NovelApexChapter 1269: Corrine's brow furrowed ever so slightly.
From the moment Corrine first laid eyes on Claude, she sensed something unfathomable lurking beneath his polished exterior.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHe carried himself with effortless charm, every gesture deliberate and refined, yet there was an unmistakable coldness to him—an emptiness veiled beneath the surface.
Even now, as he sat among them, he gave the illusion of merely being part of the moment. But Corrine knew better. Nothing ever slipped beyond his control.
"I bet you're feeling let down, right?" Jules' voice broke through her thoughts, low and casual.
Corrine turned slightly, her gaze settling on him with a knowing glint. A soft, unreadable smile played on her lips. "I never had high hopes to begin with. Disappointment requires expectation." Before Jules could respond, the sharp chof his phone cut through the conversation.
He glanced at the screen. Arion. His uncle rarely called without reason. His brows knitted briefly before he shifted his focus back to Corrine. "I need to take this call," he murmured, rising from his seat and slipping out into the corridor.
The hallway was eerily quiet. Jules made his way to the lounge, lowering himself into a leather chair. The flick of a lighter broke the silence as he lit a cigarette and took a slow, deliberate drag before answering.
The moment the line connected, Arion's voice cthrough, clipped and grave. “Jules, there has been an incident." Jules' fingers stilled against the cigarette. A flicker of tension crossed his face, though his voice remained measured. "What happened?" Arion hesitated, unsure how to begin.
Jules' jaw tightened. Silence rarely preceded good news. "Uncle?" he pressed.
"Yeah." Arion exhaled heavily, then, after a long pause, finally spoke. “Just now, Barry died." Jules' grip on the cigarette tightened, his knuckles faintly paling. His gaze darkened, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "How?" Arion did not mince words. "By the tthe patrolling officers found him, he was unconscious. He died en route to the hospital-missed the critical window for resuscitation. The forensic report states it was a sudden cerebral hemorrhage." Cerebral hemorrhage. How convenient.
Tomorrow, Barry was scheduled to be handed over to the judicial authorities, and now on the very поител night he met Jayden—he was dead. Coincidence? Hardly. Barry's demise was inevitable, but this? This had implications. It would stir the waters for both Arion and Jayden.
Jules took a slow breath, his expression unreadable. What is the situation on your end?"
"At worst? I will take the fall for negligence." Arion's tone was indifferent, almost dismissive. "The criminal investigation team is already handling it. The results will depend on the forensic autopsy. You do not need to worry about me. I am more concerned about your father."
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