Gwen's hands tightened around the phone, her teeth clenching.
The words alone were enough for Gwen to know it could only have been Ross who attacked Asher last night.
Asher broke the silence, his voice hollow. "It wasn't you… was it?"
Gwen's gaze snapped to him, her expression hard. "Of course it wasn't me," she said sharply.
"Not in a million years would I ever spread my legs for you," Gwen snapped, her voice cold and sharp as a blade. Experience exclusive tales on empire
"You're delusional if you think I'd agree to something like that, even with your pathetic attempts at blackmail. And to think you'd stoop so low... you're disgusting."
Asher didn't respond immediately, his hands still covering his face as his breathing turned shallow and erratic.
The weight of what had happened seemed to crush him all at once. The humiliation, the pain, the sheer absurdity of it all.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke.
"It's Ross fucking Oakley, isn't it?" His voice was low, a dangerous growl that carried more rage than clarity.
"He's the only one with a motive to do this to me. That bastard in the demon mask said I messed with the wrong girl—he was talking about you. It all makes sense now." Asher's tone grew more heated, his anger boiling over.
"I'll ruin him. I'll destroy him, his life, everything he cares about!" He slammed his fist against the hospital bed, the metallic clank echoing in the quiet room.
Gwen sighed, closing her eyes briefly. She had seen this coming.
She knew Asher would react this way—his pride and anger wouldn't allow him to accept defeat without lashing out.
"If he could do this to you so easily," she said, her voice calm but tinged with weariness, "imagine what he could do to your family. Your wife, your sister, your parents. Think it through, Asher. Trust me, Ross is not someone you can cross and expect to walk away unharmed."
Her words struck like a blow, and for a moment, Asher was silent, staring at her as though he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
His mind raced, replaying the events of the previous night, the taunting texts, the ambush, and finally, the horrifying realization that Ross had likely orchestrated it all.
"You knew," he said finally, his voice trembling with a mix of betrayal and anger.
"You knew all along how dangerous he was. That's why you suspected him for the hotel basement massacre in the first place, isn't it? You backed off so abruptly—it wasn't because you lacked evidence. It's because he scared you." His sharp eyes bore into hers, searching for the truth he already knew was there.
Gwen's silence was damning. She couldn't deny it, and she didn't try. Instead, she looked away, her lips pressed into a tight line.
"I warned you," she said softly, her voice carrying a tinge of regret. "You didn't listen."
Her words only fanned the flames of Asher's frustration. He let out a hollow laugh, the sound bitter and filled with anguish.
"You warned me? You warned me?! That's what you're going with?" He leaned forward, his face contorted with anger and disbelief.
"All I wanted was to get laid, Gwen. That's it. One night of fun, and now I'm here—mutilated, humiliated, ruined! A man without his cock and balls is no man, Gwen!" His laughter grew louder, almost maniacal, as if mocking the absurdity of his own situation.
"My life is a joke! A damn punchline!"
Gwen watched him unravel, her expression unreadable.
She felt the pang of guilt gnawing at her, but she pushed it aside.
She had her own survival to think about. Ross was not someone you fought lightly, and she had learned that lesson the hard way.
She had tried to warn Asher, but his arrogance had blinded him, leading him straight into Ross's trap.
Asher's laughter finally turned to guttural sobs, his body shaking as the reality of his situation fully hit him.
"My wife… my family… How do I face them now? How do I even live like this? I'm afraid that Penny will…" His voice cracked, his hands clenching into fists so tight his knuckles turned white.
"You survive," Gwen said quietly, her voice steady but devoid of sympathy.
"You keep your head down and you move forward. You don't challenge Ross. You don't even think about him. Because if you do, you won't just lose more—you'll lose everything."
Asher glared at her, his tears streaking his face. "Easy for you to say. You're still whole. You still have your pride. I'm a goddamn shell of a man now. And it's all because of him—because of you!" His voice cracked again, the raw pain in his words cutting through the room like a knife.
Gwen flinched but held her ground. "Blame me all you want, but the truth is, you did this to yourself. You played a game you didn't understand, and now you're paying the price. Let this be your lesson, Asher. Stay out of Ross's way. He won't give you a second warning."
Asher fell silent, his head dropping back against the pillow. His breathing slowed, but the rage in his eyes didn't fade.
Gwen knew this wouldn't be the last time they'd talk about Ross, but for now, she'd said all she could.
She turned to leave, her steps heavy with the weight of everything left unsaid.
As she reached the door, she paused, glancing back at Asher's broken form.
"I'm sorry," she said softly, barely above a whisper. She wasn't sure if he heard her, and in truth, she didn't care.
She wasn't apologizing for Ross's actions—she was apologizing for the part of her that still felt relief it wasn't her in Asher's place.
"What is a man without his cock and balls?" Gwen muttered to herself, her voice barely above a whisper.
A cold shiver ran down her spine as the grim reality of Asher's new existence settled over her.
The bleak, hollow future he now faced was a cruel and inescapable truth.
Before leaving, Gwen took necessary precautions.
"One of you, get inside and stay with him. Don't leave Asher alone—not even for a second. Consider him on suicide watch. I'll speak to the chief about assigning an additional officer to this post," she instructed the two officers standing guard outside Asher's room.
"Understood, Detective Monroe," one of them replied with a firm nod before stepping into the room to take his post.
Satisfied for now, Gwen walked away, her heart heavy with an ache she couldn't quite define.
It seemed as though Ross was a dark star, pulling everything and everyone around him into his orbit of destruction. Herself included.