Gunpowder Beneath the Silence
[That bastard Bear raped and killed the woman at my hotel, made it look like a murder and suicide, and then caused a scene to fra .]
[If I had any evidence, I’d report him too.]
Charlotte Bonds’ fingers tightened around her pen.
For a brief second, the room felt too small.
Too hot.
Too loud.
Her pulse thudded in her ears.
Bear?
The man she had just arrested—the so-called foreign investor, the newly crowned head of Bear Group—was behind the hotel murder case she had spent sleepless nights chasing?
Her jaw locked.
When she had gone to arrest him earlier, she had already sensed sothing was off. The way he stood. The way he watched everyone like prey. The faint, hardened calluses on his fingers.
Not the kind from writing contracts.
Not the kind from business negotiations.
From guns.
From years of gripping cold tal triggers.
"Bear, you bastard."
The words slipped from her teeth in a low hiss.
As a police officer in Valemont, she had seen criminals of all kinds. But n like him—n who killed without blinking, who treated lives as disposable—those were the ones she despised most.
Yet her anger wasn’t aid at Bear alone.
Her eyes flicked toward Julian D’Aurelius.
He was sitting across from her, looking harmless. Relaxed. Almost amused.
This guy knew so much.
And he kept it all to himself?
If she couldn’t hear his thoughts, he would’ve walked out tonight like a clean sheet of paper.
[Why is this silly girl gritting her teeth? I didn’t say anything wrong.]
[Could it be she’s jealous that I celebrated Selena Aurevale’s birthday?]
[Sigh, it’s understandable. She’s been so busy with work, she hasn’t even dated. When we were small, I always treated her like a strong partner, but she made distance. She doesn’t have anyone taking care of her now... maybe she is jealous. Jealousy is normal.]
[Just don’t take it out on , okay?]
[If you can’t have it, destroy it. I know you won too well. But if you want that kind of treatnt, you need to talk to softly, okay?]
Charlotte’s eyelid twitched.
For a split second, she genuinely considered slapping him across the face.
Damn it. Who wants you?
She grabbed her cup and took a large gulp of black coffee. The bitterness flooded her mouth, sharp and grounding. She needed clarity.
Focus.
She forced her tone into sothing level.
"Then I want to know," she said slowly, staring straight into his golden eyes, "why did you suddenly sell the hotel to Bear at such a low price? This move is very suspicious."
Julian leaned back lazily.
"Because I have money and can do whatever I want."
The arrogance in his smile was almost theatrical.
[He kept causing trouble. My hotel couldn’t operate properly.]
[If this continued, what if he frad for another murder?]
[People like him, who used to be rcenaries—no, worse. Shadow Legion contractors. Blood-soaked freelancers—they’re inhumane.]
Charlotte’s pupils contracted.
"rcenaries?"
Her tone sharpened imdiately.
She had already investigated Bear’s background. According to official records, he was an overseas entrepreneur returning to invest in Valemont.
Clean.
Too clean.
As for any past in ard conflict... nothing surfaced.
And yet—
Shadow Legion contractors.
That was not a term civilians casually invented.
She wrote it down carefully.
It fit.
Too well.
"How much do you know about Bear?" she asked, her voice steady but pressing.
"Not much," Julian replied lightly. "But Officer Bonds, I feel this guy isn’t a good person. He looks like he’s killed soone."
His tone was casual.
Almost joking.
"He was in such a hurry to buy my hotel. I suspect he might be connected to a criminal gang. You must investigate him thoroughly."
He didn’t hesitate to shovel dirt onto Bear’s grave.
[I don’t know much about this scumbag.]
[He’s just a lunatic who collects body parts of his victims after killing them.]
Charlotte’s hand froze mid-note.
Collects body parts?
[Oh, I rember now. He might have hidden the hair of the woman he killed in his house.]
[I’ll send you an email later. Almost forgot about that.]
Her breath caught.
Hair.
The victim’s missing hair.
Her mind clicked together pieces like a lock finally turning.
With these clues—
The case could finally break.
For the first ti tonight, she looked at Julian differently.
Less like a suspect.
More like... an unwilling ally.
But how did he know so much?
She asked a few more routine questions, keeping her tone professional. Her pen moved quickly. Every answer layered over the growing picture in her mind.
Finally, she capped the pen.
"Alright. The investigation ends here. Thank you for your cooperation."
Julian grinned imdiately.
"No problem. It’s tough. If Officer Bonds could treat to so barbecue as compensation, that would be great."
He shook his handcuffed hands playfully, tal clinking softly.
She exhaled through her nose.
"Sure. But next ti. I’m busy now."
She pulled out the key and unlocked his cuffs.
She agreed so readily that even Julian blinked.
[Damn, is she really going to treat to a al?]
[Better not. Don’t be so polite. I don’t dare to eat with you. If that protagonist knows, I will die.]
[What if you’re attracted to my handso face? Confess your love. I know she had a childhood crush on . It would affect my low-profile life.]
"???"
Charlotte stared at him.
Attracted to your handso face?
Her lips twitched dangerously.
Spit.
If she had more ti, she would have put him back in cuffs just for that thought alone.
But she didn’t.
She was too busy thinking about Bear.
About the Shadow Legion contractors.
About hair hidden sowhere in a house.
About a murder disguised as suicide.
She stood.
"Don’t misunderstand," she said coolly. "I’m treating you as a witness. Nothing more."
Julian stood as well, flashing a harmless smile.
"Of course."
Just as they moved toward the door—
It swung open.
Evan stepped inside.
Behind him, a lawyer in a crisp suit followed closely.
Evan’s expression was grim.
Controlled.
But his black eyes were dark.
Half an hour ago, he had received news that Bear had been arrested.
After looking into the Lunar Citadel case, he rushed here without hesitation.
Bear had spent years overseas and wasn’t familiar with dostic law.
But Evan understood perfectly.
In Europe— Anything related to drugs could destroy a man completely.
And tonight—
The ga had just escalated.
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