Chapter 164: What is Asher Planning?

Chapter 164: Chapter 164: What is Asher Planning?

"When... did we try to escape?" I looked at Asher nervously, knowing he wouldn’t lie to me.

"Master Lancaster has been involved in black market deals for years. His people are all over Meridia. Running away... was the most foolish choice we could have made." Asher evaded my question.

I knew it must have been a painful and dark memory.

My amnesia, the reason I chose to lose my memories, and even my death—they might all be connected to this ’escape’ he mentioned.

We must have tried to escape, tried to resist, but we failed.

"Instead of just reacting and running, we’ll... play a different game." Asher’s voice was low, and his eyes grew dark and inscrutable.

I clutched his clothes nervously. "A different game?"

Asher glanced at Assistant Foster.

Assistant Foster nodded.

"No matter what happens, don’t worry about me." Asher raised his hands and cupped my face. "Whatever I do, I have my own plan."

My heart began to beat a little faster. I knew what was coming next.

But hearing Asher say that calmed my heart somewhat.

"Cece... trust me. The people who’ve been trying to drive us to our deaths... I won’t spare any of them. And the person who killed you... I won’t spare them either. I will find them. I swear I will find them." Asher’s voice trembled as he pressed his forehead against mine, his scalding tears dripping onto the back of my hand.

I knew that during all the years of my amnesia, he had been fighting all by himself.

I raised my hands to clasp his, my voice hoarse. "Asher... you’re not alone anymore. I’m here..."

"I’m back."

Even though my memories haven’t fully returned.

But I trust my heart and what I feel...

I believe Asher is innocent.

I believe we are both desperately fighting against the injustice of our fate.

’We should be the ones to win...’

’We were supposed to win.’

Asher’s body trembled more violently. He seemed to cry easily, but only ever in front of me.

"I’m not... alone," he whispered. "I know. You’re all here."

He was referring to "us."

’Are we all here?’

’Who else is part of this "we"?’

Asher and I were carrying too many secrets. That included Silvia Lynch—I hadn’t fully uncovered her secrets yet. Even the ’diary’ I’d found seemed like it was deliberately placed for me to find. It was all too easy.

’Is it possible that what I’m seeing is exactly what someone else wants me to see?’

Having experienced death, I no longer dared to trust anyone easily.

...

The Lancaster Family Funeral.

The old master’s body was still in the refrigerated coffin. Without the approval of Sebastian Lancaster, his only grandson, no one dared to handle the body yet.

The procedures for cremation and burial were very strict nowadays, and no one wanted to risk breaking the law.

Madeline Quinn and Zeke Shaw had also arrived, a little earlier than we did.

The guests were all dressed in black suits, holding white chrysanthemums in their hands.

I wore a black suit-dress, and Asher wore a black suit that made his face look all the more stunning, beautiful, and cold.

I rarely use the word "stunning" to describe a man, but Asher was the kind of person who left me at a loss for words.

Beautiful, mysterious, tragic... pitiful, yet inexplicably powerful—all these qualities merged seamlessly within him.

"My condolences," Zeke Shaw and Madeline Quinn said as they walked over and placed their chrysanthemums before the old master’s coffin.

Master Lancaster sat in the elder’s chair, sipping tea with a completely composed look on his face.

The media were all gathered outside the door, but the memorial hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Julian Fletcher came too, and he brought Erin Whittaker with him.

I had to hand it to her; Erin Whittaker was quite skilled to have Julian Fletcher take her everywhere he went.

Erin Whittaker, wearing a face mask, set down her chrysanthemum and shot me a venomous glare.

I ignored her and quietly bowed with Sebastian Lancaster.

"Ce—" Julian Fletcher started to speak to me, but given the occasion, he changed his tune. "My condolences."

"Silvia Lynch! Silvia Lynch, you shameless bitch! I was wondering why I couldn’t get in touch with you. So you married into a rich family!" The solemn silence of the memorial hall was suddenly broken by someone deliberately trying to cause a scene, pointing at me and cursing.

"Who is that?" Master Lancaster frowned, pretending to order someone to handle it. "Drag them out. This is a funeral. No one is to make a scene here."

But I knew this person was also someone Master Lancaster had deliberately brought in to provoke Sebastian Lancaster.

Video footage, plus a violent incident for the reporters to capture... he would have all the reason he needed to send Sebastian Lancaster to a mental hospital.

"Silvia Lynch, you feeling guilty?" The man continued to shout deliberately, trying to attract the reporters outside. "We’ve slept together more than once, you know. I even have the shameless nudes you sent me right here. Don’t you want to take a look?"

My eyes darkened. I was certain that my first time in this body was with Asher, after my rebirth, because there had been blood on the sheets.

Even if it hadn’t been the first time, I’ve never believed a woman’s chastity should be proven by any particular body part.

But for this person to use a woman’s purity as a public provocation was just vile.

Asher’s gaze was ice-cold. I knew he was suppressing the urge to kill.

’I should probably be thankful so many reporters were present. Otherwise, Asher really might have killed someone...’

"Asher, stay here!" Seeing him about to step forward, I reprimanded him in a low voice.

Asher’s murderous, sinister gaze softened into a look of grievance the moment he turned to me. "Cece... I want to rip his mouth off."

I took a deep breath. I knew he wasn’t kidding. "Stay here!"

Asher clenched his fists, restraining himself to the point that his body began to tremble slightly.

Master Lancaster’s eyes darkened for a moment. He seemed surprised that I could discipline a ’mental patient’ into being so obedient.

He set down his teacup and glanced at Victor Quinn, who was standing nearby.

When had Victor Quinn arrived? I hadn’t even noticed. It must have been while this idiot was causing a scene.

Victor Quinn was smiling faintly as he leaned down and whispered something in Master Lancaster’s ear.

I could vaguely make out his words: "...a beast needs to be tamed. A dangerous and beautiful creature like this... can be a venomous snake, or a wolf, but it can never be human... So, you have to make the beast obey..."

Watching Victor Quinn’s figure, seeing the smile on his lips, I felt my back tense up.

"Silvia Lynch, stop pretending! Everyone, come and see! These are the nudes this little bitch sent me!" The idiot held up his phone, showing it to the reporters all around.

I looked at the reporters standing outside the door, the corners of my mouth lifting into a smile. "You..."

Just as I was about to speak, I saw Madeline Quinn courageously rush forward and land a kick. "Who sent you to say something like this at a funeral? You either have shit for brains, or someone paid you to do this!"

Standing on the steps, I watched the fearless Ms. Quinn and gave her a thumbs-up.

It seemed... since my death, Ms. Quinn had become quite the hero.

Zeke Shaw told me that Madeline Quinn had recently gotten obsessed with boxing, kickboxing, and grappling. She was often filled with regret that she hadn’t been able to protect me...

That she had failed to protect her best friend.