Chapter 153
The Dead Man’s Orders.
“So you are telling me Alice’s accident was Victor’s directive? The Eastwind Air incident was also Victor’s directive?” the investigator said with irritation. “Are you trying to pin your crimes on a dead man, Mr. Holt p>
“No, no,” Mathew cried. He looked worn out, his composure eroded by relentless psychological pressure from the police.
From what Nathaniel knew, Mathew had been assaulted by fellow inmates. Vanessa and Vivian were subjected to the same cruelty by other inmates in the women’s
wing.
Why? Because even the prisoners felt the weight of what happened to the missing Eastwind Air flight. The entire city, including Oakridge City, did.
What made it worse for the Holts was that their entire legal team resigned after news broke of their involvement in the Eastwind Air incident. The public defender suggested they plead guilty. They lost all forms of backing.
“I swear, it’s true. About that Hartley girl, we—we just wanted to warn her at first, but “Mathew gulped. “She insisted on investigating Serena’s identity. We simply wanted to keep Vanessa’s real paternity a secret. That Alice, she forced our hand p>
“It was after we took care of her that we told Victor through my employee,” Mathew revealed. “That was when he gave the directive to take care of Serena p>
“Do you know that Serena Vander was kidnapped as a child?” the investigator asked. “Victor Kline is the primary suspect in Serena’s kidnapping. Do you have any part in this p>
“No, I don’t know. I swear! Victor kept that a secret from us. He said Serena was an orphan and that she had no family,” Mathew said, his voice shaking. “Had we known she had that kind of background, we would have… backed off p>
“Please,” Mathew grabbed the investigator’s arm and begged, “Don’t put us in military prison. I beg you. Nathaniel will have his people torture us p>
“That’s a serious accusation, Mr. Holt,” the officer said. “Do you know that’s a crime in itself? It’s a military facility. If you are subjected to punishment, that only means you deserved it p>
“No, please!” Mathew clung to the officer desperately.
“It’s out of my hands,” the investigator continued. “Your transfer has already been approved. You will be moved to Fort Calder Military Correctional Facility in less than two weeks p>
Fort Calder Military Correctional Facility was a different military facility from the one in Greyhold, but it was the most unforgiving prison in the system. Nathaniel’s grandfather personally recommended it and called in a favor to ensure the transfer. “No, no,” Mathew cried. “You don’t understand what Nathaniel is capable of when he’s being vengeful. He tortured Victor in prison p>
“Do you have proof, Mr. Holt?” the officer asked sharply.
Mathew’s lips trembled as he answered, “No, but p>
“Then I suggest you keep your mouth shut and accept the consequences of your actions,” the officer said. He leaned in and pushed Mathew away. “You are alive and well, while all those passengers and crew have disappeared; their families never found closure p>
The officer walked out, leaving Mathew crying in the interrogation room.
Later, Nathaniel and Serena met with Dennis and Peter.
Dennis had been discharged, so they had dinner together at the Astoria Hotel. Nathaniel’s friends gave their opinions about what they had heard during the interrogation.
“Victor probably panicked when he realized the truth might come out,” Dennis said to Serena. “If you had discovered earlier that you weren’t his real daughter, you would have started looking for your birth parents. That alone would have reopened the kidnapping case and dragged him even deeper into trouble p>
“Yeah, I’m sure that’s it,” Peter shared the same thoughts.
“I agree,” Serena acknowledged. “But something about this makes me feel like
there’s more to it p>
“Yes, Victor was already locked up for multiple crimes and had several cases waiting against him. He wasn’t going anywhere,” Nathaniel explained. He clenched his jaw. “Yet, he risked getting himself intomore trouble by killing almost two
hundred people p>
“Maybe it was also his way of protecting Vanessa,” Peter presented. “If the city learned she was his real daughter, people would turn against her p>
“My thoughts exactly,” Dennis said.
“I don’t know,” Nathaniel said, letting out a deep breath. “Plus, the fact that the Holts still received money after Victor’s death worries me. There’s still someone out there working for him p>
“But Mathew already gave all the names involved, right?” Dennis asked. “And the police are looking into it p>
“Yes,” Nathaniel said. “My grandfather also made some calls to strengthen the investigation p>
“Well,” Nathaniel turned to Serena. “In case there are still people under Victor’s command, we have stepped into a very bright light. Let’s make sure to keep our eyes open p>
Serena and Nathaniel both slept late that night.
When they returned to their hotel room, Nathaniel was on the phone with his grandfather and with Sterling, giving them updates about the case.
Sterling was furious, of course. He wanted to fly to Velmon himself, except that he was dealing with the Montgomerys’ standing within VanderMed Technologies. Serena, on the other hand, talked to Alice for over an hour.
That same evening, Nathaniel ordered security to be tightened around them. By Monday, additional bodyguards were already accompanying them wherever they went.
Serena wasn’t ready to go home.
She wanted to wait a few days and see if the investigation would uncover more accomplices, maybe one that would lead to her
The more names
kidnapping The more
th
were identified, the more secure she
felt.
She accompanied Nathaniel to the research institute first thing on Monday morning. The entire facility was back to its full operation, and patients had lined up to return to their treatments.
As for Serena, she brought work to Nathaniel’s office.
Gavin was entertaining the VIP patients who had just arrived, so only the institute’s secretaries were bringing Nathaniel’s documents.
Unexpectedly, Tina walked in with a sensual smile. “Mr. Thorne, good morning p>
Serena caught how Tina’s top hung low, flaunting her cleavage.
‘Oh,’ Serena thought. ‘I completely forgot about her p>
That day was the day she was going to take care of Tina Middleton.