Chapter 77: A Guilty Conscience

The explosion went off out of nowhere, but luckily, no one got hurt. The banquet hall turned into a madhouse, and the guests were freaking out.

"Mr. Smith, we spotted a shady character. We've got someone on his tail, but..." Robert trailed off, looking uneasy.

"Spit it out!" James snapped.

"The guy's slippery. We only found the detonator he used, but he's already made a run for it," Robert mumbled, avoiding James's piercing stare.

James slammed his fist on the armrest of his wheelchair, making a dull thud, his eyes blazing with fury. "I don't care where he is, bring him to me!"

"Yes, sir!" Robert nodded and took off, knowing the poor guy was in for a world of hurt from James.

Outside the banquet hall, a black car slipped away quietly. The window rolled down, revealing Jasper's sinister grin.

"James, this is just the start. You're gonna pay for what you did!" He sneered, eyes gleaming with madness and revenge.

Just then, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the caller ID and smirked.

"Is everything sorted?" Jasper asked. He had planned to take out James with the explosion, but James's crew found the bomb, letting him escape.

Still, the engagement party was a mess, and that gave Jasper some satisfaction.

The caller replied, "James's guys were on our tail, but our men got away in the chaos. But, uh, the detonator's missing."

Jasper's face darkened. He knew if the detonator was left behind, it could lead James straight to him.

"You useless idiot! How could you screw up something so simple?" Jasper roared, punching the car window, "Get someone to find it now. We need it before James does!"

"I'm afraid... it's too late," the caller said, and Jasper felt a chill run down his spine.

Within a minute, a police car pulled him over.

Jasper felt a sense of dread but kept his cool.

He carefully parked by the roadside. The police car boxed him in, and the flashing lights made him uneasy.

Jasper glanced out the window, a shadow crossing his face.

He knew why the cops were there, but he didn't expect James to move so fast.

"Sir, please step out and come with us to the station," a young officer said politely.

Jasper sneered, "Officer, I haven't done anything wrong. Why should I go with you?"

"We got a report linking you to an explosion. We need you to come with us for questioning," the officer said, watching Jasper closely for any sign of panic.

"How absurd. Me, involved in an explosion?" Jasper scoffed, eyes full of disdain, "I'm a law-abiding citizen."

"We'll determine your involvement after the investigation. Just cooperate and don't complicate things," an older officer replied, his tone serious.

Jasper wasn't about to back down. He raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Isn't it a bit much to haul me in without any evidence? I'm a Smith. This could really damage my reputation."

"Mr. Smith, we're just asking you to help with the investigation. We didn't say you're a suspect," the young officer explained patiently. "If you're innocent, we'll clear your name."

Jasper snorted, ready to argue, but then he noticed a familiar black Maybach rolling up slowly.

His heart sank, and he instantly got the picture. A cold smile crept onto his lips as he raised his voice, "James, are you so eager to throw me in jail?"

The young officer was caught off guard, but then he heard James's voice from behind, "Jasper, are you so scared to go to the station because you're guilty?"

Robert helped James out of the car and into a wheelchair, then pushed him towards Jasper.

James's face was stone-cold, his deep eyes piercing, like he could see right through Jasper.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority, grabbing everyone's attention.

Jasper stiffened for a moment but quickly regained his composure. He turned around with a fake smile. "Can't I just go home early to rest?"

James ignored his excuse, his cold gaze locked on Jasper. "Jasper, the engagement party isn't over yet. Why are you in such a rush to leave? Are you really just going home to rest?"

"What? Can't I have that right?" Jasper shrugged, trying to hide his panic.

"Of course you can, but..." James paused, a knowing smile on his lips, "Jasper, if you have nothing to hide, why not help the police with their investigation?"

Jasper's face darkened. He suppressed his anger, but his smile remained. "I'm afraid you're trying to frame me!"

"You know if it's a frame-up or not," James said calmly, like he already knew everything.

Robert stepped forward with the police report and the detonator found at the scene.

"There are fingerprints on it. A check will reveal everything," Robert said.

Jasper laughed fearlessly, "Fingerprints? They're not mine!"

"Do you think that's all we have?" Robert mocked, showing another set of evidence.

It turned out the explosive used in the bomb was the same as the one used in the Smith Group's overseas factory explosion a year ago.

"Here's evidence of Jasper colluding with overseas companies to lower raw material prices, causing the factory explosion, and using his position to transfer company funds to overseas accounts, trying to create a financial crisis," James said icily. "I believe this is enough for you officers to start an investigation into Jasper."