Bride of Retribution: Aloof Billionaire's Dominant Game

”Has the inspection report come out yet?” Joshua Hughes, his gentle gaze gone, stood on the deck, withdrawing his eyes from the petite woman inside the enormous tent. Instantly his eyes were as icy as ice, coldly staring at the bodyguard. Such incompetence from his subordinate was utterly disgraceful. It also demonstrated the prowess of the person who poisoned.

”Mr. Hughes, the report just came out. According to the extraction of gastric fluid from Miss Donna, it was determined that the poisoning was caused by consuming candy.” The bodyguard looked at the intricately delicate flower-shaped transparent table casually placed on the deck, on which a silver plate held various fruits, beautifully packaged candies, and various red and gold lacquer boxes containing assorted nuts, prepared by Mr. Hughes for the New Year.

There was not a single candy in Miss Donna’s room, yet she came here today. It is highly probable that the poisoned candy came from here.

Joshua Hughes’s chilling gaze was as sharp as a knife, carrying the momentum to cut through all the fog. Damn, someone was plotting against him, or was it Avery Jane? It certainly wasn’t intended for Donna because her move to the top floor was merely an accident.

Candy? Joshua Hughes looked at the candy he had meticulously prepared, sourced from all around the world. The various fruit candies alone came from different regions because variations in longitude and climate affected their sugar content and aroma. So the square, round, heart-shaped candies as beautiful as colored diamonds were all from the most renowned small workshops, custom chocolates from designated private workshops, and even every single nut came from the best origins.

But who would poison the candy? An accident, perhaps? Impossible. Joshua Hughes’s eyes emitted two beams sharp as knives.

”What flavor of candy did she eat?” It couldn’t be that all the candies were poisoned. If someone wanted to poison him, they could only bribe one candy-making workshop. That person was also gambling, gambling he would eat that specific flavor of candy.

”Citrus flavor.” The bodyguard picked out a tangerine-colored candy from the silver plate, wrapped in transparent packaging, looking extremely enticing, seemingly exuding the alluring scent of citrus. Among those fruit candies, indeed such color was the most captivating.

In one night, the bodyguard had already traced the origins of these tangerine flavor candies. ”These citrus candies came from a female owner’s orchard in Florida State, United States. Her production of orange jam and citrus-flavored candies is highly sought after because her sugar-making honey and syrup are homemade. This batch of candies was airlifted a week ago, but when it arrived, it was sealed in glass bottles, and the packaging was added later.”

In just one night, and on such a boat where various inconveniences abound, the information he could gather was only this. After reporting, he cautiously watched Joshua Hughes.

The silent man did not speak, his gaze profoundly fixed on the sea surface. Those hidden, invisible hands in the dark gradually began to reach out. But was this targeting him, or was it targeting her? He did not eat sweets, almost never touched such things. What about Avery Jane? A faint unease flashed within his heart; what if all this danger wasn’t directed at him, but at the lovely girl on the bed?

”Who did the packaging?” Joshua Hughes toyed with the candy in his hand. It might be poisonous, or it might not, but it certainly caught his interest.

Because the items delivered to him were all through layers of checks, almost on par with the Emperor’s imperial cuisine back in the day.

The Hughes family had always been particular about food, with their own organic farms and fishing boats along the cleanest coastal waters, responsible for supplying food for the entire large family. There were specialists procuring the best snacks and fruits worldwide. But exactly which link made the mistake?

The female owner who made the citrus candy? Impossible. She was just a humble estate owner, making a living with her gates open, no one would cause such trouble. So it must have been during the intermediate separation and packaging stage, or someone tampered with the arrangements above. Who was it exactly? People wanting his life had always existed, not to mention external factors, even within the Hughes Clan. Those veteran members he forcefully suppressed, and among the next generation who are discontented with his status as the rightful heir of the Hughes Clan, many are silently scheming for a day when the Hughes Clan would undergo a change. If it were only these people, it would be simple, but what if it isn’t?