The burly man froze, clearly not expecting her to react this way.
He stared at Aria Sterling. "Go ahead and call the police. We're the victims here. When that time comes, the compensation will be much more than five million."
An icy male voice came from the doorway.
"You should know your place before you try blackmail."
"Besides, Bruno Bishop wasn't murdered. His death was an accident."
Damian Xavier opened his laptop, which displayed several clear photos of the scene. The distances between Bruno Bishop and Franklin Foster had already been marked on them.
"These are surveillance photos from the incident. I've had them analyzed by a professional. Franklin Foster made no physical contact with Bruno Bishop during the incident. In other words, Bruno Bishop lost his footing and fell into the mold himself."
He then pulled out another document.
Damian Xavier continued, "This file shows that the mold wasn't active at the time. A vibration caused the jack to fall. Therefore, this was Bruno Bishop's own accident. It has nothing to do with Franklin Foster or the Sterling Factory."
The burly man instantly flew into a rage. He grabbed the laptop, slammed it down, and roared, "You're full of shit!"
Damian Xavier's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes flashed with a bone-chilling coldness.
"If you don't believe me, we can settle this through legal channels. But I should warn you, a court will investigate the full chain of events. In fact, this recording reveals something else of importance: you were the one who pushed Franklin Foster, making him stumble back. In other words, even if this were a case of negligent homicide, the guilty party wouldn't be Franklin Foster. It would be you."
Damian Xavier paused. "Of course, that's only if a charge of negligent homicide even sticks. If it doesn't, then you're guilty of bringing dozens of men here to cause a scene and commit extortion. This office has surveillance cameras, too. A five-million-dollar shakedown is more than enough to have you all rot in prison."
Bruno Bishop's parents were timid by nature, and the mention of prison terrified them even more.
"Boss, what do we do?"
The burly man panicked too. He never imagined that not only would he fail to get the money, but he'd end up getting dragged into this himself.
His face turned a deathly pale, his eyes darting about. Just as he looked ready to do something desperate, Damian Xavier spoke again, his voice unhurried.
"Even though it was an accident, The Sterling Group is willing to offer two hundred thousand to the deceased's family as a condolence payment. If you agree, you can go with the factory director now to fill out the necessary forms, and we'll consider this matter closed."
The burly man froze.
He hadn't expected such a turn of events.
"Fine, we'll do it that way!"
The burly man and Bruno Bishop's family agreed to the compensation, and just like that, the whole farce was over.
Once the troublemakers had gone, Aria Sterling remained seated, her eyes on the elegant figure of Damian Xavier. Suddenly, she spoke.
"Damian Xavier."
Damian Xavier turned, his cool eyes gazing steadily at her.
"Let me treat you to dinner."
Aria Sterling rose and walked toward him.
"Thank you for your help, both last time and today,"
she said, her voice soft. Even she was a little surprised by how gentle she sounded.
"Does Ms. Sterling think one dinner is enough to make up for the five million I just saved you, not to mention the future trouble I've spared you?" Damian Xavier's deep voice held the sharp shrewdness of a businessman, and his words left Aria Sterling speechless.
"Then what do you want?" Aria Sterling asked, her brow furrowing.
"Does that mean I can have whatever I want?" Damian Xavier's expression was inscrutable.
Aria Sterling stared into his dark, enchanting eyes, but she couldn't make out the universe hidden in their depths.
"Just say what you want."
The corners of Damian Xavier's lips lifted slightly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, giving her a bad feeling.
"Eight o'clock tomorrow night. I'll be waiting for you at my place. You still remember the way, don't you?" Having said his piece, Damian Xavier turned and left.
Aria Sterling's pupils contracted.
'Has this man lost his mind?'
'Why does he always do such bizarre things?'