Chapter 118
This was the first time I met Adrian in private.
At public events before, he was always following behind Oscar, never really standing out.
Looking at him properly now, he was tall and slim. Standing there, he had this elegant presence about him. Actually, there was something naturally refined about him. His deep-set eyes gave nothing away, and his thin lips pressed together before curving into a smile: "Ms. Wilson, pleasure to meet you."
I nodded at him without saying much.
Oscar invited Adrian to sit down, pulled me to sit beside him, and got straight to the point: "You know Jeffrey, right?"
Adrian thought about it seriously for a moment: "I think I've heard that name. What about him?"
Oscar played a recording out loud—it was Jeffrey confessing that everything he did was ordered by Adrian.
The smile on Adrian's face faded a bit as he looked directly at Oscar: "This is what you wanted to talk about on the phone? You think I told Jeffrey to hit Ms. Wilson and kill her? Oscar, after all these years we've known each other, what do you think my reason would be for doing that?"
I quickly said with a smile, "Mr. Campbell, don't rush. You've dealt with Oscar before—he's impulsive. But his directness? It's a sign of trust. Still, this matter requires a proper conversation."
Adrian turned to look at me, his smile not reaching his eyes: "Then what reason do you think I'd have to kill you?"
Oscar said flatly: "That's why I called you here—to ask you directly what reason you'd have to go after Emily."
Adrian's smile disappeared completely: "You're just going to believe what Jeffrey says and decide I did it?"
Oscar stared at him calmly for a second, his voice not loud but speaking slowly: "If I'm asking you this, it means I've already investigated. I know exactly how you operated this, Adrian. Do I need to spell it out? I brought Jeffrey here—want to confront him face to face?"
I looked at Oscar with some surprise. I only knew he'd been leaving early and coming home late these past few days, but I didn't know what he was actually doing. Had he been investigating this the whole time?
Oscar stared at him steadily, his eyes not moving at all, waiting for his answer.
Adrian's throat bobbed as he took a deep breath. Looking at Oscar, his eyes took on a contemptuous edge: "Oscar, I've told you over and over—people who accomplish great things can't let emotions rule them. No one should become your weakness. Seems like you haven't managed that."
The coldness in Oscar's eyes gathered: "Is that your reason?"
Adrian's smile deepened as he looked at both of us: "I'm just trying to tell you—do you still remember your goal in coming back? Are you and she still in that cooperative arrangement you talked about?"
Oscar frowned at Adrian: "Are you trying to drive a wedge between us? What did I tell you? You can say it to my face."
Adrian quickly raised his hand to stop his questioning: "Fine, looks like I said the wrong thing. I don't mean anything by it, and I don't want to interfere with your love life. I just wanted to remind you not to forget your original purpose. You shouldn't be someone who wavers."
Oscar's hand at his side had clenched into a fist: "I have my own pace. I don't need you telling me what to do or not do. I'm only asking you now—why did you go after Emily?"
Adrian pulled back the harshness in his eyes, spread his hands, and shook his head with a smile: "I told you, it wasn't me. I didn't do anything. Believe it or not."
Oscar seemed even more annoyed by his behavior: "So you want Jeffrey to come confront you?"
Adrian sneered: "You've already decided I'm the mastermind. What's the point of a confrontation? Or why don't you just tell me straight—you don't need me anymore, and I can bow out."
Oscar still looked at him seriously: "Meet with Jeffrey first, then we'll talk."
He made a phone call, and soon someone knocked and entered. Jeffrey was thrown at Adrian's feet. One of his eyes was so swollen it was just a slit, and he could only look at us with his other somewhat normal eye. When he saw Adrian, he quickly lifted his head and crawled toward him on his hands and knees, opening his mouth—missing half his teeth—and bit directly into Adrian's leg.
Adrian kicked him in the chest, lifted his foot in disgust, and brushed off his pant leg, frowning at Jeffrey, who was clutching his chest. His tone was light: "What kind of filth dares to touch me?"
Jeffrey tried to get up despite the pain. Looking at Adrian, his expression was terrifying, the vicious scars on his face making him look even more disturbing: "Adrian, you lied to me? You hurt my daughter so badly—sooner or later, I'll make you pay with your life."
Adrian spread his hands helplessly, looked at Oscar, and raised an eyebrow: "Has he lost his mind? You wanted me to confront him? You found a madman for me to confront?"
Oscar stepped forward half a step, looking down at Jeffrey, who was trying to get up but fell back down from the pain: "First, tell us—who told you to hit someone? And who told you to kill?"
Jeffrey pointed with his fingers that had lost their nails, saying viciously: "It was Adrian. I kept all the calls and messages. Even if he used a voice changer on the phone, I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to restore it. He told me to listen to everything Mr. White said, and he told me that if I didn't kill her in the crash, I should kill Emily directly. Bottom line—Emily couldn't be allowed to live."
The veins on Oscar's clenched fist stood out: "Adrian, need me to play the recording my people restored?"
Adrian didn't seem concerned: "Just based on some recording processed with technology, you believe this guy? Fine, you say I wanted to kill Emily—what's my motive? What reason would I have to kill her? I have no grudge against her. In fact... if we're talking about bad blood, she helped Michael go after your company. You can let all that go and date her, but you have reason to suspect others?"
Oscar laughed coldly: "Are you forcing me to turn you over to the police?"
Adrian shrugged: "Do what you want. I said I didn't do it. You're the one who doesn't believe me."
I stepped forward, slowly took Oscar's hand, and patted his arm to help his tense muscles relax a bit. I smiled at Adrian: "What you're saying isn't unreasonable. You have no motive to kill me, but Jeffrey said all this, so you can't blame Oscar for taking it seriously. Things need to be investigated step by step. The truth will come out eventually, right?"
Adrian nodded at me with a smile: "See, you understand better. Fine, if you want to investigate, go ahead. I don't have much time left on my visa. I hope that before I leave, you can clear my name."