Arnold, clad in a floral shirt, stood amidst the wind. He didn’t appear to be at the end of his rope, but rather, he seemed as if he was on vacation.
Dexter stood with his hands clasped behind his back, letting out a chuckle. “That joke wasn’t very funny.”
Arnold narrowed his eyes, looking toward the bustling dock not far behind him, where even Wayne was standing by the shore. “Let me think, how many high-ranking officials are present during this operation? If I were to resist, would I be executed on the spot?”
Dexter was half-leaning on the railing, just as languid, “Arnold, you’re overthinking it. I’m the only one who came.”
“You?” Arnold also laughed. “You’re a specially appointed expert from the state, and I’m a nationally wanted criminal. By nature, we’re on opposite sides. Would you really give up such a great opportunity?”
“I struck a deal with Mr. Dalton. He told me that as long as I got rid of you, I could take over his informant position.”
Seeing Dexter maintain his composure while saying all that, Arnold couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Such a lame joke might fool a child, but do you really think I’d fall for it? Mr. Dalton must know about the foolish things you’ve been doing with Josie behind the scenes.”
Upon hearing that, Dexter was genuinely taken aback, a profound surprise etched on his face. “Who is Josie? I have no idea.”
“Stop pretending.”
“I received a message from the Russell family informing me that a group of people had been mobilized, which prompted me to rush over. It was only by chance that I found out you were on the boat, and that’s when I decided to take action. As for Josie, I truly had no idea.” Dexter paused, as if realizing something, “So it was her
The wind howled, and the expressions between the two required careful scrutiny. Arnold raised an eyebrow. “It’s all right if you don’t remember. I’ll take you to meet her. Perhaps seeing her will jog your memory.”
With a meaningful look, he turned and headed back to the cabin of the ship.
Dexter trailed behind, his mind filled with the recent image of Josie from the video. His heart ached as if being twisted by a knife. Thousands, tens of thousands of times, he had thought of taking matters into his own hands and ending Arnold.
The door to the water dungeon swung open, resembling a well. Josie was suspended in the middle, her mouth submerged beneath the seawater.
She hung her head, clearly drained of all energy. Arnold explained, “It was perfect timing, honestly. This water prison indeed proved to be useful.”
He admired Dexter’s impassive expression. Even though the latter maintained a facade of calm, the twitching nerves revealed that he always cared.
“You’re saying she’s the one who took the money?” asked Dexter.
Arnold waved his finger. “And the Russell family. Surely, you’re not unaware of that, are you?”
“I really need to go back and ask.”
Arnold raised his voice and declared, “Dexter! I don’t want your money anymore. I’m giving you two options. First, you go down there and bring her up. Second, you watch her die.”
Dexter glanced once more at Josie. She had been roused by the noise, her eyes moist and fixed on him as she slowly shook her head.
“This is a tough choice. Is there a third option?” asked Dexter.
“Yes, which is that we all die to an explosion.”
Dexter curled his lips, casting another glance at Josie. “What makes you think I would sacrifice my wonderful life to save her?”
Arnold wasn’t sure whether to believe those words or not. He simply smiled and looked at Josie, as if to say, “Just you wait and see.”
Arnold taunted, “Perhaps if it were just her, you might not care. However, what about your daughter? Are you willing to let her lose her mother?”
“You seem to think too highly of me. I can find another wife and have more daughters,” uttered Dexter.
After speaking, Dexter turned around, seemingly uninterested and ready to leave.
Suddenly, Arnold pulled out his gun and fired three shots into the water.
