Chapter 221: Who killed Elias’s parents? Victor or Cedric?

Victor sat alone in the detention room, restless and furious.

He had expected the police to interrogate him the moment he was brought in. But no one had come.

He had been sitting there for hours. The silence was slowly driving him insane.

"What the hell?" he shouted.

His gaze swept across the small room before landing on the surveillance camera mounted in the corner.

"I want to talk to my lawyer," he yelled, staring directly into the camera. "You have to let him come and meet me. It’s my right."

No response came. Only his own voice echoed through the room.

"This is insane." Victor slammed his fist against the table. "I’ve been locked up here for hours, and no one has even come to check on me."

He threw his hands into the air in frustration.

Across the hall, an officer watched Victor closely on a large monitor. A sarcastic smile tugged at his lips.

"I love watching criminals lose their minds," he muttered. "He wants a lawyer? Not yet. Let him stew a little longer."

He rose from his chair, ready to enter the interrogation room.

Just then, one of his subordinates hurried inside.

"Sir, Mr. Rowan is here. He wants to see you."

The officer paused. Then he nodded.

"Bring him in."

A few moments later, Elias walked into the room, sharp and composed as ever. He extended his hand.

The officer shook it.

"What brings you here?" he asked.

"I have some old accounts to settle with Victor," Elias replied. "I want to talk to him."

The officer’s expression became serious. He hesitated for a moment.

Then he remembered how much Elias had helped the police department in bringing Victor into custody. Nothing should go wrong if Elias spoke to him for a few minutes.

Still, he gave him a warning. "Victor is dangerous. He is furious right now. Seeing you may make him lose control. Are you sure you want to meet him?"

Elias looked at him for a moment. Then his lips curled into a faint smile.

"That’s exactly what I want. Let him lose control. I want him to attack me. Then I’ll have another charge against him."

The officer laughed. "Man, you are cruel."

He waved a hand toward the detention room.

"Go ahead. Talk to him. Don’t worry. I won’t let you get hurt."

Elias gave a curt nod. "Thank you, Officer."

He turned and walked toward the detention room.

Victor immediately looked up when the door opened. He expected to see a police officer. Instead, Elias walked in.

Victor’s expression twisted with rage. "What the hell are you doing here? Get out."

Elias smirked. "You want me to leave? I thought I’d help you get out of this place."

Victor’s expression faltered for a second. Then fury returned.

"Are you mocking me? You are the one who put me here."

"Really?" Elias scoffed.

He pulled out the chair opposite Victor and sat down calmly.

"Your own partner sold you out. Is that my fault?"

Victor’s eyes darkened.

"He confessed everything," Elias continued. "He exposed your crimes. How you tried to take over the company. How you planned to ruin my family. And how you were involved in my parents’ murder."

The color drained from Victor’s face. For the first time since Elias had entered the room, his anger disappeared. Something closer to nervousness flickered in his eyes.

"Victor, no one put you here." Elias leaned back. "Your own actions brought you here."

Silence settled between them.

Victor eventually sneered. "His confession isn’t enough to prove anything."

His confidence slowly returned. "You forced him to give that statement. He said those things because he wanted to stay alive."

"Really?" Elias scoffed. He leaned back in his chair, a casual smile playing on his lips.

"You still don’t understand me." His smile disappeared. "I don’t play a weak game. I’ve already handed over evidence of your criminal activities to the authorities. Your connections to the underworld, your illegal businesses, your real estate scams—everything is exposed."

His eyes hardened. "That alone is enough to put you behind bars for a very long time."

Victor’s breathing became heavier. He couldn’t believe Elias had uncovered his hidden businesses.

"You’ve been following me?" he muttered.

"Yes." Elias didn’t hesitate. "You plotted against my family. Did you really think I would sit quietly and let you destroy me?"

He leaned forward, his voice turning colder. "I’ve been gathering evidence against you and Cedric. I’ve been waiting for this moment for years."

Victor suddenly spoke. "It was he who killed your parents."

Elias stiffened. For a moment, he said nothing.

Victor saw the change in his expression and continued, "I hated your grandfather. I hated your father. But I was nothing back then. I didn’t have money to save my mother. How could I possibly have arranged assassins to kill your parents?"

Elias didn’t want to believe a single word Victor said. But the explanation forced him to reconsider.

"It was Cedric who came to me," Victor continued. "He asked me to join hands with him and take revenge on the Rowans."

Elias remained silent. He didn’t lose his temper. He simply watched Victor.

Cedric had told him that Victor had approached him first. Now Victor was claiming the opposite.

They were blaming each other.

Elias found it almost absurd. Yet, Victor’s explanation sounded disturbingly convincing.

Victor had hated the Rowans, but he had barely had any power at the time. And the Rowan and Sterling families had once been close.

Why would he have approached Cedric?

Cedric, on the other hand, had a clear motive. He could have used Victor’s hatred of the Rowans for his own purpose.

"He gave me money to start a business," Victor continued. "In return, he wanted me to work with him against the Rowans."

Victor’s expression turned serious.

"Use your brain and think carefully. Those attackers broke into the mansion, robbed it, and killed your parents. They entered the house without raising an alarm and eliminated all the guards with such precision that no one had time to stop them."

Elias’s brow furrowed.

"How could that have happened?" Victor leaned forward. "Someone who knew everything about the Rowan family mansion could have planned an attack like that."

His voice became grim. "I barely entered that house. How could I have planned such a flawless attack?"

Elias felt a jolt run through his spine. He couldn’t ignore Victor’s words.

Someone familiar with the mansion’s layout could have known where the guards were stationed. Someone who knew the family’s routines could have chosen the perfect time to strike.

It couldn’t be Victor. It was Cedric.

The fury hit Elias like a metal detonator.

’Why didn’t I think of this before?’ His fingers curled into fists. ’How could I have missed it?’

"This isn’t the only crime he committed," Victor continued. "I have proof of his crimes. He silenced anyone who tried to expose him."

Victor paused. Then he delivered the next blow. "He even killed your wife’s father."

Elias froze. His hands immediately tightened around the armrests.

"What did you say?"

He had never heard this before.

Victor watched the shock spread across his face. "He killed Elena’s father," he confirmed.

Elias suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Victor by the collar.

"What do you know about it? Tell me everything." His voice thundered through the room.

Victor smirked despite Elias’s grip. "I can give you everything I have against him."

He pushed Elias’s hands away and smoothed the wrinkles from his shirt. "But there is one condition."

He met his fierce gaze and demanded, "Take me out of here, and you’ll get every piece of evidence I have."

Elias’s hands trembled as he fought to control his fury. His restraint was wearing thin.

"You are his partner in crime," he growled. "You worked with him for years. You supported him. You knew every crime he committed, yet you stayed silent."

His eyes hardened. "That alone is enough to put you behind bars."

Hatred and anger burned in Victor’s eyes. "I told you the truth. I can even tell you where he is hiding." His voice became desperate. "Don’t take any action against me."

Elias stared at him with cold contempt. "Give me one reason why I shouldn’t."

Victor fell silent.

"So what if you weren’t the one who planned my parents’ murder?" Elias continued. "You conspired against my family for years. You caused trouble for me in business. You stole confidential information. You knew everything about Cedric, yet you kept silent."

His voice grew colder with every word. "You wouldn’t have revealed any of this if you hadn’t been arrested."

Elias’s entire body radiated a fierce, suffocating aura. "You will rot here. And soon, Cedric will join you."

He stood up. "I don’t need your information to find him. I’ll make him come out on his own."

Elias turned toward the door.

"Wait." Victor’s voice was filled with desperation.

Elias stopped.

"I know you are trying to buy that suburban plot," Victor said in a hurry. "I can give it to you."

Elias remained still.

"I can give you shares in Kane Group." Victor grew desperate. "Just help me this time."

His voice cracked under the pressure. "For the sake of our blood connection..."

Elias slowly turned his head. His expression was unreadable.

"Blood connection?" A cold smile appeared on his lips. "You remember that now?"

Victor’s face tightened.

"When you destroyed my family, did you remember that we were related?"

Elias spun around, his eyes burning with anger.

"How dare you mention that? You killed my parents. You supported Cedric for years just to destroy my family. And you really think I will forget everything and let you walk away."