Chapter 165 Deliberately Done
Arthur looked at Aria's icy stare, listened to Lance's words, and heard Jasper's cries getting louder and louder. His eyes suddenly turned cold.
"I'll have someone investigate!"
He had seen it crystal clear just now—that man's actions were definitely not accidental. When he charged over, his eyes were fixed straight on Jasper. It was clearly intentional.
"Stop arguing. Take Jasper to rest first."
Aria held the child and didn't spare Arthur another glance. She turned and walked toward the rest area. Jasper's little head was buried in the crook of her neck, still sobbing softly, murmuring "scared" over and over.
Lance followed closely behind her, maintaining half a step's distance the entire time.
Arthur stood in place, watching the three figures walk away. The pressure around him instantly grew heavy. He pulled out his phone, his fingertips turning white from the force, his tone cold as ice, without a trace of warmth.
"Check that man who crashed into the carousel immediately. Pull all the amusement park surveillance footage, check his entry and exit records, identity information, and recent contacts. I want all the information within ten minutes."
After hanging up, he looked up toward Aria and Lance's direction, his eyes churning with thick, undissolvable darkness.
He didn't need to think twice—this was definitely not an accident. Someone deliberately targeted Jasper. If he hadn't been there just now, it was obvious what kind of harm Jasper would have suffered.
Arthur couldn't help but feel a wave of fear!
Meanwhile, at the Grant family villa, Sophie looked at the photos she had just received on her phone.
In the photos, Arthur stood in place looking utterly dejected, while Aria held the child and hurried away. A cold, smug smile curved at the corner of her mouth. "Aria, this is just the beginning. You and your bastard child better not expect any peace."
As she spoke, she sent a message to the other side, her fingertips tapping the screen with viciousness. "Proceed according to plan. Next step, let her taste what it's like to be unable to defend herself."
On a bench in the rest area, Aria held Jasper, gently patting his back and softly comforting him. Lance stood nearby, handing over a cup of warm water. "Give Jasper some water first to calm him down."
Aria took the cup and helped Jasper drink a couple of sips. Watching the child gradually stop crying but still trembling in her arms, the fear in her heart slowly faded, but a hint of doubt quietly emerged.
Earlier, she had been too worried and angry to think carefully. The amusement park's security had always been strict—how could a stranger easily rush in through a gap in the railing? And why did he happen to crash into Jasper's carousel horse?
Lance seemed to sense her thoughts and spoke in a low, steady voice. "Aria, that man's actions just now didn't look accidental. This matter probably isn't that simple. I've already called to have someone investigate. We should have results soon."
Aria looked up at Lance, her eyes full of gravity, and nodded lightly. A chill crept up her spine, instantly clearing her mind.
This wasn't an accident—someone did it on purpose, and their target was obviously Jasper.
The breeze in the rest area carried a hint of coolness. Jasper nestled in Aria's arms, his small body still trembling slightly, though his crying had gradually stopped. He only occasionally nuzzled against Aria's neck, softly murmuring, "Mommy, scared."
Aria patted his back over and over, comforting him.
Not far away, Arthur stood in place, his gaze fixed on Aria and Jasper's direction.
His phone was gripped in his palm, his knuckles white. His assistant's call still hadn't come through, and the oppressive atmosphere around him grew heavier.
Finally, after ten minutes, his phone vibrated. He quickly walked to a quiet spot and answered, his tone cold without a trace of warmth. "What did you find?"
"Mr. Grant, we pulled the amusement park surveillance. That person squeezed in through a gap in the side entrance railing. The surveillance only caught his back and profile—his facial features are blurry. We tracked him through the surrounding street cameras and just caught him in a nearby alley."
The assistant's voice carried some hesitation. "But... this person's mental state doesn't seem right. Whatever we ask, he answers incoherently, keeps muttering nonsense. He looks like he has mental problems."
Arthur's brow furrowed deeply. "Are you sure it's a mental problem? Check his identity, recent contacts, and why he appeared at the amusement park."
"We're already checking. He has no ID on him, his accent is from out of town, we can't trace his origins yet. Based on his behavior, he does seem like he had a sudden mental breakdown and crashed around randomly."
Arthur gripped his phone, his fingertips forcefully rubbing the screen, the darkness in his eyes growing thicker.
Coincidence—it was all too much of a coincidence.
It happened precisely when Jasper was on the carousel, precisely crashing toward Jasper's position. Even if it was a mental breakdown, how could the timing be so perfect?
He didn't believe it, but the person they caught couldn't answer anything, and they couldn't find any leads. For now, there was no way to investigate further.
"Keep checking. Dig three feet underground if you have to, but get to the bottom of his background. Also, assign extra personnel to guard Aria's residence and Jasper's kindergarten. Twenty-four-hour shifts, no mistakes allowed."
Arthur said in a deep voice. After hanging up, he turned to look at the rest area. Aria was holding Jasper and standing up, clearly planning to leave.
He walked over quickly, wanting to say something, but when the words reached his lips, he saw Aria look up. The distance and coldness in her eyes were like a layer of ice, blocking all his words.
"Mr. Grant, thank you for your trouble today. We're heading back now."
Aria's voice was flat, without blame, but also without any warmth. Holding Jasper, she walked right past him.
Lance followed alongside, and as he passed Arthur, his steps remained by Aria's side, protecting the two as they made their way through the crowd.
Arthur stood in place, watching the three figures disappear at the amusement park entrance, helplessness and frustration churning in his heart.
How did it come to this? It was supposed to be a good chance to get closer to the child, but this happened instead!
How could he not be furious!
At the Grant family villa.
Sophie sat on the living room sofa, her fingertips scrolling through the on-site photos on her phone. In the photos, Jasper's frightened pale face, Aria's eyes full of panic, and Arthur's grim expression all made a smug smile curve at the corner of her mouth.
Her phone vibrated with a message from the other side: [The person was caught. He insists it was a mental breakdown. Arthur's people can't find any leads.]
Sophie looked at the message and chuckled softly, her fingertips tapping the screen as she replied with one word: [Good.]
She had long anticipated that Arthur would investigate thoroughly, so she specifically found an out-of-town homeless man with a history of mental illness and no family or friends. She gave him some money to randomly crash around at the amusement park. Even if he was caught, they couldn't trace any connection to her.
No matter how sharp Arthur was, what could he do? Without evidence, he could only keep his suspicions to himself.
"Aria, so what if Arthur protects you? Without evidence, he can't do anything."