Chapter 2351

Grant tilted his chin slightly. His gaze was violent and chilly, completely unlike his usual self.

"They say wolves travel a thousand miles for meat, while hyenas do so for scraps. Ms. Gold, are you trying to prove through your actions that you belong to the latter?"

"s-Sir, please calm down..."

Clarice, her face still marked by the imprint of a slap, trembled with fear. Blood drained from her face as she stammered, "I-I'm stupid. I don't understand. What have I done wrong? Please, enlighten me..."

Grant said, eyes closing as he reclined lazily in his chair, "When speaking to Justin, all you need to do is hint. There's no need to spell things out."

He continued, "But tonight, during my critical confrontation with him, you chose the worst possible moment to bring up the kidnapping incident from twenty years ago."

Clarice was bewildered. "But... You were his savior. That's a fact! Reminding him of it should only make him feel indebted to you!"

Grant let out a soft, mocking laugh, his half-lidded eyes gleaming faintly. "Indebted? He's forgotten his feelings for Bella entirely. Do you think he'd care about what I did for him?

The three pills caused brain damage. It's a double-edged sword. His coldness doesn't just apply to Bella. It extends to me as well.

"Justin's suspicious of me now. Every word you say plants another seed of doubt in his mind. I can accept the fallout from tonight, but from this moment on, the incident twenty years ago must never be mentioned again. One slip-up could spell disaster."

Clarice was struck dumb with terror, but she could not suppress her curiosity. "Sir, doesn't this seem unwise? Justin is becoming harder to control. Won't this eventually lead to a direct conflict between the two of you?" "Conflict is inevitable," Grant replied coolly. "And this temporary truce? He'll see through it soon enough."

But then, his lips curled into a cold, confident smile. "It doesn't matter. By the time he realizes it, everything will already be too late."

After parting with Grant, Ian drove Justin in a sleek Maybach toward Tideview Manor.

"Mr. Salvador, are you really okay? You look terrible," Ian said, glancing at the rearview mirror and noticing Justin's pale face. His chest tightened with worry.

Justin's lashes drooped weakly, his breaths unsteady. "I'm fine."

Ian complained. "Ugh! If only Dr. Larson were here. At least he could help somehow!"

"He's a neurosurgeon. I have a gunshot wound. What could he possibly do?"Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

Justin's thoughts suddenly wandered back to Bella.

She was extraordinary, brilliant. They had been through countless life-threatening moments together. He could not ignore her. She lingered in his thoughts, unbidden, especially after last night. The guilt and remorse weighed heavily on him.

"Damn it... Could Grant have planted a surveillance device on you?" Ian gripped the steering wheel tightly in frustration. "How else would he know you were injured? How did he time everything so perfectly to stir up trouble with Chairman Thompson? He's like some upgraded version of Christopher!"

Suddenly, Justin's eyes widened as the realization dawned on him. Ever since Christopher's betrayal, his phone had been equipped with anti hacking and anti surveillance software. No one could tap his calls.

Besides, since parting ways with Bella, they had barely communicated over the phone. So how had Grant

uncovered everything?

Justin's gaze inadvertently landed on the dashcam mounted near the rearview mirror.

That night, Bella had gotten into his car, and all their conversations had taken place inside the car.

The issue was with the car!

Upon arriving at Tideview Manor, Justin quickly retreated to his study and instructed lan to retrieve the parking lot surveillance footage and the dashcam's memory card for review.

It was not long before Ian returned, completing his tasks.

"Mr. Salvador, the surveillance footage shows nothing unusual."

Justin had already expected this. If someone had tampered with his car, the first thing they would do was erase the evidence from the cameras.

His face remained calm and composed as he inserted the memory card into his computer.