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Chapter 291
Luke rushed up to Cynthia and declared, “I was the one who found Silas’s body.”
After hesitating, he braced himself and explained, “That night, I was wandering around the reservoir, planning to rob a fisherman for some money to buy cigarettes. But instead, I stumbled upon a body lying by the shore. When I got closer, I realized it was Silas.”
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Cynthia looked surprised. “But from my investigation, it was the reservoir manager who discovered Silas and reported it to the police, who then retrieved his body. How can you claim you were the one who found him?”
Luke replied, “I found Silas the day before the police fished him out. He was already dead, though. I took the thick gold chain and two gold rings he had on, then kicked him back into the water. That’s why someone else found him the next day.”
Cynthia hadn’t expected this twist. She smiled slightly. “And what exactly am I supposed to do with this information? You know what I really want to know.” All she wanted was to find out how Silas died and whether his death was connected to Lilian.
Luke continued, “I also found a phone in Silas’s coat pocket, and I still have it. But the phone’s water–damaged and won’t turn on. If you get it fixed, I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for.”
Cynthia thought this was useful information. “Give me the phone.”
Luke asked, “If I hand over the phone, will you clear the remaining 5 million debt for me?”
Cynthia nodded. “Sure, but I need it right now,”
Overjoyed, Luke replied, “I put it here. I’ll grab it for you.” He had no fixed residence, so he tended to carry anything valuable with him at all times.
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He’d already looked into Lilian and knew she would be married into the Yates family, a wealthy family in Roncrity. He had been planning to use that phone to extort a considerable sum from her once it was repaired.
Besides, the contacts and dirt Silas’s phone held on people in their circles could be valuable, but he could never manage to get it repaired.
Luke quickly returned, phone in hand, and said to Cynthia, “Ms. Jones, let’s make this an even trade.” He was worried Cynthia might back out of the deal. After all, the phone was practically worthless.
Besides, he’d already taken it to numerous repair specialists over the years, all to no avail, so he figured that even if Cynthia took it, it wouldn’t help her. He feared that once she realized it couldn’t be fixed, she might break her promise.
Cynthia turned and called Oliver over. Then she instructed, “Clear Mr. Janssen’s 10–million debt.”
Oliver nodded respectfully, even bowing slightly. “Yes, Ms. Jones
Luke stood there, dumbfounded, wondering who Cynthia really was. He couldn’t believe that just a word from her, and his 10–million debt had been cleared.
But Oliver stopped hin 20
Cynthia took the phone and left. Luke, relieved, was just about to go, determined to steer clear of gambling for a while.
“Mr. Janssen, how do you plan to pay the remaining one million dollars you owe?”
my debt just cleared?”
Luke was puzzled. “Was
“Ms. Jones agreed to clear 10 million dollars, but your total debt is actually 11 million dollars.”
“What? I only owed 10 million dollars!”
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“The 10 million was your gambling debt, but the remaining one million covers your expenses here at the casino. That includes the suite, food, drinks, fine wines, and premium cigarettes you requested–totaling one million.”
Luke was taken aback. “Wait, let me go talk to Ms. Jones again. If she could handle a 10–million debt without trouble, an extra million shouldn’t be an issue.”
But Oliver signaled to two strong guards to block his path. “Ms. Jones isn’t someone you can bother at will. She agreed to settle 10 million, and that’s final–not a penny more.”
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Luke finally understood that Cynthia never intended to clear his debts. If she truly wanted to help him, with her power, she wouldn’t care about this measly one million dollars.
He was sure this was premeditated. Given his current situation, whether he owed 10 million or 1 million made no difference -he couldn’t pay it back either way.
Luke also recalled how Oliver’s attitude toward him had shifted. When he owed 2 million, Oliver had suddenly gone from pressing him for repayment to offering him more loans to keep gambling.
Something must have been going on behind the scenes, though he hadn’t given it much thought at the time. Now he couldn’t help but wonder whether it had been at Cynthia’s direction.
Luke realized he’d been tricked. Not only had Cynthia failed to solve his problems, but she’d also swindled him out of his two aces in the hole. He was furious.
Meanwhile, after leaving the casino, Cynthia took the phone to a repair shop, only to be told it was too water–damaged to be fixed.
She had anticipated it, so she wasn’t particularly disappointed.
That evening, when Cynthia was staring at the phone in a daze, Jonathan hugged her from behind and asked, “What’s this?”
Cynthia sighed lightly. “A Pandora’s box, but sadly, it can’t be opened.”
Jonathan seemed to get the picture and took the phone from her. “Let me have a look.”
Cynthia handed it over. “It’s been waterlogged, and several specialists say it’s beyond repair.”
“Maybe it was impossible before, but now you have a solution.”
Cynthia looked puzzled. “What do you mean? I don’t know how to fix phones.”
“Keith does. He’s a mechanical whiz. Back in college, he could repair phones that had been through water, even fire.”
Cynthia was taken aback. “Keith has skills like that?”
“He is pretty capable, just a bit of a hopeless romantic.”
Cynthia remembered his username, “Eat–Sleep–Love,” and couldn’t help but laugh. She immediately called Keith.
Keith replied, “No big deal. Just send it over.”
Keith and his family had returned to their family home in Betrico.
“I’ll send it tomorrow. But how long will it take you to fix it, Keith?” asked Cynthia.
“Repairing it will be quick–no more than three hours. The shipping might take a bit longer, but I can promise you’ll have it back, fully functional, within three days at the latest if you send it tomorrow,” replied Keith.
Three days later was also the date of Lilian and Filip’s wedding. Lilian had been trying to get Cynthia to attend the rehearsal
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these past few days, but Cynthia hadn’t shown up. In the end, Lilian sent the dress over to her.
The day before the wedding, Shirley was brought to court. However, the outcome was entirely unexpected.
The photographer who had taken those incriminating photos suddenly changed his testimony, claiming full responsibility and admitting he’d spiked the drinks.
With insufficient evidence against Shirley for poisoning, the police would have to reopen the investigation.
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