Chapter 303
Chapter 303:
At his signal, they quickly contacted a colleague in the surveillance room to bring forth a tablet. Ashton then presented a video to the crowd.
It documented the unaltered journey of the antique vase, from its arrival back to the venue to its placement into the raffle box, followed by the addition of a few raffle balls and the draping of a red cloth over the box before it was paraded out.
Throughout the entire process, the vase remained untouched, its handling meticulously recorded under the relentless gaze of the surveillance cameras.
This irrefutable video evidence, presented openly, swiftly dismantled Abram’s claims.
Those initially swayed by shills—who had cunningly garnered support for Abram—now harbored doubts as the truth unfolded before their eyes in the surveillance footage.
They cast perplexed glances at Abram, expecting him to muster a plausible justification.
Meanwhile, the operatives who had infiltrated the crowd to stir confusion saw the tide turning unfavorably and discreetly withdrew.
As his ostensible supporters vanished, Abram’s panic escalated. Sweating profusely and at a loss for words, he struggled to articulate a coherent defense.
Ashton, perceptive of his opponent’s crumbling demeanor, seized the psychological upper hand.
He intensified his attack, challenging Abram’s crumbling facade with pointed accuracy.
“I’m certain you’ve felt the benefits of the medication I provided. Given my knowledge of your condition, do you truly believe I’d be ignorant of its cause? An allergen capable of eliciting such symptoms couldn’t possibly cling to an antique. If you insist on challenging this, I can summon additional medical experts to testify p>
After a pause, he continued, “Consider the consequences. Should this escalate further, involving the police would mean charges of fraud and extortion against you. Once you’re entangled in legal proceedings, it won’t be easy to extricate yourself. Now, I’ll give you another chance. Who put you up to this? Come clean, and Skyline Group might show you mercy p>
𝐿𝒶t𝑒st chαptєrs in
Faced with Ashton’s potent combination of threats and incentives, Abram’s composure shattered.
Ashton’s subtle reminder that the Skyline Group’s project was under the watchful eye of Inewood’s officials—and that Abram’s actions were jeopardizing this scrutiny—only added to the pressure.
Finally, Abram’s defenses crumbled completely.
With a look of profound regret, he confessed, “I admit it! It was Sup Group who approached me. Initially, I resisted, but my company’s ties with them forced my hand. They threatened to destroy my career if I refused, and dangled further business prospects if I cooperated. In a moment of greed and weakness, I accepted their bribe and orchestrated this chaos. I recognize my fault and vow it won’t happen again p>
With those words, Abram, trembling, handed the check back to Ashton and swiftly exited.