If Cassidy can't buy them fifteen minutes, then maybe she can do something else - anything that can save Adrian and the others.

In the face of death, she straightens up and stares intently at Dylan. Steeling her resolve, she then proceeds to commence her plan.

"Uncle, let's make a deal.

"

---

Asher wasn't really into smoking.

However, he'd smoke cigarettes more often these day. The cigarette butts had been useful in keeping himself awake.

On any other day, he probably wouldn't have resorted to such dire measures. But this is already his seventh day of holing himself up in his office. He rubs his eyes and suppresses a yawn, struggling to stay awake.

'I can't afford to be drowsy. Sleep is for the dead...' Asher thought then cringed.

'No, don't think about death like that unless you're the subject of the sentence.'

He should probably go down and get some coffee. But there's an all-consuming silence in the bar he's managing that he finds too unbearable. He isn't used to this muted atmosphere. His world is always full of noises, indicating that there are signs of life all around him.

Normally, there were musicians who'd be strumming chords on a guitar and pressing keys on a piano, playing a song together. The other employees would be in the kitchen, banging around on the pots and the pans, trying to serve dishes. Sometimes, he'd help. His precious family would be there, too.

Cassidy would be talking his ears off. Aira would be giggling behind her. Bryan would be contributing to the conversation.

Asher tries to imagine them sitting with him at one of the tables, but his mind does no justice to their smiles and their voices.

'The world is quiet. Too quiet.'

At first, Asher shrugged the harrowing thought away.

Silence means focus, and focus is what he truly needs right now. He's been working with Charles and Edward on the investigation. They managed to get several leads, but they still ended up with more questions than answers.

'Grisham Donovan has escaped prison. His daughter, Gertrude Millicent, is also missing. Now, the two of them are being suspected as the masterminds of this whole mess, considering that their disappearances align with Damien's abduction. But can't they see that it doesn't make sense at all...?' he contemplated.

'Why the hell would they want to kidnap their relative?'

Because of how grave the situation had turned into, Asher was forced to close his bar for days to concentrate on the investigation - or at least, that's what he kept trying to believe.

He plops down on his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. His thoughts then start to hope that his stress and exhaustion will suffocate him. He doesn't want to move, anyway. It's better to die like this than to live with sure guilt.

Dylan had ordered Asher to kill Adrian.

Such would be his final act as the traitor.

Days ago, Adrian was wheeled into the hospital along with Aira and Ray. Their families were called. Irish and Olivia were horrified. The children were distraught. Charles and Edward were furious.

Aira, miraculously, had only sustained second-degree burns on her arms and hands. The nurses had hooked her up to an oxygen tank because she'd inhaled too much smoke. She'd pull out of it for sure.

'I'm very sorry, Aira. I'm very, very sorry. I didn't mean to involve you in this.'

Adrian and Ray, on the other hand, were both in critical condition. Asher isn't privy to the latter's medical state, considering he isn't family, but he is quite painfully aware of the former's condition.

It's not good.

Asher can barely remember the doctor's hushed words. He'd wanted to shut him out – tune him out. All he had completely registered then was Adrian's sickly pale form on the hospital bed, his cheeks hollow, his lips dry, barely breathing.

They had to stitch up his head. He suffered a severe concussion. There was a large wound on his side that had become infected.

Asher recalls the doctor's queasy expression - and he's pretty sure doctors aren't supposed to have queasy expressions no matter the circumstance.

"Scars that'll span a decade,

" was what the doctor said.

Guilt gnawed at him. Remorse filled him.

Then, Asher had turned away. He asked himself,

"What's the point of helping with the investigation if I'm just going to kill him, anyway?

"

His role as a traitor had already began even all the way back when they're still in the amusement park.

Dylan made contact with Asher a couple of nights ago, promising to let Cassidy live in peace if he followed. He was to distract her and Adrian while they took Damien. That whole thing about Aira going missing was nothing but a fabricated lie to give Keith enough time to carry out the abduction.

"A quiet death...

" Dylan had told him back then, passing to him an injection filled with some bloody red substance.

"Fail to do that, Asher, and I'll make sure that you and my niece will go down with the Millicent family. Besides, you yourself had been wanting to avenge her parents and the other orphans who were killed by those monsters, hadn't you?

"

Now, Asher is torn between killing Adrian to save himself and Cassidy or helping the Millicent's and putting their own lives in danger. He can't choose. He doesn't want to.

'Why am I supposed to choose in the first place?'

So perhaps, Asher should die instead. If the executioner died before submitting to a verdict, then neither victim would have to suffer death at his hands.

Then, his phone rings. It's Irish. For some reason, she's got his number and is calling him.

Adrian is awake.

---

When Asher arrives at the hospital, he's greeted by a somber Irish and a fretful Olivia.

"I'm surprised you actually came. I thought you'd hole yourself up like you've done all the other times before,

" Irish sighed, looking a lot less vivacious than usual.

"It's more important for me to be here. How is your brother?

" Asher asked solemnly.

"Disoriented. But the doctors said his being awake is a good thing.

"

"Who's with him now?

"

"Well...

" Olivia chimed in.

"It's Edward.

"

"And who's been keeping watch on him these past few days?

"

"Irish and I take turns.

"

As they continue to talk, Irish ushered them and started walking down the hall.. With a scowl, she then continued,

"You'd know all of that if you were here, Asher.

"