Chapter 409: Why It Didn’t Add Up
Chapter 409: Why It Didn’t Add Up
Ashley had O negative blood, and she knew it.
It wasn’t the rarest blood type, but she knew it was the universal donor for red blood cell transfusions. The moment she heard Tommy needed blood, she didn’t hesitate.
"If Uncle Tom needs blood, use mine."
The doctor blinked, momentarily caught off guard by how quickly she volunteered.
Then he nodded.
"If you’re O negative, that’s promising. But we still need to perform a crossmatch."
Ashley nodded without hesitation, her eyes fixed on the doctor.
Without wasting another second, the doctor instructed the nurses to draw her blood and begin the necessary tests before the donation could proceed.
Ashley followed them without complaint.
Meanwhile, Liza let out a shaky sigh of relief as they waited.
She stood outside the examination room, watching through the small window as the medical staff drew Ashley’s blood.
"Thank God..." she whispered, clasping her hands together.
Lucian remained behind her.
His gaze shifted from Liza to the examination room door.
A thoughtful frown settled on his face.
When Ashley had been shot months ago, the urgency hadn’t only been because of her injuries.
It had also been because of her blood type.
Knowing how rare O negative blood was—and how difficult it could be to obtain in an emergency—Lucian had made sure Dominion always maintained an ample supply for Ashley.
After all, O-negative blood was incredibly valuable. It could be transfused to almost any patient in an emergency.
Ironically, people with O negative blood could receive blood only from other O negative donors.
Lucian hadn’t done it out of paranoia alone.
He understood the world they lived in.
Anything could happen.
So it wasn’t surprising that Tommy had done the same. Keeping emergency blood units on standby wasn’t excessive.
For people like them... it was simply practical.
Yet something still bothered Lucian.
Ashley being compatible shouldn’t have surprised him. If anything, it made perfect sense.
So why...
Why did it feel too convenient?
His thoughts were interrupted when Ashley stepped out of the examination room.
"They said the results should be ready in a few minutes," she told Liza with a faint smile. "Once they confirm the crossmatch, they’ll begin the transfusion."
Ashley reached for Liza’s hands.
Liza immediately held them tightly.
"Thank you," she whispered, tears gathering in her eyes.
She clung to Ashley’s hands as though she were holding on to hope itself.
It was an emergency.
They didn’t have to wait long.
Before any of them could even sit down, one of the nurses stepped out of the examination room.
"Miss Ashley."
Ashley and Liza immediately turned toward her. Ashley nodded after hearing what the nurse had to say.
Before following her, she glanced at Lucian.
When their eyes met, Lucian simply gave her a small nod.
She understood what it meant. It meant she didn’t have to worry about anything else.
He would handle everything.
With that, Ashley disappeared down the hallway alongside Liza.
Lucian was left alone.
He leaned back against the wall once more, hands tucked inside his pockets as countless thoughts flooded his mind.
After the attack, Gustav and part of Dominion had remained behind to investigate the scene while the others accompanied them to the hospital.
Ashley’s men had escorted Primo and the remaining guests to safety.
Now, with nothing but silence surrounding him, every thought he had pushed aside came rushing back.
The shooting.
Carrotman.
The bomb.
The sniper.
Just as Tommy had suspected earlier... Lucian found himself in the same spot.
The more Lucian thought about it, the less everything fit together. Even if the captured gunman had lied, the pieces simply didn’t add up.
"Master."
Gustav’s voice broke the silence.
Lucian looked up as Gustav approached and stopped before him.
"Did you find the sniper?" Lucian asked immediately.
The grim expression on Gustav’s face was answer enough.
"I’m sorry." Gustav lowered his head.
"We searched every nearby building and every location that could’ve served as a sniper’s position. We also reviewed the security footage from the surrounding buildings and roads."
He paused. "Our initial investigation turned up nothing."
Lucian’s expression darkened.
"We’re still investigating," Gustav continued. "But we’ve already reached one conclusion."
"The shooter is a professional. He deliberately avoided every camera in the area."
A heavy silence settled between them.
Neither of them was surprised.
If Dominion couldn’t immediately track someone down, there were usually only two possibilities.
Either the person belonged to an organization powerful enough to rival Dominion...
Or...
The operation had been meticulously prepared.
Perhaps both.
"As for the bomb..." Gustav continued. "All surveillance footage from earlier that day had been erased."
He paused. "We questioned the hotel manager. He told us the surveillance system had undergone scheduled maintenance."
"Did you verify it?"
"Yes, we verified his statement. There was documentation supporting it." Gustav let out a slow breath. "But we also confirmed that the original maintenance crew never arrived."
Lucian’s brows drew together. "What do you mean?"
"The maintenance crew was involved in a traffic accident while on their way to the hotel," Gustav explained. "No one died, but they never made it. Yet... according to the hotel, the maintenance crew completed the job."
Lucian slowly pushed himself off the wall.
"If they never arrived..." His eyes narrowed. "Then who performed the maintenance?"
"We’re still trying to identify them."
"And the company?" Lucian asked. "Why didn’t they notify the hotel after the accident?"
Gustav nodded.
"We asked the same question. According to the company, they believed the accident happened after the maintenance was completed."
"They believed it because the company even received a report confirming the work had been finished," he added. "So both the company and the hotel assumed the crew had completed the job before the accident."
He met Lucian’s eyes.
"But our investigation shows the accident happened first."
Silence followed his explanation.
Lucian’s expression grew colder.
Deep down, he already knew the answer to his next question. He only needed Gustav to confirm it.
"And the bomb?"
Gustav swallowed. "It never detonated."
Lucian stared at him, his eyes glinting.
"Master..." Gustav’s voice dropped. "I believe it was never meant to."
He paused. "The bomb wasn’t the attack."
"It was the bait." Lucian nodded. "It was planted to force everyone out of the hotel."