Chapter 490
Charles panted heavily, easing the pain in his back. Struggling, he mumbled, “I didn’t take the key from
Karl, break into the top floor or steal anything…”
“How dare you still try to defend yourself!”
The cane pped hard against Charles’ back. five times consecutively, giving him no chance to catch
his breath.
The flesh underneath his blood-stained shirt didn’t bleed but was swelled up and purplish. There was
no spot unscathed.
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Each hit cut his swollen flesh deeper while bright red blood sttered gruesomely.
“Um…”
A muffled grunt escaped from Charles’ mouth. His straightened back copsed. As he propped himself
up with one hand, his arm trembled uncontrobly from the pain.
“Craig, I really didn’t do it…”
Fear rose in Lucas’ heart. Standing beside the pir, he couldn’t bear to see Charles’ badly-injured
back.
Jasmine covered her mouth and shed tears as her heart ached.
Being forced to witness such a cruel punishment was torture to them.
Only Craig remained nonchnt. His ruthless re was void of sympathy.
He then analyzed the situation in detail.
“You were the only one there tonight and got close to Karl when you almost ran into him on your way. I
checked the top floor earlier. Someone opened the cab, and a bottle of very important serum was
missing! Before the wee party started, you waited and didn’t leave the floor. I asked the
housekeeper to get you to hurry up, but you weren’t in your room and were nowhere to be seen. I bet
you were stealing on the top floor at that time. Am I right?”
As he reached the end of his sentence, he raised his voice in rage and whipped Charles’ bruised back
ruthlessly before thetter could straighten his back.
“Tell me! Where is the stuff? Why did you steal from your own family? Did you conspire with Gwendolyn
Harris to deceive me? Tell me!”
The howling of wind continuously sounded.
Blood sttered on his white shirt as the blood-stained cane swung.
Charles couldn’t straighten his back anymore from the agony and curled into a ball on the ground, “I
didn’t…”
The bodyguards searched every nook and cranny in the vi several times, particrly in Charles’
room.
Charles Defends Himself To The End
Despite so, Craig didn’t let Charles off the hook. He was sure that Charles tried to sabotage him based
on the fact that Charles had gotten close to Karl.
However, no matter how hard he hit Charles, thetter denied everything until the end.
Craig’s anger spiked, and he swung the cane in his hand harder.
Starting with spanking Charles’ back, Craig went further and whipped the former’s arms and waist.
ruthlessly. The torturing sound sent chills down everyone’s back.
“Charles, don’t think I don’t know you did this if you keep denying it. I will send you to hell before you
can take me down!”
Thwack!
The sound ofshing resonated in their cars and sounded hellish.
Gritting his teeth and bearing the pain. Charles almost lost consciousness from the agony and started
grunting weakly.
It had been so long since he suffered such a harsh beating after hiding abroad and barely living a
peaceful life abroad for a year. The torture was beginning to take a toll on his body.
After a smack, the second cane snapped after several consecutive hits.
Craig was exhausted after caning for a long time and tossed the broken cane to a corner.
Panting faintly, he rolled up his sleeves.
“Guard.”
The bodyguard outside the door immediately walked in and replied respectfully, “How can I help you,
Mr. Craig?”
Pointing at the new canes soaking in a bucket, Craig ordered with a stern look, “Keep hitting him until
he spills the truth.”
“Yes.”
With both his palms on the ground, Charles could see the bodyguard beside him picking up a cane
despite his blurred vision. His body shivered in fear instinctively.
“Craig, even if you beat me to my death, I will never admit what I never did.”
“I’d rather be wrong than letting you get away with it.”
A smirk stretched across Craig’s face. He reached for a sharp dagger on his waist, tossed it to Charles,
and said coldly, “Since you wouldn’t say anything, prove your innocence with your life then. I will
believe that you’ve been wronged if you do it.”
Looking at the dagger with quivering blue eyes, Charles slowly picked it up and held it tight.
“No! Craig, please let Charles go. Look at him. He’s badly injured but still denies everything. I believe
he is innocent!”
Jasmine dashed forward to hold Charles and stop him from taking his life with the dagger while tears
streamed down her face.
Craig snorted. “You don’t know him. Those who went through training at the Central Intelligence
Agency are strong and wouldn’t easily tell the truth. It won’t work if I am not harsh enough.”
“No, Craig. Charles is a nut case. He would prove his innocence with his life. I don’t wish to see him kill
himself. We are family, after all. Even if Charles is only our half-brother, he is still a Newton. Please
stop being so cruel to him.”
The close sight of the bruises on Charles’ back shocked her as she sobbed sorrowfully.
Seeing Charles almost losing his life, Karl quickly stepped out and pleaded, “Mr. Craig, please spare
Mr. Charles. It might just be a coincidence…”
“A coincidence?”
Craig narrowed his eyes and shot him a piercing gaze. “You safe-keep the keys to the top floor all the
time. It could only mean Charles stole it if you didn’t lose it by mistake.”
“But…”
Karl found himself in a tight spot. Craig would vent his anger on him if he admitted it was his mistake to
have lost the keys.
As he was old, he certainly couldn’t withstand the punishment.
Craig shifted his gaze back onto Charles, whoy pathetically on the ground. Tears streamed down
Jasmine’s face, who was holding Charles tightly to stop the bodyguard from caning him.
“Charles, I will spare you if you hand me the keys and the serum you stole.”
Jasmine piped up, “Charles, hand them to him if you took them. Otherwise, Craig will beat you to
death!”
Charles’ pale lips curved into a bitter smile. Overwhelmed by the excruciating pain, cold sweat dripped
from his chin onto the ground, leaving a small stain.
How am I supposed to hand him something that I don’t have? Besides, I will surely die if I admit that I
stole them.
“I didn’t do it. I didn’t steal the keys or the serum. Craig, you searched my body and my room yourself.
No means no. How am I supposed to give them to you?”
He threw the dagger in his hand to the bodyguard’s foot, who was holding the cane, and grinned
pathetically.
“Prejudice is so scary. No matter what I say, you will never believe me. Craig, you should just ask
someone to kill me right away. Why did you have to torture me like this? You hurt my feelings.”
“I can’t believe you see me as your family.”
Craig snickered.
What Craig only believed was his judgment and presumption. However, after the beating, the rage in
his heart subsided, and he could think straighter now.
“All right then. After all, I have recently announced your return to the Newton family, so it’s better not to
cause a scene now. I will spare your life for now. If I find the evidence to prove your crimeter, I will
make you beg for death!”
Gritting his teeth sinisterly, he snorted and left the ancestral hall without looking back after threatening
Charles.
The interrogation was over after Craig left.
Bearing the pain, Charles heaved a sigh of relief and rxed his tensed body.
His vision became blurry as he descended into darkness and fell into Jasmine’s arms.
“Charles! He has passed out! Someone call the doctor!”