I pushed Ashton’s hand away and was greeted with the sight of Shane sprawled across the floor. It was clear that he was in significant pain as he convulsed on the ground. “I’ll speak, I’ll speak! Take those things out!” he shrieked in pain.
Holden looked towards the two henchmen, and they quickly stripped Shane’s pants. The sudden removal of his clothes left him trembling as he was partially naked.
“Speak!” Holden ordered with a stoic expression.
“It was Abe; he ordered me to trail after Mr. Fuller. The goal was to transfer Moranta’s foreign trading rights under Mr. Fuller to Abe. On the day of the accident, I was the one who sabotaged Mr. Fuller’s car. It was a mistake on my behalf! I should not have acted that way! Yet, I had no choice! Abe would have killed me if I did not obey his commands!” Shane cried out; his body trembled as he spoke. He must not have expected Holden to act in such a perverse manner.
“So, the few hundred thousand that you’ve lost in the casino belonged to Abe?” Holden asked as his eyes narrowed.
Shane nodded fearfully; he was shaking like a leaf.
“When the incident occurred, did the police find out who the corpse belonged to?” I asked after a brief moment of hesitation.
Holden frowned; he must have thought that my question was out of the topic. However, Shane jolted in shock as he looked at me with a widened gaze. “It was Abe. He was murdered by Armond’s henchmen. After his death, he was even covered in sulfuric acid,” Shane murmured tentatively.
With a scowl, I turned towards Ashton. Shane’s words were full of contradictions and uncertainties. He shouldn’t be trusted so easily!
Ashton pondered for a brief moment as he clutched a glass of water in his hand. “Have you located Abe’s coordinates?” Ashton asked Holden.
“He vanished after the accident,” Holden shook his head.
How is this possible? Why would Armond murder Abe? The possibility of Abe’s murder seemed impossible. Aren’t they in an alliance? Why would they turn on each other?
Once again, I asked Shane to reclarify the truth. “Are you sure that the corpse belongs to Abe?”
Shane nodded his head in earnest. “That night, Abe was the one who blocked your path. After he dragged Mr. Fuller out of the car, the killer in the other car killed Abe without any remorse. If you don’t believe me, you can inspect his corpse. They shot Abe in the chest and even stabbed him to ensure a proper death. After they had confirmed his death, they poured sulfuric acid across his corpse. I witnessed all of these myself! I swear that I’m not lying!”
The room fell silent upon his proclamation. “You’ve performed well today. I’ll be generous enough to spare your life. However, you’d better maintain your loyalty. If you try to pull a trick to deceive me, I’ll end your life!” Holden ordered coldly.
With a single glance at his henchmen, they quickly escorted Shane out of the room. This left the three of us alone in the room.
I couldn’t help but question curiously as they remained silent. “Why did Armond kill Abe? I know that they have had a complicated relationship ever since what happened in Venria. But even if Abe had acted out of line, Armond could not have killed him in such an indifferent manner. Furthermore, we are living in a society ruled by strict laws. Even if Armond had countless men working under his command, it is impossible for him to get away with this murder due to the scrutiny of the police force. How could he blatantly kill Abe?”
“You should handle the matters at the police station. I will send someone to settle the company’s affairs in Moranta,” Ashton addressed Holden.
“Hold on a second, Mr. Fuller. It looks like you’re going to leave the mess for me to clean up whilst you return to your country?” Holden frowned.
“If you want the Taylor family to be destroyed, I am more than willing to stay!” Ashton said coldly, “Armond is already plotting his next move. He wants more than just the control over Moranta’s foreign trading rights!”
“What are you implying?” Holden turned and asked him with a solemn gaze.
Ashton shot him a knowing look before clutching my arm as he pulled me along. “Let’s go; we should hurry back.”
Although I still felt confused at their exchange, I trailed after Ashton obediently.
As we walked out of the room and past the cruise cabin, I caught sight of a fight that had broken out between a couple. Upon closer look, I realized that the couple was none other than Shane and the woman.
“I must have been blind to fall for such a disgusting woman like you! Do you think that Holden is better than me? He’s nothing but a brat!” Shane cursed at her. In just a split second, his palm landed on the woman’s cheeks a few times heavily.
She must have endured countless slaps under his wrath as her face had been beaten to the point that it looked swollen. Her elegance and alluring aura had been reduced to a disheveled appearance.
Despite so, the woman seemed to be no stranger to his violence. After he landed a few more blows, she remained as motionless as a puppet and bore the brunt of his relentless abuse.
I couldn’t help but frown when I saw his display of cruelty. Hurriedly, I stepped forward to put a halt to Shane’s actions. “If I were you, I would have left this place in embarrassment. Did you really think that your useless information was enough to save your measly life after you nearly caused Ashton’s death? If it weren’t for her help, you would have ended up as a corpse in the ocean. Why don’t you utilize your own skills and capabilities instead of relying on a woman like a leech?”
