Betrayed, Then Back For Blood

Forsaken 293

Chapter 293

Chapter 293

News of Briar taking Manny away quickly reached Ashton. He returned just before lunch.

However, Briar was not at this villa.

She had returned to Moonspring Estate alone.

E

While wiping the blood from his hands, lan whispered to Ashton, “After we captured Manny this morning, the

Garzas started fighting among themselves and revealed a lot. Briar was there the whole time, so after she heard

everything...”

lan sighed before taking the cigarette Ashton offered. “Briar’s been through so much. She's only 18, but the

hardships she’s endured in the past ten years... It’s more than most could imagine.”

lan exhaled a cloud of smoke, the thin mist blurring his eyes and hiding the moisture within. “Ashton, you are

aware of the massive explosion at the underground black market in Qathana five years ago, right?”

Ashton nodded. The cigarette in his hand was unlit, and he just twirled it between his fingers. “I know. |

experienced that explosion firsthand as well.”

lan was stunned. “Holy crap!”

Ashton’s gaze was distant as he gestured for lan to continue speaking.

The shock in lan’s eyes was almost palpable. He lowered his gaze, took a deeper drag from his cigarette, and

paused for several seconds before speaking. “In that explosion, three of Briar’s friends and five of her comrades

died. | also heard a man was shot dead while saving her...”

A thought suddenly struck lan, and he said, “Ashton, you just said you personally experienced that explosion...

Don’t tell me, the man who was shot... was...”

The speculation was terrifying-so much so that lan did not dare voice it.

Ashton’s eyes darkened, but he still nodded slightly. “That man was me.”

lan was frozen in place, utterly speechless, the shock leaving him momentarily paralyzed.

His first instinct was to pull out his phone and tell Briar this earth-shattering news.

But Ashton grabbed him. “I hope you won't tell Briar about this yet.”

“Why, Ashton?” lan blinked several times, his face puzzled. “Do you know that Briar has been looking for you for

the past five years? Although we all thought you had been blown to ashes, she never found your body in the

rubble, so she was convinced you didn’t die.”

Ashton’s chest tightened, and the hand holding his cigarette began to shake. The news pierced his heart like an

arrow, bringing both warmth and a surge of panic.

Ashton said, “I know now, but | hope you won't tell her yet. At least, not until | find the mastermind behind

13:27 Sun, Sep 28 N...

Chapter 293

10 vouchers

this. Don’t let her know that man was me.”

Ashton’s voice carried none of his usual lazy ease; his dark eyes were filled only with coldness and killing

intent.

lan seemed to catch on to something, yet at the stime, he did not fully understand.

But since Ashton had put it that way, there was nothing else he could say.

lan nodded. “Alright, Ashton, | can only promise to keep this a secret for a while. You know I'm always on Briar’s

side.”

Ashton concealed the murderous intent in his eyes and patted lan’s shoulder. “Thank you. | know it won't be long

before the truth comes to light.”

lan smiled and took two quick drags on his cigarette. “Alright, Ill continue, then.

“Hayden and Manny are at each other's throats, and a lot has cto light in their dogfight. To begin with, those

so-called wonder drugs that caused a sensation in Qathana’s underground black market five years ago- turns

out they cstraight out of their lab.

“Also, they teamed up with the Garzas to kill the original leader of the underground black market and replaced

him with a Dasmiecian. It was that sDasmiecian who secretly planted 4000 pounds of explosives

underground, causing the sensational bombing that year.”

When lan mentioned the Dasmiecian, he failed to notice the brief flicker of remorse and guilt in Ashton’s

gaze.

Neither lan nor Briar’s team knew that the Dasmiecian sent by the Lopez family was actually someone Ashton

had personally trained-the only one, in all these years, to betray Ashton and flee the country.

Because of Ashton’s negligence, by the the received news of the defector, it was already too late to stop the

explosion.

When Ashton rushed to the underground black market, he only managed to have half of the explosives removed.

He could only watch as the remaining thousands of pounds detonated, reducing the entire market to rubble.

According to the conspirators’ plan, they had intended to destroy not just the black market but half the city

above it as well.

However, Ashton’s men intercepted the bombing plan, promptly contacted the local authorities, and evacuated

tens of thousands of residents, preventing a greater, irreversible disaster.

But the biggest victim turned out to be Briar.

The explosion not only left Briar bedridden for six months but also cost her more than half of the subordinates

she had trained.

At the time, Ashton and Briar had only met a few times, so Briar bore little personal hatred toward him.

13:27 Sun, Sep 28 N

Chapter 293

10 vouchers

Still, Ashton would never dare let Briar know that he had indirectly caused the explosion-at least, not before he

identified the mastermind behind it.

lan relayed the details of Hayden and Manny's interrogations to Ashton, just as Briar had instructed. Since they

were both working on the scase, sharing information was only natural.

“Are you alright?” lan asked, seeing the grim look on Ashton’s face. He could not tell if Ashton was displeased

with their interrogation results or just lost in thought.

Ashton waved his hand dismissively. “It’s nothing. Keep interrogating them for now. I'm heading back to

Moonspring Estate.”

Ashton drove off alone.

When Ashton arrived at Moonspring Estate, he stood in front of Briar’s villa. After a moment's thought, instead of

knocking, he vaulted the wall and jumped into the yard.

A few seconds later, Briar appeared at a second-floor window.

Ashton looked up, smiling at Briar in the window. “Honey, | don’t have the key.”

His lazy, indulgent grin carried a hint of playfulness.

The wind tousled his hair, yet his dark, shining eyes were impossible to ignore.

Briar, in her pajamas, gave a helpless smile. “You want the key to my place, huh?”

Seeing Ashton nod, she opened the window. “Con up.”

Without a word, Ashton climbed the wall with practiced ease, slipping through the window. Seconds later, he

landed steadily inside.

However, before Briar could speak, Ashton pulled her into his arms, holding her incredibly tight.

Ashton rested his chin on Briar’s head, nuzzling her gently. “Honey, | missed you.”

Briar relaxed into Ashton’s embrace. Although she could not see Ashton’s face, she immediately sensed his

mood.

Briar jabbed Ashton’s side with a finger. “Honey, why are you being so affectionate all of a sudden? Did you do

something wrong? Fess up!”