The assistant holding the infrared thermometer hesitated for a moment. Was there really a need to snatch up such a simple task that could bepleted in a second?
Politely declining, the assistant said, “It’s fine. It’ll only take a moment.”
But Archie forcibly took the thermometer from the assistant’s hand. Though he was talding, his forceful actions made it feel more like he was snatching it.
“I’ll do it”
The assistant was speechless, rubbing his wrist, which got hurt in the process. Rolling his eyes, he muttered, “Fine, suit yourself.”
Archie ignored the reaction of the others in the room. From as far back as he could remember, he had been surrounded by cold stares and disdain. He had long since stopped caring about others‘ opinions.
As long as he could achieve his goals, he was willing to <b>pay </b>any price.
For this reason, he had carefully cultivated an <b>image </b>of loyalty, even if it meant being treated like a dog. He didn’t <b>care</b>.
Clutching the thermometer tightly, he walked step by step toward Stephan. Positioning his body to block the view <b>of </b>others in the room, he swiftly pulled the syringe from his pocket, removed the cap, and injected the contents into Stephan’s IV drip.
The toxin was seamlessly mixed with the IV solution. In less than 30 minutes, Stephan would sumb to ir
When the time came, there would be no visible wounds or signs of foul y. The me would fall entirely on the medical team present.
Afterpleting the deed, <b>Archie </b>calmly capped the syringe <b>and </b>hid it back in his pocket. Then, holding up the thermometer<b>, </b>he turned to the assistant and reported, “Done. It’s 97.8 degrees. Normal temperature.”
The assistant nodded and jotted the temperature down in the record book without furtherment.
Archie let out a deep breath of relief. Finding an excuse, he quickly left Stephan’s room.
The syringe in his pocket needed <b>to </b>be disposed of immediately to avoid implicating himself when Stephan’s condition was discovered
Hurrying away, Archie didn’t notice that as soon as he left, Stanley entered the room. Standing respectfully by the bed, stanley bent over and said, “Mr. Russell.”
The figure lying on the bed, who had been <b>in </b>a <b>supposed </ba, opened his eyes. They were sharp and clear, devoid of any signs of poisoning.
Stephan casually removed the IV needle from his hand. His low,zy chuckle carried a dangerous undertone, enough to send chills down anyone’s spine.
Stanley lowered his head even more<b>, </b>his expressionplicated. “Mr. <b>Russell</b>, <b>I </b>never would’ve imagined that the first person youratose act would lure out was Archie! And he’s considered a part of the Russell family!”
“Who said he’s a part of the Russell family?” <b>Stephan </b>sneered, ripping off the adhesive tape and tossing the IV needle aside.
If Archie hadn’t been so nervous and had paid closer attention, he might <b>have </b>noticed that the IV needle wasn’t even inserted into Stephan’s <b>hand</b>. It <b>was </b>all a ruse.
“Mr. Russell, so this means Archie never actually died back then! It’s no wonder our people searched for so long without finding the culprit. It was all an act!”
Stanley frowned in realization but quickly found another inconsistency. “But the box with the map… How did it end up with Dexter? If Archie faked his death, <b>who </b>helped him cover it up? Who kept him hidden for so long without being discovered?
Stephan shot Stanley a faintly amused nce and asked, “What do you take me for? An encyclopedia?”
Stanley scratched his head awkwardly, realizing he had overstepped. He kept quiet.
Sitting up, Stephan said casually, “If he wanted to fake his death, he would’ve needed a <b>scapegoat</b>. Dexter must’ve been chosen because he happened to be in <b>that </b>area at the time. Another possibility is that whoever is backing Archie has a grudge against the Fuller family.
“As for your second question, it’s probably the Camell family. They were involved in the rainforest incident. Archie has likely aligned himself with them or struck some kind of deal with Pete. The two of them are working together.”
Though Stephan’s words were spective, they were almost certainly close to the truth.
Stanley pped his thigh in realization. “I knew it Those explosions in the rainforest… It had to be Archie, that traitor, staing up trouble!”
Back when <b>Stanley </b><b>was </b>disarming the bombs, he had noticed that the explosives‘ model came from the Russell family’s Inventory. He had suspected a traitor <b>all </b>along.