Chapter 177 Chapter 177
Nathaniel arrived home that night with flashing police lights following behind him. The sirens were off, but the sound of their car engines echoed through the compound. He looked pale and tired as he stepped out, his shirt wrinkled and face covered in sweat and dust.
Two police officers followed close behind, holding notepads. One of them helped Nathaniel carry his briefcase while the other spoke softly, “Sir, we’ll run a full check on the car. But from what we’ve seen so far, it looks like the brake line was tampered with.”
Nathaniel’s eyes widened slightly. “You mean someone tried to—”
“Yes, sir,” the officer interrupted, lowering his voice. “We can’t confirm yet, but it doesn’t look natural. Someone must have done this deliberately.”
Nathaniel rubbed his forehead, feeling his chest tighten again. “Who would do something like that?”
The officer shook his head. “We’ll find out, sir. The car’s already been towed to the station for inspection. We’ll call you tomorrow for more questions.”
“Thank you,” Nathaniel said quietly.
The policemen nodded and turned to leave. As soon as they drove off, Cassandra came out of the house slowly, pretending to be shocked.
Her face changed fast — first to surprise, then to fake concern. “Oh my God, Nathaniel! What happened? The police? Why are you looking like this?”
Nathaniel sighed deeply, walking past her toward the living room. “Cassandra, I almost died today.”
She gasped, putting a hand to her chest. “What? How? What happened?”
He dropped heavily onto the couch. “The brake failed. I was driving, and suddenly it stopped working. I could’ve been gone, Cassandra. The car’s destroyed.”
Cassandra slowly sat beside him, forcing tears to her eyes. “Oh my God, thank God you’re okay!” she said, holding his hand. “You scared me.”
But deep inside, her heart was burning with rage.
He survived.
How could he survive? Rico had promised her that the plan was foolproof. Her mind screamed with anger, but her face stayed calm, even soft.
Nathaniel rubbed his face tiredly. “The police think the brake was tampered with.”
Cassandra’s eyes widened — this time, for real. “W-what do you mean?” she stammered, her throat suddenly dry.
“They think someone did it on purpose,” Nathaniel said. “They’ll confirm tomorrow after the full inspection.”
Cassandra tried to look shocked, but her hands were already shaking. “That’s… that’s so terrible. Who would want to hurt you?”
Nathaniel shook his head slowly. “I don’t know. But whoever it is, I’ll find out.”
He leaned back, staring at the ceiling. “Cassandra, I could have died today. Maybe this is a sign that someone around me can’t be trusted.”
That statement made her heart skip a beat. She forced a weak smile and stood quickly. “Don’t say that, honey. You need rest. Let me get you some tea, okay?”
“Thank you,” he said, still lost in thought.
Cassandra hurried to the kitchen, but her hands trembled as she poured water into a cup. She gritted her teeth quietly. Rico lied. He said everything was set.
She grabbed her phone quickly and texted him with shaky fingers:
Cassandra: What happened? You said it would look like an accident.
Rico: It did. I cut the brake line myself. He wasn’t supposed to survive.
Cassandra bit her lip so hard it almost bled. Her eyes filled with fury.
She slammed the phone on the counter, muttering under her breath. “He’s useless. Completely useless!”
Her anger turned cold and dark. If the police find out, they might trace it back. I have to stay calm. I have to play innocent.
She took the tea back to the living room, her face soft again, her voice gentle. “Here, honey. Drink this, please. You need to calm down.”
Nathaniel smiled faintly, taking the cup. “Thanks, Cassandra. You’re the only one I can rely on now.”
That sentence cut through her heart like a knife.
She forced a small smile and touched his shoulder. “Always, Nathaniel. I’ll always be here.”
But deep down, she was screaming inside.
He wasn’t supposed to survive.
And if the police were already suspecting sabotage, she had to act fast — before everything pointed back to her.
Later that night, as Nathaniel slept, Cassandra stood by the window, staring into the dark. Her eyes burned with anger and frustration.
“I’ll finish what I started,” she whispered coldly. “No one can stop me this time.”
The moonlight fell softly on her face, showing a faint smirk as she turned away.
Meanwhile, in another part of town, the two police officers discussed the report as they drove back.
“Sir,” one said, glancing at the file. “It’s confirmed. The brake line was cut clean.”
The other officer nodded grimly. “Then it’s a case of attempted murder.”
The next morning was going to be chaos.