Chapter 236
Nate’s face was wrapped thickly in gauze, leaving only his swollen eyes exposed. It looked almost comical-if it weren’t for what it meant: his injuries were real, and not minor.
Carter stared at him, skeptical. “You’re saying Sharon did this to you?”
Nate’s voice was tight with fury. “Yes! Her-and that brat, and that damn old man!”
Carter raised an eyebrow. “Matty is five. Mr. Malcolm’s pushing seventy. Even if the three of them worked together, it’s hard to imagine them putting you in the hospital like this.”
There was no denying the physical disparity. Strength wasn’t on Sharon’s side. Not with a child and an elderly man as backup.
Just then, a knock came at the door. A group of uniformed officers stepped into the room.
“Nate Hendricks,” one of them began, “you are suspected of damaging private property and using violence and threats to intimidate others. The nature of the incident is serious. Given your current condition, we’ll be conducting the investigation here at the hospital.” (1)
Nate gaped. “You’ve got to be kidding. I’m the one in the hospital, and instead of arresting the attackers, you’re investigating me?”
The lead officer remained stone-faced. “Nate, your injuries were not inflicted by anyone else. They were self-inflicted.
“We’ve reviewed the events. You forced your way into the premises, knocked over a shelving unit, and spilled a mix of medicinal powders, which triggered your allergic reaction. It had nothing to do with the others.”
As he finished speaking, his gaze shifted to Carter.
During the course of their inquiry, the police had already mapped out the relationships involved. Naturally, they knew who
Carter was.
“Mr. Biggs,” the officer said, “your wife experienced quite a scare today. Are you sure you don’t want to check in on her? Whatever the case, Nate here was clearly the aggressor. He has no legal standing in this situation.”
Though the officer kept a professional tone, his glance toward Carter held something else-disbelief, maybe even contempt. 1
Carter’s friend had brought his mistress to pick a fight with his wife. The sheer ridiculousness-the audacity of it-left a bitter
taste.
Frankly, the only reason things hadn’t escalated further was because Sharon had remained composed-and well-versed in the law. Had it turned into a physical altercation, it might’ve been ruled mutual assault, which wouldn’t have favored her.
At last, the whole picture began to come together for Carter. His brow furrowed, a heavy, dull annoyance growing behind his
eyes.
Since when had Nate become this much of a liability?
Nate, however, wouldn’t back down. “Nonsense! They were bullying Kelly first! Are we supposed to let them walk all over us and do nothing?”
The officer looked at him calmly. “And how exactly did they bully her?”
Nate straightened, puffed with righteous indignation. “They made her sort herbs. She got her hand cut! Kelly’s a violinist. If her hands get injured, can they take responsibility for that?”
As he spoke, he grabbed Kelly’s hand and held it out for inspection.
The officer glanced down. A few faint scratches, barely breaking the skin. It looked like something from brambles or twigs.
1/2
Harmless. Gone by morning.
Still, he went through the motions. “Was Kelly forced to sort the herbs?”
Nate hesitated-just a flicker in his eyes- then doubled down. “Yes! They threatened her life!”
The officer’s expression changed.
“If what you say is true, we’ll treat this matter with utmost seriousness –
He hadn’t finished the sentence before Nate seized on it like a man drowning clutching driftwood.
“Exactly! You should take it seriously! They threatened her life! They used her life to blackmail us-!”
Today’s Bonus Offer
GET IT NOW
212
X
