Chapter 300
Vespera sat down, resigned to her fate. Rebecca, as the host, welcomed everyone. Thankfully, Dominic didn’t call Vespera by her nickname again. He’d returned to his usual cold and distant demeanor.
Midway through dinner, Rebecca brought up the Tina situation. “I heard from Vera that the Sowle family found some powerful allies. I called Mrs. Cruz and the others yesterday to warn them to stay alert.”
Calvert, hearing this, chimed in. “You don’t need to worry. I just got back from Ashford. Whoever the Sowles brought in didn’t do much; Tina’s already confessed. She’s being held in detention.” He’d actually driven back to Ashford the same night they returned to Halewick. Dominic had told him to keep an eye on things and even asked him to assign a few people to look after the Sinclair siblings.
But personally, he didn’t think Austin was foolish enough to go down the path of murder. Still, based on how concerned Dominic and Vespera seemed, clearly, they didn’t trust that woman.
Rebecca pressed further, “When you say ‘didn’t do much,’ do you mean she didn’t help at all, or that she tried and failed?”
“She met with Tina once, then left,” Calvert replied. “Didn’t do anything. My guess is she couldn’t help even if she wanted to. I mean, the case is airtight. Unless they’re planning a jailbreak, what else can they do?”
“So, that woman isn’t as dangerous as we thought, huh?”
Calvert shrugged. “I didn’t see anything impressive about her. Oh, right, she came to Halewick the same day we did.”
Vespera frowned. “You said she came to Halewick?”
“Yeah, she’s staying in a hotel now.”
“Could she be here trying to think of new ways to help Tina? What about Austin? Did he come too?”
“Nope. He’s still in Ashford. Looks like he’s given up on Tina. He’s focused on saving Mrs. Sowle now.”
That made both Vespera and Rebecca breathe easier. Maybe they had been overthinking things. Everything seemed under control.
Austin was smart. He must’ve realized that for Tina, the only place left to maneuver was in court. Any other tricks wouldn’t help. Claire’s situation, on the other hand, might still be salvageable. And that supposedly terrifying woman Eden had mentioned? So far, she hadn’t done much at all.
“Thanks for all your hard work, Calvert.” Vespera handed him a cold beer.
Calvert accepted the drink with a grin. “Mr. Reid was the one who sent me. If you want to thank someone, thank Mr. Reid.”
Vespera quietly opened another can and handed it over. “Mr… Mr. Dominic, here.”
Dominic fell silent. So, now it wasn’t Mr. Reid anymore, it had become Mr. Dominic? Impressive. He pushed the beer back toward her. “I’m not a fan of beer.”
“I’ll drink it,” Vespera said quickly, almost snatching the can away. She definitely couldn’t say his name in front of everyone. If she said “Dominic” out loud, even if no one else reacted, Gerard might just have a heart attack. And they still had to work together!
Rebecca’s gaze flicked between the two of them. Something was… off there.
“Ugh, it’s so hot,” Byron mumbled, sweating as he ate. He turned off the flame under the stew pot, got up, walked to the balcony, opened the door, and took off his shirt to cool down. Why the hell did Rebecca make stew in the middle of summer?
Calvert, now that it had been mentioned, also felt warm. “Yeah, it is hot in here. Did anyone turn off the AC?” He tugged at his collar and pulled his T-shirt off, tossing it to the side.
Two young guys in great shape… Those muscles…
Vespera and Rebecca both slowed their beer-sipping motions. Their gazes shifted—one to the left and the other to the right.
“Ms. Gildon, which one do you think has better muscles?” Dominic’s voice drifted into Vespera’s ear—especially friendly, like a friend casually asking for a second opinion. Vespera quietly lowered her gaze. “I lost a contact. Becca, quick, help me find it. I can’t see a thing right now.”