Chapter 99: Julian Fletcher Knelt Before Me

Chapter 99: Chapter 99: Julian Fletcher Knelt Before Me

Julian Fletcher’s expression instantly darkened. He glared at Asher. "Sebastian Lancaster! Don’t you go too far."

Obviously, he wasn’t about to go and die.

"I seem to recall you once said that if Cecilia Caldwell died, you would follow her to the grave, didn’t you?" I suddenly remembered the solemn vow Julian Fletcher had made before.

He’d said Cecilia wouldn’t die, that she was just a deep, scheming woman trying to create drama.

And he’d sworn to everyone that if Cecilia died, he would follow her to the grave.

Weren’t you going to follow her to the grave? "Well, isn’t this the perfect opportunity? You can fulfill your promise and save the love of your life at the same time." I looked up at Erin Whittaker, who was hanging there so long she’d been drained of color, and spoke again with a smile. "Look, she’s about to die. No matter which rope breaks first, she’ll be hanged. Your time is running out."

"Silvia Lynch!" Julian Fletcher was furious, but right now he had no choice but to beg for help. ’It must feel awful, being threatened like this,’ I thought.

I watched as Julian Fletcher’s eyes turned red with rage.

’Thinking back on everything, I found it laughable. Julian Fletcher’s greatest skill was threatening others. Now that the tables were turned, did it hurt?’

’It was just a taste of his own medicine.’

’It’s just like that saying: ’I’m treating you the way you treated me, and you can’t take it?’’

"Don’t bother begging him," I said. "He’s not going to save her. You guys should hurry up and figure out how to get her down." Julian Fletcher wasn’t going to die. A man that selfish would never do such a thing.

Zeke Shaw had been watching this play out. He cleared his throat, not wanting things to escalate too much. They had found the person, which meant the killer hadn’t succeeded this time. This was the first step in provoking the killer.

"Asher, lend a hand. This is a human life; we can’t just let it be lost. As long as Erin Whittaker doesn’t die, the killer probably won’t move on to the next victim. He has a very competitive streak," Zeke Shaw said, stepping forward to persuade Asher.

Asher looked at me without a word.

He didn’t want to help.

I looked up at Erin Whittaker.

’I really wish I could watch her hang to death up there, but now isn’t the time.’

’I knew Erin couldn’t die now. Not just because the police were here, but because she knew many of the killer’s secrets. Keeping her alive was useful.’

’Besides, how could she deserve such an easy death?’

"Help me..." Erin Whittaker, hanging from above, was already somewhat dehydrated, her voice hoarse and weak. "Julian, I’m scared."

Julian Fletcher looked up at Erin, then turned anxiously to Zeke Shaw. "Are you all just going to stand here and wait?"

"What else? You want me to fly up there and save her?" Zeke was already doing his best to persuade Asher. In this situation, the only person who could save her in time was Asher.

"The fire department will take ten minutes at the very least. An inflatable cushion is useless—she’s got a rope around her neck. If she falls, she’ll just be hanged by it. The firefighters will also have to wait for a lift. Do you understand?" Zeke frowned at Julian Fletcher.

After explaining, Zeke continued to persuade Asher. "Asher, you said you lost to him once. We failed to save Cecilia Caldwell in time. We can’t let that tragedy repeat itself, can we?"

Zeke Shaw was very good at persuasion.

’But I knew that if I didn’t agree, he still wouldn’t save her.’

Zeke realized it too and turned to me. "Silvia Lynch, if Erin Whittaker doesn’t die, the killer might temporarily halt his motive to kill. You said it yourself—no one else can die."

"Silvia... save me." Erin Whittaker was also begging me.

I looked at her coldly. "And why should I?"

"The rope is about to snap!" Zane exclaimed, barely able to hold on.

They didn’t dare pull on the ropes rashly, as it would upset the balance of the forces at play.

"Silvia Lynch!" Julian Fletcher shouted my name anxiously.

Asher saw my intention. He reached out, pulled me into his arms, and held me from behind. "Julian Fletcher... I can save her. On one condition: kneel."

He was demanding that Julian Fletcher kneel, but he held me trapped in front of him.

Clearly, he wanted Julian Fletcher to kneel to me.

I froze for a moment and looked up at Asher. An inexplicable... emotion welled up inside me.

"Sebastian Lancaster!" Julian Fletcher clenched his fists in rage, looking like he wanted to charge forward and fight.

"Don’t you love her so much? Back then, you were willing to let Cecilia Caldwell die more than once just to marry her. Now you won’t even kneel for her?" I shot a sarcastic look at Julian, then glanced at Erin. "You see? This is all his love for you amounts to."

"Silvia Lynch!" I had successfully provoked Julian Fletcher. He probably wished he could kill me right now.

"Hurry up, there’s no time!" Even Zane was panicking. The rope was about to break.

Asher remained steadfast. If Julian Fletcher didn’t kneel, he wouldn’t save Erin Whittaker.

Julian Fletcher gritted his teeth and nodded. "Fine. Sebastian Lancaster, you’d better not regret this."

Julian Fletcher swallowed his anger for now, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t retaliate.

He would definitely make Asher regret this later.

To be honest, I was a little worried.

’This moment of satisfaction... it’s going to cause trouble for Asher, isn’t it?’

But I couldn’t worry about that now. We’d cross that bridge when we came to it.

In the end, Julian Fletcher knelt down. He knelt before me.

His eyes burned with rage, and though he knelt reluctantly, he still knelt.

Heh...

My body felt a little stiff. I didn’t know what I was feeling right now.

’Back when I hated him, I would have given anything to see him kneel before me, begging for forgiveness and admitting his regrets.’

’But now, I suddenly felt that having this kind of person kneel to me would only dirty my path to the next life.’

"Asher!" The rope had only a moment left. Zane cried out in alarm.

Asher released me and strode over. The instant the rope snapped, he grabbed one of the many tangled ropes.

No one else could see the trick to it; even I didn’t know why he grabbed that specific rope.

Above, the main rope broke. Erin Whittaker’s body dropped, and the noose tightened around her neck.

Asher watched Erin indifferently. He deliberately loosened his grip on the rope, and like a puppet on a thousand strings, Erin’s body lost its support and dropped again. The noose pulled taut, choking her until her face turned purple with pain.

I drew a sharp breath. ’Asher... was deliberately torturing Erin Whittaker.’

He watched coldly as she suffered, as she was tormented by suffocation, as she was unable to even make a sound to beg for mercy.

Asher smiled... It was a terrifying smile.

I didn’t say anything, just lowered my head, unwilling to watch.

Zeke Shaw rubbed his brow and walked over. "That’s enough."

Asher was unmoved. "She won’t die before the lift gets here."

She wouldn’t die, but she would have to endure the pain of suffocation.

Zeke and Zane had a strange trust in Asher’s sense of timing. If he said she wouldn’t die, then she wouldn’t die, with a precision down to the very second.

But there was no escaping this living torment.

Over on the side, Julian Fletcher had gotten to his feet. He said nothing more, just stared at Asher and me with a cold, sinister gaze.

I knew he wouldn’t let us off easily.

The rescue team arrived, and so did the lift.

Erin Whittaker was successfully rescued. She had already passed out from suffocation and had been on the verge of death.

Asher watched coolly as Erin was carried away, his eyes filled with hatred.

He wanted Erin Whittaker to die more than anyone, but he had still acted because of me.

In truth, even if he hadn’t intervened, the police wouldn’t have been able to do anything.

"This time, the killer lost... but he won’t admit defeat. This will only infuriate him." Asher scanned the surroundings. He was certain the killer could see everything happening here, but the police wouldn’t be able to catch him.

"You just wait," Julian Fletcher said, giving Asher a warning shove.

"Julian Fletcher, I’d advise you to guard her twenty-four seven. The killer is relentless. If there’s a next time, no one will be there to save her." I stepped forward to embrace Asher, looking at Julian with a warning.

Julian Fletcher gave a cold snort and followed the paramedics.

Asher suddenly leaned against me, his voice full of grievance. "Cece... he pushed me."