Chapter 147: Iâm not giving you a choice
Katherineâs gaze was complex. She didnât want to suspect Ethan, not after the days theyâd spent together. She had come to see him almost like a younger brother.
He was mature beyond his years, always ready to stand firm in front of her when danger loomed.
If she hadnât trusted him completely, she wouldnât have spent two days by his side in the hospital, totally off guard.
But what if all this was a scam?
âThere has to be another way!â Ethan said, frustration coloring his tone as he clenched his fists. He noticed the scrutinizing look Katherine gave him just a moment ago.
She did suspect him after all.
Ethanâs eyes blazed with anger. âDamn it, this country is so corrupt because of these parasites! If thatâs how it is, donât blame me for taking drastic measures!â
âUh, what?â Katherine was still trying to figure out if the real traitor was Ethan or Minister Carter.
She hadnât expected such a strong reaction from Ethan.
And what on earth did he mean by âdrastic measuresâ?
âWhat are you planning to do?â
âIf we donât know whoâs stirring things up behind the scenes, then letâs go straight to the lawmakers!â Ethanâs expression was icy as he tightened his grip on his fists.
The next second, a vase on the desk shattered into pieces.
Katherineâs expression hardened, suddenly reminded that the young man in front of her was a psychic. âEthan, calm down, thereâs got to be a way!â
âNo, I canât accept this!â Ethan threw off his covers and sat up in bed. âKatherine, donât worry, this has nothing to do with you. Iâll handle it.â
He put on his jacket, his smile grim. âIf the law canât punish the wicked, then revenge is justified!â
âDonât be rash, Ethan, youâre being too extreme!â Katherine snapped out of her daze and hurriedly got up to stop him.
Her suspicions lessened a bit. This boy didnât seem like a lurking spy, just a hot-headed kid.
And he really did step up when things got tough.
âDonât worry, Katherine, I wonât be reckless,â Ethan reassured her with a calm look.
Katherine wanted to stop him, but Ethan had already left the hospital room. She followed, curious about what he would do next.
Following him, at least she could stop him from doing something foolish.
Deep down, Katherine harbored a faint hope. Now that the prosecution evidence was public and their enemies were making their move, her position as a prosecutor was naturally disadvantaged.
They got into the car, one after the other.
âKatherine, go to this address.â Ethan handed her his phone.
âWhat are you planning?â Katherine saw the address was on a remote road in the suburbs.
âWe need some help.â Ethan squinted. âTo find out whoâs really behind this, just the two of us wonât cut it.â
âI can find someone to help.â Katherine started to say but then fell silent.
The indictment being public meant there was a traitor among the prosecutors, likely her boss, Minister Carter.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âBuckle up,â Katherine said, starting the car.
The sedan moved through the night.
Katherine drove steadily, occasionally glancing at Ethan in the rearview mirror.
She had watched this kid a lot these past few days.
More than just a psychic, he seemed like a kid filled with a sense of justice.
âSorry,â Katherine silently apologized for her earlier suspicions. At least for now, it seemed less likely that he was the traitor.
Thinking this, Katherineâs expression darkened. This meant that Minister Carter was probably the betrayer.
Just the thought filled her with despair.
It meant she couldnât trust anyone around her, except for the young man beside her.
Katherine then gave a bitter smile. Trust was a moot point under the current circumstances, especially if Minister Carter was the traitor.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldnât win through conventional means.
The glittering night scene of Capitol City flashed by outside the car window.
Katherineâs mood grew heavier, feeling that beneath this glitter was endless filth. She was so lost in her thoughts that she hadnât even asked Ethan what their destination was for.
The car pulled up to the designated spot on the roadside.
It was the entrance to a tunnel that wound around the mountain.
Katherine frowned as she saw from a distance the motorcycles lined up on either side of the road, adorned with garish LED lightsâtacky to the extreme.
A group of teenagers, dressed in special agent suits covered in exaggerated graffiti, loitered around.
âKatherine, wait here for me,â Ethan said, unbuckling his seatbelt.
âIâm coming with you.â Katherine parked the car firmly. She wasnât clear on why Ethan had brought them here, but she wasnât comfortable letting him face those street gang members alone.
Deep down, she was also curious about what this kid was up to.
âFine, just stay behind me,â Ethan said, having anticipated that Katherine would insist on coming along.
They got out of the car, immediately drawing the attention of the rowdy group of teens.
They dropped their beer bottles and swaggered over. âHey, kid, this is Viper Clan territory!â
âI want to see your boss,â Ethan said, unfazed.
He held a blade between his fingers, wrapped with double-sided tapeâa new skill he had developed.
If things got physical, he could summon his â10-inch Dick,â attach the blade to it, and instantly turn it into a weapon.
With his Level 4 âHard as a Rockâ ability, he wasnât worried about getting hurt.
âHey!â One of the gang members opened his mouth to show off a motorcycle stunt, but suddenly a motorcycle sped up from behind, led by a redhead followed by a group of similarly dressed delinquents.
The redhead fixed his gaze on Ethan as he approached, wary. âWhy are you here?â
Ethan recognized the redhead as the guy who had carried away a blonde gang member a few days ago.
âWhatâs your name?â
âYou can call me Milo,â Milo replied, his demeanor somewhat polite. He knew the seemingly frail man in front of him could knock out their leader in an instant.
Real tough guys donât talk much.
Their blonde leader was still in the hospital.
Ethan glanced at the group of delinquents nearby. âToo low.â
âWhat?â Milo looked confused.
âYou guys are acting like kids playing house,â Ethan said, turning to lock eyes with Milo.
âIâm here to get you involved in something big.â
âSorry, our boss is still in the hospital,â Milo said, not the sharpest but not stupid either.
âDo you know her?â Ethan pointed at Katherine. âLook her up online, the beautiful prosecutor.â
Katherine covered her forehead with her hand, wishing she could disappear into the ground.
âUhâ¦â Milo was baffled.
âBecause of you guys, her case canât proceed,â Ethanâs voice grew colder. âJustice isnât being served, and criminals are walking free. I think you should take responsibility.â
âYouâre sayingâ¦â Miloâs face turned sour.
âRemember, youâre doing something just,â Ethan narrowed his eyes. âDonât worry, after we bring the bad guys to justice, Iâll give you a $100,000 reward.â
Milo swallowed hard. âUh⦠sorry, Iâ¦â
âRefusal means death.â Ethanâs eyes flashed dangerously as he stared into Miloâs eyes. âIâm not giving you a choice.â