Chapter 280
Briar triumphantly held out her phone, showcasing several photos on the screen. The images were vivid, clearly revealing every injury on the faces and bodies of the individuals depicted.
Ashton had ruled Shoneport for years, giving him the opportunity to know everyone in the city’s high society as well as its various underground factions. He instantly recognized the person in the photo.
“Someone from the Lopez family again?” he asked. However, the person in Briar’s photos was not Brody or Freddie, but the official head of the Lopez family, Harith. Harith was a slick and treacherous man with a corrupt heart.
Ashton was not surprised that it was Harith. He was a man who never acted without a motive for personal gain. To send assassins to the villa, he must have received an enormous reward from the mastermind behind the scenes. Otherwise, given Harith’s greed, he wouldn’t dare put the entire Lopez family at risk by confronting him directly.
Brandon and Ian could clearly hear the disgust in Ashton’s voice, even from a distance. This surprised Brandon, who then asked, “Mr. Wade, does the Lopez family still dare to come here to confront us?”
‘Are they really unkillable? Both Freddie and Brody have already fallen into Mr. Wade’s hands, along with that dim–witted Hayden and the Garzas. Where do these people get the audacity?‘ he thought.
Ian scoffed, “Are the Lopezs really planning to go down with Brody?” He had witnessed countless crude and brutal tactics before. When they realized that rescue was impossible, they always found a way to silence the person permanently, making sure they couldn’t reveal anything they shouldn’t.
It was a Pyrrhic tactic that appeared reckless, yet they were never the ones who paid for their lives. To some, after all, human life held little to no value.
Upon hearing this, Brandon’s expression grew serious. He had witnessed numerous instances of people being silenced by murder over the years. He simply couldn’t comprehend why they continually challenged Ashton’s authority. It was as if they felt no fear that he might explode in rage and annihilate their entire family.
It was simply the Lopez family. If the Wade family wanted them to vanish, few would be brave enough to intervene.
Briar smiled at Ashton and said, “Ashton, we just caught Brody, and now someone is planting bombs at our house. If we don’t fight back, don’t you think they’ll see us as easy targets?”
Hearing Briar’s words, Ashton narrowed his eyes. “What do you have in mind?”
Although Briar was smiling, her tone remained serious. The actions of the twenty–something individuals ignited her fury. Ashton, however, was unable to predict her next move.
But this time, the Lopez family had truly crossed a line. Ashton was still very alive, yet they dared to act so brazenly. This was blatant disrespect not only toward him but also toward the Wade family.
Indeed, it wasn’t that he was unable to destroy the Lopezs; he simply hadn’t found it necessary. Given that the Lopezs have repeatedly invited trouble, he wouldn’t mind sending them on their way.
“How did you go about bringing down a wealthy family?” Briar leaned against the wall with one leg bent, appearing somewhat cocky and indulgent. Yet, the sight was surprisingly captivating, holding Ashton’s gaze.
Ashton observed Briar with an unreadable expression. After a prolonged silence, he smiled and said, “The Wade family is comprised of legitimate business people. The quickest and most effective way to make a wealthy family vanish is to take control of their business.”
Once their family business could no longer generate wealth for them, they brought about their own downfall without anyone else having to intervene. It was easy to rise from a simple life to a life of luxury, but nearly impossible to return.
Forcing those who had grown used to luxury to live a plain, modest life proved harder than killing them. Though this bloodless tactic was despicable, it was also the swiftest and most effective.
However, Ashton had relied on this method frequently when expanding his territory a few years earlier. He rarely employed it afterward–not because he considered the tactic dishonorable, but because he no longer deemed it necessary.
Briar lifted two fingers and wiggled them. “Then I’ll take the Lopez family’s entire holdings. Is that too much to ask?” Though she invoked all their assets, the two–finger gesture made plain she had her sights set on the family’s two secret research bases.
Ashton did not immediately agree. It was not due to any reluctance to relinquish the two labs. In his view, apart from the top leaders, no one in all of Shoneport could match his wealth and power. He paid no attention to anyone else.
If he seized the Lopez family’s assets, no one would dare oppose him; if Briar tried the same, they would likely refuse to hand them over without a fight.
‘But so what? Who would dare to stop my wife from getting what she wanted?‘ he thought.
“Okay.” Ashton looked up and nodded. “If you want them, the Lopez family’s assets are yours.”
The corner of Ian’s mouth twitched. He whispered to Brandon, “Brandon, has your boss always been this narcissistic and overbearing?”
Brandon glared. “Watch it. Don’t you know how to speak properly?”
Ian curled his lip. “It’s true! No matter how far the Lopez family has fallen, they’re still a powerful family. Can Mr. Wade destroy them just like that? Is that for real?”
It was a clear provocation from Ian, but Brandon tended to get upset whenever someone spoke negatively about Ashton, so he was completely unaware that Ian was intentionally provoking him.
Brandon seized Ian by the collar and warned, “If you dare to question Mr. Wade again, just wait and see wha I’ll do to you.”
The top button of Ian’s collar pressed painfully against his neck, and he almost choked. He coughed violently. “Brandon, let go… Just let go first.” Brandon was furious and about to unleash more harsh words to teach Ian a lesson when he heard Ian say, “If Mr. Wade is really that powerful, he can’t allow Briar to suffer this time.
“Especially… He can’t abandon her! Briar will be heartbroken.” Although Ian didn’t know how Zeke had treated
Briar during her time with the Grant family, the damning evidence uncovered about Zeke made it clear that Briar had likely endured significant frauma,
As the saying went, there was no hate without love. If Briar had felt nothing for Zeke, her smile would not have been so strained. It had always seemed like she was forcing it.
Ashton was certainly aware of what lan had noticed. He understood exactly what Briar wanted now, blood for blood, an eye for an eye!
Had he not been keeping watch, the Lopez family would have vanished from Shoneport long ago. Nevertheless, there were always reckless individuals who would leap out and stir up trouble.
“Perfect. There’s no time like the present. Let’s go now. I’ll personally deliver these twenty explosive devices myself.”
