Chapter 98 Midnight Interrogation
[Nyx]
"Over? Father, Raymond and this Patrick Raven built a death camp with your money—"
"Enough." Alpha command crashed through the phone. "You will drop this investigation immediately. That's an order."
"An order?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"This matter involves classified pack military operations. You don't have clearance, and you don't have authorization to pursue it further." His voice turned dangerous. "Whatever you found in those files, forget it. Do you understand?"
"But—"
"Do. You. Understand?"
My jaw clenched so hard it hurt. "Yes, Alpha."
"Good. Get some sleep."
The line went dead.
I stared at my phone, hand trembling with rage.
He just... ordered me to stop. Like it means nothing.
Like those people mean nothing.
I grabbed my keys and the silver blade from my desk drawer.
If Karl wouldn't give me answers, Raymond would.
---
Two-fifteen AM. City detention center, special consultation room.
This was the innermost meeting room, normally used for confidential attorney-client conferences with high-risk inmates. No surveillance cameras. Soundproofed walls.
Using my Eclipse Chairman status plus Legal team pressure, I'd successfully obtained this room.
When Raymond was brought in, handcuffs and leg shackles clanking, he saw me sitting alone across the table with no guards present. His face turned instantly ashen.
"Chairman Verdant... why are there no guards—"
The escorting officer pressed Raymond into the chair and locked his handcuffs to the table's fixed ring.
I pulled out a stack of bills and handed them to the officer. "Coffee for you and your colleagues. I need thirty minutes of private time."
The officer glanced at the money, then at my cold eyes, and wisely chose to nod. "Thirty minutes. We'll be at the end of the corridor."
"Remember to close the door." I said.
The door closed.
The soundproofing was excellent. Footsteps quickly receded outside.
Only me and Raymond remained.
I didn't speak immediately. Just stared at Raymond silently, gray-blue eyes devoid of warmth.
Raymond swallowed, trying to appear composed. "Chairman, I don't know what you want—"
"Three years ago, Moonblade Pack allocated eight million to Eclipse for human blood collection experiments." I interrupted, voice terrifyingly calm. "The applicant was you. Co-applicant was Patrick Raven. My father approved it."
Raymond's face went whiter.
"That was... a normal R&D project—"
"Project details: kidnap humans, imprison them, forcibly extract plasma." I continued, each word like an ice blade. "I saw the complete budget. 'Human subject acquisition and transport' one million dollars. That's the cost of kidnapping, isn't it?"
"I don't—"
I suddenly reached under the table, pulling out the silver blade. It gleamed coldly under the harsh lights.
Raymond's pupils contracted sharply.
"You know what this is." I said softly. "Pure silver blade. Lethal to werewolves. But to humans..." I pressed the blade tip against Raymond's hand, lightly dragging it across, "it just leaves scars that never heal."
"Wait—"
I pressed down hard.
Blood immediately welled up. Raymond let out a scream, quickly biting it back—he knew the guards outside wouldn't come.
"First cut." My voice held no inflection. I set down the knife, pulled out the silver powder vial, and sprinkled some on the wound.
The moment silver powder met blood, Raymond's scream could no longer be suppressed. The pain felt like countless needles drilling into the wound, burning sensation spreading through his entire arm.
"Stop... stop! Please—"
"My mother's car accident." I leaned in, face inches from his. "Was it you and Patrick Raven?"
"I don't know what you're talking about—ah!"
I sprinkled more silver powder.
Raymond's body shook violently, cold sweat instantly soaking his prison uniform. He tried to break free from the handcuffs, but the metal only tightened, wrists also beginning to bleed.
"Speak!" My voice suddenly turned sharp. "Did you tamper with the brakes?"
"Yes... yes!" Raymond finally broke down, tears and snot mixing together. "It was me and Patrick Raven... we tampered with the brake system... please stop..."
My hand froze mid-air.
The world seemed to go quiet.
"You killed her." I repeated, voice trembling.
"I had no choice!" Raymond sobbed. "Diana was going to destroy all the research! That technology was worth billions! Patrick said we had to stop her, or everything would be finished—"
"So you killed her." I felt my chest heaving violently. "For money."
"Not just money!" Raymond desperately defended. "Patrick Raven... he wasn't in it for money... he's a madman! A true madman!"
I froze. "What do you mean?"
"Patrick Raven is a scientist." Raymond gasped. "Obsessed with werewolf biology research, obsessed to the point of insanity. He said Diana's Project Lunar was 'humanity's closest chance to creating super-beings,' and he wouldn't let anyone destroy it."
"He found me, convinced me to cooperate. He'd provide the technology, I'd provide funding channels and cover. He promised me twenty percent of NorthStar shares, make me a billionaire."
Raymond's words came faster: "But what Patrick really wanted wasn't money. What he wanted was experimentation. He wanted to personally create the perfect werewolf enhancer, wanted to see his theories become reality. He called Diana a 'short-sighted moralist,' said she didn't deserve to have this research."
"So when Diana announced she'd destroy the data, Patrick went mad." Raymond closed his eyes. "He said it was blasphemy against science, said Diana had to be 'removed.' He knew professionals who could make the car crash look completely accidental..."