Accidentally Crossing the Tycoon Chapter 136

Audrey's POV:

Ethan seemed eager to follow up and interrogate Kevin.

Caspar exchanged a glance with Finley.

"Audrey, Clara—I think it would be best if you both remained here in the living room."

I nodded, believing they could ask something out of it.

The three men disappeared down the hallway, their footsteps fading as they headed toward the basement

Clara fidgeted beside me, her eyes darting toward the door they'd exited through.

"Do you think they'll get answers?" she asked quietly.

Before I could respond, she stood abruptly.

"Let's follow them," she whispered excitedly.

"I want to see what's happening with my own eyes."

I sighed, shaking my head. "Clara, be reasonable. If they discover anything important, they'll tell us afterward."

"But I can't just sit here wondering," Clara protested, her eyes pleading.

She clasped her hands together dramatically.

"Please, Audrey? I promise we'll just peek."

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't suppress a reluctant smile.

"Fine," I conceded, rising from my seat.

"But we stay quiet, and if there's any sign they might discover us, we're coming straight back here. "

"Deal!" Clara whispered triumphantly.

I followed her down the dimly lit corridor until we reached a heavy wooden door.

Clara pressed her ear against it, then looked back at me.

"I can hear voices," she whispered. "But I can't make out what they're saying."

"Clara, you should realize... you might see a side of Finley you haven't seen before. Interrogations aren't always... gentle."

She straightened her shoulders, her expression hardening.

"I'm not naive, Audrey. I know the world isn't all sunshine and roses. Sometimes people need to be pushed to tell the truth."

Her conviction surprised me. Perhaps I'd underestimated her.

"You're right," I finally said.

"Let's listen, but be careful not to get caught."

We crept closer to the door, finding it slightly ajar—enough for us to peer through and hear the conversation inside.

The storage room was sparsely furnished: a metal chair in the center where Kevin sat, his hands bound behind his back.

Ethan stood a few feet away, arms crossed, while Caspar and Finley positioned themselves on either side.

After tearing the tape on Kevin's mouth, he was still shouting that he didn't do anything.

"Mr. Lewis," Ethan began, his tone surprisingly professional, "I don't know if you still remember the Cole family."

Kevin's eyes widened with recognition at the mention of the Cole name.

"I...I don't remember." he stammered unconvincingly.

Ethan leaned forward slightly.

"I'd like to ask you about a kidnapping that occurred twenty-seven years ago at Manhattan Memorial Hospital. A baby girl was taken from the Cole family."

Kevin shook his head vigorously, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.

"I—I don't know anything about any kidnapping," he insisted. "I was just a kid back then."

Ethan crossed his arms, his patience visibly thinning.

"According to the investigation, you started running small jobs for your uncle's criminal operations when you were a child. "

Kevin's face paled, but he pressed his lips together tightly, refusing to speak.

"Listen," Ethan's tone softened, becoming almost conversational.

"I will not hold you responsible. All I want is information about my sister—where she was taken, what happened to her."

Kevin stared at the floor, his shoulders hunched defensively. The silence stretched uncomfortably as he refused to engage.

Finley, who had been quietly observing from the side, suddenly pushed himself off the wall he'd been leaning against. His normally pleasant expression had hardened into something darker.

"This isn't working," he said to Ethan, his voice laced with cold.

"You're being too gentle with him."

He turned his attention to Kevin, eyes narrowing.

"Stop wasting our time."

Kevin glanced between them, sensing a shift in dynamics.

His posture changed slightly as he recognized an opportunity in their apparent urgency.

"Look," he said, straightening up as much as his restraints would allow, "I can see this information is important to you all. Maybe we could come to some arrangement."

Ethan's expression brightened slightly. "I can meet any requirement you have, just say the word."

"Perhaps," Kevin continued, emboldened by Ethan's response, "Five million is just pocket money for you, right?"

Ethan nodded, seemingly relieved at the breakthrough.

"I think we can work with—"

Caspar's hand landed firmly on Ethan's shoulder, cutting him off mid-sentence.

I watched as Caspar's expression changed, a cold mask slipping into place.

"Mr. Lewis," Caspar said, his voice deceptively soft as he stepped forward.

"Let me explain your situation more clearly."

He moved directly in front of Kevin, towering over him.

"You attempted to rob my home. You have a history of domestic violence. Your financial records show gambling debts to some very dangerous people."

He leaned closer. "I could make those debts disappear... or I could make sure those creditors know exactly where to find you."

Kevin's face flushed with desperate bravado.

"You think you can threaten me?" he snarled, spittle flying from his lips.

"Go ahead! The minute you lay a finger on me, my memory goes with me. You'll never find out what happened."

Finley's expression darkened dangerously. Without warning, he lunged forward, grabbing Kevin by the collar and yanking him upward, chair and all.

"You think this is a game?" he growled, his normally pleasant face contorted with rage.

Kevin let out a pained yelp as Finley twisted the fabric of his shirt, cutting off his air supply momentarily.

Ethan started forward, looking alarmed, but Caspar held up a hand, stopping him.

"Perhaps Mr. Lewis needs a demonstration of how serious we are," Caspar said calmly, as though discussing the weather rather than witnessing an assault.

Finley released Kevin's collar only to grip his index finger, bending it backward until Kevin screamed.

He increased the pressure slightly, causing Kevin to whimper.

"There's a full set of tools in that cabinet over there. We've got all night, and this estate is completely soundproof. So I suggest you start talking while you still have the option of using words."

I glanced nervously at Clara, expecting her to be horrified by this display of aggression from her usually gentle husband.

"Are you okay?" I whispered. "I warned you might see a different side of Finley."

Clara's eyes were wide. She bit her lower lip and leaned closer to me.

"I've never seen him like this before, but I can understand."

Seeing that she could accept it, I breathed a sigh of relief.

I turned my attention back to the interrogation as Kevin's resistance finally crumbled.

"Okay, okay!" he shrieked, tears gathering in his eyes. "I'll tell you what I know! Just—please—don't break my fingers!"

Finley released him with a disgusted shove, and Kevin's chair rocked backward precariously before settling.

"Start talking," Finley demanded, still looming over him.

Kevin swallowed hard.

"The baby... she wasn't doing well. We were afraid that if the child died, there would be no ransom."

"So they took her to Manhattan Memorial Hospital," Kevin continued. "And then... they switched her. Took a healthy baby girl from the nursery instead."

A strange buzzing filled my ears as Clara turned to me.

"Audrey," she whispered, "you were born at Manhattan Memorial."

"What if..." Clara's voice trembled. "What if you're Ethan's sister? "

The realization hit me like a physical blow.

"That's—that's impossible," I stammered, though a cold feeling of certainty was spreading through my chest.

"It can't be me. There must be dozens, hundreds of baby girls born at Manhattan Memorial that year."

"But the timing, Audrey," Clara insisted.

"The pieces fit. You were adopted by the Baileys, you never knew your birth parents—"

"Clara, please," I whispered urgently, grabbing her arm.

"You can't tell anyone about this. Not yet. Promise me you'll keep this between us until I figure things out."

She looked at me with confusion clouding her eyes.

"But why? Don't you want to know if they're your family? Don't you want to reunite with them after all these years?"

"I need time to process this."

"But Audrey—"

As I shifted my weight to face her better, my elbow knocked against the door, pushing it further open with a loud creak.

Both of us froze in horror as the sound echoed through the quiet space.

Inside the room, all conversation stopped abruptly.

"Who's there?" Caspar's commanding voice boomed from inside.