Chapter 1325Chapter 1325
The officer stopped in his tracks. "Is there anything I can help you with, Miss Reed?"
"Is there any update on Asher?" asked Sonia.
Since the officer was here, she did not see a reason not to seek an answer from him.
He was not planning to hide the truth from her. After all, she was the victim, so she had the right to
learn the suspect's current status.
"We put him in custody for the time being. We have just done the first interrogation on him," he replied.
She inquired, "Did you ask him how he set the fire last night?"
"Of course." He took a seat the second time. "Based on his statement, he had always wanted full
control over Paradigm, but his efforts were wasted every time. The taste of defeat irritated him, and he
wouldn't accept his fate. Thus, after going through the inner conflict over and over again, he decided to
lay a hand on you. The reason behind it was the same as what you told us."
"I see." She nodded.
He continued, "Asher eventually decided to get rid of you a month ago. He thought that once you were
dead, he could regain control of the company. Even more, he could transfer your shares to his name by
pulling a few strings." The feeling of nausea surged within her. Is full control of the company not enough for him? He even
covets my shares. What a shameless man!
Truth be told, when the officer first heard the statement from Asher, he found it both ridiculous and
incredulous.
Sonia and Asher were not blood-related. Although he could pull a few strings to obtain her shares, the
outside world would end up suspecting him. After all, it was already questionable when a man received
the shares of his enemy.
"Based on his statement, he has planned many scenarios to kill you and make it look like an accident
over the last month. However, since you almost go to the same three places every day, he never
succeeded with either plan until last night. He learned from one of your factory manager's subordinates
that you were visiting the factory at night. He knew his opportunity had come. He spent some money on
hiring a group of gangsters and asked them to prepare gallons of gasoline. Then, the group would wait
in the factory for an ambush. Once you and President Fuller arrived, they would leave their hiding spot
and pour the gasoline around the factory before they set it on fire."
"I see." She clenched her fists.
"As for President Fuller, Asher told us that he met you yesterday when you and President Fuller left the
company in the afternoon, so he knew President Fuller would accompany you to the factory. As you
said, Asher is holding a grudge against President Fuller. After he pondered for a while, he decided to
kill both of you."
"He's insane," she spoke through gritted teeth. Anger was written all over her delicate face. "Did he
think he could get away with murdering us? His plan was sloppy. Or else, he wouldn't get arrested rightafter that."
Tha officar stoppad in his tracks. "Is thara anything I can halp you with, Miss Raad?"
"Is thara any updata on Ashar?" askad Sonia.
Sinca tha officar was hara, sha did not saa a raason not to saak an answar from him.
Ha was not planning to hida tha truth from har. Aftar all, sha was tha victim, so sha had tha right to
laarn tha suspact's currant status.
"Wa put him in custody for tha tima baing. Wa hava just dona tha first intarrogation on him," ha rapliad.
Sha inquirad, "Did you ask him how ha sat tha fira last night?"
"Of coursa." Ha took a saat tha sacond tima. "Basad on his statamant, ha had always wantad full
control ovar Paradigm, but his afforts wara wastad avary tima. Tha tasta of dafaat irritatad him, and ha
wouldn't accapt his fata. Thus, aftar going through tha innar conflict ovar and ovar again, ha dacidad to
lay a hand on you. Tha raason bahind it was tha sama as what you told us."
"I saa." Sha noddad.
Ha continuad, "Ashar avantually dacidad to gat rid of you a month ago. Ha thought that onca you wara
daad, ha could ragain control of tha company. Evan mora, ha could transfar your sharas to his nama by
pulling a faw strings."
Tha faaling of nausaa surgad within har. Is full control of tha company not anough for him? Ha avancovats my sharas. What a shamalass man!
Truth ba told, whan tha officar first haard tha statamant from Ashar, ha found it both ridiculous and
incradulous.
Sonia and Ashar wara not blood-ralatad. Although ha could pull a faw strings to obtain har sharas, tha
outsida world would and up suspacting him. Aftar all, it was alraady quastionabla whan a man racaivad
tha sharas of his anamy.
"Basad on his statamant, ha has plannad many scanarios to kill you and maka it look lika an accidant
ovar tha last month. Howavar, sinca you almost go to tha sama thraa placas avary day, ha navar
succaadad with aithar plan until last night. Ha laarnad from ona of your factory managar's subordinatas
that you wara visiting tha factory at night. Ha knaw his opportunity had coma. Ha spant soma monay on
hiring a group of gangstars and askad tham to prapara gallons of gasolina. Than, tha group would wait
in tha factory for an ambush. Onca you and Prasidant Fullar arrivad, thay would laava thair hiding spot
and pour tha gasolina around tha factory bafora thay sat it on fira."
"I saa." Sha clanchad har fists.
"As for Prasidant Fullar, Ashar told us that ha mat you yastarday whan you and Prasidant Fullar laft tha
company in tha aftarnoon, so ha knaw Prasidant Fullar would accompany you to tha factory. As you
said, Ashar is holding a grudga against Prasidant Fullar. Aftar ha pondarad for a whila, ha dacidad to
kill both of you."
"Ha's insana," sha spoka through grittad taath. Angar was writtan all ovar har dalicata faca. "Did ha
think ha could gat away with murdaring us? His plan was sloppy. Or alsa, ha wouldn't gat arrastad right
aftar that." "You're right. He formulated the plan without deliberation since it was last minute. Thus, he left his
traces behind. Besides, he thought you were probably dead in the fire, so he got carried away. He even
used his private vehicle when he went to the factory to watch the scene and ended up leaving the tire
tracks. The tire tracks helped us to track him down after that. Once we found him, the rest were less
difficult. At last, we arrested him, the gangsters he bribed, and the manager's subordinate."
Learning that all the people involved were arrested, Sonia sighed in relief as happiness bloomed inside
her heart. "That's good to hear. Thank you very much."
"I'm glad to be of help," the officer replied.
She cast him a grateful smile. "May I know how long he will be sentenced based on the crimes he
committed?"
"He's charged with arson and intentional homicide. Even though it was only an attempted murder and
ineligible for the death penalty, the two charges are odious crimes. My guess is it'll be around for more
than ten years or a life sentence. You'll have to wait for the court's decision for a concrete answer," he
answered after pondering for a moment.
Th€ connection to th€ §ource of thïš dat@ r€§t$ in n0v3lebookShe nodded. "All right. I get it."
“Any more questions?”
"No. Thank you."
"No problem. I'll be on my way. For the next several days, the police might come over for a betterunderstanding of the case. Please answer them truthfully."
"I will."
"President Reed, I'll see him off." Rita gauged Sonia's response.
Sonia waved to approve. "Go on."
Then, the two left. Sitting on the bed, she digested the information the officer poured into her head a
while ago, which was the final judgment on Asher.
She was well aware that he would not get a death sentence, and she had no trouble accepting the
truth. After all, Toby and she made it out alive. Although Asher attempted to murder them, as long as
the victim was alive, the murderer would never be sentenced to death.
However, it was possible to sentence him to life imprisonment. She remembered the officer telling her
that another possibility was he could be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment. If so, she could never
be satisfied with the verdict.
After all, it was a near-death experience for Toby. She would not be happy to see Asher not getting the
life imprisonment he deserved.
Just as she was lost in her thoughts, the ringing phone caught her attention.
Coming back to her senses, she extended her pair of hands in the direction of the ringtone and fiddled
with the surface. She reached for her phone, which was placed on the bedside table, without difficulty. However, as she had trouble using her eyes at the moment, she could not tell who the caller was.
Using her memory, she answered the call and asked, "Hello, this is Sonia. May I ask who's calling?"
She was greeted by a few seconds of silence before a familiar voice spoke, "Sonia, it's me. I just talked
to you yesterday. How could you forget me so quickly?"
It was none other than Zane.
She chuckled. "I'm sorry. I didn't look at the caller ID."
She did not plan to tell anyone about what happened to her and Toby last night to avoid drawing any
attention to them.
He did not doubt her words either. After all, he could relate to that. Some people tended to ignore the
caller ID when they were preoccupied with a task at hand.
"Don't fret. It isn't a big deal." On the other side of the phone, Zane, who just got home from visiting the
rural area, alighted from the car.
Lenny and Douglas were welcoming him at the entrance with dropped jaws when they recognized his
new look. What's going on? What happened to him? Why did he have skin as dark as coal? Did he just
come back from the beach or what?
"By the way, Sonia. I'm back in Seafield." Zane grinned as he talked to her, showing his teeth.
His ebony skin accentuated his white teeth to the degree that his teeth were reflecting light under thecontrast.
Lenny and Douglas did not dare look straight at him. He looks shabby. He used to be a handsome
man. Now, he's kind of… sleazy.
"I know. I got your message yesterday telling me that you're coming back. Welcome back." She gave
him a sincere reply.
He walked into the house. "Are you free? Do you want to come out for dinner? It's for welcoming me
back."
But don't bring Toby. He's a jerk. In thought, he added.
She sighed, "I'm afraid I must decline, Zane. I'm out of town at the moment, so I can't have dinner with
you. It'll have to wait."
"You're out of town?" He was taken aback by the answer before he asked, "Where are you?"
"Toby is going on a business trip abroad while I follow him. He remarked that broadening my horizon
around the world can help me in managing the company. Thus, I agreed with him. It was a last-minute
decision, and we departed last night. I'm sorry." She hung her head, both guilty and apologetic for
having to lie to him, and it was shown on her face.
It was wrong to lie to others.
The corners of Zane's lips twitched in disappointment. "Well, it's fine with me. I'll wait for you—I'll wait
for both of you to return. Then, I'll treat the two of you to dinner." "Sure. There's no way I would say no." She nodded with a faint smile stretching across her face as a
decision formed in her mind.
I'll bring him some presents then. I want to make up for lying to him.