Afterlife Department

Chapter 395 – Prille

Iris' face paled and his knees weakened, causing him to collapse. But, fortunately, Lin Ze reacted fast and caught Iris. Prille's mobile phone fell to the floor with a loud clatter. 

Iris was trembling in Lin Ze's arms. He buried his face in Lin Ze's chest when he finally can't prevent his tears from falling. "Lin Ze… Quinn… he… towards Rhyan…" he stammered. His voice is hoarse and it broke when he spoke his children's names. 

"Mn." Lin Ze answered and glanced at the policemen and the forensic team. Fortunately, they know discretion so, after they finished their tasks, they immediately went out of the room and conscientiously closed the door. 

"How could… it be…?" Iris asked. "Quinn hates Rhyan…" he said.. 

Lin Ze didn't speak and just patted Iris' back to comfort him. "Fourth young master cares about what third young master will think of him. He also cared about third young master's feelings, so he didn't warn the third young master about Prille Devogne and Prille Devogne's ill intent." He explained. 

Because Quinn is worried of what will happen to Rhyan, he didn't tell anyone about Prille's intention, since he is afraid Prille would have gone crazy. Quinn knows the weight of Prille in Rhyan's heart. 

"No." Iris spoke and sniffled. He wiped the tears off of his face. "Rhyan looks normal. He doesn't look like he's in love?" he asked and looked at Lin Ze. 

Lin Ze fell silent. He actually feels doubtful in this aspect. Since he is following Iris as his personal secretary, he also has interactions with Iris' children every time Iris interacts with them. So, he could see from his observation that Rhyan is acting the usual. 

"Could it be…" he spoke. "Fourth young master misunderstood the third young master?" he asked. 

Iris stared at him, waiting for his opinion. 

"… fourth young master and third young master rarely interacts. The last time they met, it was during your last summon of the young masters and misses three years ago. And that time…" Lin Ze looked at Iris' eyes. "… was the time the third young master met Prille Devogne and he asked the eldest young master during the meal to give Prille Devogne a scholarship. So, in the fourth young master's mind…" he looked at Quinn's corpse on the bed. "… the third young master must have been smitten on Prille Devogne." He finished. 

Iris. "…" was that long I last spent time with them? 

Yi Bing. "…" damn Iris. He's an idiot. 

Huo Ling. "…" he's definitely an idiot. A business idiot. 

Iris is indeed a business idiot. Or else, he wouldn't have more than ten kinds of businesses in his hands that is about to drive Harris, his heir, mad. Because of this, he doesn't notice the time and every time he did, he only realizes that half a year has already passed. So, it was no wonder that it was already three years that he and his five children have last gathered. 

"Wait." Iris muttered, breaking the awkwardness in the atmosphere after he realized his flaw. "Quinn can just easily crush this Prille. How can he make Quinn feel threatened this much?" he asked. "He can just imprison Rhyan if that happens… so why did Quinn fear Prille?" he looked at Quinn's corpse. His eyes reddened again and he looked away, feeling great heartache. 

"This…" Lin Ze muttered. 

Iris sharply turned to him. "You found something?" he asked. 

Lin Ze nodded. 

"What did this Prille mean by 'crime'?" Iris asked when he remembered the conversation between Prille and Quinn. 

"This is related to the swimming pool project." Lin Ze answered. 

Iris froze. 

"That time, the project was in the hands of the eldest young master." Lin Ze spoke, referring to Harris. "But, the fourth young master suddenly felt incensed and took over the project. The eldest young master has six other projects in his hands, so…" he looked at Iris. 

Iris. "…" alright! It's my fault for being too obsessed with businesses and always make my children suffer because of it! 

Lin Ze coughed. "So, the eldest young master gave the project to the fourth young master." He continued. 

Harris already felt tired, and added with Quinn annoying him, he threw the project to Quinn. 

"How did this become a crime?" Iris asked. 

Lin Ze paused. "It is related to Renton Hydd." He answered. He meant, Renton's death. 

Iris froze.

"Of course, the fourth young master didn't know about Renton Hydd, nor he knows that he's already dead." Lin Ze said. 

Quinn and Renton never intersected. 

"It was only after the pool area was finished that the fourth young master found out about the hidden corpse beneath the swimming pool." Lin Ze continued, remembered what Prille told him in the police car. 

"Was it Prille who killed Renton?" Iris asked. "Was it him who buried the corpse there?" he added. 

Lin Ze shook his head. "Someone else." He answered, then took a deep breath. "Sir. Do you know why the fourth young master suddenly became interested in the swimming pool project?" he suddenly asked. 

Iris shook his head. 

Lin Ze smiled. "Not only was he asked by someone to take the project, but he – " he looked at Iris. " – he also wanted to prove to sir that he can become better." He told him. 

Iris felt like his heart was being stabbed. His eyes reddened and his tears fell. "Quinn…" he fell on his knees and cried. His face is filled with regret. He never knew what his children was thinking, only until their death. 

He should've spent more time with them rather than with his mountains of documents. He should've watched his children grew than make his businesses grew more. 

"Sir…" Lin Ze sighed as he squatted beside Iris. He doesn't want to tell Iris this, but he felt he will disrespect Quinn's wishes. He waited for Iris calm down after a quarter of an hour before he continued. "The one who told the fourth young master to take the project is the one who killed Renton Hydd and hid Renton Hydd's corpse there." he said. 

"Who are they?" Iris asked through his gnashed teeth. Not only was his son was killed, his other son's safety was threatened, but his students were also harmed! Added to the fact that people from the other world was investigating this world because of his incompetency… How much of a failure is he? He thought and felt tired. 

"The Portkins." Lin Ze answered. 

Huo Ling, who was silently watching Iris and Lin Ze with Yi Bing, sucked in a sharp breath. "I KNEW IT!!!" He gnashed his teeth in anger. 

Yi Bing looked at him. "… what do you know?" he asked, not trusting Huo Ling's words. Didn't Huo Ling first suspect Prille? Then, it was Quinn last time. Now, he said he knows it's the Portkins after hearing Lin Ze's answer. 

Huo Ling's face twisted in anger. "Look! Wasn't it their child who assaulted Renton's female friend, leading her to commit suicide?" he asked, referring to Yule as the 'child'. "Then, they silenced Renton to not smear their name. After their child died, Eram also died! It must be them who killed Eram!" he said. 

"Them… what did they do?" Iris asked. 

"It was them who suggested to the fourth young master to take over the swimming pool project." Lin Ze answered, then paused. "You should also know that the fourth young master is superstitious, so they used this fact to get close to the master and hired an expert in feng shui to calculate the feng shui of Fughlia." He explained. 

"How do you know…?" Iris muttered. 

"Prille Devogne confessed everything." Lin Ze answered. "From that 'saving' the third young master, entering the Fughlia High with a scholarship, approaching young master Luren to make him fall in love with him, to opening the south gate of the Fughlia High to Eram Bullone… all this…" he took a deep breath. "The orphanage where he grew up is actually owned by the Portkins when the Portkins were still just a small wealthy family. Prille Devogne worked for them to repay the Portkins' favor. So, he…" he looked at Quinn's corpse. 

"Where did he get Quinn's number?" Iris asked in anger. 

"From the third young master. The third young master gave it to him in case Prille Devogne encountered a problem and to ask the fourth young master for help if he wasn't there." Lin Ze answered. 

Iris' head ached. Rhyan is the prime example of being sold and still helping the person count his money! "How did they kill Quinn?" he asked. 

"Prille Devogne lured the fourth young master and mixed a slow-acting poison in his drink so that he wouldn't be suspected of murder, and that the fourth young master will die in his home." Lin Ze answered. 

Iris' chest hurt because of pain. His face paled and he clutched his chest tight. 

Lin Ze's expression changed. "Sir? Sir!" he called and immediately caught Iris who fainted from anger and pain. "Someone! Get the ambulance!" he cried to the people outside.