Chapter 226 Valentine's Day in the Cellar
Seeing Patrick's scared look, it was obvious he wasn't a big deal on the team. Ashley didn't expect much from him, but any info was better than nothing.
She got straight to the point. "I'm gonna ask you a few questions. Answer honestly. If you lie, you won't make it out of this cellar."
Patrick was thinking it over. Could he trust them?
But he had no choice. He knew fighting was pointless. Plus, even if he got out, his boss wouldn't trust him again. After a moment, he nodded. "Ask away. I'll tell you what I know."
Damian stood behind Ashley, one hand in his pocket, ready to protect her.
The cellar was cramped and stuffy, but next to Damian, the air felt fresher.
Ashley asked calmly, "How old are you?"
Patrick was surprised. He thought, 'Why ask my age? Did it matter?'
"Thirty-six."
Ashley nodded. "Are your parents still alive?"
Patrick's heart raced, thinking, 'Were they going after my parents?'
Ashley said, "Relax. We're just chatting."
Chatting? This didn't feel casual. He felt like his life was on the line. He stammered, "They're both alive."
Ashley asked, "Are you married?"
"Not yet."
Ashley said, "At your age, your parents must be pushing you to get married, right? They'd love to have grandkids. Imagine how happy they'd be if you went back with a family."
Parents are a weak spot for many, and Patrick was no different.
He lowered his head, feeling guilty. "I've let them down by not taking the right path."
Damian smirked. Ashley, being a lawyer, knew how to get to the heart of things. She made Patrick drop his guard to get what she wanted.
This woman was as cunning as Christian had said.
But he liked it.
Ashley patted his shoulder, saying, "Parents' love is selfless. You need to go back safely to see them. What did you do before?"
Patrick felt a pang of sorrow. He had time to take care of his parents, but accidents could happen anytime. "I was a welder on a construction site."
"That's tough." Ashley sympathized, then got to the point. "How did you meet your boss? Did you owe him money?"
Patrick hesitated. "I had a gambling problem, even though I didn't have much money."
That made sense. Losing money gambling and being unable to repay it, he got dragged into this mess.
The more they dug, the more useful info they got.
After about ten minutes, Ashley asked, "What's your boss's name?"
Patrick answered quickly, "Leon Gray. He handles construction projects. We call him Mr. Gray."
Ashley asked, "Can you find him?"
Patrick shook his head. "I'm not high enough to know where he lives, but a good friend of mine does!"Ashley then casually asked about some of the things Patrick had done for Leon, mostly debt collection. So far, he hadn't done anything too serious. If he turned himself in, he might get leniency.
Ashley continued, "What grudge does Mark have with your boss?"
Finally mentioning Mark, Patrick sighed. "Mark was unlucky. He saw something he shouldn't have. I don't know the details, but Mr. Gray ordered him dead."
Ashley frowned. Scum like this were everywhere, hiding behind friendly faces while being predators. They were a blight on society.
Ashley asked, "So they framed him for murder?"
Patrick winced from his injured hand. "Not exactly. My boss wanted to team up with that woman to get Mark. But things got messy. Mark wanted the woman too. They fought, and Mark ended up dead."
Ashley was confused.
Damian snorted, finding it bizarre.
The truth was so complicated? So the woman's death wasn't entirely innocent either?
Ashley sighed, rubbing her temples. "What are you looking for here?"
Patrick said, "Mark was smart. He must have kept evidence against my boss. We came to destroy it. My boss said the police and lawyers would be watching closely, so we had to find it first."
Patrick looked uneasy, glancing at Ashley and Damian. One was good with fists, the other with words. They seemed like cops, didn't they?
Patrick murmured, "Are you cops?"
"Do we look like it?"
Patrick shook his head, unsure. "Not really."
He had seen Damian's face. Even in poor light, one look was enough to remember his handsome features. Too good-looking to be a cop, right?
Ashley asked a few more questions until Patrick had nothing useful left to say.
After about twenty minutes, Ashley was parched. "Alright, should we go up?"
There was no noise from above, no sign of rescue. They'd probably have to save themselves.
Damian listened as she half-chatted, half-interrogated Patrick, extracting all his secrets. He couldn't help but be impressed. Was this really the same girl he used to know?
Damian calmly said, "Where's the rope?"
Ashley looked around and admitted, "The rope was pulled up."
In the dark, she couldn't see Damian's expression, but he was probably frowning. It was a habit of his when he was in a bad mood or irritated, the depth of the frown depending on the severity of the situation.
Patrick cursed, "Bastards!"
Ashley estimated the height of the cellar and looked at the tall Damian. "Can you jump up there?"
Patrick stared in disbelief. "You can fly?"
Damian frowned. "No."
Ashley bit her lip. She didn't have the strength to climb up unless they had a ladder. "What now?"
Damian remained calm. "We wait."
Patrick sat on the ground, his whole body aching to the point of numbness. He pleaded, "You won't leave me, will you?"
Ashley said, "Who will help me find people if I leave you? Don't worry, someone will come to save us!"
But after an hour, there was still no movement.
The temperature on the mountain was low, and it was even colder in the cellar. Ashley sneezed.
Damian naturally put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. Ashley tried to step back, but he pulled her back. "Not listening to me? Punishment according to the rules."
Ashley wondered, 'Getting into character, huh?'
Patrick swallowed hard. Despite the urgency, he couldn't help but feel the thick tension. "Can I ask something?"
"No." They replied in unison.
From Patrick's tone, it was clear he wanted to gossip.
Patrick quickly found an excuse. "I wanted to ask, what time is it?"
Ashley took out her phone to check the time. "Twelve-thirty."
She also saw today's date. It was May's Valentine's Day.
