Chapter 1927
Chapter1927
His throat tightened, and he swallowed hard, staring helplessly across the table at Lucas, unable to summon words.
After weighing his options, he realized it was wiser to take what he could and leave.
Provoking Lucas wouldn’t end well for him.
Finally, after a dry gulp, Lennon said, “Then… I want five million dollars.”
The instant the number slipped from his lips, fear gripped him—what if Lucas rejected it outright, or worse, dismissed him for daring to make such a bold demand?
But Lucas only reached for his phone.
“Bring me my checkbook,” he said to the phone.
Did that mean he agreed?
A sharp sting of regret pierced Lennon.
If he’d known Lucas would agree so easily, he would have asked for more.
But the figure was already named, and he couldn’t change anything now.
Moments later, Gordon entered, carrying Lucas’ checkbook. Lucas flipped it open and, without hesitation, signed a check for five million dollars.
Yet he did not hand over the check immediately. Instead, he turned and leveled Lennon with a dark, inscrutable gaze. The weight of that stare told Lennon everything he needed to know.
With fumbling fingers, he drew a USB drive from his pocket and placed it on the coffee table. “The video’s here. Please, take a look.”
Lucas gave Gordon a curt nod. Gordon set a laptop on the table, plugged in the USB, and opened the file.
Once the footage began to play, he stepped back, angling the screen so Lucas had a clear view.
A shaky image filled the display, the kind captured from high above—undoubtedly from a drone.
At first, the drone followed both Lucas and Belinda. But when the two separated, the camera tracked only Belinda.
? g?ν
Initially, nothing seemed unusual. Belinda was sweeping her phone’s flashlight through the darkness, calling out as she searched for Faye.
Then, a figure slipped into view behind her…
The person hiding in the shadow.
At the sight of the figure, Lucas’ face hardened instantly.
Gordon was standing nearby, and his expression darkened, too.
The video continued. The figure emerged from their hiding place and shoved Belinda down the slope.
Belinda’s scream pierced the night before her body vanished into the abyss below.
Even though the incident had already passed, seeing it replayed now still made Lucas angry. His strikingly handsome features twisted with fury, his very presence radiating intensity.
His hand gripped the sofa’s armrest so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Gordon and Lennon, nearby, hardly dared to breathe. Their bodies were rigid, cold sweat trickling down their spines.
The video continued to roll.
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