With the wine bottles destroyed and their contents spilled across the floor, any evidence of the alleged smuggling activities was gone. Entering the flooded cellar at this point was a lost cause and frankly disgusting.
Horace glared at Ashton sullenly before reholstering his gun. He turned around to leave.
He had barely taken two steps before he whipped around suddenly and said cynically, “I must say, Mr. Fuller and Mrs. Fuller, the two of you make such a lovely pair. Your teamwork is admirable, and I’d be hard-pressed to find another pair who were more in sync with one another!”
He did not fool me with his thinly veiled attempt at accusing us of being criminal accomplices.
How good can he be if he’s so intent on painting our family as villains over some baseless accusations?
I played dumb and replied sweetly, “What a lovely compliment. I’m sure the two of us will enjoy a long life together over your blessings!”
“Hmph!” Horace scoffed and said, “Let’s see if you’ll still be smiling like this during our next encounter!”
He left in a huff with the other officers in tow.
Horace’s behavior made it seem like we were his mortal enemies, and I could not help but wonder if everyone else harbored this feeling of prejudice toward all businessmen. He was so ready to pin the blame on us even before obtaining any evidence, almost as if he’s confident that none of our profits come from legal means.
Ashton waited for the officers to leave the vicinity of the cellar before coming out. The sound of rhythmic crunching greeted our ears as he walked over the glass shards littering the floor.
The wine cellar had no heating, and the chill sent me scrunching my neck into my collar. Hastily, I added, “You’re going to fall sick if you stay in those wet clothes. You should clean up in the restroom.”
“I’ll be fine,” Ashton replied. He looked at Summer grimly and added, “Get someone to move the rest of the wine away. Keep it in a discreet location; we might have some use for it in the future.”
Summer and I turned to look at the half-open crates in the cellar, paling in unison.
It turned out that Ashton had not destroyed all of the wines. It was all an act, and most of the smuggled wines were lying intact in their original crates. Had the police officers been more determined to venture into the cellar for a better look, they would have the evidence they needed to make a case.
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