"Of course! My sister's cooking is amazing. If you like it, she'll make it for you every day." Deborah beamed.
"Haha, anyone cooks great." Eddie sidestepped the trap—multiple-choice questions are tricky.
Chapter 583: Power Is a Wonderful Thing
Helena frowned, temper flaring; she itched to settle things with a gun. She had a violent streak she herself never noticed—perhaps the downside of being single.
"Uncle Tem, that's the guy who bullied me! And some crazy woman shot at me!" the blonde-haired college student howled from the stretcher.
The apartment sat near University Town; on the weekend streams of students gathered for the show.
"Hey, isn't that Deborah's place? This'll be good—White's messing with her!" a green-tea bitch sneered.
Deborah stepped out, slipping her arm through Eddie's. "White, stop chasing me. I already have someone I like; keep this up and I'll report you for harassment!"
"Ha! The district attorney is my mother—go on, report me, please, I beg you!"
"Sir, you're a suspect in this shooting. Come with us for questioning." A fat patrolman approached, hand on his gun—pure intimidation.
Click! Eddie lit a cigarette, exhaling smoke rings with supreme arrogance. "Oh? And if I don't feel like it—who exactly are you to tell me what to do?"
"I'm a Queens precinct captain, Apple City. Complain to my boss if you like. Cooperate now or I'll treat you as a fugitive." Captain Tem raised his sidearm in warning.
"Fine, Captain. You know who I am. I'll give you a chance: I now accuse this punk of attempted assault—I'm pressing charges."
Captain Tem sneered. "File your report at the precinct. My job is to haul you in."
A detective tugged Tem's sleeve. "Boss, we can't touch him—let's bail, fast!"
Tem was furious. His beloved nephew had been bullied—how could he stand by? "Enough—arrest him!"
Eddie sighed. "Looks like you're set on being stupid. I wanted to shoot you dead in front of everyone, but now I'll just watch you crash and burn."
The air turned razor-sharp; under capitalism, prejudice against Easterners ran even deeper.
Deborah shrank in fear yet clung tighter to Eddie's arm for courage. A sheltered college girl, she'd never faced this—unlike the tough Claire.
Clack—Tem racked the slide, grinning. "Last warning: hands up and walk, or I shoot."
Eddie dialed a number, spoke a few words, and hung up.
Inside The Pentagon office, Simmons slammed the phone down, disgusted. "Damn it, you make trouble and I clean it up. Once you're useless, you're dead."
That's reality: useful equals brother; useless equals scapegoat.
Though Simmons resented Eddie for stealing Carla—Ada's double—for the family's grand plan he swallowed his hate and partnered up.
The moment Simmons dies or loses value, the family will discard him without hesitation.
To gain more power Simmons must do things against his conscience—such is life, such is reality.
Eddie patted her small hand. "Scared? With me here no one can touch a single hair on your head."
His arrogant swagger fascinated Deborah; an inexperienced college girl is easily fooled—sometimes for life.
Helena appeared. "Eddie, I'm sorry for dragging you in. I'll fix this—I'm sorry."
Eddie shook his head. "Already handled—just watch the show."
The next second, Tem's phone rang, and the Precinct Chief's furious voice burst through. "You stupid White pig, what are you doing? Apologize to Mr. Eddie right now—immediately, this instant! Are you out of your mind? You dared to provoke the boss of Mysterious Pharmaceutical? With their money, they'll sue you until you don't even have underwear left!"
Only now did Tem remember why the man in front of him looked so familiar—he was the shadow boss of Mysterious Pharmaceutical!
The only one to blame was that Eddie didn't photograph well; he only published the occasional paper and looked more like a medical scholar than a capitalist.
The two heads of Mysterious Pharmaceutical were Excella and Christine—capable women, stunning and statuesque, regulars on the front pages.
At the thought, Tem, still on the call, looked sick. He hung up and instantly slapped his foul-mouthed nephew across the face.
Smack! The blow nearly sent the blonde-haired college student sprawling, dazed—why had his uncle suddenly turned on him?
"Um, Mr. Eddie, we made a mistake. Sorry. You're a big man—just treat us as hot air and let it go." Detective Tem forced an awkward smile. He knew every shred of his authority had just evaporated, yet he couldn't even nurse a grudge; the other side's power was so immense it was beyond the clouds.
"Really? You need to apologize to my friend. Let me be clear—if anything happens to her, I'll tear your precinct apart. For your family's sake, decide carefully." Eddie sneered, every word a threat.
"Don't involve the family"? Sorry, that's what gentlemen do. Eddie is a villain—an unscrupulous one.
Tem was half-scared to death; these capitalists are the kind who chew people up and spit out the bones. Crossing them is eight lifetimes of bad luck!
"Yes, yes, absolutely, I'll do it. I'm terribly sorry, madam. We were wrong—please forgive us." Tem could only cast aside his dignity and apologize; to keep his job, he had no choice.
For the first time, Deborah tasted the sweetness of power, her beautiful eyes clouded with bewilderment. "I'll listen to Eddie."
"Get lost—and take that punk with you. My legal team will sue him until he's got no underwear left." Eddie snorted, draping his arms around Deborah and Helena like a victor returning to the apartment.
Chapter 584: Lost Nightmare, The Wesker Siblings
When the blonde-haired college student, White, was bailed out and got home, he found his father chain-smoking; the ashtray on the table overflowed with butts.
His mother, usually home early, was absent. She was a famed beauty throughout the area, and her job as a Prosecutor lent her an intellectual allure—no man could look away.
"Dad, where's Mom?" White asked.
Crash! The ashtray smashed into White's head, drawing a yelp—he had no idea why his father struck him.
"Your mother's been taken. She's never coming back, and it's all your fault, you waste! You never study, and now you've provoked someone you shouldn't. What the hell did you do?" his father roared.
White was stunned; recalling Eddie's words at noon, he realized Eddie must have seized her—and could imagine how grim her fate would be.
"It's that Eddie, it has to be him! Did he kill Mom? We can report it to the police!" White cried, thinking he could turn the tables.
Bang! Another ashtray flew over, and again White screamed, blood now streaming down his head.
Soon he saw a video: his mother, in tears, saying she was fine, announcing her resignation, along with a time-stamp proving she was alive—no murder.
Killing was out of the question; it was far too crude a method.
"From now on you stay indoors. Provoke that man again and I'll strangle you myself!" his father snarled. If White weren't his son, he would have shot him dead already.
With Helena's and Deborah's problem settled, Eddie came to University Town to check on the research group he had once funded.
Tracking down Brandon wasn't urgent; the man couldn't run.
The location in the Bering Sea was intriguing: the island itself posed little threat, its remoteness made it perfect for covert, unsavory operations.