Chapter 871 Lately, I've Grown Wary of Matters of Life and Death

Emelie's expression softened and she went straight to the point. "Beathan was rescued. It's dangerous for him to stay in the country, so I suspect he'll flee abroad. You know him better than anyone. Where do you think he might go?"

Ashley was momentarily stunned. Her mind flashed back to the last time she saw Beathan. He had looked utterly defeated, asking her if there was any chance for them to be together in their next life.

She couldn't help but frown. Just the thought of him stirred up feelings of deep revulsion.

Ashley said, "It would have to be a country without an extradition treaty with Cedonia. Someplace where his status and influence would protect him. He would only feel safe in a place like that."

Emelie nodded in agreement. "For example?"

Ashley started listing off countries. "There are quite a few-Lablos, Bredal, Glastony..."

"Can you narrow it down?" Emelie asked.

"My gut says Lablos. We both studied there and, given his obsession with me, he'd probably go back. Psychology tells us that when people are anxious, they seek out familiar places," Ashley said with a bitter smile.

Emelie had an idea where he was now. "Alright."

The fact that Emelie had deliberately chosen to ask Ashley instead of consulting Elias meant she didn't want him involved.

So, when Elias later asked Ashley about their conversation, she told him nothing. This left Elias incredibly frustrated, and he spent a long time whining to her about it.

Finally, Ashley had enough. She grabbed his lips between her fingers and warned, "Keep it up, and you'll be sleeping in the guest room tonight."

With that, Elias fell silent.

Night had fallen over Capebatt City's harbor.

It was just past eight. This particular port was always busiest during the day, with little to no activity at night. Hence, the area was quiet, almost eerily so.

A black van drove down the dock and came to a halt. As soon as the door slid open, four hulking men stepped out. They dragged out a skinny man, who was bound at the wrists and ankles and had a black hood covering his head.

One of the men pulled off the hood. A faint light from a distant lighthouse swept over the skinny man's face. It was none other than Beathan.

Gone was the sharp, suited image of the prestigious lawyer. However, though he now looked utterly disheveled, his eyes still had that unsettling serpent-like gleam.

He quickly sized up his surroundings.

There were no other people around, and the only sound breaking the silence was the crashing of waves against the docks. Were they planning to kill him and dump his body into the sea?

"Why did you bring me here?" Beathan shouted, panic creeping into his voice. "William! I gave you what you wanted. You promised to let me go. Are you going back on your word?"

A black Maybach rolled up beside the van, but the person inside didn't get out. The rear window slid down, revealing William.

He was lounging back comfortably, one leg crossed over the other. A wrist adorned with a watch that had an hourglass embedded in the face rested on his knee. The sand inside trickled downward, an ominous countdown

ticking away.

William glanced out the window, speaking calmly. "You want to leave Cedonia. There are three ways to do that: by land, by air, or by sea.

"Crossing the border by land is impossible. Everyone knows how tight security is along the Cedonian border. You'd never make it. Air travel requires forged documents, but I don't break the laws.

"So, your only option is by sea. That boat over there, the one hauling fresh produce, will sail out and rendezvous with a cargo ship. When the time comes, you'll need to use your glib tongue and convince the crew to take you to Lablos."

Beathan was stunned. William was essentially tossing him to the winds, leaving him to fend for himself in a foreign land with no resources.

How was he supposed to manage that? It was practically a death sentence.

Anger surged in him. "William, you're playing dirty!"

William propped his chin up with his hand, still looking relaxed. "Beathan, surely you've heard the phrases 'the images are for reference only' and 'the final right of interpretation belongs to the producer'. Now, the rules are whatever I say they are."

Beathan's jaw clenched. "We underestimated you, William. We should never have trusted you. If we hadn't, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

William merely smirked and rolled the windows up. "I do hope that I'll hear that you made it out alive."

With that, the Maybach turned and smoothly drove away.Property © of .

The burly men untied Beathan and shoved him onto the small boat. At best, he had a 20% chance of making it to Lablos by such precarious means. But if fate wasn't on his side, there was only one possible outcome.

He would die in the vast ocean.

In the driver's seat, Ashton asked worriedly, "Are we really going to let him go?"

William's gaze fell back to the hourglass in his watch. The sand continued to slip through, unable to be stopped. He said calmly, "Lately, I've grown wary of matters of life and death."