Chapter 69: Asher’s Killing Intent for Julian Fletcher

Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Asher’s Killing Intent for Julian Fletcher

Master Lancaster shot me a cold smirk, then got up to leave. His eyes held a blatant warning.

’I knew what he was thinking.’

’If the baby in my belly is gone... and Sebastian Lancaster is dead, then he’ll be the legal heir to the Lancaster Group.’

"Young lady, you’d better take good care of that child in your belly," the middle-aged man beside Master Lancaster said with a mocking smile. He walked up to me, his eyes narrowing as he sized me up. "A real beauty. What a pity..."

He lifted his hand and pinched my chin, then turned and left.

After everyone had gone, I breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the sofa.

"Ma’am," Assistant Foster said reassuringly. "You must have been worried. Your top priority right now is to take care of yourself and protect both yourself and your unborn child."

"When is the old Master Lancaster returning to the country?" I asked.

’Even though the old Master Lancaster has had a stroke and won’t be able to move or make decisions anymore, as long as he’s alive, these people will still be wary.’

"He’ll be back in the country tomorrow," Assistant Foster murmured.

I nodded, glancing back upstairs.

Asher had woken up at some point. His face was pale as he stood at the top of the stairs, staring coldly after Master Lancaster and his entourage.

"What are you doing out here? Go back to your room and lie down." I stood up, trying to get Asher back to his room.

His hostility subsided, and he spoke plaintively. "Cece, I’m scared... I can’t sleep."

I rubbed my temples in exasperation. ’What terrible karma. To be reborn just to marry into a viper’s nest like the Lancaster family.’

"Assistant Foster, what’s the current situation within the Lancaster Group?" With the old Master Lancaster’s stroke and Dylan Lancaster in trouble, the company must be in chaos, right?

"Master Lancaster has temporary control of the company. The man who was sitting beside him is Brandon Lancaster, Master Lancaster’s son. The entire security department of the Lancaster Group is under his command."

’Assistant Foster was being diplomatic, but he was actually telling me that the entire Lancaster Group had already fallen into the hands of Master Lancaster and his son.’

’It seems the news of the old Master Lancaster’s condition was leaked to Master Lancaster at the first opportunity.’

’Now I have more reason than ever to suspect that someone deliberately orchestrated what happened to the old Master Lancaster and Dylan Lancaster.’

’Right now, Master Lancaster is the prime suspect, since he benefits the most.’

"Let’s put the company matters on hold for now. We need to figure out our next move first." I rubbed my temples and headed upstairs.

’The top priority is to wrest the company back from Master Lancaster.’

’It’s not that I want to pick a fight with them, but my situation is a classic case of being targeted for a treasure you hold. My status, and the little one I’m carrying, are both reasons they can’t let me be.’

’Begging them to let me go is impossible. My only choice is to go for broke and gamble everything.’

Upstairs, Asher saw me coming and reached his hand out to me.

I glanced at him, having no choice but to coax him back into his room to sleep.

"Those people... are very bad." Asher grabbed my wrist and pulled me straight into his arms.

"Did they hurt you?" I asked.

"Mm," Asher hummed, his voice low and deep.

I was silent for a long time.

’Given Asher’s status and situation, he must have suffered immensely in the Lancaster family.’

’How could those people have ever treated him well? They must have been wishing for him to die.’

’Master Lancaster’s ambition to take over the company isn’t a recent development. He’s been scheming for a long time and must have targeted Asher early on.’

"The old Master Lancaster is out of commission, and Dominic Grant isn’t coming back." I looked at Asher, trying to get him on my side. "From now on, it’s just you and me in this house. We’ll have to rely on each other. We have to trust one another, okay?"

"Cece, don’t lie to me again..." Asher hugged me tightly, terrified that I would abandon him.

’I suspected he had PTSD, so I could only coax him gently. I hoped he would quickly come to depend on me and tell me the truth—everything he knew about the serial killer.’

’Asher was very guarded, constantly repeating that I shouldn’t lie to him. I knew he didn’t trust me completely yet.’

’If I asked him now, he definitely wouldn’t tell me.’

"Come on, time to sleep." I led Asher into the room, made him take his medicine, then changed the dressings on his hands and feet.

As I unwrapped the gauze from his feet, layer by layer, the gruesome, blood-soaked wounds were fully revealed.

I frowned, the muscles in my back tightening. The wounds looked excruciating just to look at.

"How did you get these injuries?" I asked quietly, carefully rinsing the wounds with saline. "Starting tomorrow, you’re using a wheelchair. No walking on your feet, understand?"

Asher looked at me and nodded obediently.

’When he wasn’t having an episode, he was really as docile as a big puppy.’

’But when he did lose control, even I was afraid.’

"They... didn’t want me to escape. They deliberately made me walk on hot coals..." Asher said softly, his hoarse voice betraying little emotion.

He didn’t sound frightened or terrified, but his words carried a bone-deep chill.

’I knew the "they" he spoke of were Dominic Grant and the old Master Lancaster. To keep Asher from escaping, to force him to produce an heir for the Lancaster family, they had truly stopped at nothing.’

"That’s monstrous," I cursed under my breath, unable to find the words to describe the evil and darkness in Dominic Grant’s heart.

"Does it hurt?" I asked, looking up at Asher as I gently rinsed the wounds.

’It was as if he couldn’t feel pain. How could it possibly not hurt when the injuries were this severe?’

Asher numbly shook his head.

’It wasn’t that he couldn’t feel it. He was just numb to it.’

After I finished treating the wounds on his feet, I started on his hands.

’The Lancasters thought that by crippling his hands and feet, they could keep him contained.’

’But in doing so, they were utterly destroying a genius...’

"Cece..." Asher said, looking at me.

"Yes?" I said, tidying up the first-aid kit and looking up at him.

"Do you want him to die?" he asked, looking at me seriously.

"Huh?" I was taken aback. "Who?"

"Julian Fletcher," Asher said.

I stared at Asher in shock, speechless for a long moment.

’Do I want him to die?’

’I remembered this wasn’t the first time Asher had asked me this. Last time, I dismissed it as a joke, but now, I could feel an intense killing intent from him.’

"I don’t want him to die. I want him to live every single day in pain, regret, and torment." I shook my head and looked at Asher. "Now, go to sleep. Your fever still hasn’t broken."

Asher meekly moved to sleep on the floor.

"Sleep on the bed!" I pushed him onto the bed and tucked him under the covers.

He watched me for a moment, then suddenly reached out, yanked me into his arms, and rolled over, pinning me beneath him.

"What... what are you doing?" I asked, watching him with fear and alarm. His eyes looked like they were going to devour me.

"Cece..." he breathed my name.

’I could never tell if he was calling for me, or for Silvia Lynch.’

’But his eyes were so beautiful and deep, as if they were silently whispering, *I love you. I love you so much.*’