Chapter 381

Luis narrowed his eyes, the veins at his neck throbbing as though anger itself pulsed through them. "So you forged a birth certificate to aid and abet?"

Bohumil gave a silent nod, his head sinking as if the weight of the world pressed upon it. "Later, I followed their orders and resigned, hiding on the outskirts of the city to open a small clinic. On the fifteenth of every month, Howe would send me some money..."

With every word, his voice ebbed away, softer and weaker,heavy with resignation.

Luis no longer spared him a glance. His gaze shifted instead to Reginald, strung up in the air like a marionette without strings of his own.

He unfastened the cuff of his suit jacket, revealing a silver watch that gleamed coldly beneath the harsh white light. His tone cut through the silence like steel."And you? Aren't you going to confess?"

The question had barely left his lips when Reginald's inverted body thrashed violently.

Bohumil's confession had been a spark in dry tinder, and Reginald's buried fury roared to life.

Blood rushed to his face, swelling it into something grotesque,his eyes red and near to bursting. "Bohumil,you traitor!" he howled.

Luis stepped closer, producing a yellowed photograph from his pocket. It showed Reginald's son, radiant and proud, receiving an award at an international piano competition.

"A prodigy, was he?" Luis' finger traced the photo's edge as a bitter smile curved his lips."And yet I heard hisleft pinky was severed more than twenty years ago?"

The words struck Reginald like a hammer blow,leaving him rigid and mute.

A broken whimper escaped his throat, and the defiance in his eyes collapsed into dust. "It was Sherwood... he forced me!" he gasped. "After I helped Howe,Sherwood ambushed me."

Grinding his teeth, he pressed on. "He said I knew too much-either take three million and vanish, or..." His voice cracked."He clamped my son's hand with pliers right before my eyes. He swore if I dared to speak a word,he would cut off all ten fingers."

The memory dragged Reginald back into that nightmare: Sherwood's smile cold as ice, his son tied to a chair, staring with hopeless eyes. When Sherwood first demanded that he sink to the life of a truck driver, Reginald could not bear it.

But the slightest hint of resistance was enough.Sherwood severed his son's pinky without hesitation.

Reginald's face burned crimson, his voice thick and heavy. "I had no choice but to yield. I changed my name and went into hiding. For over twenty years, I've been driving freight, nothing more."

Luis' expression shifted, a storm of emotions flickering in his eyes.

Now,most of the truth had surfaced, yet his hatred for Sherwood burned hotter than ever in his heart.

He clenched his jaw, forcing his fury into silence.He knew these two were only pawns on the chessboard,and keeping them alive might serve a greater plan.

Luis raised a hand and rubbed at his temples, steadying his breath.

His eyes fell on Reginald, whose face was purple and swollen from hanging, and he spoke with chilling casualness. "Let him down."

The bodyguards moved without delay, stepping forward to loosen the ropes. Reginald dropped heavily to the floor, coughing violently as he gulped for air.

Luis stood over him, gaze sharp and disdainful. "Give him some water."

Then he turned to Neville, his words low and frigid,each one precise as a blade. "Keep them under strict watch. Ensure they have enough food and water.Don't let them die. And be wary of Reginald-he knows how to fight."

With his orders delivered, Luis turned on his heel and strode toward the warehouse door.