Chapter 97

The night grew darker, and the light drizzle turned into a heavy downpour. Rain hammered against the windows, creating a rhythmic tapping sound.

Inside the lavishly decorated room, the crystal chandelier cast a cold glow, illuminating the dark-themed oil paintings on the walls. The whole place had an eerie vibe, like the air itself was too thick to breathe.

The man sat on the couch with his legs crossed,casually swirling the red wine in his crystal goblet,the smile on his lips not reaching his eyes.

A man dressed in black stepped into the room,carrying a sniper rifle case. He paused, glanced down at his soaked shoes, and frowned before quickly backing out. Two wet footprints were left on the expensive Persian rug.

Whether it was rain or sweat, a droplet slipped down from the tip of the man's nose.

Gulping nervously, he said, "Boss, I failed the mission."

The man lifted his gaze lazily. His sharp, fox-like eyes were laced with amusement. "Tristan took out a dozen of our elite guys by himself. Impressive."

The man in black lowered his head even more. "The chip went off.Everything's gone. The Reids and the cops won't find a single clue."

The man took a slow sip of wine. His Adam's apple moved slightly as he swallowed.

The one in black couldn't read the boss's expression,and asking was definitely out of the question. He just kept stealing glances.

But the moment their eyes met, those cold,viper-like eyes made him look away instantly. The man let out a quiet laugh. "Do I really look that scary?"

Lying wouldn't end well. The guy could be gutting someone just because he woke up in a bad mood.

But admitting it? Even worse-could send him straight to hell.

He was stuck.

The man uncrossed his legs and set his glass on the coffee table.

With a calm stride, he walked over to the window and wiped away the fog on the glass with one hand.

His reflection appeared-sharp features, dangerously charming. He smiled faintly. "Didn't expect that woman to know how to handle a gun."

"Yes. Calm, accurate, and brutal."

The man suddenly turned around. "Think she's a good match for me?"

The man in black had no idea what answer was safe, so he kept his mouth shut.

"How's Wyatt doing?"

"He's moving as planned. Took the CEO position at Robinson Group and already aligned with the Bennette and Channing families."

The man traced a faint outline of a woman's face on the window. "Wyatt's hot-headed. You're his assistant-keep him in check. Make sure he doesn't mess things up."

"Understood."

He looked at the silhouette on the foggy glass and smiled faintly. "The Lewis family will have a hard time getting that land now."

"Do you think the Reids will intervene?"

The man walked back to the couch, pulled out a cigarette from the case, lit it up, and exhaled slowly.

Through the rising smoke, he said with a faint smile,"Oliver has too much pride. He won't go begging Tristan for help. You can go."

The black-clad man nodded and left, closing the door softly behind him.

The man's gaze fell on the phone screen, where a photo of a woman wearing a dazzling starlight gown glowed.

The corners of his lips curled into a slow, wicked grin."Megan, we'll be seeing each other soon."

The next day, Tristan and Megan went to the police station for their statements.

Worried the officers might not be friendly toward her,Ryan personally handled her questioning.

Megan recounted the entire incident in detail,clearly and calmly.Other than Tristan having someone shadow Molly and Amelia, and planting a tracker and bug in her phone, there wasn't much else.

After all, following and filming police arrests without reporting it could bring about some serious consequences. Ryan chuckled, "Mrs. Reid, are you seriously saying those videos were made by them hiring someoneto film willingly?"

Megan shrugged, putting on an innocent face."Well,with the kind of people they are, it's not shocking if someone with a strong sense of justice felt the need to expose what they've done."

Ryan stared at her, deadpan. She didn't even blink while making stuff up-dude had to give her props.

She could beat a lie detector without even trying.

"What's the verdict on Sophia and Natalie?"

Ryan answered, "Sophia got the death penalty for murder. But she's appealed."

"Hah," Megan sneered, her lips curling coldly. "She's got the nerve, I'll give her that."

Ryan frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"

"She's got a serious ego problem. Killed someone over a decade ago, then plotted the destruction of the entire Reid family, and now she thinks she can appeal? Please." Megan rubbed her fingers together."Looks like unless we keep up the pressure, she's just gonna keep wasting oxygen. What about Natalie?"

Ryan coughed lightly, "She got ten years. But yep,she's appealing too."

"Premeditated murder, serious charges-ten years is already lenient. Honestly? She should rot in there forever." Megan grabbed her handbag and stood up."If there's nothing else, Captain Mitchell, I'll be heading out."

Ryan didn't dare say much-this woman looked sweet but played hardball when needed.

He politely opened the door with a gesture. "Mrs.Reid,this way."

Megan nodded slightly and exited the interrogation room.

At the same time, Tristan stepped out from another room. He slipped his arm around her waist. "They didn't give you a hard time, did they?"

"Nope," Megan shook her head, lips pursed. "But I just heard both Sophia and Natalie are planning to appeal."

Tristan saw the sour look on her face and immediately called Linus Blake. "I heard Sophia and Natalie are trying to appeal. Handle it ASAP."

Ryan twitched at the corner of his mouth. Wasn't this the same woman who sounded like a mafia boss in the other room? Now she's all soft and sweet? What a switch-up.

A second later, Ryan's phone rang. He answered, and his frown went deeper-he looked like someone just force-fed him garbage.

After hanging up, he looked at Tristan and Megan."Natalie's distant relative is coming to bail her out.Says they want a psych evaluation done."

"Distant relative? Who's that supposed to be?" Ryan gave Megan a hesitant look. "Stella Lewis-matriarch of the Lewis family. Before marrying into the Lewis family, her name was Stella Banks.."

Yikes.

Talk about complicated connections.

That's Jason's mom. If she didn't raise a fuss when her son got stabbed, she probably won't say much now.

Besides, Megan still needed Brandon from their family to treat her grandpa.

If Stella came in full force to pull strings and Megan pushed back too fiercely, what if the old lady flat-out refused to let Brandon help? That'd be a disaster.

Might as well play nice and withdraw the case.

Megan looked at Tristan. "Babe, maybe Natalie really does have some issues going on. Let's just drop the lawsuit,yeah?"

Ryan:[Wasn't she just saying Natalie should rot in jail? That face turn was faster than a TikTok trend.]