Chapter 207 Who Is the Mastermind
Right now, she had to be the happiest person in the world.
Her husband's adoration, mother's love, brother's fierce guard enveloped her. Quinley swore soundlessly: clutch this joy, body and soul.
But not everyone wanted her to be happy.
Late night, Zachary's phone pierced silence, Lucas. Quinley-stirring feared, he snatched it, slipped to the balcony.
"What is it?"
"Mr. Jennings, strings-puller nabbed." Lucas held back; Zachary stayed mum. His shadow-probe for Quinley demanded silence.
"Good. I'll be right there."
He Hung up, dressed swift. Quinley stirred. "Going where?" Drowsy eyes blinked, voice sleep-slurred.
Zachary adjusted his clothes in the mirror. "Somethingurgent happened the office. I need to head over."
Apex Global shunned factories, no routine night crises. This? Cataclysmic.
Sleepiness fled. Covers flung, she lunged to dress, join him. "What're you doing?" Zachary blinked, baffled.
Quinley opened the closet and pulled out a silver dress suit. "Coming with you to the office."
"No need." Zachary clutched her arm. "You'd hinder. Rest home, back soon."
Quinley stared at him without blinking. He wasn't good at lying—whenever he did, Eyes dodged. She clocked the lie instant. No call-out. "Fine. Careful."
She walked back to the bed, pulled up the covers, and slid back in. Upset radiated; he feigned blindness, choice none. Bolted out, driver idled in the courtyard.
"Cindy, where's Zach going?"
Elise loomed robed at the door, roused. "Office blaze. Sleep, Mom."
But Elise was wide awake now. "Can't sleep anymore."
Drew close, fingers trailed hair soft. "Cindy, seize joy. My sole prayer: children's bliss."
At the Warehouse
Blazing lights greeted Zachary. Lucas met him at entry. "Who?"
Zachary's steps were quick and purposeful.
"Alicia."
Lucas's voice was low.
Zachary stopped in his tracks, looking at Lucas in disbelief.
"Van man blind to face, voice, but chats, transfers damning. Alicia, no doubt."
Fury flared instant in his gaze. Stormed in, van driver, Alicia trussed on floor, gags muffling. Muffled grunts choked silent. Lucas yanked gags. "Zach, injustice! Not me!"
Alicia immediately denied everything.
"Mr. Jennings, her doing! She summoned me here. Swear it no lies!"
Before Alicia could say more, Zachary stepped on her face. Disgust filled his eyes.
"Talk. Was it you or not?"
Alicia's face pressed hard against the cold warehouse floor, rendering her utterly immobile. She knew all too well the explosive temper Zachary possessed when truly provoked.
"Zach, I don't know this person. I really don't know him!"
"You don't know me at all, but that money flowed straight from you! You're the one who demanded this meeting today! You aimed to silence me forever! You wicked, ruthless woman!"
The van driver was terrified and frantically pointing fingers at Alicia.
Lucas had followed Zachary's orders precisely: he'd released the van driver but assigned a shadow to track him. To hook a true leviathan, you needed irresistible bait, and the driver was Zachary's perfect lure.
Sure enough, when the van driver appeared safe and sound, the person behind everything couldn't help themselves. They started contacting the driver to eliminate loose ends. They'd arranged to meet at the docks. The moment he arrived, someone tried to run him over.
He'd been scared out of his mind. Lucas and his team showed up just in time to save him. At the same time, they'd grabbed Alicia, who was in the car.
The evidence was ironclad, yet she steadfastly refused to confess she'd ordered the driver to injure Quinley or that she'd steered the motorcycle slamming into the van. Now the two of them were tearing into each other. Zachary didn't stop them—he watched like it was a show.
Fed up with the racket, he snapped, "Send them both to the police station." "Zach, it wasn't me! You've misunderstood everything!"
"Wrong? So you didn't try to run him over with your car?" Lucas shot back. That question shut Alicia up completely.
Caught between rock and hard place, she'd acted only on orders. She hadn't foreseen how it would avalanche into this catastrophe. But that person had promised—no matter what happened, she'd take the fall and he'd keep her safe.
She'd reached a dead end now. Few allies remained, so despite this one's grave-digging betrayal, she clamped her mouth shut and leaped in.
Lucas personally ferried them both to the police station. On the drive back, he could no longer contain his mounting confusion.
"Mr. Jennings, why are you going easy on Alicia? That woman is so vicious—she should suffer more."
Zachary reclined in his seat, brow furrowed deep. The vein on his forehead throbbed visibly. "It's not her." The words dropped like a bolt from nowhere.
Lucas was completely lost. "What do you mean, not her? How can it not be her? I saw her try to run someone over with my own eyes."
"I mean she's not the mastermind."
"Why would you think that? We have the chat logs, the money transfers, the meeting records—doesn't that prove she's behind it?"
Zachary exhaled slowly.
"Alicia can't ride a motorcycle."
His tone rang with certainty. "She could've learned it all! Don't forget her seething hatred for Mrs. Jennings, she'd leap at any chance to erase her."
But Zachary was absolutely sure. "She was hit by a motorcycle once. She has PTSD from it. Forget riding one—she can't even sit on one as a passenger."
"Then if not her, who?" Lucas pressed the fresh question. Zachary stared out the window into night's impenetrable gloom.
The darkness blanketed everything, making it hard to see clearly. But even so, dawn would come eventually.
"That puppet master will surface soon enough. They orchestrated this chaos to thrust Alicia forward as the perfect scapegoat."
Call Chief Smith. Make sure he takes good care of them."
"I'll handle it first thing tomorrow morning."
He saw the scene from the doorway and felt overwhelmed by its warmth. He didn't disturb them. Instead, he quietly closed the door and headed to his study.