Chapter 688

Aspen did not say a word. Her lips trembled as she crouched down, reaching toward the skeleton. Her fingers found the metal ring resting on the bony remains of a hand. She pulled it free, her breath catching in her throat. It was a signet ring – made of reinforced alloy, untouched by the decay around it. Etched into the surface was a single word: Woods.

Aspen’s mind went blank for a moment before a wave of dread crashed over her. She mumbled, “Mr. Woods… is dead.”

Her heart pounded erratically as the truth she had tried so hard to deny solidified into cold, undeniable reality. That ring was Gordon’s – a personal item he never went anywhere without. Yet, here it was, buried with this broken, rotting corpse.

The implications were crystal clear.

Jackie stumbled back, his face deathly pale. “W–Who the hell did this? Who the hell in Jayrodale is capable of taking him down?”

Bruce sucked in a sharp breath. “Miss, t–this has to be Mr. Woods. There’s no mistake. We need to inform the family immediately. Mr. Woods was Bridgefields' Stevens family’s strongest asset. Mr. Stevens needs to know about this.”

Aspen’s head snapped up. Her bloodshot eyes burned into Bruce’s. “No! We can’t report this to Bridgefields.”

Bruce’s mouth fell open. “What? Miss, this is Mr. Woods we’re talking about. He was the family’s pillar of strength. We have to tell Mr. Stevens!”

Aspen’s jaw tightened. She snarled through gritted teeth, “Listen here – we can’t let Dad or our family in Bridgefields know about this! Absolutely not!”

She bit her lip so hard that it was even bleeding.

Jackie panicked. “Miss, a–are you seriously planning to hide this matter?”

Aspen glared at him as she spat, “You idiots, think it through! If word gets back to Dad, what do you think will happen to us? I’ll survive – I’m his daughter, his golden girl. He’ll punish me, sure, but he won’t kill me. But you two? You’re nobodies. You’re disposable. He’ll blame you for Mr. Woods’ death and have you executed to make an example.”

Bruce and Jackie exchanged a horrified glance. Aspen’s words hit like a slap to the face. They immediately stiffened, realization dawning on them.

“You’re right, Miss,” Bruce said, voice trembling. “If word gets out about Mr. Woods’ death, we’ll all be in deep trouble.”

Aspen fiddled with Gordon’s cold, metal ring in her hand. Her eyes glinted with venomous hatred as she growled, “Andrew. This has to be Andrew’s doing.”

Bruce and Jackie’s eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s impossible, Miss. Andrew? Against Mr. Woods? No way. Mr. Woods said it himself – if his body hadn’t been acting up that day at the Moonlit Apothecary, he could’ve killed Andrew with ease.”

Aspen’s brow furrowed, her mind tangled with confusion. She could not figure out how Andrew had managed to kill Gordon, but she did not need evidence; her instincts screamed that Andrew was behind this.

“Miss,” Bruce said, lowering his voice, “we won’t be able to hide Mr. Woods’ death forever. Sooner or later, people will start asking questions.”

Aspen gave a sharp nod. “You’re right. We need a plan – fast. First, we have to secure our footing here in Jayrodale. We need to recover the billions we lost and build up our position.”

Her jaw tightened as she clenched the ring in her palm. “Once we’ve regained our standing and made enough money to send back to the main family, Dad will be satisfied. If he’s happy, even when he finds out Mr. Woods is dead… he’ll likely turn a blind eye.”

Chapter 689