Chapter 176 Why Bother With Any Of It
“Do we really need to call the police?” Shaun scoffed, his laughter tinged with scorn. “What if her family decides against it? Suppose they just want to snatch the money and settle this privately?”
“They would never do that!” Renee snapped back instantly.
Shaun, idly twirling the cigar between his fingers, made a subtle gesture towards one of the bodyguards who quickly stepped closer. “Fetch the woman’s parents.”
“Her parents are here? On this cruise as well?” Renee inquired, eyebrows
raised.
Shaun gave a curt nod. “They’re associates in my business ventures.”
“Knowing them personally, how can you remain so indifferent? Will you really dismiss this tragedy just like that?” Renee’s voice was thick with
accusation.
With a nonchalant shrug, Shaun replied, “Ms. Carter, please, relax. Didn’t I mention? We’ll discuss everything once her parents are here.”
Soon after, an elderly couple appeared on the deck.
The mother, overcome with grief, threw herself beside the lifeless body, crying out, “My daughter… my precious child! How will I bear this?”
They wept together for a moment before a bodyguard ushered them
towards Shaun.
“Mr. Doyle! What in the world happened? My daughter, she…”
“I’m terribly sorry for your loss, Mr. Fairclough, Mrs. Fairclough,” Shaun began, his tone soft but empty. “This must be incredibly hard. Here’s some money. Go ahead, check it out. Should you decide to not involve the police, this money will serve as your settlement.”
Renee fought the urge to hurl insults.
Shaun was delusional to think they’d even consider accepting the money. Discovering the truth behind their daughter’s tragic demise should be their overriding mission.
Meanwhile, the man cast a wary glance at the box Shaun’s bodyguard had positioned before him, his fingers quivering as they moved toward it.
Renee observed his trembling hand as it lifted the lid of the box.
Inside, stacks of money gleamed back at them.
A spark of greed flickered in his eyes, prompting him to elbow the woman beside him, who had been weeping with her eyes shut tight.
She peeked at the money, and her sobs abruptly ceased.
“This… is…”
“Your settlement,” Shaun interjected sharply.
The man’s eyes shone with an unmistakable gleam of delight.
Renee’s expression darkened with disapproval.
Were they truly going to settle for money?
C
“Sir, Ma’am, consider this–when your daughter was found, her hands were bound. Do you comprehend the implications?” Renee pressed.
The couple locked eyes, a flash of resolve passing between them.
Then, with a deliberate gesture, the man scooped up several stacks of money, even checking the box’s base to ensure it was completely filled.
Upon witnessing this, Shaun signaled the bodyguard to fetch a document and lay it before them.
Renee stood there, dumbfounded, as they signed the document and
claimed the money.
Tears streamed down their faces again as they clung desperately to their daughter.
Renee regarded them with a frosty gaze.
“Ms. Carter, surely you see the truth now? This is the very core of human nature,” Shaun declared.
Renee’s response was a profound silence, resonating more loudly than words. She was tempted to challenge Shaun, to assert that some treasures in life couldn’t be measured in money, yet she repressed the urge.
If Shaun were to ask, “Oh yeah? Like what exactly?” What could she possibly cite?
Love, perhaps?
Yet love had only brought her anguish.
Family, then?
She had just witnessed parents who turned their backs on their daughter
for mere money.
With love and family both failing her, she pondered the worth of friendships.
In the end, she turned her back, her emotions quelled beneath a hard surface.
Why bother with any of it?
Her own existence was fraught with turmoil.
Just then, her phone buzzed with an incoming message.
She withdrew her phone and saw the message from Ryland light up the
screen.
“Room 333.”
