Try Begging Novel - Chapter 89

The basis for Sinclair’s arrest on suspicion of rebel activity was the Lambert Prison raid incident from about a month ago.

It was claimed that the explosives used to blow up the prison, and the remnants of them, bore the mark of Sinclair Explosives. If it had been something anyone could obtain, it wouldn’t have been a case, but the problem was that it was a new type of explosive not yet available on the market.

Leon stared at the mid-30s man dressed in a high-quality suit, ill-suited for the rough and desolate interrogation room. Jeffrey Sinclair was the president of Sinclair Explosives.

Flipping a few more pages, a familiar name appeared. It was a labor activist whom Jeffrey Sinclair had met and dined with several times when his movements were being monitored.

Damn it…

Reading the record that the man had also been arrested a few days ago by the Eastern Command on suspicion of rebel activity, Leon quietly cursed to himself. The evidence in his hand was conclusive enough to immediately throw the man into a prison camp.

But Leon’s intuition, honed from long years of tracking rebels, consistently screamed: This family has absolutely no connection to the rebels.

Quite clear evidence. Intuition saying otherwise.

Was it a false accusation by the King, or had his own investigation been insufficient, clouded by prejudice from the start? Leon was plunged into confusion.

Unexpected.

Grace blinked in the darkness, repeating the same word over and over like counting sheep.

The man who visited at least twice a day had only come in the morning today. And he hadn’t appeared again until past two in the morning. He had never failed to come at night before…

Could he still be on duty? He did seem busy lately…

Grace suddenly grimaced.

Why am I even caring about that?

A sigh echoed hollowly in the empty room. She wished the man would leave her alone, but now that he had, she felt not just bored but even lonely.

To think she had implicitly been waiting for him.

“I’m truly insane.”

She had been tossing and turning for a long time, unable to sleep. Then, familiar footsteps were heard outside the door.

“Ha… Of course, it’s you.”

With a click, the door opened, and click, the light switch went up. The moment the wall lamp illuminated the room, Grace squeezed her eyes shut and flung off the blanket covering her naked body.

She even spread her legs, meaning hurry up and screw me, then leave, and the approaching footsteps abruptly ceased.

“You’re truly insane.”

She slowly opened her eyes at the unexpected rebuke. In her vision, still adjusting to the light and shining stark white, the tall figure was heading not for the bed but for the iron table.

“Sit.”

Winston sat down in front of the table and threw the file down opposite him.

Is he going to interrogate me again after a long time?

Reluctantly, she got up. If she wrapped the blanket around herself, he would just strip it off, so she sat on the chair naked, wearing only stockings. But Winston frowned.

“Wear this.”

Then he took off his officer’s jacket and gave it to Grace.

Why is he acting like this today?

Today was full of unexpected events.

Grace stared at the man rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt, then put her arms into the overly large jacket sleeves.

The woman just sat there, her arms merely threaded through the jacket, and Leon sighed. He had made her wear it because seeing her naked made it impossible to concentrate on work, but like this, it was as good as being naked.

Leon stood up. He personally buttoned it up, and the woman looked up at him with wide eyes.

Damn it. He was already having other thoughts.

Even after buttoning it all the way, it was useless. The jacket was too big for the woman, and her cleavage was fully visible through the collar.

He was already exhausted all day, and the feel and scent of this woman’s skin were desperately needed. His patience faced its biggest challenge today.

What is it?

Grace narrowed her eyes. Winston, uncharacteristically, sighed deeply and sat down. He looked much more tired than when she had seen him this morning.

Whoever it is, thanks for bothering him.

She chuckled inwardly, then Winston clasped his hands together and stared at her with serious eyes.

“Grace Riddle.”

Grace flinched at the sudden mention of her name. It had been quite a while since her real name had come from the man’s lips. At the ominous tone, the faint smile on her face instantly vanished.

“I know everything.”

“…What?”

“That you know the location of the headquarters, and that you also know information that could instantly bring down the rebels.”

The woman glared at him, openly displaying her wariness.

“So don’t pretend to be an ignorant minnow.”

“Just tell me what you want.”

“A deal.”

Leon straightened the file that had been carelessly thrown in front of the woman.

“From now on, if you tell only the truth to my questions, I will grant you one wish.”

The woman stared at the case name written on the cover of the file, then looked up.

“Don’t ask about the headquarters’ location anymore.”

She didn’t say, Let me go or any other foolishness; it was unexpected.

“Still loyal, are we? How touching.”

The woman shrugged, then covered her mouth with her palm and yawned.

“I’m sleepy. If you don’t like it, I’m going to sleep.”

Leon let out a self-deprecating laugh. It was just like the woman to never miss an opportunity to get the upper hand.

“Fine. I promise not to ask about the headquarters’ location.”

“In any way.”

How persistent. Leon let out a short sigh and repeated her words.

“Yes, in any way. If you tell only the truth.”

He opened the file and pointed to the page with the words ‘Greenfield Orphanage’. It was a name from the Sinclair family’s donation records in Leon’s report. In his report, it was merely a donation recipient, but in the investigation report, it was listed as a rebel money laundering hub.

It was true that the rebels had extended their reach to several orphanages. But when he investigated, there was no evidence that Greenfield Orphanage was connected to the rebels.

When asked about the relationship between this place and the rebels, the woman shook her head.

“I’ve never heard of a place like this.”

“Is it true that the rebels are raising military funds disguised as orphanage donations?”

The woman remained silent, merely staring at him.

“You’d better answer.”

“Have you already forgotten the terms of our deal? I said to tell the truth, not to answer.”

“Oh, I forgot what a clever person you are.”

Anyway, that was an unspoken affirmation. She seemed to have decided to give answers that caused her a certain degree of guilt in this manner. Leon twisted his lips into a smile and moved on to the next question.

“The possibility that this place is a money laundering site, but you wouldn’t know…”

“…There is none.”

Leon stared at the woman for a moment, then moved on to the next question.

“Is this person a rebel?”

The photo he pointed to was of the labor activist arrested by the Eastern Command on suspicion of rebel activity.

“I’ve never seen him before.”

“Does that mean he’s not a rebel, or what? Be clear.”

“Think logically. How would I know the faces of all comrades scattered across the kingdom?”

Leon stared intently at the woman’s face. There was no sign of deceit.

“Alright. Then you must know all the large-scale sponsors?”

“Yes. But I won’t answer questions about sponsors.”

He didn’t expect that far, nor did he need it. Leon finally asked the question he had saved for last.

“Is the Sinclair family connected to the rebels?”

Sinclair? Surely not that Sinclair? The woman muttered to herself, her eyes narrowing.

“What kind of trick are you playing now? Since you can’t dig out the truth, are you trying to dig out lies?”

The woman began to get angry. From her eyes and expression, she was genuinely furious.

“The stench is overwhelming. No, ‘overwhelming’ isn’t enough. Don’t you think I know you’re trying to use me and the revolutionary army for some dirty smear campaign?”

“So, I didn’t misinterpret that stench, did I?”

“What?”

“It is a dirty smear campaign. But you’re wrong about me being the mastermind behind it.”

From the mining rights bidding competition to the background checks. Leon explained what had happened to the woman.

“They’ve never received support from such a large corporation. Logically, why would a company that needs to stay in the government’s good graces support the revolutionary army?”

Leon agreed with the woman.

“They must have planted those explosives, too.”

Leon had already been speculating that someone had planted the developing new product of Sinclair Explosives among the evidence from the Lambert Prison incident.

“However, it’s true that the family’s philosophy and actions don’t align with the royalists. That is, there’s a possibility they sympathize with the rebels’ ideology, but my intuition says otherwise. And I wanted to confirm that with you.”

This was a false accusation by the King.

He had only exchanged a few words with this woman and his suspicion solidified into conviction. It was a bitter realization. For a royalist to trust a rebel, not the King.

“But…”

Like a clever spy, the woman, who knew the internal procedures and circumstances of the military, asked a sharp question.