Chapter 108: Asher's Side

 Vanessa had her throat slit by the guard assigned to watch her at the facility. She died instantly.

The killer was quickly subdued by other personnel at the facility.

Before Asher could arrive, the murderer had already died, blood flowing from his seven orifices.

When Asher reached the basement of the facility, Vanessa was already covered with a white sheet, lying in a large pool of blood.

The man with blood streaming from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth lay in the blood pool next to Vanessa.

The man was Gary , one of the operatives who worked for Asher at the facility.

Lucas , the facility manager, stood beside Asher, trembling as he explained: “Sir, Gary and Robert were on duty tonight. Gary, apparently acting on someone’s orders, suddenly attacked Vanessa. His strike was swift and precise, hitting a vital spot. Robert tried to intervene, but it was too late.”

Asher’s brow furrowed deeply as he stared at the horrific, vivid pool of blood on the floor. His voice betrayed no emotion: “Someone wanted to silence her permanently.”

Lucas wiped the cold sweat from his brow and suddenly dropped to his knees. “Sir, I await your punishment!”

Asher spoke dispassionately: “What’s done is done. Call the police.”

Lucas looked up. “But sir, if we notify the police, we could be charged with unlawful detention…”

Asher’s cold gaze flicked toward him, and before he could speak, Lucas quickly added: “I was responsible for unlawfully detaining Vanessa. I’ll turn myself in.”

Asher’s lips tightened as he contemplated the dead man with blood seeping from his orifices. “Who does Gary have in his family?”

Lucas replied: “He’s forty, unmarried, with no children. His only family is his elderly mother, who’s in her sixties and in poor health.”

“Where is his mother now?”

Lucas was startled. “This happened so suddenly, Sir, I’ve been negligent!”

Asher’s expression darkened. “He was clearly coerced. His mother is likely already in their hands. I fear the worst has happened. Lucas, you’ve disappointed me greatly…”

Lucas bowed his head. “Sir, I’m prepared to accept any punishment!”

Asher’s eyes frosted over. “Someone knew about Gary’s family situation and used his mother as leverage to threaten him. It seems this perpetrator…”

Lucas looked shocked. “Sir, are you suggesting…”

A cold gleam flashed in Asher’s eyes. “We have a mole among us. Have someone else handle the confession. You focus on getting to the bottom of this.”

Lucas nodded gravely. “Yes, sir!”

At a private residence.

A bodyguard in black reported with his head lowered: “Mr. Jones, the target has been eliminated.”

“Very good. Well done.”

“Shall we take care of Vanessa’s father and Gary’s mother as well? To eliminate any loose ends.”

“Yes.”

After the bodyguard left, the man took out his phone and made an international call.

“Lord Malfoy, everything has been handled.”

Asher left the facility and checked his phone, seeing Kimberly’s missed call.

He immediately called her back.

“Kimmy, are you asleep?”

Kimberly’s voice was drowsy, as if she were fighting to stay awake. “Mmm… I’m quite sleepy, can hardly keep my eyes open.”

Asher got into his car, sitting in the back seat, his tone gentle. “If you’re tired, why aren’t you sleeping?”

Kimberly’s voice was soft with drowsiness, sounding endearingly tender. “I was waiting for your call.”

Asher’s hardened heart melted completely. “I’ve just finished dealing with things here. Would you like me to come over?”

Kimberly glanced at the time, murmuring: “Tomorrow, perhaps. I need to sleep now.”

“All right,” Asher replied softly. “It’s cold tonight. Make sure you’re properly covered.”

“I know, you’re treating me like a three-year-old who doesn’t know how to use a duvet…”

Kimberly’s sleep-laden voice grew progressively quieter until it faded entirely, leaving only the sound of her steady, rhythmic breathing on the other end of the line.

Asher maintained his position, phone held to his ear, quietly listening to Kimberly’s breathing. Even when his arm began to ache, he couldn’t bring himself to end the call.

He kept the line open all the way until he returned to his residence.

As he stepped out of the car, his driver respectfully informed him: “Sir, Lucas called, saying he had an urgent matter and couldn’t reach you.”

Asher’s tender expression disappeared as he ended the call with Kimberly.

No sooner had he hung up than Lucas’s call came through.

Asher answered coldly: “What is it?”

Lucas’s voice was tense and slightly trembling: “Sir, terrible news. Our people just called to report that Vanessa’s father has committed suicide by jumping from the hospital building. I don’t believe this is a coincidence… And the team sent to find Gary’s mother has reported that…”

Asher narrowed his eyes, his tone icy: “Reported what?”

“That Gary’s mother died from carbon monoxide poisoning while burning coal for heat…”

A sharp gleam flashed in Asher’s eyes. “Could she be resuscitated?”

Lucas replied shakily: “By the time our people found her, she was already gone.”

Asher’s eyes blazed with cold fury, his voice as frigid as ice: “Lucas, if you don’t get to the bottom of this within five days, you know what the consequences will be.”

Lucas responded nervously: “Yes, sir…”

The following morning.

Kimberly was awakened by knocking on her door.

At first, the “knock, knock, knock” sound appeared in her dream.

It continued for quite some time.

Kimberly gradually regained consciousness, rousing from her dream as the knocking became clearer—someone was actually at her door.

Who could it be so early in the morning?

Kimberly had gone to bed late last night, troubled by various thoughts. Now she’d been rudely awakened before getting enough sleep. Though she wasn’t usually grumpy in the mornings, this disruption had certainly put her in a foul mood.

She got out of bed, haphazardly slipping on her fluffy slippers before leaving her bedroom to answer the door.

Opening the door, Kimberly yawned lazily: “Who is it?”

She rubbed her sleepy eyes to find Drake’s irritating face before her.

Drake was holding a bag, smiling brightly. “Morning, Kimberly. Brought you some breakfast. You got that low blood sugar thing going on, so you really ought to eat something in the morning, you know?”

“Are you bloody mental?!” Kimberly was instantly awake with anger, snapping at him without restraint.

Drake remained unperturbed. He held up the bag. “Got your favorite pain au chocolat and those blueberry scones from that fancy bakery in Notting Hill.”

“BANG!”

Kimberly forcefully slammed the door, shutting out his unwelcome face.

Drake was momentarily stunned, the smile freezing on his lips.

From outside, he began pounding on the door, shouting: “Kimberly, come on, open up! You can be mad at me, you can hate me, but don’t punish yourself. At least take the breakfast, okay? Please?”

Kimberly was nearly apoplectic with rage.

Why was this man so utterly persistent?

She shouted through the door: “Drake, sod off! Keep harassing me and I’ll call the police!”

The voice outside ceased.

After a moment, Drake said: “I’m leaving the breakfast by your door. Just… remember to eat something, alright?”

Kimberly rolled her eyes and returned to her bedroom, intending to catch a bit more sleep.

With so much on her mind, however, falling back asleep proved difficult.

After lying in bed for a while, tossing and turning restlessly, Kimberly sighed, irritably ran her fingers through her hair, and got up to go to the bathroom.

Meanwhile.

Asher’s black Maybach stopped outside the Tribeca building.

Given the events of the previous night, this was a sensitive time, and Asher didn’t wish to attract attention, so he’d chosen the more understated Maybach.

He stepped out of the car, followed by a bodyguard in a black suit.

Reaching the building where Kimberly lived, Asher instructed calmly: “Wait for me here.”

The bodyguard bowed his head respectfully: “Yes, sir.”

Asher walked to Kimberly’s door and knocked gently.

No response.

He patiently knocked a few more times.

“Drake, for God’s sake! I really will call the bloody police!” Kimberly yanked open the door, shouting irritably.

Asher froze.

Their eyes met.

Deep confusion settled in Asher’s intense gaze.

“Drake?”

Vanessa was guilty, and Kimberly detested her.

But she believed the law would punish her appropriately. Kidnapping and attempted murder charges wouldn’t result in immediate execution under current legal frameworks. Even in the worst-case scenario, justice should come through the legal system – being murdered was a fate too cruel.

In truth, Asher had withheld the most horrific details.

Vanessa had died from having her throat slit – a gruesome end. Her father, who had been ill for some time, had also been eliminated by the mastermind, along with Gary (the man used as the murder weapon) and his elderly mother.

In Asher’s position, he had seen too many dark things; he could still process these horrors.

But Kimberly was different.

She was inherently kind-hearted with strong empathy. If she heard these details, she would be so distressed she wouldn’t be able to eat.

Moreover, Vanessa’s father and Gary’s mother were innocent.

Asher pulled Kimberly into his embrace, resting his chin in the crook of her neck.

He took a deep breath and relaxed. “Kimmy, so much has happened recently. I’ve been constantly on edge. Only when I’m with you can I truly relax.”

Asher held Kimberly close, closing his eyes. “Kimmy, you need to be careful as well. I’m concerned these people might target you. I’ll assign two additional bodyguards for your protection: Promise me you’ll take them with you whenever you go out.”

Kimberly, her head buried against Asher’s chest, murmured a muffled agreement.

Unease rose within her. “Asher, do you have any leads? What kind of monster would do this?”

Asher considered briefly before sharing his thoughts: “I don’t have any concrete leads yet, but answers should come soon. Some actions inevitably leave traces. I’ve already notified the police, and they’re investigating as well.”

Kimberly lowered her eyes, deep in thought.

After a while, she spoke in a subdued voice: “Drake came to see me last night.”

Asher’s arms tightened around her. “What did he want?”

Kimberly’s lips parted, her voice soft: “He came to tell me that you were with Vanessa last night. He also suggested… that you were the one who had Vanessa abducted from police custody. He deliberately misled me, trying to make me believe Vanessa was carrying your child.”

Asher asked gently: “And what did you think?”

Kimberly replied: “To be honest, for a moment I was genuinely anxious and upset – my hands were trembling. I was afraid you might have betrayed me… But then I realized he was simply trying to drive a wedge between us. I trust that you would never betray me.”

As she continued, her voice took on a sorrowful tone: “I had no idea Vanessa had been killed last night…”

Asher gently rubbed her back to comfort her. “It’s all right, Kimmy. Even if you had doubted me, that would have been perfectly understandable. I would have come to explain everything personally. Of course, I’m rather pleased you trust me so much. As for Vanessa, I didn’t expect things to end this way either.”

Kimberly asked in a muffled voice: “Vanessa… was she coerced? When she kidnapped Lucy , her hand was trembling as she held the knife. She looked nervous and frightened. She didn’t seem like someone inherently evil…”

Asher made a sound of agreement.

“She was indeed coerced.”

Kimberly hugged Asher tightly. “Asher, this mastermind is clearly a cold- blooded psychopath. You must be extremely careful.”

The man’s eyes sharpened, his jawline tense. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be careful.”