Chapter 49
I followed the policeman into the interrogation room, my mind racing with questions. After answering a series of inquiries, I finally grasped the situation.
The previous night, someone had discovered a significant amount of kyanine at Macy’s bar. However, what puzzled me was why they waited an entire day to report it instead of calling the police immediately.
After the interrogation, I was finally allowed to see Macy. Though only detained for a few hours, she looked utterly exhausted—her bare face pale, with dark circles prominent under her eyes.
The moment she saw me, she reached out desperately. “Scarlett, someone set me up! I’m sure it was Rebecca. She came to the bar last night with a man, and I thought she was just there for a drink. Who knew she was plotting against me?”
Rebecca at the bar? And with another man?
“Did you see what he looked like?” I asked. Rebecca was only ever seen with Ashton or Joe. Who else would she be meeting?
“He was tall and dressed flamboyantly. Oh, and when I went to Fuller Corporation last time, someone called him Mr. Quinn.”
Joe.
I knew Rebecca hated me, but why drag Macy into this?
“If they wanted you arrested, why didn’t they call the police last night? Why wait until today?” Something didn’t add up.
Rubbing her tired eyes, Macy muttered, “They wanted to torture me. When the police investigated, they found the drugs hidden in my closet.”
Her closet?
“Macy, are you hiding something from me?” Rebecca was vindictive—if she wanted to destroy Macy, she would have gone after the bar itself, not just Macy personally.
Macy hesitated before lowering her voice. “Scarlett, I’ll tell you the truth, but you have to promise not to get mad. Ashton bought The Hour Bar. When you asked me to go to Q City, I had already sold it to him.”
I stared at her in shock. “Why would Ashton buy your bar?” He had more than enough on his plate with Fuller Corporation. Why acquire a bar?
Shaking her head, Macy confessed, “I don’t know either. A month ago, he came to me, paid double the bar’s worth, and then registered it under Rebecca’s name. I wanted to tell you, but you were busy and unwell…”
A chill ran down my spine. What was the difference between Ashton buying the bar and Rebecca owning it herself? The result was the same—Rebecca got what she wanted. But her goal wasn’t just the bar.
She wanted to destroy me.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and comforted Macy before stepping out of the detention room. Jared was waiting outside and immediately approached me. “Is everything alright?”
I struggled to get the words out. “If she gets charged, how long will she serve?”
His expression darkened. “It depends. The sentence could range from fifteen years of imprisonment to life or even the death penalty. The severity depends on the case details.”
The world spun around me. My hands turned ice-cold. Rebecca was ruthless. By using the bar, she had destroyed Macy’s life with a single move.
Jared noticed my distress and steadied me. “Don’t panic yet. The police are still investigating. Things may not be as bad as they seem.”
Gripping his arm, I looked up desperately. “How do we clear her name?”
“There were no traces of kyanine in her body, and her closet was inside the bar—meaning others had access to it. If the police find evidence that she had nothing to do with the drugs, she won’t be charged.”
Hope flickered inside me. “The security tapes! We need to check them.”
I turned to leave immediately, but Jared caught my wrist. There was a troubled look on his face. “The police will think of that too. You should be more worried about whether someone has already tampered with the tapes.”
A deep sense of frustration bubbled up inside me. I ran a hand through my hair and took a shaky breath. “Go back first. I need some time alone.”
Jared hesitated but then nodded. “If you need anything, call me.”
I stood outside the police station for a long moment before finally getting into my car.
At that moment, my phone rang. It was Stacey. She informed me that she had completed the analysis report and emailed it to me. Distracted, I barely managed to mumble an “okay” before hanging up.
After a moment’s hesitation, I decided to drive to the villa. It had been a long time since I’d been there, mostly because I was avoiding Ashton. But some things couldn’t be avoided forever.
When I arrived, the house was eerily quiet. The bedrooms and bathrooms on the second floor had been renovated, but I had no interest in looking around. Instead, I went straight to the study and pulled up the report Stacey had sent.
As expected, AC Credit had the highest ranking, but what surprised me was that Harrison Credit was right behind it. That meant they had a real shot at winning the bid.