Ascension Of The Villain-Chapter 341: Supporting A Criminal

The man in the green cap raised his hands slightly, not in surrender, but to ease the tension. "Look, no need to jump to violence so fast," he said, voice calm but edged with warning, "If you're not Adrian, then I have no business with you. I don't want to hurt anyone innocent. Just stay quiet and I'll let you out of here."

"That easily?" Vyan couldn't quite buy it.

"But of course, on one condition."

Vyan arched a brow. "And that would be?"

"It's simple, really. You don't say a word about me. Ever. My identity, this place, tonight. All of that should be gone from your memory."

Vyan gave a slow, almost amused tilt of his head. "Alright, fair," he said lightly. "Let's say I keep your little secret... Once I walk out of here, will you promise not to come back for Adrian and his family?"

The man's jaw tightened. "Why is that any of your concern?"

Vyan casually shrugged. "Because I work there. And I wouldn't particularly like anything happening to my employer."

Not really because he pays me, he thought privately. I just need him to gather the papers I need to get the hell out of this world and back to mine. And more importantly… I really, really don't want anything happening to the kids.

The man let out a bitter laugh. "If you knew the full story… you'd want to screw over that employer of yours yourself."

"Oh?" Vyan drawled, arms folding loosely. "Let me hear this world-shaking tale then. And I'll be the judge of whether it's righteous vengeance or just glorified pettiness."

The man looked at him. His green eyes were murky under the dim light, but they held a storm behind them.

He exhaled, voice low. "Do you know about the latest case Adrian's been working on?"

Vyan already did.

He had seen the case file in the afternoon, then even caught glimpses of the trial. On top of that, he had a conversation about it with Adrian last night. Adrian was seated on the edge of the couch, frustration curling in his words as he explained the case in detail. Vyan had asked questions, listened, even offered a snide remark or two. Not because he cared for the legal system of this world, but because he found Adrian's convictions… oddly relatable.

Still, he gave a vague nod. "Maybe."

The man's lips pressed into a thin line. "It's a sexual assault case. Adrian's fighting to defend the accused, and yesterday, he freed him of all charges. Just for money. Because Andrew is the son of a famous celebrity. But the victim—" His voice faltered. Something splintered in it. "She is just an ordinary girl. Her name is Maya," he said after a moment. "She is my girlfriend."

"Oh." So that's the case. Vyan realized now why this dude was after them. And because he couldn't help himself, because it was who he was, he corrected, "Well, was."

The man's head snapped up toward him, glare sharp enough to cut steel.

But he didn't strike.

Just nodded, lips curled in a grimace. "Yeah," he said tightly. "Was. She committed suicide."

The words didn't echo. They just… sank.

Vyan didn't say anything at first. He didn't offer sympathy. Didn't spout platitudes. He just stood there, watching the man with a strange expression—something halfway between indifference and thought.

Because while he wasn't the most empathetic person around, he could recognize grief and the thirst for vengeance.

That man was deeply affected by his girlfriend's death and was thirsty for revenge.

Well, revenge, Vyan thought, isn't something I'm unfamiliar with. I support it as much as the next person… hell, maybe more. But at least he should aim it at the right person. This way, he's just crazy to hurt someone innocent. And the fact his initial goal was to kidnap Elian—

He rubbed his thumb against his knuckle absently, eyes narrowing slightly.

I don't believe in hurting the innocent… not anymore.

With a faint shrug, he spoke, "Yeah. I know. I heard the whole story. But that doesn't mean Andrew is the one responsible for Maya's death," he continued, voice calm. "In fact… he's not. The guy's innocent."

The man stiffened, face carved with frustration and disbelief. "Innocent?" he repeated, jaw tightening. "What do you know? Do you know Maya wrote his name in her suicide note? In her own handwriting?"

Vyan tilted his head. "And what if someone framed him?" His tone didn't accuse; it invited the man to think. To step back and see the cracks.

The man was stunned.

"You would've known that," Vyan went on, "if you'd actually gone to the hearing. The one where Adrian proved Andrew was innocent. Solid evidence. Hard proof."

The man's face twisted in anger. "Yeah, like that evidence wasn't fabricated," he spat. "Whatever case Adrian Evans takes on, the criminals always walk free."

"And you're certain they were all criminals?" he asked quietly. "You're sure none of them were misjudged, wrongly accused, or set up to fall?"

The man opened his mouth to argue, but Vyan cut in, "Look, I'm not going to act like I know everything about Adrian's career. I'm not his legal assistant. I don't sit in on every client meeting or investigate his motives."

"But this case?" he continued. "I read the file. I talked to Adrian myself, and I totally believed him when he showed me how Andrew was set up. Someone else did that to your girlfriend. And if you don't stop blaming the wrong man, that real monster will keep walking free."

The man's fists clenched at his sides, clearly still in denial. "Maybe… maybe everything that Adrian told you was a lie, every proof he showed you was made-up. Maybe Adrian Evans created the false evidence himself. To protect his client. To protect that bastard for money."

"I'm not saying Adrian's perfect," he argued calmly. "He might be an asshole, but you're letting your grief blind you. Maya won't be given justice this way. It'll just bury more innocent people along the way. Why don't you focus on finding the real criminal?"

"Yes, I will," the man gritted out. "I'll kill Andrew with my own hands. Adrian made a big mistake by letting him out. Now, both of them will regret it."

"Seriously, there's no getting through to you, is there? You're just deluding yourself at this point."

The man flinched as if struck. "No, I'm not!" he snapped.

But Vyan didn't flinch. He stood calmly. "You are," he pointed out. "You're using anger as a coping mechanism. It's easier to blame someone—anyone—than sit alone with your grief. And unfortunately, you've locked your hatred on the wrong people. Which is… very dumb, to be honest."

The man's shoulders trembled with rage.

"I'm telling you," Vyan went on, "Someone else ruined Maya's life. So why not do something useful with all that rage you're carrying?" His tone was not unkind, it was rather like advice, but in his blind rage, that man was taking Vyan's words as a taunt. "Aim it at the right person. Go find them. Leave me the hell alone and stay far away from Adrian and his family. Innocent people—"

Suddenly, there was a click.

Vyan's eyes widened as the man pulled out a gun. He raised the weapon, trembling in his grip but deadly all the same. The black metal glinted under the basement's dim lights.

Vyan glanced around. The stone wall boxed him in. No windows. No exit behind. No weapon within reach. Just the bodies of those four thugs.

He was completely cornered.

What did he do to evoke this reaction out of this man? He was just stating the truth? Yeah, maybe he could've softened the blow, but how kind should Vyan have sounded when he was forcefully brought here for a wrong reason and was tortured?

Vyan raised his hands slightly and faked a nervous chuckle. "Hey now… let's not get hasty," he said, voice laced with dry humor, though his eyes flicked instinctively for an opening. "My bad for talking so harshly. But I'm not the one to blame here. I'm just an innocent person who looks like Adrian, remember? I'm not related to any of this."

The man's hands shook, and the fury in his eyes had gone lethal.

Shit. He looks serious and totally out of his mind now.

For Goddess's sake, who told him to run his mouth like that? That was so bloody stupid. Benedict was right when he used to say that Vyan's smart mouth was going to be the end of him. He should've just accepted the condition and walked out of here. Like a normal person would have done!

"You support a criminal," the man muttered, like he was justifying it to himself. "That makes you a criminal too."

Vyan's mind raced. He had to act quick. He needed a way to distract the man. Maybe if he kept him talking for a few more seconds, kept his attention, then, he'd get one chance, get closer slowly, a swift kick, or throw something at him—

Gunshot.

The sound ripped through the air.

Vyan's body jerked from the force before he could even process what had happened.

A sharp heat bloomed in his gut.

He looked down slowly.

Oh.

So this man wasn't one for just talking after all.

His favorite dark green t-shirt was darkening into dark brown with a freshly made hole into it.

Fresh, warm liquid seeped out, staining the fabric, dripping down onto his faded jeans. His hand instinctively pressed against the wound, but the pain didn't quite register yet.

The floor seemed to tilt beneath his feet, his eyesight getting hazy from the sudden blood loss.

He stumbled backward against the chair he had been tied to earlier, and that made him lose his balance, tripping him on his side.

Through his blurry vision, he caught a glimpse of his landing place.

No, no, the brick— I can't break the fall—

His head splattered against it—the same brick he had used to knock out the thugs' leader and had carelessly discarded to the side.

Before he had a chance to regret his actions, as soon as his skull made contact with the solid block, everything went dark in an instant.