Ch. 631..640
Chapter 631 To Guard Against The Hidden Evil
“This is a well-planned murder.” Sebastian donned a somber look on his face. “There aren’t any signs of braking at the scene, and the driver wasn’t breaking any traffic laws. Although they found traces of alcohol in his blood, it’s still under limits.”
He could not imagine what would happen if that car had seemed completely fine before they left. Christina would have been in the accident, and she would have died with the baby. He wondered if Nathaniel would lose his mind.
Meanwhile, Christina started mulling over the matter.
She had crossed quite a number of people lately, with Nigel’s family hating her the most. She had forced them to a dead end, so it would not be a stretch to assume that Nigel might want to come after her.
She then asked Sebastian. “Who do you think is the likeliest to be behind this?”
It was a difficult question, for there were too many suspects he could list. Without clear clues, he could not come to a proper conclusion.
“Mr. Nigel and his family might be after you,” Sebastian started. Then, he added, “Warren Yackley, Anya’s patron, is a suspect too.”
Warren Yackley!
Christina had nearly forgotten about that man. Anya despised her, and she was willing to forgo her principles to get a patron so that she could get out of her troubled situation.
However, Anya was also a manipulative woman. It would not be impossible for her to use Warren to get rid of Christina.
After a while of rumination, Christina realized that it was likelier that Anya was the one behind the accident.
Nigel and Yerek were too preoccupied with rejoining the Stone family and getting investors for the failing company. It was unlikely that they would have the time to come after her yet.
Christina hummed and said. “Let’s not board the plane.”
Christina did not find it safe to have Timothy stay in Hallsbay alone. Gibson Corporation had just revived itself, and she could not let anything go wrong.
Her survival in this accident meant that there would be another attempt on her life.
“Mrs. Hadley, I’d suggest you return to Jadeborough. It’s the Hadley family’s territory there, so that’ll be the safest place for you now,” Sebastian pointed out.
Lyle, who was always silent, chimed in, “I agree with Mr. Taggart. It’s not safe to remain in Hallsbay.”
While Lyle could go up against three men by himself, no one could tell if there were going to be more enemies than Lyle could handle.
It was easy to defend herself from public attacks, but it would be far harder to guard against the hidden evil. Lyle might be able to protect her once, but he might not be able to protect her as well the second time.
Ultimately, Christina said, “Okay, let’s go back to Jadeborough first. Don’t let Mr. Hadley learn about this yet. I don’t want him to worry.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Sebastian and Lyle replied in unison.
The several-hour flight was uncomfortable for pregnant Christina. She felt as if she was in a trance during the flight, and when she alighted the plane, she was as pale as a sheet of paper.
Sebastian’s heart was in his throat. “Mrs. Hadley, are you feeling unwell?”
Christina shook her head and wearily answered, “I’m fine. I couldn’t rest well on the plane earlier. I’m just tired. Let’s go back to Scenic Garden Manor first.”
Still worried, Sebastian arranged for the family doctor to wait at Scenic Garden Manor before Christina returned.
Upon reaching Scenic Garden Manor, the family doctor did a checkup for Christina. He concluded that it was a mild case of malnutrition and tiredness, so he told Christina to rest and recover until the day of her labor.
After Sebastian sent the family doctor away, he instructed the kitchen staff to prepare supper.
Christina was slow in eating it. She was deliberately waiting for Nathaniel to return from his social events, but after a long while of waiting, she could no longer keep her sleepiness at bay. So, she sent Nathaniel a message and went back into her room to sleep.
In her half-asleep state, she sensed someone hugging her. She tried pushing them away, but the more she did that, the tighter the embrace became.
Annoyed, Christina opened her eyes only to see Nathaniel’s handsome face. She froze but soon pushed his head away, remarking. “You smell like alcohol. Hurry up and take a shower.”
“Darling, it’s been such a long time since we’ve seen each other, so let me hug you a little longer.” Nathaniel buried his face in the crook of her neck. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were coming back? If I knew that you were coming back tonight, I wouldn’t have gone for the event.”
Christina snorted at his clinginess, but she was the one who indulged him in these episodes:
“It’s only been three days and twenty-three hours since we last saw each other.”
“You seem to be well aware of how long it has been.” Nathaniel beamed and let go of her. “Go back to sleep. I’m going to take a bath.”
“Okay,” Christina then watched Nathaniel enter the bathroom. She had sobered up by then, so she went downstairs to make a bowl of hangover remedy for Nathaniel.
As she stared at the bubbles in the pot, she thought about the earlier car accident.
“What are you thinking about?” came Nathaniel’s sudden voice. He hugged her from behind and gently brushed his lips past the edge of her car. Reaching out to turn off the stove, he uttered, “I can see that you have something on your mind.”
It was not a question.
“Nathaniel, I’d like to discuss something with you,” Christina began, turning around to face him. “My father’s relationship with Nigel is now tense. I don’t feel safe leaving him in Hallsbay alone, so I’d like to bring him here. Once Gibson Corporation’s development has stabilized, I’ll move the office here too.”
Nathaniel responded, “To be honest, you don’t need to ask me this. You have my support in every decision you make. In a while, Hadley Corporation will have an office building constructed. Once you’re ready, you can move Gibson Corporation’s office to that building.”
An office building was nothing to Hadley Corporation, but Christina did not wish to rely on Nathaniel for everything she wanted.
“Why don’t I pay you rent? It’s an office building that Hadley Corporation has invested much money into, but you’re not even getting back your capital. The directors will surely kick up a fuss over this later.”
Hadley Corporation was no longer the same company it used to be. Not only were the Hadleys waiting for Nathaniel to rake in profits for them, but the shareholders of the company were too. If they were to make things difficult for Nathaniel, they would be challenging their source of income.
“You have a part in the company, and all the money I spent is our shared asset. They have no right to intervene in this,” Nathaniel said with a chuckle. “That building was meant to be yours from the start. When your studio grows into a larger-scale business, you’ll have to establish a proper office. I thought it’ll be better to prepare a building for you earlier.”
Then, he added, “Frankly, I’ve wanted to ask you to move Gibson Corporation to Jadeborough. That way, you won’t need to travel between two cities so frequently.”
Nathaniel’s consideration moved her. Thank you, Nathaniel.”
While fixing his burning gaze on her, he said. “I’m so honest with you, so don’t you think it’s time for you to tell me what’s up with that accident in Hallsbay?”
Christina brought the warm bowl of hangover remedy to him and urged, “Drink it while it’s hot.”
However, he took the bowl and put it aside. Then, he placed his arms by her sides and trapped her in his arms.
“Christina, don’t change the topic. I know everything you do in Hallsbay. I’m curious about why you’re hiding this from me. I want an explanation.”
It seemed like there was no avoiding the topic any longer.
At the end of the day, Christina was no match for Nathaniel in keeping things secret.
“I had a conflict with Anya before the accident. I think she’s the one behind this.”
Chapter 632 Trouble
A cold look swirled in Nathaniel’s eyes as he queried, “Do you need my help?”
He had little interest in the intricacies of it all, but he harbored no leniency for those who dared to harm his people.
Out of consideration for Christina, he refrained from taking any action against the Gibson family. He honored her decision and wish to handle matters with the Gibsons personally, but with the stipulation that her safety remained completely protected.
Christina firmly declined without hesitation, stating, “Anya still serves a purpose for us, being Warren Yackley’s mistress, who has a close relationship with Winston. He, too, was entangled in the events of the past.”
Nathaniel quickly discerned her intentions and remarked, “You intend to manipulate Warren through Anya, don’t you? Share your plan with me.”
At that moment, she recounted the incident, describing how she strategically timed the revelation of Anya and Warren’s affair to coincide with their stay in a hotel room, allowing Warren’s wife to see through his deceit.
Warren owed his current status to his marriage to a wealthy family. While he indulged in a lavish and promiscuous lifestyle outside, he was a submissive and non-assertive man at home.
Warren’s wife was a proper and dignified socialite, proud and arrogant due to her privileged upbringing. After marrying Warren, she became increasingly dominant in nature, and her demands of him became more and more unreasonable.
Even so, Warren never expressed any discontent. He gained a reputation as a henpecked husband, going to great lengths to fulfill his wife’s almost perverse desires.
Indeed, Warren’s wife was completely fooled by his deception, enabling him to assume control over the family’s business and assets. Those who depended on Warren for their own interests kept his extramarital affairs a secret, as it served their own agendas and ambitions.
It wasn’t until Christina exposed the intimate video of Anya and Warren to Warren’s wife that she realized the extent of her husband’s deception.
Anya’s provocation of Warren’s wife was akin to challenging a tigress. If she weren’t taught a harsh lesson this time, it would be a blow to the latter’s dignity and reputation.
“Warren has been accustomed to a life of wealth and luxury for most of his life. However, his wife will definitely not tolerate this humiliation. Divorce would be the worst outcome for them, something he would never agree to. In the end, the one getting the short end of the stick is Anya,” said Christina.
Here, she paused before continuing, “Her affair with Warren has already become public knowledge, and he once promised to marry her. I know Anya’s personality well. If her demands are not met, she will not give up easily. I’m just waiting for her and Warren to have a falling out. When that happens, his secret will become leverage in Anya’s hands. After some time, I’ll employ some tactics to get her to come and strike up a negotiation with me.””
Christina had already meticulously planned the entire scheme. She was simply waiting for the right
moment-a moment when Anya and Warren would have a falling out.
“After you had Sebastian relay the message to me, I sent someone to investigate the relationship between Warren and Winston,” Nathaniel said. “Winston once saved Warren’s life, and Warren, being somewhat superstitious, believed that Winston was his lucky star and recognized him as his godson. Once David Labarge established a new company, Warren privately introduced projects from his in-laws company to David. Hence, Warren is the third investor of the Labarge cousins’ company.”
Her curiosity piqued, Christina questioned, “What’s the name of Winston’s new company?”
She had never personally interacted with Winston, and her perception of him was based on Nathaniel’s descriptions. Even Nathaniel regards Winston as a shrewd and cunning individual, so surely he’s not going to be easy to deal with. Nevertheless, it’s better for me to gather more information about the man so that I wouldn’t be caught off guard if I were to encounter him in the future.
“Apex Technologies,” replied Nathaniel. “Winston was worried that Nigel may pose obstacles for him in the construction materials industry, so on the surface, he made it seem like he abandoned his old business and ventured into online business. However, in reality, he had Warren negotiate the construction materials supply business. Warren had his father-in-law backing him, so there was no shortage of orders. If Nigel collaborated with Winston, he would be at the mercy of the latter.”
A sudden realization dawned upon Christina as a gleam flashed across her eyes. “If Nigel finds out that Winston had been manipulating him all along, what do you think he’d do for revenge?”
“Last time, when the rumors you spread reached Nigel’s ears, he rushed over to Jadeborough and gave Winston a good beating. He threatened Winston to return all of the embezzled money, or else he wouldn’t mind dragging Winston down with him.”
Christina’s interest was piqued. “Do you think Winston will comply?” she asked.
“He won’t.” Nathaniel was certain about that much. “Nigel’s status has changed drastically. The Stone family is no longer under Barnaby’s control. With Sheridan in power, Nigel can only be considered an illegitimate son of the Stone family. According to the family rules, an illegitimate son cannot inherit the family’s assets.”
Hearing this, the woman felt much more at ease.
Nigel was in a precarious position. Having lost his power in the Gibson family and failed to gain recognition from the Stone family, he was not a match for the Gibson family at all.
Money played a crucial role in society, and without it, one could face significant challenges. The threat posed by Nigel to the Gibson family had significantly diminished due to his financial limitations.
Nevertheless, Christina still insisted on her initial plan of bringing Timothy and Gibson Corporation to Jadeborough.
With a smile on her face, she cheerily lifted the lukewarm hangover remedy and brought it to Nathaniel’s lips. “You’ve worked hard. If it weren’t for you investigating Winston and the others on my behalf, I would’ve taken many detours with my plan. The remedy will get cold if you don’t drink it soon. Go ahead and take a sip.”
After finishing every last drop of the hangover remedy, the man bent down and scooped her up in his arms, taking long strides toward the second floor.
“It’s still early. You should go rest a little longer,” he said.
Christina lifted her head and glanced at the view outside, noticing a faint glimmer of dawn on the horizon.
It’s almost dawn. We’ve been chatting in the kitchen for that long?
+5 Bonus
Christina woke up naturally after a restful sleep, finding that Nathaniel had already left for work. He had thoughtfully instructed the kitchen to prepare a nutritious meal for her and instructed Raymond to ensure that Christina finished the entire meal. He even requested a video of her eating to be sent to him for review.
After finishing her meal, Christina sat back in a cozy wicker chair in the courtyard, basking in the sunlight with her pleasantly rounded belly.
As the warm sunlight enveloped her body, she began to drift off to sleep.
“Mrs. Hadley, are you asleep?” Raymond appeared quietly behind Christina, asking in a tentative tone.
“What is it, Mr. Patel?” She opened her eyes, sat up, then turned around to look at the man behind her.
“Your friend, Ms. Maguire, is here. She has an urgent matter to discuss with you in person.”
Recently, Nathaniel had implemented several strict rules at Scenic Garden Manor, requiring all visitors to obtain his approval before gaining entrance. The purpose of these rules was to ensure that Christina could rest assured and focus on her pregnancy without worry.
Raymond had received Nathaniel’s permission before conveying the message to Christina, and the process took some time.
“Let her in.” Right after the words left Christina’s mouth, Rayne invited herself in, unable to wait any longer.
Raymond did not say anything and served the two women some tidbits before leaving them alone.
Having not seen each other for more than half a month, Christina and Rayne were surprised to feel a sense of familiarity that had been absent for a long time.
“Rayne, you look like you’ve gotten skinnier, and your complexion doesn’t look good either. Have you fallen ill?” Christina asked, her tone laced with concern.
Rayne quickly approached her and went straight to the point. “The studio is in major trouble again, and this time it’s not due to any mistakes made by our employees, but rather trouble that has sought us
out.”
Chapter 633 Endless Trouble
Christina even began to wonder if she was inherently prone to disasters. She had just returned to Jadeborough, and trouble had eagerly knocked on her door. Can’t I have a few peaceful days?
Christina lamented inwardly. However, that was her studio and her source of income, so she had to take that matter seriously.
Christina supported Rayne and made room for her on the chair. Then, she poured a cup of coffee and handed it to the latter. “Calm down. Have a drink and speak slowly.
Rayne was already at her wit’s end. She had no time to leisurely sip coffee and relax. Taking in Christina’s nonchalant demeanor, Rayne grew more anxious.
“Christina, the problem this time involves the studio’s survivability.”
Is it that serious? Christina furrowed her brows. “What happened?”
Rayne said, “It’s Emilia. She made a debut in the entertainment industry and became acquainted with the locally famous and highly successful agent, Estelle Channing. Emilia suddenly rose to fame on the internet half a month ago. Estelle somehow managed to whitewash Emilia’s past. Two weeks ago, she copied Elizabeth’s old trick, asking Estelle to approach our studio to customize a set of dresses for attending events.”
Emilia’s trouble-causing actions were still to come. Rayne organized her thoughts for a moment before she gritted her teeth and continued. “Estelle described to us the ideal requirements for the dress based on the KR brand’s designs from the nineties. Three days ago, Emilia wore the dresses we designed to attend an endorsement event for a certain brand, and she happened to run into KR’s director!”
Christina grimaced. Everyone knew how difficult it was to deal with the KR brand in the clothing design industry.
Moreover, that brand had been established for a long time. The designs of their dresses during the brand’s most glorious period were revered by others and were still popular to that day.
“Emilia’s team immediately issued a statement, pushing all the responsibilities onto us. She portrayed herself as a victim and garnered a wave of popularity. After the incident, I contact Estelle immediately. She denied that she had put forward the design requirements to the studio and instead used the studio’s previous plagiarism predicament as a point of argument. Now, KR has sent a lawyer’s letter to the studio, accusing us of copyright infringement”
Christina hurriedly stood up. “Why are you only telling me something so important now? We’ll discuss the rest of the matter when we get to the studio.”
Rayne felt guilty. “I’m sorry. I thought I could handle this tricky issue well.”
Christina replied bluntly, “You can’t.”
Colors drained from Rayne’s face as she gazed at Christina with reddened eyes in helplessness.
Christina explained, “I do not doubt your abilities. Emilia is aiming to ruin my career and reputation. She’s forcing me to step forward and take the blame. All of you just got dragged into this mess because of
ITIC,”
That problem needs to be resolved as soon as possible. It was fine if the studio had to shut down, but what was most important was the reputation of the designers. Once they were associated with plagiarism, their careers would be done for.
Rayne uttered sincerely, “Christina, don’t say that. None of us regretted pursuing you, even in the face of this crisis. Everyone is prepared for the worst. Even if we are saddled with the bad name of
plagiarism, we will live and die with the studio.”
Christina took out a piece of handkerchief and handed it to Rayne. “You’re already an adult. Why are you crying at every little thing? Don’t worry. We can definitely resolve this.”
She strode over and put her arm around Rayne’s shoulder. Christina’s tone was a mixture of jest and bravado as she spoke. “Don’t you forget that my man is very capable. If I can’t solve this, he will support me. If this studio can’t survive, we’ll pick a good day to set up a new one. My man is filthy rich.”
Rayne laughed through her tears as a relaxed expression finally spread across her countenance. “Yes. You’re right. This problem hasn’t spiraled beyond salvation yet. I cannot lose my morale and boost others arrogance.
“That’s the spirit. I need your help next, so you better hang in there. I’m pregnant and can’t take charge of most things we need to do.”
Christina grabbed her coat and put it on. Then, she stuffed her phone and wallet into the coat pocket and called for the butler. “I need to go to the studio and won’t be back for lunch. I’ll inform Mr. Hadley about this later.”
Raymond nodded. “All right. I’ll arrange a driver for you and Ms. Maguire right away.”
“Okay.” Christina and Rayne exited the mansion together and saw Lyle waiting in a car at the entrance.
He had changed into a classic black and white suit. His aloof aura made his fierce facial features appear even more intimidating.
Seeing Lyle’s towering and brawny figure, Rayne subconsciously shrunk behind Christina, tugging at the latter’s sleeve, and whispered, “Christina, where did you hire this driver? He looks like he’s here to cause trouble. What a frightening man.”
Christina responded, “His name is Lyle. He’s the bodyguard Mr. Hadley hired to protect me. He may seem scary, but he’s actually a nice person. You don’t have to be afraid of him.”
Lyle nodded at Christina and opened the car door for them. “Mrs. Hadley, Ms. Maguire, please get in the car.”
His outward form was forbidding, but his voice was even colder.
Chills running down her spine, Rayne felt the experience of getting into the vehicle was no different from stepping into an execution ground. She sat as close to Christina as possible and forced a smile at Lyle,
Lyle closed the car door behind them in silence before turning around to get into the driver’s seat and steadily drove the car onto the road.
“Christina, what did he do before he became your bodyguard? Why do I feel like he has killed someone?” Rayne asked with an undertone.
The quiet Lyle suddenly chimed in, “I was a mercenary abroad. Indeed, my hands are stained with blood, but I have never committed murder. Besides, I’ve switched jobs to work as a full-time bodyguard now.”
Rayne didn’t expect Lyle’s hearing to be so sharp. I thought I’d spoken softly enough.
She uttered uneasily, “I’m sorry. I’m a timid person. I didn’t mean to target you.”
Lyle was unfazed. “That’s all right.”
His appearance had caused him plenty of trouble before, so he was used to people judging him by his looks.
Christina said, “Can you rest assured now?”
Rayne scrunched up her face and nodded.
Lyle dropped the two off at the studio entrance and then drove off alone to find a parking spot. Christina and Rayne went into the studio first.
After the studio was accused of committing plagiarism, their business plummeted. Many new and old customers canceled their orders and demanded the studio to compensate for losses and breach of
contract.
The studio’s designers had it even worse. Their past mistakes, no matter how insignificant, were dug up and magnified by Emilia’s fervent fans, causing them to be mocked and berated by the public. Even the designers mentors and schools were criticized.
“Perk up, everybody. Ms. Steele is here to back us up.” Rayne clapped loudly to rouse the employees’ spirits. “Go get freshened up, and we’ll gather in the conference room in ten minutes.
Seeing their pillar of strength, everyone was invigorated. Some rushed to the restroom while others approached Christina to ask about her well-being and express how they’d missed her.
Suddenly, a loud bang echoed in the room, silencing everyone.
Chapter 634 Nightmare
The giant floor-to-ceiling window of the studio was smashed before a few sticks of fire were hurled through the hole. In an instant, the studio was set ablaze.
The fire spread rapidly, and its thick smoke stung everyone’s eyes.
Christina was the first to react to the situation and shouted, “Run!”
When the people in the restroom heard the commotion, they immediately left to check the situation. The moment they saw the fire, they sprinted outside.
“Where are you going?” questioned Christina as she grabbed Rayne, who was running into the fire. She was also covering her nose and mouth while coughing.
“Many clients’ information is kept on the computer. I can’t let it be destroyed. You should leave first, Christina. I’ll be out soon.” Without hesitation, Rayne shoved Christina’s hand away and bolted into the office.
Christina couldn’t watch Rayne dove into the fiery claws of death and do nothing. However, after turning back and taking a few steps forward, she felt someone holding her shoulder. Swiftly, she turned around and heard Lyle speaking with a pant. “Forgive me, Mrs. Hadley!”
Before Christina could react, she registered pain coming from the back of her neck and blacked out.
Lyle promptly carried Christina out of the fire and requested the employees send the latter to an ambulance. After that, he jumped back into the burning building.
When Nathaniel learned the studio was set aflame and that Christina was urgently sent to the hospital, he became frenzied. He ignored all red lights as he sped to this destination.
When the car arrived at the hospital, Sebastian practically crawled out of the vehicle. Unlike Nathaniel, he couldn’t just dash off after experiencing that extreme speed because he wasn’t as physically fit.
Despite his weak legs, he forced himself to keep up with Nathaniel.
Nathaniel ignored Lyle, who was guarding Christina’s ward, and entered the room.
At that moment, Christina was sleeping soundly on the bed, though her face was pale, and she was wearing an oxygen mask.
Agony struck every part of Nathaniel’s body as he stared at her.
“Mr. Hadley, the doctor said Mrs. Hadley and her baby are healthy. She only inhaled a small amount of smoke, so she isn’t in danger,” reported Lyle in a small voice upon ambling into the room.
His naked arms suffered varying degrees of scald, with some parts revealing the bloody flesh underneath his skin. It was a harrowing sight. His golden hair was singed, producing a faint charred scent in the air.
With furrowed eyebrows, Nathaniel glanced at him. “You should treat your wounds first. Report to me later.”
“Understood!” Lyle nodded.
When he left the ward, he met Sebastian, who was still carsick.
Sebastian arched his eyebrow in response to seeing Lyle’s wretched state. “It’s only been a few hours. Why did you look like that?”
Lyle scoffed and retorted mercilessly, “You don’t seem to be doing better than me.”
Glancing at the ward, Sebastian changed the topic. “Is Mrs. Hadley doing okay?”
“She’s fine.”
Pressing his hand on Lyle’s shoulder, Sebastian urged, “Take me to a doctor, too. Quickly. My head’s spinning so hard that I think I’m about to see God.” Next time, I would rather crawl to my destination than re- experience the overwhelming fear of staying inside a speeding car!
Lyle rolled his eyes and snorted. Although, he didn’t abandon the half-dead Sebastian and dragged the latter to a doctor by the collar.
Christina was tormented by nightmares and woke up with a scream. “No!”
Hugging her, Nathaniel reassured, “It’s me, Christina. Everything’s fine.”
Christina heaved and felt her throat burning. Focus gradually returned to her dazed eyes.
Abruptly, she gripped the edge of Nathaniel’s shirt as though she was clutching onto a beam of light in the darkness and wailed. “Nathaniel!”
“I’m here,” reassured Nathaniel softly, patting her lean back with his warm palm. “No need to be afraid. I’ll stay by your side.”
“I want to drink some water. After collecting herself, she left his embrace and stared at him,
“I’ll grab you a glass. Give me a second.” Nathaniel stood, poured a glass of water for Christina, and reminded her, “Drink slowly. I can refill it if you want more.”
She glugged down half a pot’s worth of water before the stinging pain in her throat was relieved. “What happened to the others from the studio? What about Rayne? Is she okay?”
“The employees are fine, and Lyle saved Rayne from the fire. All of them were slightly injured, but none of their lives are in danger.”
Christina’s anxiety was finally put to rest as she lowered her head and patted her rounded abdomen. “I had two nightmares earlier. I dreamed of Rayne being burned alive and my mother falling from a skyscraper while I watched…”
“We’ll bring the culprit to justice. In the meantime, you should cooperate with the doctor to recuperate.”
However, Christina’s thoughts only journeyed further away from her health. In an agitated tone, she asked, “Don’t you find this sudden fire familiar, Nathaniel?”
Clutching Nathaniel’s wrist tightly, she exclaimed, “Miranda was burned alive!”
“The police are working hard to apprehend the arsonist. Miranda’s case is closed. Don’t overthink things. It won’t do your baby any good,” advised Nathaniel.
After the fire, the first thing the employees did was call the cops. Even though the studio was located at a rather remote location in the business district, it was surrounded by surveillance cameras. Hence, it wouldn’t be difficult to capture the arsonist.
Although, Nathaniel had secretly asked people to track the arsonist because he wanted to catch the culprit before the police.
“I know,” answered Christina. “Don’t let my parents and children know about the fire. I don’t want them to be worried.”
“It’s too late for that. That inferno was severe, your studio was frequently featured on trending in recent times, and someone uploaded a video of the building burning. Hence, your parents learned of the news and visited you at the hospital half an hour ago. However, Camila and Lucas are still in class, so they probably don’t know about this incident yet.”
Even though Nathaniel asked Public Relations Department to suppress the news, it wasn’t effective.
He was too worried about Christina to spare extra energy and time to handle the mess on the internet. However, that didn’t mean he would allow anyone to bully his woman.
Besides, Hadley Corporation’s Public Relations Department and legal team were a force to be reckoned with.
“Good” Christina yanked the blanket away, intending to descend the bed. However, Nathaniel stopped her. “Where are you going?”
“I want to see how Rayne’s doing, she replied.
Nathaniel informed. “She’s in the neighboring room. The doctor said she needs to rest, so you shouldn’t disturb her today. In any case, you’ve slept for a few hours. What do you want to eat? I’ll ask Sebastian to send the food here.”
While Christina didn’t have any appetite, she still needed to care for her baby. “Oatmeal.”
Nathaniel called Sebastian. Not long after, Sebastian entered the ward with two bags of food containers. There were enough light, nutritious dishes to fill the whole table.
Instead of leaving immediately after delivering the food, Sebastian glanced at Nathaniel, looking as though he had something to say.
“Eat slowly. I’ll have a brief chat with Sebastian outside.” Upon ending his sentence, Nathaniel rose and left
the room.
Sebastian followed behind and shut the door.
Frowning, Nathaniel inquired, “What’s the matter?”
“The car accident Mrs. Hadley encountered on the night she returned to Jadeborough had a peculiar development.
Nathaniel stared at Sebastian coldly. “Tell me!”
”
Sebastian was momentarily stunned by Nathaniel’s intimidating demeanor. “We’ve discovered the identi of the mastermind behind the accident. It was Mr. Nigel. After we captured Mr. Nigel’s subordinate, we employed a few illegal methods to extract valuable information from the thug. According to the thug, he received orders from Mr. Nigel that night to infiltrate Rose Gardens to tamper with the car. However, when he arrived, the place was too dark. Hence, he mistook Mrs. Hadley’s vehicle for Mr. Timothy’s. The person Mr. Nigel was attempting to assassinate was actually Mr. Timothy. He didn’t expect the person wi died, in the end, was just a driver of Mr. Timothy’s.”
After the incident, when Nigel learned the news his brother was alive and that his hired goon almost kille Christina, he sweated profusely.
Nigel’s first instinct wasn’t to punish the thug. Instead, he was concerned about Nathaniel’s revenge. Consequently, he couldn’t care less about whether he should eliminate Timothy or not.
His assumption about Nathaniel was correct. After Nathaniel finished listening to Sebastian’s report, he fe the urge to murder Nigel. Killing Nigel is letting him off too easy, though. I think torture’s a better revenge.
Coldly, Nathaniel questioned, “Was Yerek involved in this plan?”
Sebastian frowned. “According to what I heard, after the incident at the Stone family’s banquet, Mr. Yerek relationship with his father grew tense. Both of them wanted to return to their previously luxurious lifestyle as quickly as possible. While Mr. Yerek wasn’t directly involved in the accident, I think he knew
something about it. After all, he had someone monitor his father and even installed a surveillance device on Mr. Nigel.”
As Nathaniel digested that information, he theorized, “Timothy paid close attention to Nigel after the latter attempted to harm him. Thus, I don’t think Nigel’s stupid enough to commit a crime at this moment, but I don’t know for sure he didn’t aim to inflict harm and usurp his brother.”
After Timothy had been hidden in the dark for years, he realized the truth. In order to change Christina’s mind and ask her to save Gibson Corporation, he was willing to burn bridges with Azure.
Azure’s bias was clear as day. If Timothy had died in an accident, she would’ve attempted to kick Christina out of the family and allow Nigel to become the head of the family once more.
Even if Nigel couldn’t handle the heavy responsibility, Yerek would still be around to act as a substitute. Ultimately, Yerek would be the only winner.
Sebastian finally understood the intricacies of the matter and broke into a cold sweat. “Do you mean it’s possible Mr. Yerek used his father’s name to hire the thug?”
Nathaniel eyed Sebastian with praise. Then, he sneered, “We’ll know soon enough if Yerek’s behind this.” Nigel’s company is on the verge of bankruptcy right now. Unquestionably, I can destroy the company overnight with little effort. Since that pair of father and son don’t know how to behave themselves, I don’t mind pouring more fuel on the fire they’re trying to extinguish.
“Ask someone to sabotage Nigel’s company and plant clues pointing to Winston. Hopefully, Winston will be spurred to purchase Nigel’s company. We should let them fight first.” A cold look swirled in Nathaniel’s eyes. “After completing this plan, I want you to turn the Stone family against Nigel.” Nigel’s appearance isn’t
Chapter 635 Unpredictable
“The car accident Mrs. Hadley encountered on the night she returned to Jadeborough had a peculiar development.
Nathaniel stared at Sebastian coldly. “Tell me!”
Sebastian was momentarily stunned by Nathaniel’s intimidating demeanor. “We’ve discovered the identi of the mastermind behind the accident. It was Mr. Nigel. After we captured Mr. Nigel’s subordinate, we employed a few illegal methods to extract valuable information from the thug. According to the thug, he received orders from Mr. Nigel that night to infiltrate Rose Gardens to tamper with the car. However, when he arrived, the place was too dark. Hence, he mistook Mrs. Hadley’s vehicle for Mr. Timothy’s. The person Mr. Nigel was attempting to assassinate was actually Mr. Timothy. He didn’t expect the person wi died, in the end, was just a driver of Mr. Timothy’s.”
After the incident, when Nigel learned the news his brother was alive and that his hired goon almost kille Christina, he sweated profusely.
Nigel’s first instinct wasn’t to punish the thug. Instead, he was concerned about Nathaniel’s revenge. Consequently, he couldn’t care less about whether he should eliminate Timothy or not.
His assumption about Nathaniel was correct. After Nathaniel finished listening to Sebastian’s report, he fe the urge to murder Nigel. Killing Nigel is letting him off too easy, though. I think torture’s a better revenge.
Coldly, Nathaniel questioned, “Was Yerek involved in this plan?”
Sebastian frowned. “According to what I heard, after the incident at the Stone family’s banquet, Mr. Yerek relationship with his father grew tense. Both of them wanted to return to their previously luxurious lifestyle as quickly as possible. While Mr. Yerek wasn’t directly involved in the accident, I think he knew
something about it. After all, he had someone monitor his father and even installed a surveillance device on Mr. Nigel.”
As Nathaniel digested that information, he theorized, “Timothy paid close attention to Nigel after the latter attempted to harm him. Thus, I don’t think Nigel’s stupid enough to commit a crime at this moment, but I don’t know for sure he didn’t aim to inflict harm and usurp his brother.”
After Timothy had been hidden in the dark for years, he realized the truth. In order to change Christina’s mind and ask her to save Gibson Corporation, he was willing to burn bridges with Azure.
Azure’s bias was clear as day. If Timothy had died in an accident, she would’ve attempted to kick Christina out of the family and allow Nigel to become the head of the family once more.
Even if Nigel couldn’t handle the heavy responsibility, Yerek would still be around to act as a substitute. Ultimately, Yerek would be the only winner.
Sebastian finally understood the intricacies of the matter and broke into a cold sweat. “Do you mean it’s possible Mr. Yerek used his father’s name to hire the thug?”
Nathaniel eyed Sebastian with praise. Then, he sneered, “We’ll know soon enough if Yerek’s behind this.” Nigel’s company is on the verge of bankruptcy right now. Unquestionably, I can destroy the company overnight with little effort. Since that pair of father and son don’t know how to behave themselves, I don’t mind pouring more fuel on the fire they’re trying to extinguish.
“Ask someone to sabotage Nigel’s company and plant clues pointing to Winston. Hopefully, Winston will be spurred to purchase Nigel’s company. We should let them fight first.” A cold look swirled in Nathaniel’s eyes. “After completing this plan, I want you to turn the Stone family against Nigel.” Nigel’s appearance isn’t necessarily a great thing for the Stone family. After all, an extra family member means each share of the inheritance will decrease. It’s hard to say if uncontrollable factors will appear before
Barnaby completes his will. What happened to the Stone family proved to everyone that Nigel has the biggest effect on the family’s benefits.
“Not long ago, Mr. Stone declared in his family banquet that Mr. Nigel and Mr. Yerek weren’t allowed to return to the Stone family. Currently, the Stone family views Mr. Sheridan as their leader. Without his permission, no one in the Stone family would dare to act recklessly,” remarked Sebastian with confusion.
“Sheridan is most skilled at having other people do his dirty work in the business industry. The Stone family isn’t as harmonious as outsiders believe. While none of them dared to target Nigel openly, in truth, they won’t forgive him that easily. The edges of Nathaniel’s lips curved upward coldly. “Recently, I heard Barnaby has been contacting his lawyer frequently. I think it’s about time the Stone family is put on the dramatic stage after years of stability.”
Immediately, Sebastian understood what Nathaniel was implying. Barnaby’s going to change the will, and the best way to stir the Stone family up is to leak that news! “I know now what I should do next, Mr. Hadley.”
“You may leave now. I won’t be returning to the company for the next two days, so have someone deliver the documents to my study,” ordered Nathaniel before returning to the ward.
Christina did her best to consume half of the food displayed on the table, but plenty was still left because she couldn’t eat anymore.
Lying on the couch, she peered at Nathaniel. “I’m full,”
Nathaniel picked up the untouched nutritional soup on the table and settled it in front of Christina. “Drink some. You need your nutrients.”
Without any choice, Christina obeyed. After all, it was her carelessness that led to her baby’s lack of nutrients, causing them to develop slowly.
She spent thirty minutes emptying half of the bowl while Nathaniel took care of the rest of the food.
Lying on the couch, Christina watched entertainment news.
The entertainment channel spent half of its program reporting about Emilia. She appeared beautiful and confident on camera. No matter what event she attended, she would be surrounded by her fans.
Suddenly, Christina recalled what Rayne had said in the past. Estelle is definitely utilizing unknown means to whitewash Emilia and turn her into a popular celebrity.
She gazed at the charming female manager following Emilia around and narrowed her eyes.
A malicious thought surfaced in her mind. I wonder how far Emilia’s career will reach if she loses Estelle.
When Nathaniel noticed Christina was wholly focused on the entertainment news, he asked, “It’s not difficult for me to blacklist Emilia if you want.”
Upon hearing that, Christina snapped her sight to him. “Emilia’s an unkillable cockroach. She’ll find a way to get back to her feet if she wants to. After the trouble she caused for my studio, I won’t forgive her that easily. However, I won’t attack her immediately either.”
A bloodthirsty grin settled on her countenance. “After all, the higher she ascends, the greater her fall will be.” I crushed her once, and I can do it again. Initially, I didn’t intend to eliminate her. However, she just had to
Chapter 636 Competition
Nathaniel was always willing to fulfill Christina’s request. “What is it?”
Sitting in his embrace, Christina hugged his neck. “Apparently, the entertainment company Emilia signed a contract with is an entity under the flag of Hadley Corporation.” I’ve already done my homework and investigated everything about Emilia’s team.
Nathaniel waited for her to continue.
“Can I borrow the position of that company’s CEO for a few days?” Worried that Nathaniel wouldn’t agree to her request, she added, “I won’t affect the company’s operation. Emilia has always been very competitive; she’ll fight over anything with me. Now that she has gained fame, I want to be in control of her career.” This is the best way to get even with Emilia. The more she cares about something, the more I’ll trample on and snatch away that thing. It’s about time for us to end the grudge between us, anyway.
Affectionately, Nathaniel replied, “I thought you were going to ask me to search for a rare treasure when I saw you looking all serious. In any case, my answer is yes. It’s just the position of CEO in a mere entertainment company. Take it if you want. Even if you bankrupt it, I wouldn’t mind either. That company wasn’t generating substantial profit anyway.”
Christina thought her request was too outrageous and was nervous about it. After all, she knew nothing about the entertainment industry. She only wanted that position to fulfill her revenge.
Also, she had no clue about the entertainment company’s status and believed everything Nathaniel said about it. Later on, when she learned the truth, she wished she could invent a time machine to withdraw that ridiculous wish.
Nathaniel suggested, “I’ll ask Sebastian to lend you a hand. He used to be the general manager of that company, and he knows about the entertainment industry better than everyone.”
However, Christina didn’t want to bother Sebastian anymore. “There’s no need to trouble Mr. Taggart with this. Rayne used to be a fanatical celebrity fan. There are some affairs inconvenient for Mr. Taggart, a man, to handle. However, Rayne can deal with them.”
Nathaniel knitted his eyebrow, skeptical.
In response, Christina rubbed his eyebrows. “If I encounter any issues I can’t resolve, I’ll ask you for help, okay?”
Finally, a smile was set on Nathaniel’s countenance. “All right, but I have one condition.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t oppose your decision to work while pregnant. However, you must prioritize your health and safety above your plan. If I learn that you’re sent to the hospital again…” Nathaniel paused before a dangerous look swirled in his eyes. “I’ll immediately shut down your studio and lock you up in the house. You won’t be able to interact with anyone else but me.”
His overwhelming possessiveness grew apparent as an intimidating vibe surrounded him. Truthfully, Christina was afraid he would force her to yield. However, she also couldn’t resist his possessiveness.
Earnestly, she promised, “I swear I’ll inform you of my destination beforehand, no matter where I go.
Furthermore, I’ll bring the bodyguards you assigned me anywhere I go. Will that be enough to ease your worry?”
Nathaniel replied softly, “You know that I can’t afford to lose you. You and our children are my most precious treasure.“
Upon hearing his sudden sweet nothings, she blushed. Embarrassed, she pulled his ears and roared, “Did you memorize those romance dictionaries behind my back again?”
“I used to, but I don’t anymore because when I met you, I’d already mastered the art,” bragged Nathaniel.
Christina left his body and headed to the bed. “I’m drowsy, and I want to sleep for a while. Talk later.”
After that, she yanked her blanket away and subconsciously nudged to the side, patting the empty space beside her.
“It’s a bit cold in the ward. How about you keep me company for a while?” It was a clumsy excuse she devised to spend more intimate time with Nathaniel. After all, a high-end ward would definitely be equipped with a heater.
Upon removing his coat, he hugged her and lay on the bed with her. Joy danced in his eyes as he wrapped them both in the blanket. “Sleep. I’ll be right here with you.”
With him as her warm bolster, Christina fell asleep expeditiously. Concurrently, Sebastian executed Nathaniel’s plan and achieved incredible results in a short period.
Nigel didn’t receive his money from Winston as he had hoped. After Winston achieved independence, the successes he accomplished expanded his ambition.
When Winston heard Nigel’s last company was about to go bankrupt, he visited the latter with an acquisition contract
In response, Nigel almost shot Winston.
“You better think about your current situation clearly, Nigell If you use the money I’m acquiring your company with for investment, perhaps you’ll be able to rise again one day.” Winston was almost tempt to carve the words “You’re a piece of trash” on Nigel’s forehead. With a mocking tone, he continued, “Y don’t need to dwell on old debts. After all, back then, you secretly pocketed many benefits that
originally belonged to me. What I’m doing now, I merely learned from you. If you are dissatisfied with it, well, there’s nothing you can do about it. After all, no one would vomit the delicious food they swallowed.”
If Nigel’s glare could kill, Winston would be dead already. “Keep dreaming! I rather my company be destroyed under my care than sell it to you!”
Winston had the gall to show off in Nigel’s territory because he was well prepared. “It’s fine. It’s not like I need to have your crappy company. I’m merely proposing you this offer because of our past relationship so you wouldn’t embarrass yourself too much.”
Gritting his teeth, Nigel growled, “Don’t get too cocky, Winston! We used to be in the same boat. When I’m not doing well, neither will you. Don’t forget that you’re one of the co-conspirators who set up the Hadley family in the past. How long do you think it’ll take Nathaniel to figure out your connection to that incident?”
Winston’s smile froze before he glowered. “Are you going to sell me out?”
Then, he shrugged nonchalantly. “If your mother didn’t fuel the flames back then, Timothy wouldn’t have remained crippled after the accident. In the end, our relationship is a transactional one, and at this point, we’re through. If we do battle, you’ll end up with the worst outcome.”
Nigel thundered, “Shut up! Don’t bring up what happened in the past!”
“What’s the matter? Are you afraid someone will overhear our conversation? I suppose if Timothy and Christina learn what I’ve said, there will be dire consequences for you. Not only will your mother lose her position in the Gibson family, but you’ll also lose the one person who can manipulate Barnaby. Should that future come to pass, you’ll forever be branded as an illegitimate child.”
Suddenly, the screen behind Nigel collapsed, bewildering the men.
Chapter 637 Insane
Nigel had no idea when Azure and Timothy arrived at the mansion or how much they heard his conversation with Winston.
Glowering at Nigel and Winston, Timothy barked, “Tell me more about what you two said earlier.”
In the past, Winston would’ve just ignored the crippled Timothy. However, things were different at that moment. He couldn’t afford to offend Timothy any longer when the latter had the support of Nathaniel.
“Nigel knows more about this than me. Since this is a Gibson family affair, I, an outsider, shouldn’t interfere. As such, I’ll be leaving now.” Upon ending his sentence, Winston grabbed his acquisition contract and strode away.
Scowling. Nigel straightened his back and admonished Timothy for improper behavior. “This is my home! Don’t you think you’re disrespecting me by barging in without my permission?”
In response, Timothy hurled the phone in his hand at Nigel’s face.
Narrowly, Nigel avoided the attack. “Do you want to die, Timothy?”
Just as he charged toward Timothy to teach the latter a lesson, Azure blocked his path. “That’s enough,
Nigel! Compose yourself!”
As strong-willed as Nigel was, he didn’t have the nerve to disobey Azure’s order. Unwillingly, he backed away and glared at Timothy vehemently.
I must’ve been mad to submit myself to Mother’s brainwashing and follow her here to discuss the company acquisition with Nigel. Timothy thought.
After Azure learned Nigel was driven to the brink, she begged for help at Rose Gardens because she couldn’t do anything to aid him.
Timothy didn’t want others to call him a despicable, unfilial animal who threatened his mother to kneel before him.
Additionally, Nigel’s company ran a business similar to the one Gibson Corporation newly developed. Hence, Timothy planned to absorb Nigel’s company’s employees and clients into Gibson Corporation at a low price. It was done to widen the business path for Christina.
Timothy didn’t expect to learn the truth about what happened in the past from Nigel’s conversation with someone else. I can’t believe my family was the one who orchestrated that event! I shouldn’t have showed mercy.
With a melancholic and devastated expression, he turned to Azure. “You’ve been lying to me since the beginning!”
“It’s not what you think, Timothy, I can explain…” Azure sobbed. “I promise I won’t hide anything from you anymore.”
“It’s too late for that now.” There was no warmth in Timothy’s eyes. “I’m your son as well. How can you treat me this ruthlessly? What did I do wrong to any of you? So much so that you all tried to murder me?”
His angry roar echoed in the empty living room.
Wailing, Azure kneeled before Timothy and pleaded, “Please, I beg you for the last time, Timothy. Please lend Nigel a hand. You’ve been brothers for decades! Once the dust settles and Nigel has overcome this crisis, he and I will do our best to compensate you!”
Disdainfully, Timothy shoved Azure’s hand away. “How dare you mention my ludicrous relationship with him! Aren’t you ashamed of even uttering those words? I treated him as my brother, and he tried to kill me! He didn’t hesitate to destroy my family! While you watched me suffer in a living hell, you never thought about lending me a hand, not even once! The only thing you care about is opening up a path for the only son you care about.”
In response, Nigel approached his sobbing mother and pulled her up. Coldly and arrogantly, he spat, “You don’t need to kneel before him for my sake, Mom. So what if he’s a little better than me right now? He’ll forever be a cripple while I’ll still have a chance to rise again. The only thing he can be in this life is a parasite.”
Even until that point, Nigel refused to admit he lost horribly to a cripple because it was too embarrassing for him to admit it.
“Don’t say stuff like that to your brother and anger him anymore. Your brother has already agreed to invest in your company. While both of you aren’t related to each other by blood, as long as you two are willing to reconcile, outsiders won’t mock you,” advised Azure. “Quickly, apologize to your brother. Do whatever he tells you to.”
When Nigel heard Timothy had agreed to invest in his company, he was taken aback. After all, the resentment between them was so powerful that even death wouldn’t resolve it.
Timothy sneered, “I’ll never forgive you for killing my wife. You must pay for that. I won’t be merciful this time!”
Without delay, he rolled his wheelchair away from the room.
Nigel felt his heart lurch with dread. My instinct is telling me that if I allow Timothy to leave right now, I’m done for!
Azure was wallowing in her sorrow. When she snapped out of it, she saw Nigel grabbing a nearby vase, chasing after his brother, and smashing it on the back of Timothy’s head.
The sight of blood caused her to scream. “Nigel! What are you doing?!”
Ignoring Azure, he dragged the unconscious Timothy from the wheelchair to the basement.
Azure staggered toward her son to stop him. “Your brother is bleeding badly, Nigel! If you abandon him here, he’ll die! Listen to me. We need to send him to the hospital right now!”
In response, Nigel snapped violently, “He’s not my brother! If you want to save him. I’m as good as dead! If you release him, you’re basically giving him a chance to take revenge on us! You should’ve foreseen this day when you helped me hide the truth back then.”
A maniacal look dominated his eyes as he glared at Timothy, who was lying in a pool of blood. “It’s better if he dies because then I’ll be able to snatch everything that belonged to me back! Once I’ve made my comeback without Timothy, I’ll treat you nicely. Mom.”
Fearfully, Azure covered her mouth. She appeared wretched after weeping too much. “You’re not my son! You’re a monster!”
Nigel cackled. “You were the one who taught me everything I know, Mom! What you see in me is your own reflection. In reality, you hated the Gibson family because you lost the love of your life to them! There’s no need to feel bad for Timothy. He’s that man’s son, after all. Everything you did was the punishment the Gibson family deserves! There’s no need to feel bad. It’s what they owed us!”
Azure was desperate to escape that suffocating basement. I feel like I’m in a dream right now. I refuse to accept that Nigel has transformed into this greedy demon!
Hastily, she bolted out of the basement and mansion.
When Jasper didn’t spot Timothy, he frowned and inquired, “Where’s Mr. Gibson, Old Mrs. Gibson?”
Azure was stunned for a few seconds and recalled the insane words that leaped out of Nigel’s mouth. Just as the truth arrived at her lips, it morphed into a lie. “Timothy’s discussing the acquisition contract with his brother right now. It may take a while, so he asked you to return home first. We’re having a family dinner tonight.”
Chapter 638 I Will Not Let Him Die
Jasper was Timothy’s trusted aide. He was usually the first person to be informed of all Timothy’s undertakings. As far as he knew, the relationship between Nigel and Timothy had deteriorated so badly that they likely couldn’t wait for the other to drop dead.
It was a little ridiculous and strange that the Gibson family that had stirred up a storm in the city had suddenly decided to let bygones be bygones today.
Jasper did not dare let his guard down. Although Azure was Timothy’s biological mother, Jasper did not trust her one bit.
“I need to say goodbye to Mr. Gibson personally,” said Jasper icily. “This is a rule that Mr. Gibson has set for the people around him.”
Azure did not know of the rules that Timothy had set for his subordinates. All she knew was that she could not allow Jasper into this mansion under any circumstances. Otherwise, if Jasper broke the news to Christina, she and Nigel would be in a lot of trouble.
“Jasper,” said Azure tersely, “I know you’re a very conscientious butler. While you have to respect your employer, you must also respect his family. The Gibson family has indeed been through a lot of trouble lately, but most of them were misunderstandings. Timothy has already thought this true. Things are going to go back to the way they were for this family. You’re a smart man. I’m sure you know how to gauge the situation.”
Jasper knew that Azure harbored ulterior motives, but he did not want to cause trouble for Timothy either. If things turned out exactly as Azure had described, and Timothy had chosen to forgive her and Nigel for their past deeds, then his brashness would only upset Timothy.
Jasper lowered his eyes. “Very well. I’ll take my leave.”
When Azure was certain that Jasper had driven away, she turned and entered the mansion. Timothy was heavily injured and could not die at Nigel’s hand under any circumstances.
Although Azure favored Nigel, Timothy was still her flesh and blood. Naturally, she was heartbroken for him too.
Jasper circled the nearby area once before driving back to Nigel’s mansion and parking somewhere close. He would not leave so easily without confirming Timothy’s safety.
After waiting until midnight, Jasper spotted a car driving slowly into Nigel’s mansion. A man left the driver’s seat and quickly walked to the trunk and pulled out a small white box.
It was very dim in the courtyard, but Jasper vaguely noticed a red cross on the small white box.
That’s a first aid kit. Someone’s hurt!
The first person Jasper thought of was Timothy. He pushed open the car door and got out of the vehicle before making his way to the mansion in large strides.
The whole villa was brightly lit, but it was eerily quiet.
Jasper rang the doorbell repeatedly. Just as he was about to lose his patience and kick the door open, someone opened the door.
The one who answered the door was none other than Azure.
Jasper noticed that Azure, who was a private person and typically paid much attention to her appearances, was still in the same old gown she had worn earlier today.
Azure looked like she was having a hard time. Her eyes also appeared red as if she had been crying all night.
When Azure saw that it was Jasper at the door, she panicked. “Didn’t I ask you to leave? Why have you come back? It’s midnight! Don’t think you can do as you please just because Timothy regards you highly!”
Azure was still a woman, after all. No matter how anxious Jasper was, he still could not force his way in. “Old Mrs. Gibson, Mr. Gibson hasn’t taken his medicine tonight. I only realized that he left his medicine in the study when I got home. Is Mr. Gibson asleep yet? I’ll just deliver it to him.”
Azure blocked the entrance and replied, “Timothy was feeling a little unwell after dinner, so I’ve asked the family doctor to check on him. He has fallen asleep after taking what the doctor prescribed.”
Timothy was not sick at all and did not need to take medicine. Jasper had deliberately concocted an excuse to test Azure, and it was as he had expected. It was likely that something had happened to Timothy after all.
“When I was on my way here, I saw a doctor getting out of a car with a medical kit. Did something happen to Mr. Gibson, Old Mrs. Gibson?” asked Jasper.
A hint of panic flashed in Azure’s eyes as she avoided Jasper’s gaze. “I-It’s me. I-I had a sudden headache. It’s getting late. You should go.”
Having said that, she immediately shut the door and let out a deep sigh.
“It’s already very late. Mom. Who was it?” Nigel suddenly appeared behind Azure.
Azure was taken aback. She turned around to look at Nigel in annoyance and replied, “It’s Jasper! I suspect that he did not leave at all. He has grown wary and wants to see Timothy.”
Nigel smirked and said, “So it was that loyal mutt of his. If he shows up again, just ask someone to throw him out. There’s no need to be so polite to him. This is my house. It’s not a place where he can
just behave like a barbarian.”
Azure felt uncomfortable listening to his rude remarks. Absent-mindedly, she asked, “How is Timothy doing? What did the doctor say?”
Nigel snorted. “Don’t worry. Some of these documents need to be signed by him personally. I won’t let him die so easily.”
He then turned toward the bar. He picked a bottle of red wine from the wine cabinet and casually poured himself a drink.
Azure sighed, still ill at ease. “I’m going upstairs to take a look. You shouldn’t drink too much. It’s bad for you.”
Jasper had circled around the perimeter of the mansion a few times. Due to how tight the security was
It was already late and dew had begun to form, but Jasper was dressed in just an overcoat. He was so cold that he ended up retreating to the car. After some hesitation, he dialed Christina’s number.
The phone rang for some time. Just as Jasper was about to hang up, the call was suddenly connected, and Christina’s slightly hoarse voice could be heard.
“Who is this?”
“It’s Jasper, Ms. Steele.”
Christina was taken aback. After glancing at Nathaniel, who seemed to be sound asleep, she quietly walked toward the balcony.
Jasper is not someone with no sense of propriety. If he’s calling me at this hour, then it has to be an emergency.
“Did something happen to my father?” asked Christina.
“I’m not sure,” replied Jasper. He briefly told Christian what had happened earlier and added, “Mr. Gibson is not a soft-hearted person. Based on what I know about him, there’s no way he’d agree to allow Mr. Nigel to come home, let alone invest in his company.”
Timothy and Azure were either threatened to meet with Nigel, or they had eyes on a certain condition.
“I’m leaving for Hallsbay right now. I want you to have Nigel’s mansion surrounded. Before I arrive, nobody is allowed to leave the premises.
“Understood.”
When Christina hung up, she turned around and collided face-first with a wall of flesh.
“Why are you so silent when you walk?” complained Christina as she rubbed her sore nose and stared at Nathaniel with tears in her eyes. “Did I wake you up because I was too loud? I’m sorry.”
Nathaniel pulled Christina into the room and carefully examined the bumped area. Apart from some redness in the nose, there was nothing serious.
“It’s late. Instead of sleeping, why were you hiding on the balcony and talking on the phone? Who was it?”
Chapter 639 Go To War
Christina was well aware that if she wanted to look into Timothy’s situation in such a short time, she needed Nathaniel’s help.
“My father’s personal butler called me and told me that something might have happened to my father,” said Christina gloomily. “My father and Grandma went to see Nigel to discuss business today, but he has yet to emerge from the house. Nathaniel, apart from Mr. Miller, my father is very much alone. I need to rush over immediately.”
Christina felt a deep sense of unease in her heart, and there was a slight tremor in her voice. She was also a little out of breath as she had spoken too quickly.
Nathaniel pulled Christina into his embrace and gently stroked her back to comfort her. “I’ve secretly arranged for people to keep an eye on him. If Nigel and Mrs. Lazuli want to hurt him, they won’t act until they achieve their goal.”
Christina looked at him in surprise and asked aggrievedly, “Why didn’t you tell me that you sent someone to protect my father?”
Nathaniel smiled and replied, “Well, I was worried you’d misunderstand my intentions. You were so busy with work that I never found the right time to come clean about it. Christina, don’t be mad at me.”
Christina was not an unreasonable person. Instead of anger, she was filled with gratitude. “I’m not mad. I’m just thankful that I have such a caring husband,” she said with a smile. However, at the thought of the predicament Timothy was in, she furrowed her brows tightly. “I’m going to get dressed. We’ll still make the final flight to Hallsbay in an hour.”
Nathaniel held her back and said. “I’ve asked Sebastian to arrange for a private jet. There isn’t any news from Hallsbay for the time being, which means he’s all right for now. There’s no telling if Nigel is
waiting for you to come to him of your own accord. You’re now the CEO of Gibson Corporation, after all. He will only get the most benefits from you.”
Despite the fact that Nathaniel had analyzed the situation to comfort Christina, her heart had long been in turmoil. “Nathaniel. I’m terrified. I’ve already lost my mother, so I can’t lose my father too. We’ve only just mended our relationship, and I’ve yet to bring my mother’s killers to justice…..”
“Don’t be scared. I’ll be with you all the way.” Nathaniel’s words seemed to have the magical powers of putting her at ease. “Just wait here. I’ll get your clothes.”
“Okay,” Christina nodded and quietly brushed away the tears in the corners of her eyes.
Half an hour later, Christina and Nathaniel boarded a private jet heading toward Hallsbay.
Nigel and Azure had been involved in a serious disagreement over whether to send Timothy to the hospital. Their argument had reached a stalemate as they both sat on the couch.
Nigel wished that Timothy would not survive, but Azure still cared about the fate of her child. Although she favored Nigel, she had never wanted Timothy to die. All she wanted was for Timothy to change his mind and give Nigel a second chance to turn over a new leaf. She also hoped that Timothy could take Gibson Corporation away from Christina.
From the bottom of her heart, Azure refused to acknowledge Christina as a member of the Gibson family,
If anything, she shifted the blame for the disintegration of the Gibson family on Christina alone.
To this day. Azure still held on to a shred of hope that the relationship between the brothers could be mended.
As long as Timothy was willing. Yerek could be his son and provide for him until his death.
In fact, Azure had only one request. She wanted the Gibson family to belong to the Gibsons alone.
Just then, the butler walked over in a frenzy, panting. “Mr. Nigel, something terrible has happened!”
Nigel was already furious. When he heard that, he glared at the butler and snapped, “If you can’t speak properly, I’ll have your tongue ripped out!”
The butler looked at Nigel in fear, but the words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat.
“Well? Get on with it,” said Azure coldly, reminding him to pull himself together.
The butler looked at Nigel cautiously and said, “The mansion is surrounded by a lot of people who look like fierce thugs. They warned us that anyone with the audacity to leave the mansion would do so at their own risk.”
Nigel slammed a fist onto the table and got up in a rage. “I’m going to find out who it is who has the audacity to behave like thugs on my turf!”
Azure hurriedly got up to stop him. “Nigel, don’t be rash. Right now, we don’t know what their motives are. However, we can be certain that it’s you they’ve come for. If you go out to meet them, it can be very dangerous. Why don’t you stay inside where it’s safe?”
Nigel, who was about to turn the doorknob, suddenly pondered over this for a moment. His heart began to race wildly as he said, “Apart from that mutt. Jasper, who else would go to war with me? He wants to threaten me, but he doesn’t have the right to!”
Nigel pushed open the door and strode out. However, when he saw the number of security personnel blocking the entrance, he immediately went back indoors. He hastily pushed Azure further inside and locked the door.
Nigel leaned against the door and sighed deeply as his expression turned grim.
Azure had poor eyesight, and she was pushed back indoors before she could see anything clearly. Taking in Nigel’s pale countenance, she asked worriedly, “Nigel, what did you see?”
“How many underlings does Timothy have?” asked Nigel darkly. “That mutt of his has managed to rally up so many people! Mom, we were all deceived by Timothy’s crippled appearance. He’s nowhere near as pathetic as he looks.”
Azure was at a loss for words when she heard this. She quickly walked up to the second floor, stopped at the spiral staircase, and drew open the curtains to monitor the situation outside in secret.
The road outside the mansion was dimly lit, but she could vaguely make out the outlines of black cars neatly parked around the mansion with their blinkers on. Azure also noticed the movement of shadowy figures outside, Given how densely they moved, she could tell that there were a large number of people gathered outside.
Azure had never witnessed such a horrific scene. She was so frightened that she hurried downstairs to see Nigel once more. “Nigel, why don’t you go out and talk to Jasper?”
Nigel took a deep breath and replied, “On what grounds? If he wants to have a chat, then he can bring that brat Christina along with him. Don’t worry about this, Mom. We’ve already done what we’re not supposed to do. The only thing left is for Christina to beg me.”
Azure did not agree with Nigel at all. “Christina is not someone you can just get along with easily. On top of that, she has Nathaniel’s support. Do you think you can beat Nathaniel?”
Once again, both mother and son were locked in a disagreement over their differing opinions. By that time, Nathaniel and Christina had arrived at the mansion.
Jasper immediately went up to meet her. “Ms. Steele, I’ve done everything according to plan. The mansion has been surrounded as well. Earlier, I spotted Mr. Nigel opening the door briefly, but I’m not
sure why he suddenly turned on his heel and retreated indoors.”
Christina’s cold gaze was fixated on the tightly-shut security door. “Ring the doorbell.”
Jasper directed one of his subordinates to ring the doorbell, but there seemed to be no movement indoors. The once-lit living room immediately went dark.
“Take that door down!” said Christina in a deep voice.
Chapter 640 Pay The Price
Nathaniel’s gaze was usually icy. Only when he looked at Christina did it become gentle. “Don’t get angry. Just leave it to Sebastian.”
Upon hearing Nathaniel’s words, Sebastian walked past Christina and said thoughtfully. “Mr. and Mrs. Hadley, please stand further away in case the situation gets out of hand.”
Christina nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Taggart.”
Sebastian returned her a faint smile. “You’re too courteous, Mrs. Hadley. This is what I’m best at.”
Nathaniel said, “It’s cold outside. Let’s wait in the car.”
Christina didn’t reply. She turned on her heels and returned to the car with Nathaniel.
The smile on Sebastian’s face faded as he led a group of men to the entrance of the mansion. “May I ask for you and your men to step back and leave the rest to me?” he asked Jasper.
Jasper retreated with his subordinates.
“Tear down this mansion!” At Sebastian’s order, the bodyguards standing behind him immediately raised their baseball bats and began smashing the windows.
Loud crashes echoed across the dark sky above the mansion. The neighbors were jolted awake by the noise and hurried out to investigate the source, When they caught the spectacle in front of Nigel’s house, they tactfully returned to their house and peeked through the windows.
Nigel was new to the neighborhood. His neighbors didn’t talk to him much after learning about his background and his aloof and unfriendly nature.
They had no intention of calling the police upon witnessing something happening over at Nigel’s place. They merely looked on.
The bodyguards were efficient. The initially opulent mansion had turned into a scene from an apocalypse movie in a few short minutes.
Sebastian led his men into the house. Before long, Nigel was dragged out by two bodyguards and tossed in front of Christina’s car.
“Who are you people? Let my son go!” Azure shouted, causing a scene as she followed them. “What you’re doing is a criminal offense! I’m going to sue every one of you and make sure you end up in—it’s you?”
When she spotted Christina getting out of the car, her voice abruptly became shrill.
With a men’s coat draped over her shoulders, Christina strode toward Nigel. “Where’s my father?” she asked straightforwardly, her eyes filled with contempt.
Nigel, who was being held to the ground, raised his head with difficulty. When he met her gaze, a sneer formed on his lips, and he spat at her.
A split second later, a dark figure swung his leg, smashing Nigel’s chin.
“Argh!” Nigel let out an agonized yelp. Under the dim glow, one could see his chin was deformed. His mouth was wide open, and blood was continuously flowing from it
His features twisted in pain. Every vein in his body bulged at the pain. He curled into a ball and writhed on the ground.
“Nigel!” Azure screamed. The bloody scene nearly caused her to pass out. However, the bodyguards had a tight hold on her, so she merely slumped to the ground and glared at Christina. “Nathaniel, I’ll kill
you with everything I have if something happens to my son!”
Nathaniel wasn’t the least bit intimidated by her threat. With a cold smile, he said, “Mrs. Lazuli, I just taught him a lesson since he didn’t know the rules. I have shown him mercy since this is only a light punishment. Be prepared for his funeral proceedings if there’s a next time.”
Nathaniel’s voice was cold and sharp like a blade. Every word out of his mouth sliced her heart.
She knew both she and Nigel were no match for Nathaniel.
Christina has found excellent support to back her up!
The hatred in Azure’s eyes was palpable as she glared at Christina.
Members of the Hadley family were well-known for sticking up for their close ones, especially Nathaniel’s generation. There was almost no limit to his affection for Christina.
Christina rightfully accepted Nathaniel’s protection so that she could focus wholly on interrogating Nigel. “Nigel, this is the last time I’m asking you. Where’s my father?”
Nigel’s jaw was dislocated, his cheekbones were nearly crushed, and a few of his teeth were knocked out. Even the slightest movement of his facial muscles would send his entire body writhing in pain.
“I don’t-ah!” Before Nigel could finish, Christina swung her leg at the same spot Nathaniel had kicked. Even though the force from her kick wasn’t as powerful as Nathaniel’s, it was enough to send Nigel halfway into the grave.
Nigel lay silently on the ground. Other than a few convulsions, he looked lifelessly still.
Fear and concern for her son flooded Azure. She struggled to break free from the bodyguards and crawled toward Christina. “Target your anger at me if you must and spare the innocent!” she pleaded
humbly.
Nigel is innocent?
Christina figured that was probably the funniest joke she had ever heard. Azure was not only blind in her eyes even her heart was blind. The old lady had no conscience.
Not wanting to waste another breath, Christina said, “I’ll give you ten seconds to consider your choices. If you insist on staying quiet. I’ll turn my attention to Yerek and Anya once I’m done with you.”
Azure stared at Christina as though the latter was a monster. “Even if they did something wrong and the Gibson family had split up, they are still your family. How can you be so cruel?”
“Cruel? Me?” Christina’s eyes turned glacial. “They murdered my mother for their own benefit. Why didn’t you consider them cruel when they caused trouble for me and my dad? Now the time has come to pay the price. They can’t just enjoy themselves and not pay for it. This time, you guys were the ones who started I’ve given you a way out, but your inflated ego destroyed it.”
Azure clenched her fists. She couldn’t come up with anything to refute Christina’s accusations. The truth was laid bare in front of her. It was true that Nigel had harmed his sibling first out of greed.
She had thought she could still boss Timothy around just because she was his biological mother, but she had no right to criticize Christina.
Christina’s anxiety grew by the minute, yet she kept a calm look on her face as she reminded her, “You stil have three minutes.”
Azure dropped her gaze and studied Nigel’s terrible injuries. She shut her eyes resignedly, and a flash of conviction flicked across them when she opened them. “I can tell you your father’s whereabouts, but you must promise me one condition.”
“You’ve already lost the right to negotiate,” Nathaniel piped up.
At that moment, Sebastian led his men out of the mansion and shook his head at Nathaniel.
Nathaniel frowned.
Jasper clearly said that Timothy and Mrs. Lazuli didn’t leave the mansion after entering the building together. How can a living person disappear into thin air? Where did Nigel hide him?
Nathaniel had none of Christina’s scruples, so he did not hesitate to act on her behalf. Also, he could be more ruthless.
“Sebastian, bring Yerek and Anya over.”