Chapter 437

Before the fingerprint results came in, everyone was hanging out in the living room.

Bruno shot a look at the bodyguard next to him, who then walked over to Quentin and whispered, "Mr. Black, we need your phone."

Quentin was stunned.

They intended to take his phone?

As the young master of the Black Family, Quentin had always been the top dog.

At this moment, being treated in such a manner was nothing less than an announcement to everyone that with Wade back, Quentin had become insignificant.

Quentin stood there for a moment, looking at Bruno.

He needed to know where Bruno stood.

Bruno met Quentin's gaze with a cold look. "Quentin, please don't blame me for not trusting you. There's too much uncertainty right now. Until we get the fingerprint results, you need to cooperate."

With Bruno's stance clear, Quentin, though reluctant, had no choice.

He handed his phone to the bodyguard.

The tension in the room was thick, and Esme was already feeling uneasy.

Bruno suddenly turned to her, noticing her discomfort. "What's up with you?" he asked.

Esme took the chance to stand up. "I need to use the restroom."

Bruno noticed Esme's forehead was dotted with sweat and he could tell she was tense after years of marriage.

"Go ahead," he said.

"Okay," Esme nodded and left.

In the restroom, Esme locked the door and leaned against it, her legs weak.

The mirror showed her pale, flustered face.

Wade's face flashed in her mind, and she clenched her fists in anger.

She screamed inside, 'Wade isn't dead! Despite all those stabs, Wade isn't dead!'

Esme bit her lip, her eyes reddening.

A knock came from the door, followed by a maid's voice. "Mrs. Black, are you alright?"

Esme quickly wiped her tears, turned on the faucet, and composed herself before opening the door.

Two maids stood there, stepping back as she came out.

Esme glanced at them and asked calmly, "What's up?"

One of the maids replied, "Mr. Black is worried about you and asked us to check on you."

Esme said, her voice steady, "I'm fine. Are the fingerprint results out yet?"

The maid shook her head. "Not yet, it seems."

Esme straightened up, her emotions more controlled.

With things at this point, she wouldn't defend herself even if the results were out.

Esme adjusted her mindset and returned to the living room with the maids.

As soon as Esme sat down, the doctor walked in with the report.

The fingerprint results were out.

Esme's heart, which had just calmed down, tightened again.

Richard's eyes flicked over to Esme's face before locking onto the doctor's as he walked in.

"Mr. Bruno Black, these are the fingerprint comparison results from Mr. Wade Black's room," the doctor said, handing the report to Bruno.

Everyone's eyes were glued to the report.

Esme, sitting closest, turned her head and saw a long list of names on the report.

The doctor explained, "In Mr. Wade Black's room, besides his own fingerprints, there are those of several maids responsible for cleaning. There are also many from the deceased. Besides these..."

The doctor paused, not continuing.

Bruno seemed to have spotted a particular name, his brows immediately furrowing.

Esme didn't dare to look, just gritted her teeth, waiting for the storm to hit.

Bruno raised his hand and threw the report at Quentin. "See for yourself!"

Quentin was stunned, bent down to pick up the report from the floor, and saw his name at the end.

Bruno roared, "Aside from Wade and the deceased guard, your fingerprints were the most prevalent at the scene, including on the knife, which bore both yours and the victim's prints. Is there anything you wish to say in your defense?"

Quentin pressed his lips together and explained, "Mr. Black, whether you believe it or not, I didn't do this. I never intended to harm Wade."

But Bruno wasn't buying it.

He snapped, "Enough with the excuses. I put you in charge of the family's affairs because of what happened to Wade. Now that Wade's back, you don't need to handle the Black Group's matters anymore. Tomorrow, go to the company and hand over your duties."

"Mr. Black!" Quentin's eyes darkened. "Are you just going to cut me off like this?"

"It's not me cutting you off!" Bruno said, clearly irritated.

"You brought this on yourself. If you didn't have your own agenda, I'd have been fine with you helping Wade. But you're too greedy, Quentin! You're not my blood. The head of the Black Family can only be Wade."

Quentin wanted to ask why.

But in the end, he didn't.

He simply answered, "I see."

Bruno continued, "The company's affairs are numerous and complex. I'm worried you can't handle them alone. Let Richard accompany you."

Everyone present understood this was to let Richard suppress him and  monitor him.

"Fine," Quentin said, his expression unreadable. "Do you have anything else?"

"No." Bruno waved his hand dismissively. "You can leave."

Quentin clenched his jaw, holding back his anger as he stood up.

As he walked past the bodyguard, he paused, fixing the man with a cold stare. "Can I have my phone back?"

The bodyguard, trembling, looked to Bruno for permission.

Seeing Bruno nod, he returned the phone to Quentin.

Then Quentin walked away briskly.

Richard also stood up, "Mr. Black, I'll take my leave too."

But Bruno called him back. "Richard, come to my study. I have something to discuss with you."

In the study, Bruno was silent for a long time before speaking. "Richard, you should marry Elodie."

Richard was stunned.