Adrian Cole Return of the Lost Heir novel Chapter 96

Chapter 96

Chapter 96

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The police station buzzed with its usual late–night tension–phones ringing, officers moving between desks, the sharp scent of stale coffee hanging in the air. Fluorescent lights hummed overhead, washing everything in a pale, unforgiving glow.

Kai walked in like a storm that had decided to wear a human face.

His steps were controlled, but his aura wasn’t. Even without releasing it deliberately, something about him made conversations nearby lower in volume. A few officers glanced up, then quickly looked away.

“I’m here for Adrian Cole,” Kai said, stopping at the front desk.

The officer behind it barely looked up. “Name?”

“Kai,” he replied flatly. “You arrested him tonight. Traffic incident. Alleged attempted murder.”

That got the officer’s attention. He leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing. “You his lawyer?”

“No,” Kai said. “I’m the man telling you to release him.”

The officer scoffed. “Yeah? And I’m supposed to do that because you walked in here looking dramatic?”

Kai leaned forward, palms resting on the desk. “Because you have no legal grounds to keep him. The victim is alive. There was no intent. He stayed at the hospital voluntarily. You denied him legal counsel. That alone is enough to bury you in paperwork for the next five years.”

The officer straightened. “Watch your tone. He was arrested at the request of the victim’s family.”

“The so–called family,” Kai shot back. “Who showed up out of nowhere, withdrew a patient illegally, and called you before half the facts were verified.”

“That’s not your call,” the officer snapped.

Kai smiled then–but it wasn’t friendly.

“You have any idea who you’re joking with?” he asked quietly. “Do you know how many laws you’ve bent tonight just to look useful?”

The officer stood up. “Threatening an officer is another charge I can-

”

“I’ll sue this entire station,” Kai interrupted calmly. “Not you alone. Everyone on duty. Abuse of power. False detention. Procedural violations. I’ll have internal affairs crawling up your spine before sunrise.”

A few nearby officers paused, listening now.

“You think I’m bluffing?” Kai continued. “Good. Keep him locked up. Let’s see how that works out for your badge.”

The officer’s jaw tightened. “You don’t get to decide-”

Before he could finish, another officer hurried over, holding a tablet.

“Sir,” he said quietly, “we just got confirmation from the hospital.”

The desk officer turned. “About what?”

“The… the people who filed the complaint,” the younger officer said, hesitating. “They were involved in a car explosion on the

east road. Three fatalities.”

The station went still.

Chapter 96

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“…And the victim?” the desk officer asked slowly.

“Alive,” the officer replied. “Only survivor. Severe shock, minor burns. She’s been returned to the same hospital.”

Kai’s expression darkened.

Three dead. One survivor.

His instincts stirred uneasily.

A bad omen, he thought.

No… worse. A dangerous one.

The desk officer looked back at Kai sharply. “That means your friend is in deeper trouble. The complainants are dead. This could escalate into-”

The phone rang.

Sharp. Insistent.

The officer answered, irritation clear in his voice. “Yes?”

His posture changed almost immediately.

“…Understood,” he said after a pause.

He hung up slowly.

The room felt heavier.

“Release Adrian Cole,” he ordered.

The younger officer blinked. “Sir?”

((

..Yes, sir. Immediately.”

“Now,” he snapped. “Process the release. No conditions.”

Kai raised an eyebrow. “That was fast.”

The officer avoided his gaze. “We were… advised. From above.”

“How far above?” Kai asked.

The officer hesitated. “High enough that if I don’t comply, I lose my license by morning.”

Kai exhaled slowly.

Politicians, the officer thought to himself.

Has to be.

No civilian gets released like that.

He glanced at Kai again, suddenly wary. “Your friend… he wouldn’t happen to work for someone important, would he?”

Kai smiled faintly. “You could say that.”

Minutes later, Adrian was escorted out.

He looked calm–too calm for someone who’d been locked up unjustly–but his eyes flicked briefly to Kai, questioning.

“Let’s go,” Kai said simply.

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Kai had barely pulled the car out of the station parking lot when his phone rang. The screen lit up with a Director Reyes, and he let out a short breath before answering.

“Miss Reyes.”

Her voice came through immediately, sharp and controlled, without pleasantries. “Has the young master been released, or do I need to remove someone’s badge before morning?”

Kai snorted. “He’s out. Though honestly, removing that officer’s badge wouldn’t be such a bad idea. He was full of himself. If it wasn’t against the law, I would’ve beaten him up right there and saved everyone the trouble.”

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, then a faint sigh. “As long as Adrian is free, that’s all that matters. Put him

on.”

Kai glanced at Adrian, who was sitting in the passenger seat, his expression unreadable as streetlights slid across his face. He handed the phone over without a word.

“Reyes,” Adrian said calmly.

“Are you hurt?” she asked at once, the steel in her tone cracking just a little. “I was informed late, and I don’t like being informed late.”

“I’m fine,” Adrian replied. “Nothing serious happened on my end.”

“That’s not what I asked,” she said. “You don’t get taken to a station for nothing. Someone pushed this.”

“Yes,” Adrian said evenly. “And that’s exactly why I went to ask you for something.”

Reyes fell silent, listening.

“Don‘ look into the man who claimed to be the woman’s brother,” Adrian continued. “Just get to the root.”

Kai’s brows knitted, but he didn’t interrupt.

Reyes’s voice lowered. “You’re asking me to ignore a suspicious death tied to an accusation against you.”

“I’m asking you to prioritize,” Adrian corrected. “That man was a piece on a board, not the hand moving it. Digging into him will only lead you to a dead end that was designed to be found.”

“And you know this how?” she asked.

Adrian looked out the window, watching the city blur past. “Because whoever planned this wanted me locked up quickly, quietly, and legally. The ‘family‘ was convenient. Disposable. The real intent wasn’t justice.”

Reyes inhaled slowly. “You’re certain.”

“Yes.”

Another pause. Then, “What do you want instead?”

“I need results by tomorrow morning,” Adrian said. “Everything related to the accident itself. Traffic cameras. Emergency call logs. Who contacted the police first, and from where. And I want the hospital records sealed and duplicated before anyone else touches them.”

“That’s a lot to ask in one night,” Reyes said.

“I know,” Adrian replied. “That’s why I’m asking you.”

Silence stretched for a moment longer, then Reyes spoke again, steadier now. “Very well. I’ll handle it. But young master—this is already moving beyond coincidence.”

“I know,” he said quietly.

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Reyes exhaled. “Go home. Rest. I’ll call you when I have something concrete.”

The line went dead.

Kai let out a low whistle once Adrian handed the phone back. “You’re really good at making people work overnight.”

“I’m good at knowing when something doesn’t add up,” Adrian said.

Kai glanced at him sideways. “You think the woman in the hospital is connected to this too?”

Adrian didn’t answer immediately.

He thought of her eyes opening in the ward. Of the doctor’s shaken expression. Of how nothing–no spiritual probe, no mental touch–had reacted to her presence, yet something about her still felt… wrong.

“Connected?” Adrian finally said. “Yes.”

“Victim?” Kai pressed.

Adrian’s jaw tightened slightly. “That remains to be seen.”

The car rolled into the estate gates, guards stepping aside at once. As Kai parked, he turned the engine off but didn’t move to get

out.

“You know,” he said slowly, “ever since that duel, trouble doesn’t come at you head–on anymore. It circles. Uses people. Laws. Hospitals.”

Adrian opened the door. “That’s because brute force failed.”

Kai watched him step out, then followed. “And what happens when they realize this didn’t either?”

Adrian paused, looking up at the darkened sky.

“Then they’ll make a mistake,” he said. “People who rely on shadows always do.”

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