Chapter 320: YOUR WIFE?
Viper sat, completely frozen by the words that Edward had just uttered.
"We both know why we are here so let’s just cut to the chase," Edward continued, not minding Viper’s shocked expression. "You want to save one of your comrades, isn’t that right?" Edward questioned. He noticed Viper staring at him without blinking and he smirked before sighing. "Did I rush you?"
Viper straightened his back and coughed to clear his throat. "You are right,"he started. "We both know why we are here and that’s for you to release those weapons you have seized from Joe and his men. This will do us both good."
Edward scoffed before an amused smile graced his lips.
"Do you realize that you are a criminal and you are sitting in front of a military officer?" Edward questioned him. " If I wanted to, I would have arrested you right now, Viper Jones."
Viper wasn’t a bit surprised that Edward knew his last name. He glared back at Edward who glared back at him. "A military officer cannot arrest a normal civilian."
"Normal?" Edward scoffed. "YOU are a criminal, Viper. You are a criminal and you both know that. I’m sure you must be wondering why we haven’t arrested you now right? Well, it is a secret that I can’t tell you." Edward shrugged.
"That’s not why we are here," Viper clips, his anger about to burst through his mouth but he controlled himself since he was out, in the middle of a bustling restaurant. "I’ve already told you. I want you to release those weapons that you’ve seized." He repeated.
"I won’t," Edward objected, casually sipping his orange juice which had been on the table since but Viper had failed to notice it. "Now that you’ve told me what you want, how about I ask you a question that has been in my mind for a while now."
Viper stared at Edward, suddenly curious about the question that he was going to ask him.
"Erika found a woman that looked just like her on your phone one time, who was she?" Edward asked without beating around the bush.
He studied all of Viper’s reactions and didn’t for one miss when he widened his eyes in shock for a brief second.
"There’s no way you can deny that you’ve never seen the woman before or probably say you don’t know what I’m talking about," Edward continued, leaving no space for Viper to think of a way to escape the question. "So who is she?"
"Since you are so good with technology that you dug out what my last name was, why didn’t you put your fingers to use and searched her up as well," Viper suggested but he knew how shaken he was on the inside. He’d never thought that Edward knew about Emma but who was he kidding? If Erika had seen the picture, there was a 90% chance that she could have told her family members as well.
"You are right about that. I could have done that but it seems that someone erased all her files," he stared at a viper, knowing fully well that the person sitting in front of him was the culprit but he continued. "It’s like, she doesn’t exist. Who is she?" He repeated, this time sounding even more serious than when he asked the question the first time.
"This is not why we are here," Viper tried to change the topic. "Release those weapons and send them back to me. If you do that, I can give you lots of money—"
"Don’t misuse the privilege I’ve given to you just because I didn’t put you behind bars yet, Viper. You and your comrades are laundering weapons into the city, unlicensed weapons and you think that I will let it go so easily. I know you are their boss, but don’t think I will do as you say all because I replied to your text. The only reason I replied was because I want you to tell me who that woman was so can you cut me some slack and start talking already?" Edward persuaded with a smile on his lips.
He glanced around the restaurant before continuing. "If you think that my men are here to arrest you or anything, then you are mistaken. So go on, don’t be shy now," he added.
Viper couldn’t help but be amused at how much Edward changed his mood, even on a serious talk like this one but he knew for sure that he wasn’t going to say any personal information about him just like that to Edward. Besides, that wasn’t why he was there.
"I don’t know who she is," Viper denied.
"Tsk tsk tsk... now this is where you are starting to disappoint me," Edward hissed in disappointment. "You know who she is since she was found on your phone with two boys that look like twins, smiling for the camera, looking happy," he repeated the words that Erika had said when she’d informed them of the picture.
Viper’s hands balled into fists and he suddenly had the urge to punch Edward in the face.
"She’s no one," he bit his tongue.
Edward didn’t reply but simply stared at him with a stoic expression where one couldn’t read what was going on in his mind at all.
Viper grew both anxious and impatient. He was wasting his time sitting there after Edward had made it clear that he wasn’t going to release the weapons that he’d seized but after being told by him that he wasn’t going to be arrested, he didn’t know if he should feel at ease or be even more worried. If Edward was able to capture Joe’s men, it only meant that he could capture Frank and the others too.
"Is she your wife?" Edward suddenly asked after it took like forever for him to open his mouth.
Viper’s eyes snapped to look at him. He didn’t reply but his reaction alone was enough for one to know what his answer would be.
