Built His Empire Then Watched It Burn When He Cheated novel Chapter 681

Jonathan spoke into the phone without preamble, "Spill."

Zion's voice came through steady, stripped of excess emotion.

"After the villa fire years ago, the first specialized responders—apart from local fire and police—were from a city-level accident review unit.

"Their lead investigator at the time was a man named Hanston. He retired years ago and relocated out of state to be closer to his children. Our team recently managed to track him down. He avoided us at first, but persistence paid off. Eventually, he shared something he never forgot."

Jonathan moved toward the glass wall overlooking the city. Neon lights shimmered below, distant and impersonal. His reflection stared back at him, hard-edged and unreadable. "What did he remember?"

Zion replied, "Hanston noticed something wrong when the site was cleared, particularly around the first-floor wine storage area. The remaining metal showed damage consistent with extremely high temperatures. It didn't match the profile of an accidental residential fire.

"He also retrieved a small metal piece from the debris. It was heavily burned and nearly unrecognizable, but he thought it looked like part of a manual mechanical timer—an old, simple device that you wind by hand. Although outdated, it was dependable enough to delay ignition.

"In short, the fire wasn't caused by faulty plumbing or aging infrastructure."

Jonathan felt his focus sharpen. "Then, why did the official conclusion stay clean?"

Zion explained, "Hanston sent the fragment to Forensics for analysis. The lab returned a report, claiming it was nothing more than melted metal, nothing worth noting.

"Hanston challenged the findings and even confronted them directly. Forensics refused to budge.

"Around the same time, pressure began to ease from higher levels. The Fullbuster name was involved, and no one wanted public scrutiny or speculation. Orders were issued to close the case quickly. The incident was labeled an accident, and the evidence was destroyed following protocol."

"Higher levels?" Jonathan's voice dropped, cold and precise. "Who applied the pressure?"

"He doesn't know," Zion answered. "That part seems genuine."

Jonathan turned away from the window, his jaw tightening. "Dig deeper. Check whether any long-term rivals or hostile business connections were in Baytree during that window. I also want to know who my parents were meeting around then."

If the fire wasn't an accident and we were all inside, then this wasn't a warning. It was meant to finish us.

Another thought followed, heavier and far more uncomfortable. What if nobody outside covered it up? What if Dad and Mom did?

If a timer had been involved, then his parents couldn't have done it. No one sets that kind of trap with their only son still inside, he thought.

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