Chapter 140 A Game Between Two Men
About ten minutes later, Brian brought Hank upstairs.
Brian had barely knocked when Hank swaggered in and plopped down on the couch. "Long time no see, Matthew."
Brian looked at Matthew with a helpless expression. "Boss, I swear it's not my fault. The guy just barged in."
Matthew glanced at Hank and then signaled with his eyes for Brian to leave.
He pressed the intercom, asked the secretary to bring in two cups of coffee, and then made his way over to the couch.
Hank sat on the couch, leaning back with one leg crossed over the other. Matthew sat across from him.
"Do you have any particular reason for visiting today, Hank?" Matthew asked politely, his voice devoid of any warmth.
"Of course, it's about a collaboration," Hank replied. "Remember at the banquet? I mentioned a few projects I wanted to discuss with you, Matthew."
Matthew eyed the man sitting across from him, trying to discern his true intentions. Hank was persistently seeking engagement, either with him or with JK Group. Seeing that Hank was linked to an international criminal organization, the idea of a collaboration seemed far-fetched. Matthew's only real objective was to gather evidence of their crimes, take down the syndicate, and bring them all to justice!
"I thought Hank was just having a polite conversation that day. After all, we at JK Group never engage in illegal activities."
Sitting across from him, Hank was momentarily taken aback by Matthew's words but quickly recovered with a burst of laughter. "Matthew, you crack me up. Do I not look like a straight-shooting businessman to you?"
Matthew frowned slightly, unsure of Hank's intentions.
"Well, that I wouldn't know," Matthew deflected.
Laughing it off, Hank said calmly, "You can rest easy, Matthew. I'm a law-abiding citizen through and through. We don't do anything illegal."
Matthew didn't pursue the topic further but inquisitively asked, "Hank, you attended the dinner with Brianna. How do you two know each other?"
"Is that a hint of jealousy I detect, Matthew? Pining for an old flame?" Hank teased.
"Not at all. I'm married now."
"Oh, is that so? How's Mrs. Nelson doing?"
"You seem quite concerned about her."
"No need for nerves, Matthew. It's just that when I first met Mrs. Nelson, there was this instant familiarity, so I just had to say a bit more. Don't get it twisted," Hank said, raising his coffee cup for a sip.
"Good coffee."
"It seems like you're still dodging the question about your relationship with Miss Smith. I've dug up some information—they might be related to my wife's accident. If something happens to someone close to you, I thought I'd give you a heads-up."
The two men had a seemingly light conversation, but in reality, they were both probing, a silent battle of wits without the smoke of war.
"Brianna, Miss Smith, she's someone I've only recently met. I had no idea Mrs. Nelson got in trouble because of her. Since you've figured it out, Matthew, you should handle it however you see fit. I certainly won't interfere," Hank said coldly, after a flash of malice in his eyes upon hearing Madison's accident could be connected to Brianna. He showed no sign of wanting to save her.
Matthew grew more puzzled. If both were part of the same crime syndicate, it made no sense to stand by idly. Perhaps he was willing to sacrifice Brianna to gain his trust.
Things were getting more intriguing.
"Good to hear. It would be a shame if camaraderie got hurt and it affected our future collaborations," Matthew continued, playing along.
"It looks like Matthew already has some ideas about the partnership, so I won't bother you anymore. I'll have someone send over the project proposal later, and we can continue our discussion then."
After Hank finished speaking, he stood up and left.
Once he was gone, Matthew stared at the coffee cup on the table before pulling out his phone to call Victor. "How's our older brother doing? Have you made them confront each other yet?"
"Just woke the guy up, getting ready to bring him over."
"I'll be right there."
"Okay."
Matthew hung up, grabbed his car keys, and headed out.
Driving alone, he made his way to the JK Group's secret facility in Horizon City. Brianna had been locked up for several days. The only illumination in her cell was a solitary bulb. She looked utterly worn out, her hair a tangled mess from lack of care, her clothes wrinkled, her face exhibiting both terror and a forced composure. She appeared to be in a complete state of disarray.
The people at the entrance reverently ushered Matthew inside. News of Sister's mishap had reached them, so with Matthew's visit to the base, everyone was careful not to say too much, wary of striking that most dangerous chord in him, fearing an uncontrollable outcome.
As the door opened, Brianna thought it was just someone bringing her food. She kept her head down, ignoring the presence. After a moment, noticing that the door hadn't closed and that a beam of light was coming from the entrance, she finally looked up.
To her surprise, she saw Matthew standing before her.
His familiar face, those eyes that once regarded her with affection, were now cold, devoid of any emotion. They had become even more chilling than before, utterly indifferent, making her feel an icy dread. She couldn't believe that Matthew would look at her with such eyes.
"Matthew." That basic survival instinct kicked in as if floundering in the open sea, desperate to cling to any floating debris. Now, to Brianna, Matthew was that lifeline. "Matthew, let me out. I didn't do it."
She clung to Matthew's arm tightly as if grasping the last straw to save her life, her tears flowing copiously as she pleaded pitifully. Her beautiful face was marred by tears, stirring pity in anyone who saw it, except that Matthew's heart had turned to stone.
Her grip on his arm was tight, but he pried her fingers off one by one.
Looking at the woman before him, he felt nothing but contempt.
"Did you drug Madison, didn't you?"
She froze as Brianna watched Matthew peel her hands away and listened to his question.
"No, no, it wasn't me." She shook her head frantically, desperately denying any involvement with the drugging, absolutely refusing to admit it. She clung to a faint hope, thinking that Matthew's questioning was an opportunity and she would never confess.
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