Chapter 288 - 287: Asher Loves Pouting, Acting Cute, and Playing Pitiful

Chapter 288: Chapter 287: Asher Loves Pouting, Acting Cute, and Playing Pitiful

"Sure, let’s talk." I nodded, signaling for Julian Fletcher to get on with it.

Julian Fletcher frowned, looking at Asher. "Silvia Lynch, I just want to talk to you. Alone."

"You’re full of demands, aren’t you? Your choice if you want to talk or not," I retorted, glancing at Erin Whittaker and Ace. "You should probably deal with your own problems first. You seem to be spreading your love pretty thin."

Julian Fletcher took a deep breath and lowered his voice. "Silvia Lynch, the president of the Astraeus Group is a young man. He’s been funding The Genetics Organization for years. He’s their biggest client. He’s not a good person... he’s just a businessman."

I didn’t say anything, just looked at Julian Fletcher, indicating for him to continue.

"Silvia Lynch, don’t trust Sebastian Lancaster... He’s not as simple as he seems." Julian Fletcher sighed, looking as if he were pitying me.

’Do I need his pity?’

I gave him the same look right back. ’Let’s pity each other, then. We’ll see who’s more pathetic. He’s getting played by two different women and he’s still trying to act all high and mighty!’

I scoffed. "Julian Fletcher, I trust him."

"You’re so naive." Julian Fletcher’s gaze was deep as he looked at me. "Just as naive as she was..."

’When he said ’she,’ he must have meant Cecilia Caldwell.’

"You’re not naive... You’re the smart one." I laughed. ’The brilliant Mr. Julian Fletcher. How ironic.’

"The premium suites on this cruise ship are for members only. They won’t give you a room without a membership. You won’t rest well in the standard cabins; it’ll be stuffy and hot. I’ve already booked rooms for you. You’re welcome." Julian Fletcher said in a low voice, then turned and left.

’What a bleeding-heart.’

"We need him to book it for us?" Felix Foster grumbled, turning to look at Lucas Grant. "Have some pride. We’re not staying there."

Lucas Grant shook his head. "I have no pride. I get seasick. I just want a nice room."

The murderer, Simon, rattled his handcuffs. "What about me? We can’t all sleep together, can we? Officer..."

Before Lucas Grant could even get mad, Felix Foster had already kicked out. "In your dreams! You’re sleeping on the floor!"

After speaking, Felix Foster looked at Lucas Grant. "I don’t feel right about you sleeping with this pervert. Let’s share a room. It’s safer, and we can watch each other’s backs."

Lucas Grant looked at Felix Foster with disgust. "Why don’t you go eat some shit and calm down."

"You’re disgusted by me but not by this psycho? Are you the one with a sick mind, Lucas Grant?" Felix Foster got angry.

Zeke Shaw rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked at the restlessly sleeping Madeline Quinn. "Alright... Look at the situation we’re in. We’re living day to day, and you’re still fighting. It’s not safe to sleep alone. Everyone pair up, figure it out yourselves."

With that, Zeke Shaw wheeled Madeline Quinn away.

Asher also took my hand and led me away.

That just left Felix Foster and Lucas Grant staring at each other.

’What could they do? In a small group of six people, with two couples, the remaining single dogs just had to make do.’

Simon chuckled sinisterly. "This must be tough for you, Officer..."

Lucas Grant and Ethan Carter kicked the murderer at the same time.

"You damn psycho, say another word and I’ll beat you to death," Felix Foster cursed.

Simon fell to the ground in pain. As Lucas Grant dragged him along, he stared at Felix Foster with a dark, vicious gaze. "You’ve got your eye on him, don’t you... We’re the same kind. I can smell it on you. You want to hurt him, to crush him under your foot, to shatter his pride. I know you want to see him grovel at your feet... see him beg... see him cry out..."

Felix Foster looked ready to bare his teeth. ’This damn psycho...’

SLAM! Lucas Grant grabbed Simon’s head and smashed it against the wall. "You damn psycho, in a minute I’m going to sew your mouth shut! First, why don’t you try kneeling for me!"

"Hehehehe..." Blood trickled from Simon’s head, but he just kept laughing manically, like a lunatic. "You’re all just lambs, and we are the Hunters... Hehehe... You can’t escape. Prey belongs on the Hunter’s chopping block. We were born... superior to people like you. We are the higher stage of human evolution. You ordinary mortals should be kneeling at our feet!"

Lucas Grant scratched his hair. ’How is this psycho’s forehead so damn hard?’ He then looked over at Felix Foster.

For a split second, a dark shadow passed through Felix Foster’s eyes.

Lucas Grant froze for a moment, his heart suddenly tightening. He didn’t know why... but a chill ran down his spine.

But that look vanished in an instant. Felix Foster quickly reverted to his usual, punchable teenage demeanor. "This damn psycho. Let’s just kill him and get it over with."

Lucas Grant frowned. "Find a way to shut him up."

Felix Foster raised an eyebrow, a sudden idea making the corners of his mouth lift into a smirk. "Let’s go, let’s go, back to the room. I’ve got a hundred ways... to make him shut up. Hehehe..."

Goosebumps broke out on Lucas Grant’s skin. "You’re a psycho too..."

"I’m not as psycho as Sebastian Lancaster. Now *he’s* a real psycho," Felix Foster said smugly.

Lucas Grant didn’t respond, just dragged Simon into the elevator with Felix Foster.

To avoid causing a panic, he’d wrapped a piece of clothing around the handcuffs. An outsider walking in might have thought Lucas Grant was the pervert, holding hands with another man.

"No... Cece, kill... Cece..."

"Cece... kill... Cece... I killed..."

In the elevator, Madeline Quinn was completely delirious, muttering things that sounded like they were from a nightmare.

It’s a common side effect after carbon monoxide poisoning and anesthesia; patients often talk in their sleep...

I looked helplessly at Madeline Quinn. ’What’s all this about Cece, about killing...’

Asher’s gaze rested on Madeline Quinn, deep and unreadable, but he said nothing.

All of us in that elevator... it felt just like Simon said. Everyone was wearing a mask... a mask that was impossible to see through.

"Cece..." Madeline Quinn suddenly shouted my name, her voice so loud it made me jump.

Zeke Shaw just gave a helpless smile, stroking Madeline Quinn’s head and letting her rest it on his lap. His eyes were full of affection and warmth.

I looked at Zeke Shaw and Madeline Quinn, and I didn’t know why... but I had a feeling that things wouldn’t end well for the two of them.

’Maybe I’m just being too pessimistic...’

After getting out of the elevator, we followed the attendant to our respective rooms. Since that sucker Julian Fletcher was willing to foot the bill, we weren’t about to be polite.

"Peach!"

Just as Zeke Shaw was wheeling Madeline Quinn into her room, she deliriously shouted "Peach!" again, her voice just as loud.

I nearly walked into a door. I glanced left and right, then froze.

At the end of the hallway, I saw a fleeting figure that looked just like Peach.

’I’m losing my mind... I think I’m really losing my mind.’

Once inside the room, I shut the door, grabbed Asher, and pinned him against the wall. My voice was low. "Tell me the truth. Are you Astraeus..."

Before I could finish the question, Asher raised his hand, covered my mouth, and pressed me back against the wall.

’I didn’t know if he did it because he was afraid the walls had ears, or because he had a guilty conscience.’

I sighed. ’I don’t care anymore. If he is... we’ll just have to be more careful to survive. I have to protect him. I know he must be doing this because he has no other choice to get close to the organization...’

’After all, for a knight to slay the dragon, sometimes he must first become a dragon himself to fight it.’

’If he’s not, then we’ll find the president of the Astraeus Group together, protect him, and use the opportunity to discuss a partnership.’

"Cece... my hand hurts," Asher said in a small voice.

’There it is... classic Sebastian Lancaster. Whenever he doesn’t want to answer a question, he starts acting cute and playing the victim.’

’I’ve seen right through him!’