Ashton smirked at Briar’s wicked idea. “These small rooms aren’t soundproof. How about we move them to a soundproof one?”

    Soundproofing would effectively keep them from coordinating their stories.

    Briar arched an eyebrow, her gaze both cold and wicked. “Sure, let’s switch to a soundproof room. If anyone refuses to confess, we’ll just beat them to death.”

    Ian was Briar’s most loyal partner. No matter what Briar wanted to do, he would follow through without hesitation. If it weren’t for the need to keep Briar’s identity as an instructor hidden, he would have been even more sycophantic.

    ‘Seriously, who else in the entire DDC Vanguard Mercenary Special Operations Base can say they are this close to an elite instructor?‘ Ian thought smugly.

    If Briar weren’t so low–key, he would have snapped a photo and posted it in the group chat with the five instructors to show off.

    ‘Who says all three elite instructors are cold and aloof?‘ he thought. ‘Look at Briar. She’s pretty approachable!‘

    Ashton called for Brandon, instructing him to unlock the holding cells on the second basement level, then send someone to get three of the rooms ready for further interrogation of the Garzas.

    Brandon was stunned for a moment, then nodded after a couple of seconds. “Alright, I’ll get on it right away.”

    Before he turned to leave, he shot the Garzas a look filled with a touch of pity. ‘Man, poor souls! They’re about to get tossed into those holding cells on the second basement level,‘ he thought.

    Though the interrogation rooms on the first basement level and the holding cells on the second were just one floor apart, there was a world of difference between them. People sent to the first basement might get roughed up, but most of them still walked out alive.

    Ashton never went for the kill with anyone on the first basement level.

    But the second basement level? That was a whole different beast. Every room down there bwas /bsoundproof and st–proof, and so far, no one had ever made it out of the second basement alive.

    Anyone sent to the second basement level never came back up. These people would vanish. No records. No

    traces.

    Soon, Brandon had the holding cells on the second basement level ready. He came back up and, along with Ian, dragged the Garzas down there. Briar, who had just finished her fruit and snacks, was about to follow

    them.

    Ashton grabbed her by the cor. “We’ll just wait up here.”

    The second basement level was dark, damp, and downright oppressive. It wasn’t the kind of ce that bwas /bgood for a girl’s mental health.

    Not to mention, Hamish had mentioned that Briar might have bipr disorder.

    ‘What if she goes down there andes back even more irritable?‘ Ashton thought.

    Briar was speechless.

    ??

    b55 /bvouchers

    No matter how much Briar tried to whine or act cute, Ashton just refused. In the end, he scooped her up kitten and carried her off to the bright, cozy living room on the first floor.

    like a

    Morton was already waiting there. When he saw Ashton haul Briar in like a baby chick, he almost burst outughing. “Miss Jennings, your favorite cupcakes just arrived. Do you want to have some?”

    Briar struggled but couldn’t get away, so she just resigned herself. “Sure.”

    Morton hurried to the kitchen, brought out the cupcakes, and set them in front of Briar, thoughtfully cing two forks beside the te.

    So, Briar started chowing down again, not stopping until she’d demolished all three cupcakes. Only then did Brandon and Iane swaggering up from the basement, arms slung around each other like old pals.

    The moment Ian spotted Briar, he immediately ditched Brandon and beamed. “Briar, they confessed to everything.”

    Briar nodded, wiped her hands, and took the recorder from him. She pressed y, and right away, Norma’s tearful, pleading confession echoed through the room.

    “I don’t know who this Ben is, but one time, Geoff left his phone in the living room. Ben happened to call. I picked up and recorded the whole thing,” Norma confessed.

    Next, the recorder yed a mechanical, distorted voice. One couldn’t even tell if it was a man or a woman. “Geoff, what’s taking you so long with the job I gave you? Don’t forget what you promised me. And don’t even think about making me angry. I want the Graham family dead, not the Jennings family…”

    That was a lot to take in.

    The recording also brought up the Graham family.

    Because of mechanical distortion, Briar couldn’t tell if they meant the Graham family or the Grant family.

    But after thinking it over, Briar figured they were talking about the Grant family.

    “Anything else? Did they say why Ben wants the Graham family dead?” Briar asked.

    Ian shook his head. “Nope, nothing. Even Geoff has no idea why Ben is after the Graham family.”

    Brandon spoke up, “Miss Jennings, ording to Qeturah, those special blood samples they’ve been researching in the overseasbs all came from a mysterious rich family. The head of that family goes by thest name Graham.”

    “A mysterious tycoon with thest name Graham? Is he Dasmiecian or of Dasmiecian descent?” Briar nced at Ashton. “Are there any Grahams among the world’s richest people?”

    19:14 Thu, Sep 18 ..

    :

    47

    55 vouchers

    Wealthy Dasmiecian expatriates always kept things low–key. Security overseas was a mess, especially in certain countries that relied on Dasmiecianworks for resources but still went out of their way to suppress them, tough on the outside, but hypocritical underneath.

    That was why most Dasmiecian tycoons who made it internationally deliberately kept a low profile. It was to avoid unnecessary trouble.

    “There aren’t any Dasmiecian tycoons with thest name Graham. If it’s a Dasmiecian expatriate, we’ll have to look into it,” Ashton said, shaking his head. He pulled hisptop out from under the coffee table and handed it to Briar.

    Usually, Ashton would have Xavion check this out, but since Briar was the Legendary Hacker Bree herself, there was no need to let Xavion do it instead.

    Briar took theptop, entered the password with practiced ease, and started searching.

    The way Ashton and Briar moved together, so perfectly in sync andfortable with each other, left everyone else in the room staring in stunned silence.

    And when Briar took less than ten minutes to track down a wealthy Dasmiecan tycoon with thest name Graham in Qathana, Morton gave her an approving nod and a smirk.

    “Miss Jennings, your hacking skills blow Xavion out of the water,” Morton gushed.

    Of course, there was more than a little ass–kissing in that remark.

    Xavion was also a top–tier hacker, one of the best in the world. But since he was always overseas, there was a timeg whenever they needed him for something back home. Having Briar right here was much quicker and easier.

    “Thanks,” Briar said with a smile, easily seeing through Morton’s ttery. “If you ever need something, you can always reach out to me privately.”

    Morton’s eyes immediately lit up. “Really? I can ask you for help?”

    “As long as the price is reasonable, I rarely turn down a job,” Briar said.

    She quickly pulled up the info she’d found and shared it with Ashton. “But this guy’s business is totally above board. He’s got no ties ito /iany shady or underground dealings. How could he possibly be connected to the Garzas‘ human experimentationbs?”

    Ashton studied the profile of the Dasmiecian tycoon with thest name Graham carefully. “Not necessarily. I’ll have Xavion check his border crossing records.”

    Briar nodded, “Okay, If he’s ever been to the border, then his identity is suspicious.”

    Ashton shot Briar a squinty look. “You catch on that quick? Looks like you’ve already figured it out.”

    Briar just shrugged it off, cool as ever. “I didn’t say that.”

    Ashton pulled out his phone and, with a quick tap, sent all the files on Darius Graham to Xavion.

    19:14 Thu, Sep 18 bd/b.