Chapter 70
Autors leaned in and saw a pleme with a lit screen lying in the hs with drops of dew from the leaves on it. It must have been lost in the morning
“Someone dropped theit phone? Aurora bent down to pick up the phone and noticed the caller was labeled “Money Sender” She thought. Maybe the caller knows the owner?
With that in mind. Aurora pressed the answer button Before she could speak, an angry voice came through the line “Holt, what’s going on! What time is it Why are you still not here? You better arrive within ten minutes, or you can forget about getting money from met
Indeed a money sender‘ Aurora raised her eyebrows and then replied, Tm not him. His phone fell on the road”
Then, a vulgar curse echoed from the other end, sounding agitated, and Aurora could even hear the person’s heavy breathing.
Feeling that it was unfair to take out his anger on an innocent person, the man softened his tone somewhat. “Where are you right now? I know Holt. Just give me the phone”
Aurora looked around for a landmark, trying to speak clearly. “Can you see a cliff carved with a giant chessboard? I’m on the back side of that mountain.
There was a moment of silence on the other end. Tll ask someone for directions. Don’t hang up yet.”
The man seemed worried that she might get impatient while waiting, repeatedly thanking her and urging her not to hang
up
“Don’t worry, I’ll wait here Aurora assured him.
Before long, a male voice came from the concrete road. “Thank you so much. Holt is so careless. When I see him… The person suddenly froze.
Seeing Aurora standing behind the bushes holding the phone, John forced a smile and said. “What a coincidence, we meet
again.
Just a moment ago, John and Dexter had been standing at the mountaintop, waiting for Holt, who was late. As the sun became increasingly intense, making them feel dizzy, they found a shaded spot to rest.
After waiting over an hour past their appointment time, they decided to call and check. But surprisingly, Holt’s phone had been picked up by Aurora, whom they had met earlier.
As Dexter rounded the winding concrete path and saw Aurora, he was also taken aback. “Hey there, what a coincidence!”
Aurora pushed through the bushes and handed the phone to John, intending to leave.
“Wait, Dexter called out.
Aurora turned her head, filled with questions in her eyes.
Dexter wore a gentle smile as he had questions that needed answering.
“We had an appointment with Holt at Bradley Mountain. We waited for a long time but didn’t see him. You picked up phone, so he must have arrived at the mountain already. Please tell us where you found this phone.”
his
Holt was a gambler who wouldn’t make a move without assurance. Dexter had promised him a hefty reward to get him to reveal everything about the past.
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Since Holt had likely engaged in illegal activities before, he was very cautious. He insisted on a face–to–face transaction, leaving the location choice up to him. And he chose Bradley Mojintain.
Aurora felt increasingly uneasy as her gaze swept over the suitcase in Dexter’s hand, growing more convinced that they were involved in illegal dealings with Holt.
She heightened her vigilance and stood on the concrete road without approaching. If Dexter had any ill intentions, she could run immediately.
Even though they were two men, since they weren’t familiar with the terrain of Bradley Mountain, she still had a good chance of escaping.
I found it right where I was just standing. At first, I was walking on the road, but then I heard the phone ringing, so I went over to pick it up,” Aurora said, her words straddling the line between truth and deception.
She had sat in that flat area for a while without noticing anything unusual, but it didn’t matter much whether she spoke up
or not
Dexter was shrewd and naturally noticed Aurora’s wariness, but he couldn’t disclose the real reason for his search for Holt to an outsider.
So, he explained vaguely, “I came to Mercida on business and am not familiar with the area. Holt is a local, so I hired him as a guide.
“We had originally arranged to meet here at nine–thirty, but now it’s almost noon, and not only has he disappeared, but he also lost his phone. I couldn’t help but ask a couple of questions, so please don’t mind, young lady.”
Aurora nodded in understanding but slowly began moving toward the direction of the mountain down below. She just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
Dexter keenly noticed Aurora’s movement and helplessly rubbed his forehead. He had intended to ease Aurora’s suspicion but inadvertently made her want to escape even more.
At that moment, a loud exclamation came from behind Dexter, followed by the sound of something heavy falling to the ground.
Both Dexter and Aurora turned to look in that direction, only to see John somehow falling spectacularly flat on his face.
John’s face turned red with embarrassment. He wished he could just lie on the ground and not get up. He bent down to brush off the grass and debris stuck to his clothes, giving an awkward laugh. These pine needles are too slippery. I didn’t watch my step
John’s fall wasn’t entirely without benefit, as it alleviated the tense atmosphere between Aurora and Dexter.
John felt utterly embarrassed. Before he fell, he had noticed several footprints down the slope and could vaguely see a corner of clothing-
Coincidentally, Aurora had found Holt’s phone here. John suspected that Holt was hiding below and watching them, so he wanted to catch Holt in the act. However, he leaned too far forward, lost his balance, and fell.
The fall did not diminish John’s curiosity. Instead, it sparked a sense of competitiveness within him. He thought, ‘Holt wants to hide in the shadows and spy on me and Mr. Whitaker? Who does he think he is?
“He owed a lot of money to the underground casinos. If it hadn’t been for Mr. Whitaker wanting to know about Ms. Whitaker’s whereabouts, Holt would have already been dealt with by the debt collectors. How could he still be standing here unscathed?
“Mr. Whitaker personally brought 70 thousand dollars in cash from Jydratica, yet Holt still doesn’t trust us.
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Chapter 70
To avoid revealing hivocation, he even dared to throw away his phone.
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It looks like we have shown Holt too much respect! The more Join thought about it, the angrier he became, wishing he could drag Holt out and give him a beating.
Dexter watched as Aurora’s figure disappeared around the corner, and then he heard John say, “Holt, I’ve spotted you. You better come up ASAP!”
“What’s going on?” Dexter asked.
John quickly shared his suspicions.
Dexter leaned against a pine tree and bent down, indeed spotting a corner of clothing. His expression darkened as he said in a low voice, “Holt, my patience is limited. You can’t afford the price of angering me.”
The surroundings fell silent. Neither Dexter nor John heard the expected response, only the sound of the wind blowing through the pine needles, creating a rustling noise.
“Ill go take a look,” John said. Since Holt had already been discovered, if he were to appear and apologize in time, Dexter would probably show mercy and let him off the hook. But since Holt was being stubborn, they wouldn’t need to spare his
feelings.
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