Lynch closed the door, isolating the bedroom from the rest of the house. The closed space gave Vera a strong sense of security. As he observed her, Lynch noticed she seed to relax slightly, though she was still trembling a bit.
He walked over and held her hand. The warmth of his touch made Vera feel a lot better. Her expression was pained as she spoke, "Why did things turn out like this? What else do they want to search for? I've already given them everything!"
She looked at Lynch, seeking an explanation for why she was enduring all of this.
Lynch was silent for a mont before deciding that it was best to tell her the truth. "The state prosecutor is planning to charge you with 'concealnt of evidence' when they prosecute the others.
"I wasn't sure whether I should tell you this, but now I think it's better to prepare you ntally."
Vera was stunned. She couldn't understand how sothing she saw as unrelated to any cri could make her a potential... criminal?
"That's ridiculous!" she exclaid. She didn't know how else to respond and could only express her confusion about Lynch's explanation.
Lynch shook his head slightly. "It's not ridiculous. It's just that so situations need to have this kind of outco," he said, patting her hand. "You should rest for a while. I'll go talk to the people outside..."
Just as Lynch was about to release her hand, Vera gripped it tighter. Her expression was pleading, and she held his hand as if she didn't want him to leave.
Lynch turned around and hugged her gently. "Don't worry, I'm not leaving. I'm just going to find out more about the situation."
Vera eventually let go of his hand, and Lynch left the room, heading outside the residential compound. He found a phone booth and made a few calls. Not long after, Ferrall arrived in his car.
After Lynch got in, Ferrall drove to a parking lot across the street, and then they remained in the car talking.
"To be honest, you're not the Lynch I imagined," Ferrall said as he rolled down the window slightly. He took out a pack of cigarettes, offered one to Lynch, and lit one for himself. "I thought you'd be more rational. You surprised ."
In Ferrall's mind, Lynch was a selfish, opportunistic gentleman. It might sound contradictory, but it was an accurate description of Lynch's character. Lynch often behaved like a gentleman, paying attention to small details. He never swore, was always polite, and could remain calm and composed in any situation, making it impossible for people to criticize him.
But he was also a despicable guy; he always forced people to choose the option they least wanted, leaving them unsure how to deal with him.
Lynch remained calm, with a faint smile on his face. His eyes were fixed on the burning tip of his cigarette, watching the flas consu it steadily, as if it would keep burning forever if given enough space.
"Rationally speaking, I indeed shouldn't get involved in this. My company's finances are clean. I haven't slept with that woman. I even pay her more than anyone else each month..."
As Lynch spoke, he took a drag from the cigarette, causing the tip to flare up and burn more intensely. He exhaled the smoke and shook his head. "But you know, we're all human. Humans can't be perfectly rational. If soone could, they wouldn't be human.
"We know the importance of education, the importance of following the law, the importance of hard work..." He glanced at his wrist. "Our rationality tells us what we should and shouldn't do, but our lives aren't always that rational.
"It would've been simple to ignore her. All I had to do was hang up the phone and pretend nothing happened. But what would happen to her?"
Ferrall fell into silence. Many people who were unfamiliar with won's prisons thought the conditions there were better than in n's prisons, at least because won were less aggressive. This perception was based on ignorance. In reality, female inmates were often far more volatile than their male counterparts, and what they did could be even more horrifying.
Not to ntion, the guards in won's prisons were mostly male, with a few females assisting. This led to a range of sexual dominance and abuse issues.
Ordinary won entering prison had it particularly rough. They could beco the playthings of guards or the pets of other inmates, stripped of their basic dignity and eventually driven to madness or death.
Society's discrimination against won ant these problems were often ignored. A few years ago, there had been cases of female prisoners becoming pregnant, and even news about a warden using female inmates as escorts. But such reports barely caused a stir.
People didn't sympathize with those won. They just believed they deserved it.
For an ordinary woman like Vera, prison would likely drive her insane or kill her before she even had the chance to be released.
Lynch could have chosen to be indifferent, like a mayor reviewing a report, detached from the grueso reality behind the cold numbers. It would have been easy to ignore it all. But sotis, he felt a little soft-hearted, a little irrational.
Lynch turned to Ferrall. "I can't do that. I want to live well, but I also want everyone around
to live well. So, I'm going to help.
"For , it might cause so people to lose so opportunity, but I'm saving a life, a person's entire future."
The conversation grew heavy, but Lynch quickly lightened the mood with a smile. "So, do you think I'm a great person now?"
Ferrall laughed heartily. "You're really full of surprises..." He paused for a mont before continuing. "Do you rember the man I ntioned to you last ti? The governor's principal aide?"
Lynch quickly recalled the man and nodded. "Mr. Adlai."
Ferrall confird it. "Yes, Adlai. He's the governor's principal aide, and he has a close relationship with the governor. If he says sothing, this whole issue can be resolved. But getting him to speak up isn't easy."
Ferrall's expression conveyed what he hadn't voiced: convincing soone of Adlai's caliber would require substantial resources.
Lynch remained silent for about half a minute before stubbing out his cigarette. "So, how much do you think it will cost
to resolve this?"
Ferrall thought for a mont. "It's not about money. If he could be bought, he wouldn't still be by the governor's side." Ferrall paused again. "I heard you were invited to the president's inauguration celebration. If you make a good impression there, it could all be settled with just a word.
"But in case your performance isn't that impressive..." Ferrall pulled out a business card from his case and handed it to Lynch. The card only had a na and phone number, nothing else.
"This is a very special guy. His advantage is that, as long as you have money, he'll do a lot for you. But if it's not necessary, it's better not to contact him. He's a greedy devil." Ferrall's tone was filled with disdain.
Lynch quickly caught on. "A lobbyist?" he asked, and Ferrall nodded in agreent.
Lynch pocketed the card and reached for the car door. He'd spent enough ti here. Just as he stood outside the car and was about to close the door, Ferrall suddenly called out to him, asking a question even he himself found impulsive.
"Lynch, if I ever needed your help one day, would you lend a hand?"
Lynch turned back, brushed off his coat casually, and smiled. "Of course." He nodded with a smile and crossed the street back into the residential compound.
Sitting in the car, Ferrall lit another cigarette. He felt Lynch didn't need to do all this, but for so reason, Lynch's decision gave him a peculiar feeling—a good one.
Back in the house, the police were preparing to leave. While Lynch was gone, the police station had received a report of suspected criminal activity nearby, calling for imdiate assistance from everyone in the area, including the officers in Vera's room.
Everyone knew how such things worked, but no one would say it out loud.
Once the police left, the middle-aged male agent smiled and said, "Mr. Lynch, your thods are quite clever."
Lynch hadn't forced the police to retreat embarrassed or confront them directly. Instead, he had them called away on a legitimate assignnt. Even though their trip might turn out to be a false alarm, no one would say that Lynch had made them leave. He preserved his own dignity and spared the police any embarrassnt, which was quite rare.
So people always liked to openly display their dissatisfaction for everyone to see. These individuals were foolish, as their actions would not only hurt others but ultimately harm themselves as well. But Lynch wasn't one of them.
Lynch smiled politely, then walked to the bar as if he were at ho. He poured himself a drink and looked at the two agents. "Would you like wine, coffee, or juice?" Before they could answer, he added, "I don't know how to use the coffee machine or juicer, so if you want those, you'll have to make them yourself."
This brought smiles to their faces. No one disliked being around soone with a sense of humor. The male agent chuckled and said, "While the rules say we can't drink on the job..."Please vote for this novel at /series/blackstone-code/There are advance chapters available nowAccess will be granted 24 hours after the donationTier 1: 7 Advance chapters Link
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