Chapter 4 The One Who Killed Joaquin

• It was unclear exactly what method Frederick had used. There were no visible injuries on Heath, but his mental state had deteriorated to an extreme degree.
• Upon seeing Finneas, the God of Death, once again, Heath was on the verge of breaking down.
• Thud!
• Heath's legs gave out, causing him to collapse directly onto the ground.
• He didn't dare to look at Finneas' back. Instead, he knelt on the ground, his face a mess of snot and tears as he pleaded, “Please stop torturing me. I can't take it anymore. I'll talk. I'll tell you everything. It's all because of Xavier Quimby. He took a fancy to your sister-in-law, and he's the reason I had to go and intimidate Joaquin. I really didn't mean to...”
• Heath had long been terrified by Finneas' intimidation. Now, even if he were asked to admit guilt, or even commanded to inflict harm on his own parents, he wouldn't falter.
• “Who is Xavier Quimby?”
• Finneas didn't look back. He continued to hold Suzannah, sitting there like a statue.
• Yet, his chilling voice constantly pierced through Heath's heart and lungs.
• “Xavier is the eldest son of the Quimby family. He's the epitome of a wealthy, privileged second-generation heir. He's the type who considers himself second only to the heavens. He gave me half a million and instructed me to find Joaquin and threaten him with his child. But I really didn't expect him to jump off the building. I was just trying to scare him a little...”
• Heath hated Xavier to his core.
• For the sake of half a million, there was a chance he might lose his life this time.
• Bang!
• “Everyone stay where you are, hands on your heads, and get down on your knees now!”
• Suddenly, the doors of the funeral home were forcefully flung open by someone.
• Next, under Roxanne's command, dozens of fully armed police officers rushed in, their guns uniformly aimed at Finneas.
• “Put your hands on your head!”
• Upon seeing Finneas, dressed in dark clothing, sitting there, Roxanne was initially taken aback before she slowly moved her gun toward Finneas.
• “I've told you, even if you run to the ends of the earth, I will still definitely catch you!” Roxanne said through gritted teeth.
• “Frederick, get rid of the prey. Let's go.”
• Under the aim of countless gun barrels, Finneas calmly stood up, holding Suzannah in his arms. Turning to Roxanne, he said, “You're a good cop.”
• “Hmph, I don't need you to tell me that,” Roxanne said, her face cold as if facing a great enemy. “Now, I'm arresting you on charges of intentional homicide. You—”
• Before Roxanne could finish speaking, all the police officers felt a blur before their eyes, and Finneas disappeared into thin air.
• By the time Roxanne regained her senses, she realized, not only was Finneas gone, but even Frederick and Suzannah had disappeared. All that was left was the lifeless body of Heath.
• Heath's mouth was slightly agape, and his eyes were open, painting the picture of a man who seemed incapable of finding peace, even in death.
• At his throat, there was a nearly imperceptible wound, from which a thin line of blood emerged.
• It was this very wound that severed his windpipe.
• “Jerk!”
• Finneas' repeated escapes had thoroughly infuriated Roxanne.
• A flash of anger darted across her stunning face. She immediately turned toward the group of police officers and commanded, “Contact the Special Operations Forces immediately. This person is beyond our capabilities. I have a feeling he will continue his violent acts. Also, arrange for police forces immediately to seal off all major routes in and out of the city. Highways, train stations, and airports should all be manned by officers. And keep tracking his movements through Skynetwork. I need all of his information!”
• “Yes, Captain Thurman!”
• A police officer saluted, then promptly led his team away.
• Roxanne was the only one left in the funeral home.
• She swept her gaze coldly at the long-dead Heath in front of her. “I will definitely bring you to justice!”
• The Quimby residence was brilliantly lit that night, and the parking lot was filled to the brim with luxury vehicles of every kind.
• In the living room of the mansion, esteemed guests filled every seat, and the room was abuzz with the chatter of affluent visitors.
• The Quimby family was one of the most distinguished families in Hofcaster. The elderly patriarch's birthday celebration was an event of great importance. It was expected that all notable individuals would attend to honor him.
• Among them were several businessmen and politicians, and Zachariah was one of them.
• Originally, Zachariah had no intentions of coming.
• However, he was worried that Finneas might show up and behave unpredictably. Only after making a series of arrangements did he finally arrive at the Quimby residence.
• Seeing Zachariah walking over from afar, a handsome young man, dressed in a white suit and with hair styled meticulously, promptly came forward to greet him. “Oh... Mr. Leibold, it's truly an honor to have you here despite your busy schedule. Please, come in.”
• Tonight, Xavier was assigned to welcome guests at the entrance. Firstly, he had been pre-selected as the third-generation leader of the Quimby family. Secondly, it was an opportunity for him to mingle with the upper echelons of Hofcaster.
• “Xavier, don't stand on ceremony with me. It's Old Mr. Quimby's eightieth birthday. No matter how busy I am, I have to come.”
• After Zachariah said that, he leisurely made his way into the mansion, accompanied by Xavier.
• The mansion was already filled with quite a number of people by now, each holding a glass of red wine, engaging in casual conversations in small groups.
• In the heart of the living room, the elderly patriarch, Hugo Quimby, was warmly and joyfully interacting with the many guests who had arrived to offer their well-wishes.
• Seeing the rise of the Quimby family in his lifetime naturally filled Hugo with joy, his face crinkled in a delighted smile.
• Zachariah didn't want to draw too much attention to himself. His initial plan was to subtly greet Hugo, but Xavier, who was behind him, had other ideas.
• He wanted to let others know that the most powerful figure in Hofcaster was present to celebrate Hugo's birthday.
• At this thought, he quickly tossed his own phone on the ground and feigned surprise as he said, “Mr. Leibold, you dropped your phone.”
• Hmm?
• Xavier wasn't particularly loud, but he wasn't exactly quiet either. It was enough to draw the attention of those around him.
• “Oh, Mr. Leibold, what brings you here?”
• “Nice to meet you, Mr. Leibold. I'm Jason Luther. I've been meaning to meet you for quite some time. Here's my business card.”
• “My goodness, the Quimby family really holds significant influence! Even Mr. Leibold is here to attend Old Mr. Quimby's birthday celebration!”
• Faced with a swarm of guests rushing toward him, Zachariah turned his head, fixing Xavier with a glare.
• How could he possibly not know what Xavier was thinking?
• Given how things had progressed, he was left without any options. All he could do was reluctantly deal with wave after wave of visitors.
• A sense of immense satisfaction surged through Xavier as he witnessed that scene.
• Even though doing so might upset Zachariah, Zachariah would definitely not blame him, a major taxpayer in Hofcaster, for such a trivial matter.
• After weighing the pros and cons, he thought this deal turned out to be quite a bargain.
• “Mr. Xavier, Mr. Xavier, come quick. Something seems off outside...”
• Just as Xavier was basking in the glory of his own cunning, the butler, Quintus Shaw, approached with a grim expression.
• “What's the matter? Can't you see I'm with Mr. Leibold?” Xavier rolled his eyes at Quintus.
• “Perhaps you should—”
• Before Quintus could finish his sentence, a gasp echoed through the crowd of guests. “What... What's going on?”
• It was only at this moment that Xavier realized something was amiss.
• He brushed aside Quintus and glanced toward the entrance. His attention was caught by a tall young man, with a buzz cut and clad in dark clothing, who bypassed the Quimby family's security and confidently walked in.