Chapter 5
1373 Words
The room was engulfed in a suffocating silence. Brady's lack of response implied his agreement with me, while Rosalind's silence betrayed her hesitation.
If things went wrong, the consequences for her would be catastrophic. She was clearly anxious. After all, no one else could handle the situation.
Brady glanced at Rosalind after hearing my words, silently asking whether it was worth a try.
Rosalind still looked uneasy, so I decided to be blunt. "The fact that you've hidden your office here proves someone is trying to assassinate you, and you've narrowly escaped death," I said.
I pointed out, "The K13 chasing me today is the best evidence. You wouldn't have expected them to make a move in broad daylight. Simply put, Shirley saved your life. And, of course, even if it had been you in her place today, I'd have ensured you came out unscathed."
I continued, "Miss Martin, you don't trust anyone. Do you really want to face this alone? Do you think your abilities are enough to resolve the crisis with the Fighters?"
Rosalind's frown deepened, and her gaze grew unfocused, clearly shaken by my words.
In truth, ever since Mike entrusted me with his final wishes, I'd known the Fighters were in serious trouble. If not for my own need for revenge, I might have accepted her arrangement without hesitation.
"Are you not afraid of death?" Rosalind asked seriously, her tone sharp.
I shrugged and smirked coldly. "There's no one in this world who isn't afraid of death. But it depends on how you die."
Brady spoke up, his tone steady. "Miss Martin, I think it's worth a try. Mr. Martin wouldn't have chosen the wrong person."
I was pleased to hear Brady's honest opinion and gave him a faint nod of gratitude.
Without reservation, Brady added, "Mr. Woods, you still have time to reconsider. Once you get involved in this, it'll be hard to back out. You could just take the job of watching over the casino. We wouldn't hold it against you."
"You think I'm only good enough to be a casino guard for the Fighters?" I asked, my tone sharp but calm. I didn't bother continuing the argument. Instead, I tapped the table and said, "Miss Martin, I'm here to help you through this crisis, but my condition is clear: help me get my revenge."
Rosalind stared at me, her gaze still tinged with distrust. Yet the helplessness in her expression betrayed her need to believe me.
"Mr. Woods, have a seat," Rosalind finally said, gesturing toward a chair. Brady also took his seat without hesitation.
I knew they were only turning to me because they had no other choice. But I was equally forced to rely on them.
"There is indeed a crisis within the crew right now," Rosalind began. "First of all, the casino. We're currently losing massive amounts of money, around two million dollars a day, and it's all going to a few specific individuals."
Brady pulled up surveillance footage, showing a bustling casino in full swing.
He then switched the feed to focus on a few blonde women. "These three women show up on time every day and only play blackjack," Brady explained. "They leave as soon as they win."
"We've monitored them closely and haven't found any signs of cheating, so we can't arrest them," he continued. "We considered kicking them out, but for the sake of the casino's reputation, we can't risk upsetting customers by ejecting winners."
He added, "Since we couldn't find any evidence of cheating, we investigated further and discovered they're staying at the Kellyland Hotel in Northvale. Someone is helping them, likely using advanced cheating methods."
Brady's voice grew graver as he said, "We urgently need to catch them in the act of cheating. But after a few people who tried investigating were found dead, no one dared to take action. We need you to handle this problem first."
So, instead of dealing with the K13, I'd been tasked with catching cheaters. How interesting.
I didn't refuse. Instead, I asked Brady to copy the surveillance footage for me. I needed to study it first.
"Aside from these, the Fighters seem to face even greater crises." I frowned, staring straight ahead.
They exchanged glances, a flicker of trust appearing in their eyes.
They couldn't believe I had identified so many problems. But when I brought them up, it made them trust me even more.
"If you want me to trust you, first help me solve the problem at hand," Rosalind said with an amused smile.
I didn't waste any words. With the USB drive in hand, I got up and left.
Brady followed me out and called after me, "This key is for the place we've arranged for you to stay. Everything you need is there."
"Do you trust me?" I asked, glancing at him with a playful expression.
Brady sneered. "Mr. Martin chose you. Even if I don't trust you, I trust him. You can leave. I'll finish up here and come find you later."
He gestured to Shirley to take me there. Shirley crossed her arms, tilted her head, and smiled. "Victor, let's go."
Why did Brady ask his daughter to escort me back?
I could tell a lot about someone from the details. It seemed Brady was utterly loyal to Mike.
I was taken to a dorm across from Chevonia Town. It was a single room on the rooftop. The open view made it more suitable for operations.
The room was fully equipped, which suggested someone had stayed there before.
At that moment, Shirley closed the door behind her, wrapped her arms around me from behind, and called out coyly, "Victor..."
This woman wasn't just being flirtatious. She was testing me, even now. Just how cautious was Rosalind?
I sneered. "Shirley, aren't you afraid I might actually bang you? I've been locked up in prison for six years."
"Then go ahead," she teased.
"Enough with this boring seduction test. I'll make Rosalind believe in me," I said, prying her hands off. "You should leave. I have work to do."
Realizing I had seen through her test, she had to make an excuse. "I'm worried you're unfamiliar with the area, so I stayed to help you."
"If you insist, suit yourself," I replied without overthinking it, then decisively turned on the computer to check the surveillance footage.
"Victor, how did you get in?" Shirley asked, leaning in to make conversation.
I ignored her and continued reviewing the footage.
She leaned in again. "Victor, do you have a girlfriend?"
That question hit a sore spot. How could I not have a girlfriend? But after being locked up for six years, could I even go see her?
"Oh, so you do have a girlfriend. Show me what she looks like, okay? Is she a foreigner?" Shirley pressed on, gossiping and asking relentlessly.
I couldn't let my thoughts get distracted. To seek revenge, I had to stay calm.
I shot her a sharp glare, and the intensity of my presence made her too intimidated to look at me. Shirley pouted and reluctantly backed off.
I refocused on the surveillance footage, locking my gaze on three women. After repeatedly confirming the identity of a black woman, I realized she looked very familiar, as if I'd seen her somewhere before.
It might've been long ago, but after thinking for a while, I remembered seeing her at Flora's school.
Flora was my girlfriend. Her parents disapproved of our relationship from the start. After what happened, we lost contact. I didn't blame her. It wasn't a place they could get in easily anyway.
To complete the mission as soon as possible, I decided to contact Flora.
Unexpectedly, the call went through. The moment I spoke, Flora started crying. Holding the phone, I didn't know what to say. After all, we had been together for three years. We had shared so many beautiful moments.
"Hey, calm down," Shirley said, hearing the crying.
I took a deep breath to compose myself. Mike had told me before that to seek revenge, I had to learn to stay calm. Getting caught up in emotions would only cloud my judgment.
"Ms. Smith, do you know this person?" I asked.
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