Chapter 6

Blood slowly seeped from the back of the man's head, spreading through the cracks in the brick.

The heavy scent of iron filled the air.

Emily's stomach churned again.

This time, she managed to hold it in.

Driven by her professional instincts, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a mask she had prepared in advance.

William arrived quickly, his brows furrowed. He swiftly dispersed the onlookers and called headquarters on his phone, "There's been a murder outside the Paragon Group building."

Within five minutes, the area was cordoned off.

Emily crouched down to perform a preliminary examination of the body, while William secured the scene.

Sirens wailed in the distance as William stood nearby.

One employee said, "Yeah, it's our vice president, no doubt about it!"

Joshua had brought a few Paragon Group employees to identify the body.

William's frown deepened.

Just when they had a lead, the witness was killed.

The audacity of the killer was infuriating.

His hand clenched into a fist at his side, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings.

Kai emerged from the building, followed by officers carrying evidence bags.

"These are the suspicious items we found. There are signs of a struggle, but no evidence of a second person," Kai said, removing his mask and gloves, his voice low.

Both their eyes turned to Emily, who was working within the police tape.

Emily removed her gloves and mask, her face still pale. "The dagger in his head was inserted post-mortem, just like Harper's. Preliminary cause of death is asphyxiation."

Breathing in the fresh air, Emily seemed to come back to life.

She touched her chest and took a deep breath. "I'll have the body taken back for further examination to check for any toxins."

Emily's face was ashen, her lips devoid of color.

Kai pursed his lips, his brows knitted together, and handed her a bottle of water. "Dr. Johnson, maybe you should rest for a bit."

Rest? Was he underestimating her?

Emily stubbornly lifted her gaze, her eyes passing over Kai and landing on William's inscrutable eyes.

His gaze seemed to be probing her from the start.

Thinking of this, Emily unscrewed the bottle and took a sip, calming her stomach. "No need, I just felt a bit carsick earlier. I'm much better now."

Emily said, "The victim was someone we were investigating. The killer must have sensed the danger before us and acted first. We need to lock down Paragon Group for a thorough investigation."

Kai nodded and looked at William.

William said, "Lock down Paragon Group and bring in relevant personnel for questioning. Have you checked the vice president's social connections?"

William's cold gaze was unwavering.

Kai nodded. "We're on it. Results should be in soon."

"Oversee the cleanup," William instructed Kai.

Then he turned to Emily and said, "Come with me to the station. We need the autopsy results quickly. We'll have our first meeting at eight tonight. Keep Joshua updated."

With that, William headed to the car.

Emily followed him, dreading the ride. William's driving was like a roller coaster, and her stomach couldn't handle it.

She closed the door, buckled her seatbelt, and clutched it tightly. She was about to say something, but caught sight of William's stern profile and swallowed her words.

Complaining to William was pointless.

As the car started, Emily focused on the case details to distract herself.

"Where do you think the suspect pool lies?" William's voice broke the silence.

Emily turned to him, biting her lip. "Harper was the CFO of Paragon Group. He had no known enemies. The vice president's position was high-ranking. Both were killed in quick succession."

"Maybe they uncovered some conspiracy," Emily blurted out, then glanced at William.

"Anyone could guess that," William said, one hand on the wheel, the other answering a call.

Emily pursed her lips, her brows furrowing.

He asked for her opinion but dismissed it. How frustrating!

"Captain Brown, the online buzz is getting out of control," Joshua's voice came through the speaker.

William put the phone on speaker and focused on driving. "Is it affecting our investigation?"

As long as the investigation wasn't hindered, everything else was secondary.

Joshua sighed, "Public unrest could pressure the higher-ups."

William remained calm, even as thunder cracked overhead. Emily instinctively gripped her seatbelt.

"Don't worry about what hasn't happened yet. Focus on your job. If pressure comes, I'll handle it." William's voice was steady, his expression cold. He hung up without hesitation.

Soon, a torrential downpour began.

It was as if the city were desperate to cleanse itself.

The sky darkened, and rain pelted the windshield like a waterfall.

"How long will the autopsy take?" William asked coolly.

Emily checked her watch. "About five hours."

William tapped the steering wheel. "Be ready for the meeting at eight."

The car slowed to a stop.

"Get out. There's an umbrella in the back. I'll park the car," William said, not looking at her.

Emily realized they had arrived at the station.

She hadn't felt sick at all during the ride.

She grabbed the umbrella and stepped out, taking a deep breath as she walked towards the station.

The rain poured down, the sky dark, making it feel like night.

Emily's mind was on the upcoming autopsy.

"Emily!" A voice cut through the rain, filled with anger, stopping Emily in her tracks.

Before she could turn, a figure rushed at her, and a hand slapped her face hard.

The slap was so forceful it drowned out the thunder.

Emily stumbled, dropping her umbrella.

"How could you be so heartless? You let Jasper rot in jail! Instead of helping him, you want him to stay there. Emily, you're a traitor!"

The accusations hit her like blows.

Cleo tried to advance but was held back by Aiden.

Cleo cursed, "I raised you for nothing! You're an ungrateful wretch! Have you no conscience? I should have strangled you at birth!"