Chapter 247

Jasper’s face was wrapped in thick bandages, leaving only his eyes visible. At the moment, his eyes were swollen, giving him a somewhat comical appearance, though it also indicated he hadn’t escaped unscathed.

Haynes looked at him skeptically. “You’re telling me Stella did this to you?”

Jasper fumed, “Yeah, her, and that little brat and the old geezer.”

Haynes wasn’t born yesterday. “Marvin’s only five, and Mr. Burton is seventy. Even if they teamed up, it’s hard to believe they could leave you in this state.” There was a natural difference in strength between men and women, and Stella’s team included either the elderly or children, making it unlikely they could inflict such harm.

Just then, there was a knock on the hospital room door, and a few uniformed officers walked in.

“Mr. Wilkinson, you’re suspected of damaging property and using threats and violence against others. Considering you’re hospitalized, we’ll be conducting our inquiry here.”

Jasper was taken aback. “You’ve got to be kidding me! I’m lying here in the hospital, and you’re not arresting the real culprits, interrogating me?”

The officer’s expression was stern. “Mr. Wilkinson, your injuries weren’t caused by them—they were self-inflicted.”

“We’ve reviewed the events. You forced your way in, knocked over a shelf, causing medication to spill, which led to your allergic reaction. It had nothing to do with the others.”

After finishing, the officer noticed Haynes standing nearby. During the investigation, they’d already familiarized themselves with Stella’s acquaintances, so he recognized Haynes. “Mr. O’Brien, your wife was quite shaken. Shouldn’t you be checking on her?”

“Regardless, Mr. Wilkinson initiated this incident. From any perspective, he’s in the wrong.”

Though the officer maintained a professional demeanor, there was a hint of something else in his gaze toward Haynes. His good buddy, bringing a mistress to provoke someone? The nerve!

It’s fortunate Ms. Cameron was sensible and knew the law; otherwise, if it had come to blows, she’d have been at a disadvantage.

At last, Haynes realized what had unfolded. His brow furrowed deeply, a faint imitation of anger rising within him. How did he never notice Jasper’s tendency to stir up trouble before?

Jasper was having none of it. “That’s nonsense! They bullied Rachel first! What, they can push people around, but we can’t fight back?”

The officer looked at Jasper. “Could you explain how they bullied Ms. Pearce?”

Jasper’s voice was full of righteous indignation. “They made Rachel pick some herbs, and she cut her hand! Rachel is a violinist; if her hand is injured, can they take responsibility?”

The officer glanced at her hand, unimpressed. He even spread Rachel’s hand out for the officers to see. Rachel’s hand did indeed have a few minor scratches, likely from branches or something similar. Nothing serious—barely worth mentioning, really.

Though he found the whole thing ridiculous, the officer went through the motions. “Were they forcing Ms. Pearce to pick the herbs?”

Jasper’s eyes flickered for a moment, but he stood his ground. “Yes! They threatened her life!”

The officer’s face turned serious at this. “Mr. Wilkinson, if what you’re saying is true, we will handle this matter with utmost seriousness.” But before the officer could finish, Jasper seized on it, becoming even more insistent.

“Yes, deal with it seriously! They were threatening Rachel’s life.”

Haynes couldn’t take it anymore. He interrupted Jasper with a deep, steady voice.