Chapter 4 Truthbinding Charm
Bernard's Study
"Sir, we got the guy!"
Bernard's grip tightened on the phone, his brow furrowing.
"I'll be right there," he said, grabbing his coat and slinging it over his arm.
As he stepped out of his study, he saw Lorna, her hair a mess and eyes half-closed, leaning against the hallway railing.
She looked exhausted, her eyes vacant. When she saw him, her face twisted in annoyance.
"Why are you heading out so late? Do you really need to blow that $150,000?" Lorna snapped, glaring at him.
Bernard glanced at her, suppressing a smirk and keeping his cool.
"Why do you care if I'm not sleeping?" he shot back.
"If Lucas hadn't told me to keep an eye on you, saying you were irresponsible and disobedient, I wouldn't have bothered getting up to stop you." Lorna muttered, casting a quick cleaning spell on herself, instantly looking refreshed with her hair neatly in place.
Her eyes sparkled as she stared at Bernard. "Let's go. Wherever you go, I'm coming too."
"If you're not scared, then come along," Bernard said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
In the car, Bernard said, "Eli, to Graceful Gardens."
"Yes, Sir." The driver, Eli, a young man with a buzz cut, looked very proper, with a faint aura of good luck around him.
Lorna glanced at the driver, then at Bernard, who was resting with his eyes closed beside her, and shook her head.
They arrived at Graceful Gardens and got out of the car.
Two subordinates approached and reported efficiently, "Sir, the person is in the backyard cage."
A flash of murderous intent crossed Bernard's eyes as he strode toward the backyard.
Lorna followed, observing the yard's layout. It seemed well-consulted, a place that attracted wealth.
'But the fountain at the entrance and those locust trees...' Lorna thought, glancing at them indifferently before her eyes fixed. 'That's where the problem is.'
On the lawn was a large cage, likely meant for a big dog.
Inside was a man covered in messy wounds.
Bernard sat on a stool brought out by his subordinates and asked, "Still not talking?"
The subordinate shook his head. "No! Very stubborn!"
Lorna squatted next to Bernard, using the moonlight to get a clear look at the man in the cage, and couldn't help but feel disdain.
The man had an unlucky face, indicating he was dishonest, with high cheekbones symbolizing a ruthless nature. He had long abused his parents, even to the point of death.
"This guy has several lives on his hands," Lorna clicked her tongue.
Bernard sat in the shadow, calm and detached, exuding a powerful aura. Just his sitting posture was intimidating.
Lorna thought, 'He's no saint either.'
Bernard was a bit curious and casually asked, "You can see all that?"
Then he waved to his subordinates. "Drag him over. If he doesn't talk, make sure he never does!"
They opened the cage and dragged the man out, making him kneel at Bernard's feet.
Bernard squinted, staring at him menacingly. "If you want to live, tell me who sent you to break into my house."
Lyle Warner had been interrogated for hours and was already exhausted.
But he was very stubborn. No matter how they tortured him, he wouldn't speak. The subordinates were at their wits' end.
Another moment of silence. Bernard relaxed and leaned back in his chair, laughing.
"A real man!" he said coldly. "Eli, cut off one of his hands."
Lyle's eyes flickered, and a puddle of water slowly formed beneath him. He was so scared he wet himself.
"If you don't talk, you'll be fed to the dogs in the back mountain!" Bernard spat out impatiently.
Several Tibetan Mastiffs were kept in the back mountain, fed raw meat to keep them wild and fierce.
The subordinates moved quickly, about to drag him away when Lorna stopped them.
"Wait, aren't you just asking a question? No need to get involved in this karma." Lorna stood up, looking at him helplessly.
Bernard looked at Lorna, bathed in moonlight, her face soft and gentle. He thought for a moment and nodded.
Lorna pulled out a Truthbinding Charm from her bag, flicked it twice, and the scroll flashed with a golden light, flying to Lyle's forehead and sticking firmly.
Bernard and his subordinates were stunned.
Lorna turned back and said, "Ask now!"
'So perfunctory! Just a piece of paper, a few strokes, and it can do whatever you want? What a fraud!' they thought.
Bernard's subordinates got the signal and immediately grabbed Lyle by the collar. "Speak! Who sent you in here?"
"It was Conrad Wall!" Lyle's eyes became dazed, his voice weak but clear.
Bernard immediately looked at Lorna.
She raised her head proudly and said, "No need to thank me, it's free!"
Bernard was shocked.
Lorna had loved drawing charms since she was a child. Ivan said she was talented, teaching her to draw advanced magical scrolls that he couldn't. She learned after seeing them once.
Then she started reading books, researching all sorts of self-made magical scrolls for fun.
The Truthbinding Charm was one of the most commonly used. Compared to the soul-searching techniques used by dark wizards, which often left people as idiots or fools, the Truthbinding Charm was much more practical and didn't involve karma.
Bernard's eyes moved to her small bag, thinking how convenient it would be to have such a useful magical item for future interrogations.
Lorna clenched her small bag and her fists. "Stop looking. If you want one, I can sell it to you!"
Bernard withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Lyle.
Conrad Wall... Bernard pondered and it took him a while to recall the person.
Conrad Wall, sent abroad by the Wall Family at birth to fend for himself, was repeatedly framed by his twin brother Nathan Wall, nearly dying several times.
This time, hearing that Nathan had a severe car accident and was left unable to walk, Conrad swallowed his pride and asked his grandfather to let him come back home.
Unexpectedly, upon his return, Conrad's grandfather had a stroke and became paralyzed. The family members fought for power. Within a year, Conrad took advantage of the chaos to rise to power, sidelining some and sending others abroad, firmly establishing himself as the head of the family.
As for Nathan's car accident and his grandfather's stroke, whether they were natural disasters or man-made, no one knew.
Bernard didn't believe it anyway.
Conrad was smart, enduring hardships abroad for years, ruthless and strategic in his actions.
Bernard had heard that Conrad wanted to connect with him and tried to discuss cooperation at several business gatherings. Bernard simply didn't like such people. Could that be the reason for sending someone against him?
Bernard was stunned, thinking that if Lyle hadn't mentioned this name, he wouldn't have known he had made such an enemy.
The subordinates asked Lyle a few more questions to confirm the information. "What did he want you to find? What did you do?"
"Conrad wanted me to place some small beads in the rooms. I didn't do anything else!" Lyle mumbled.
"Why were you so tight-lipped before?"
"Conrad's people said they'd kill my daughter if I exposed them. I couldn't take the risk!" Lyle suddenly became emotional and struggled, and the subordinates quickly restrained him.
Lorna felt a bit emotional for a moment. This kind of person actually had someone he would protect with his life.
Bernard gestured to his subordinates to take him away.
Lorna glanced sympathetically at Lyle's shoulder, where a faint soul, a soft little girl, was perched. She bared her teeth at Lorna, trying to scare her.
It seemed she was Lyle's daughter. Lorna saw a faint bloodline connection between them, about to break, indicating the child had recently died.
She stopped Bernard's arm and said, "Let him go. Someone else will take his life. You don't need to get involved in this mess."
Bernard thought for a moment and agreed, letting him go.
Although Bernard felt his decision had been interfered with, he didn't mind.