the floor, any evidence of the alleged smuggling activities was gone. Entering the flooded cellar at this point was a lost cause and frankly disgusting.
Horace glared at Ashton sullenly before reholstering his gun. He turned around to leave.
He had barely taken two steps before he whipped around suddenly and said cynically, “I must say, Mr. Fuller and Mrs. Fuller, the two of you make such a lovely pair. Your teamwork is admirable, and I’d be hard-pressed to find another pair who were more in sync with one another!”
He did not fool me with his thinly veiled attempt at accusing us of being criminal accomplices.
How good can he be if he’s so intent on painting our family as villains over some baseless accusations?
I played dumb and replied sweetly, “What a lovely compliment. I’m sure the two of us will enjoy a long life together over your blessings!”
“Hmph!” Horace scoffed and said, “Let’s see if you’ll still be smiling like this during our next encounter!”
He left in a huff with the other officers in tow.
Horace’s behavior made it seem like we were his mortal enemies, and I could not help but wonder if everyone else harbored this feeling of prejudice toward all businessmen. He was so ready to pin the blame on us even before obtaining any evidence, almost as if he’s confident that none of our profits come from legal means.
Ashton waited for the officers to leave the vicinity of the cellar before coming out. The sound of rhythmic crunching greeted our ears as he walked over the glass shards littering the floor.
The wine cellar had no heating, and the chill sent me scrunching my neck into my collar. Hastily, I added, “You’re going to fall sick if you stay in those wet clothes. You should clean up in the restroom.”
“I’ll be fine,” Ashton replied. He looked at Summer grimly and added, “Get someone to move the rest of the wine away. Keep it in a discreet location; we might have some use for it in the future.”
Summer and I turned to look at the half-open crates in the cellar, paling in unison.
It turned out that Ashton had not destroyed all of the wines. It was all an act, and most of the smuggled wines were lying intact in their original crates. Had the police officers been more determined to venture into the cellar for a better look, they would have the evidence they needed to make a case.
Ashton’s risky gamble thankfully paid off.
Worried that the officers could return at any minute, I urged Summer, “Quick, follow your dad’s instructions.”
Summer nodded somberly and summoned the staff who had unlocked the cellar door earlier. She ordered, “Get all the staff in here right now, except the security guards at the door or the cleaners in the hall. Be discreet; we don’t want to alert any of the reporters outside.”
“Right away, Miss.” The staff immediately set out to carry out her orders.
She turned to me next and apologized, “Mommy, I’m sorry for troubling you all today. You should head to the manager’s office with Daddy and get some rest. I’ll have someone send a set of clean clothes up in a bit. Once I’ve settled everything here, I’ll head up to brief you all on the situation.”
Instead of answering her, Ashton left quietly, and I shot a look of reassurance at Summer before following him.
We passed by staff heading toward the cellar on our way up.
As we waited for the elevators, I saw Ashton casually glancing toward the main entrance. I supposed he was checking to see if the police cars had left.
Ashton had just come in after a shower when Summer showed up. She wore a remorseful expression on her face as she approached the two of us on the couch. Summer launched into her apology immediately, “I’m sorry, Daddy. I was negligent in my hiring practices, and I almost ruined the project. I take full responsibility for all the consequences.”
She sounded as logical and distant as before, and I found myself in awe of her iron-clad control over her emotions.
I was struck with an epiphany then — all my efforts in the past were for naught. Summer’s calmness and indifference were bone-deep, and she was not one to wear her heart on her sleeve.
Alas, she inherited a part of Jared, after all.
On the contrary, Ashton seemed unbothered by her distant behavior. He was only concerned about the matter at hand as he questioned her, “How do you plan on solving this?”
Summer mulled over his question for a while before answering, “I’ll fire the manager involved and blacklist him from any future hiring. There will be background checks on all current staff to make sure nothing like this happens again. Next, I’ll upgrade our surveillance systems so we’re better prepared for emergencies like this in the future.”
