Ch. 2251..2260

Chapter 2251 Future Rival

However, my father was a fool. Before I left, I reminded him not to create trouble, but he didn't listen to my advice. He kept falling for Kevin and Harrier's instigation and did what Mrs. President told him to do. No matter what, Danrique protected me and my family. He will spare my family as my father is dead.

Hazel belatedly realized what Danrique had done for her. He was a loyal and caring man despite his indifference. That was precisely why many people were willing to work for him at all costs.

He would never ignore his subordinates even in the most critical moment. As his assistant, she was also under his protection. So...

Something occurred to Francesca as she asked hastily, “Does Mr. Lindberg have another way to protect Francesca?”

“That isn't your concern.” William had expected that, too. “What we need to do now is to help Danrique turn the tables.” “Okay. I'll do as you say.”

Hazel trusted William completely. She knew he wanted nothing more than to save Francesca and Danrique as they were the ones who would protect him. William smiled. “Good. Now, listen carefully.” “All right.”

Throughout the journey, William didn't hold back in teaching Hazel what to do next. After hearing his plan, Hazel said in admiration, “Aside from Mr. Lindberg, you're the most astute person I've ever seen!”

“You flatter me, Ms. Atkinson,” came William's calm answer. “Let's work together to help L and Francesca weather the crisis together.”

"Okay!" Back at home, Sloan told his subordinate to settle everything else and went to Layla, informing her about everything that happened.

Layla remained at home to stay guard there, but she reminded Sloan to update her if anything important had happened.

She knew William was doing his best to help Francesca and Danrique, but that didn't stop her from keeping an eye on him. After all, lives were at stake.

Sloan revealed every single detail to her, including William's conversation with Hazel in the car. Those who received special training like him had a good memory.

After hearing that, Layla praised, “Oh, how clever of William. He knew I had my guard up and put Hazel on speaker mode so you could listen to their conversation. It looks like he genuinely wants to save Francesca and Danrique. At the same time, it also shows how astute he can be. I think he is as good as Danrique. Never mind if they remain friends. If he becomes Danrique’s enemy one day, the consequences will be horrible.”

“They won't become enemies, will they?” Sloan asked meekly. “After all, there isn't any conflict of interest between them.” “You're right.” Layla nodded. “Competition in business is nothing to them. I'm just afraid that...”

"Afraid of what?" Sloan probed. “I'm afraid someone will get jealous of Danrique for having such a strong helper and sow discord between them,” Layla muttered.

“They are capable men, so I don't think they will fall for that easily.” Sloan didnt think much about it. “Besides, Mr. Lindberg and Ms. Felch saved him many times. He should be grateful for their help.” "Forget it. You won't understand, anyway.” Layla stopped talking about them. “Just put your guard up at all times. Remember to tell me everything that happened when I'm not around, okay?”

“Got it.” Sloan nodded fervently. “I might be stupid, but I know you're Ms. Felch’s closest relative. When she isn't around, you're in charge!” Layla burst out laughing. “You're not a fool after all!”

q

Chapter 2252 The Plan

Moving forward, everything went according to William's plan. The next day, Hazel held a press conference at Lindberg Corporation. She intended to update the media on her father's poisoning and had even invited Kevin and Harrier to attend the event.

Everyone assumed that she was going to openly disclose Francesca’s offense. After all, to that very day, none of the media reporters had reported the incident in detail, and none of the people involved had spoken about it publicly.

As such, it was natural for Hazel's press conference to cause a great stir. After all, she was the daughter of the victim, and she was about to share her side of the story.

One hour before the press conference, Hazel shared the event on her social media and urged everyone to watch the live broadcast.

The first lady even shared Hazel's post on purpose because she was the one who hinted at the woman to hold the press conference.

Verily, various media outlets were competing to report news about the first lady sharing Hazel's post. Currently, all fingers were pointed at Francesca, and everyone was waiting to see how she would be punished.

Word had also gotten to Francesca, who was detained at the detention center.

As judgment had not been confirmed yet, the woman was not yet imprisoned but was held at the detention center instead. She had a room to herself. Although it was rather shabby, it was at least clean and convenient.

The female officer who was on duty at the detention center that day had specially given Francesca a laptop so that she could catch the live broadcast.

Francesca was inundated with disdain when she found out that Hazel had called for a press conference, for she too, assumed that the purpose of the conference was to disclose her offenses. However, at the same time, she was worried that Danrique would see the news and find out that she had been caught. If he ended up rushing back impulsively, he would fall into those people's trap. Meanwhile, in the Lindberg family’s castle, Layla, William, and the others were also waiting for the live broadcast to begin. The press conference started punctually at two o'clock in the afternoon. After Hazel walked on stage, she bowed and thanked the reporters for their attendance before making a speech to commemorate her father. Then, she started to narrate that day's events.

At the same time, the first lady and Avery were also watching the live broadcast at the presidential palace.

Avery stared at the screen with a frosty expression and asked, “Mommy, would that dumb woman, Hazel, tell everyone that you were the one who had asked them out?”

“Nope,” the first lady replied confidently. “I've already reminded her long ago that she should never mention my name. I told her to tell everyone that it was Francesca who had initiated the meeting with her and her father.”

Avery sneered and said, “That's good to know. Being obedient is the only thing Hazel's good at.” “That's right. She had never dared to retaliate no matter what we did to her.” The first lady snickered icily before continuing, “Yesterday, I told her that I had cremated her father, and she merely accepted it without asking any questions.”

"Haha. We have to teach that sI*t more lessons so that she would learn to obey us,” Avery said with a smug smile on her face. “But, Mommy, since Francesca had already been captured, why is there a need to complicate things further? Can't we just sentence her to death straight away? After she dies, I'm sure Danrique will marry me.”

The first lady's gaze flickered slightly before the woman quickly made up an excuse to placate her daughter. “You know how smart Danrique is. As such, we need to find a scapegoat. He would definitely investigate the matter to find out the truth when he comes back, and if he knows that I was the one behind it, he would definitely resent me.”

“That's true.” Avery nodded before saying, “Well, we shall let Hazel be the scapegoat then. She seems to be the perfect candidate for that.”

“Exactly.” The first lady patted her daughter's head and said, "Avery, just have a little more patience. Francesca is going to die very soon. Don't worry.”

"OK..." Avery fixed her gaze on the screen as an infatuated smile appeared on her face. “Danrique is going to marry me after she dies. I'm going to marry him and give him lots of babies... Babies?” At the mention of that word, Avery's expression suddenly changed.

q

Chapter 2253 Retaliation

She seemed to have recalled something and had a look of terror on her face. “Where's my baby? Where did my baby go? My baby...”

"Avery..." The first lady hugged her daughter immediately and tried to comfort her. “You're overthinking. You don't have a baby. You're still young.”

“That's not true...” Avery cradled her own head and said in agony, “I have a baby. She's really adorable, but someone killed her..."

“No. That's not true...”

The first lady quickly consoled her daughter while shouting for help. “Someone, get the doctor here at once. Quick, get the doctor here!"

The maids summoned the doctor at once. Soon, the doctor arrived and gave Avery an injection, making her fall asleep within seconds.

The first lady could feel her heart aching as she stroked her daughter's cheek and said, “My poor girl, don't be scared. I will definitely avenge my grandchild.”

“Mrs. President, look! Hazel is..." the first lady's assistant pointed at the screen and exclaimed suddenly.

The first lady turned to look at the screen at once.

Hazel was narrating the events of that day with tears streaming down her face.

“That day, it was the first lady who had asked my father and me to meet Ms. Felch. Mrs. President left halfway through the meeting, and after that, my father and Ms. Felch had an argument. Ms. Felch’s snake had almost bitten my father, but she had summoned her snake back in time. My father did not feel any pain at that time. When we left, he was still all right. However, two hours after we reached home, the poison in his body started acting up... I called our family doctor at once, but the doctor took a long time to arrive. When he finally arrived, my father had already passed away. I called the police right away. After examining my father's body, the forensic pathologist concluded that my father had died from snake venom. When I heard that, Ms. Felch came to my mind at once. However, I have just found out that the doctor was under someone's control, and that's why he was late for half an hour. Moreover, the forensic pathologist was also working for the first lady. Last night, I sensed something amiss and wanted to reexamine my father's body. However, I was informed that my father had already been cremated! The circumstances of my father's death are just too suspicious. I don't know who I can seek justice from, but I hope to find out the truth and make sure that the real culprit gets their deserved punishment so that my father can rest in peace.”

“Ms. Atkinson, are you trying to say that it wasn't the future Mrs. Lindberg who caused your father's death?” a reporter asked at once. “Are you suspecting that someone else was behind it?”

Hazel replied tearfully, “I shall leave that to the police to investigate. I just wanted to share what happened that day. As for who the real culprit is, I really have no idea.”

"Hazel, what are you talking about?” Kevin stopped Hazel from speaking further. “You're insinuating that it's Mrs—"

Before the man could complete his sentence, he was interrupted by Harrier.

Harrier glanced at Hazel thoughtfully before standing up and announcing, “Everyone, Ms. Atkinson probably doesn't know what she's talking about as she’s still grieving over her father's death. Please forgive her and ignore everything she said just now.”

While speaking, the man gestured to his subordinates to stop the live broadcast immediately to prevent the news from spreading.

However, that made it more obvious that he was trying to hide something. At once, the reporters swarmed forward to take pictures of him while asking him some difficult questions.

“Mr. Harrington, given that Ms. Atkinson was personally involved in the incident, she would surely know what happened. Why did you claim that she didn't know what she was talking about? Are you trying to cover up something for someone?”

“Exactly. Are you trying to cover up the truth for Mrs. President?”

“Mr. Harrington, it doesn't seem like Ms. Atkinson wants to end the press conference. Why would you want to end it? Are you scared of offending someone?”

“Mr. Harrington, it was rumored that you're very close to the first lady. Is that true?”

“Mr. Harrington, since Mr. Lindberg is no longer around, are you taking over his position? Are you hoping that he will never return?”

“Mr. Harrington...”

“Shut up, everyone. Just shut the f*ck up!”

Harrier, who was usually calm and composed, flew into a rage under the reporters’ relentless questioning. It was only then that he noticed that the reporters who were present that day were all unfamiliar faces. It seemed to him that someone had deliberately

it was someone's intentional doing.

Chapter 2254 Acrimony

The press conference and livestream were quickly put to an end while the news channel was immediately switched to another entertainment-based channel. It was as if they were trying to conceal something.

Even though someone was trying to stop the news from spreading, the news was live. Hence, whatever Hazel had said earlier was broadcast directly to everyone through the cameras. The first lady was enraged. She called Hazel, but Hazel's phone was switched off.

Thus, she immediately called Harrier and demanded to know what was happening. “What's going on? Is Hazel crazy? How dare she spout nonsense in the live stream?”

“Mrs. President, I have already terminated the press conference. We're trying to prevent the situation from escalating. Please rest assured. I will take care of this matter,” said Harrier in a low, consoling voice.

“This crazy woman!” The first lady was livid. “Has she lost her mind? Make her pick up the phone!” “Please wait.” Harrier walked to the office next door and handed the phone to Hazel while informing her, “It's a call from the first lady.”

Hazel took the phone and said “hello,” but before she could continue speaking, the first lady's agitated yells traveled from the other end of the line.

"Hazel Atkinson! Have you lost your mind? How dare you utter nonsense on the live news broadcast? Don’t you know how serious the consequences are?”

“The consequences? I'm only relating the events that have happened. What consequences are you talking about?” said Hazel coldly, interrupting the first lady coldly.

The first lady froze upon hearing that. She did not expect Hazel, who had always been timid and subservient around her, to speak to her with such a rude tone.

She's behaving strangely!

All of a sudden, the first lady softened her tone. “Hazel, has anyone told you anything? They are trying to drive a wedge between us. You can't fall for their tricks—"

Hazel retorted, “Fall for their tricks? What tricks? Whose tricks? Why is someone controlling our doctor? Who is controlling him? Why did the forensic pathologist in charge of examining Daddy's corpse disappear suddenly? Why can’t we find him? Why was Daddy's corpse cremated so suddenly yesterday night? Who gave the order to do so?”

She fired a string of questions in one breath. Even Kevin, who was beside her, was dumbfounded. Harriers expression changed drastically as well. He then ordered all subordinates to leave the room and personally closed the door to the office.

The first lady was utterly befuddled, for she did not expect Hazel to ask those questions at that juncture. She knew that the truth could not be hidden forever, but she was caught by surprise, for her lies were exposed far too soon.

“Mrs. President...” Hazel narrowed her eyes and asked gloomily, “Was my dad really poisoned by Francesca’s snake? Or was he poisoned by you?” When Kevin heard those words, he jumped in fright and almost fell off the chair.

The first lady berated, “Hazel Atkinson! Are you crazy? How dare you suspect me? I don't know who planted this idea in your mind, but I had only arranged for Francesca to meet you and your father out of goodwill. What happened next has nothing to do with me!”

"Since it has nothing to do with you, why did you instigate me to hold a press conference? Why did you personally arrange for a forensic pathologist to conduct an autopsy on my father? Why must you give the order for my father's body to be cremated in advance?” Hazel demanded agitatedly. “I don't know what you're talking about.” The first lady refused to admit anything. “What evidence do you have to prove that I did all that? I'm just someone who has spare time on my hands, and taking care of my daughter is the only thing I do every day. I expressed my concern when I found out that your father had passed away, but you framed me with a groundless accusation...”

"You..."

“If you have any evidence to prove that I did anything illegal, you can go to the Ministry of Law to lodge an accusation against me. Otherwise, shut your mouth. How dare you slander the first lady? You must be tired of living!”

Upon admonishing Hazel harshly, the first lady hung up right away.

Gripping the phone, Hazel trembled with anger. She had long since known that the first lady would not easily admit to the crime, but judging from the latter's antsy attitude, Hazel could tell that her father's death was definitely related to the first lady.

q

Chapter 2255 Terror

Harrier questioned Hazel, “Hazel, are you crazy? The fact that Francesca released her snake to poison your father to death was clear as day! What does it have to do with Mrs. President? Who brainwashed you to act like a lunatic?”

Hazel lifted her head to look at Harrier. “Harrier Harrington. “You weren't present when the incident occurred, and you didn’t examine my father's body or investigate the case after the incident occurred. Do you even understand what's going on? Why do you insist that this has nothing to do with Mrs. President?”

"What reason does she have to do this?” Harrier threw the question back at her. Kevin chimed in, "He's right. Why would Mrs. President want to kill your father? She has no reason to do so.” “There's no need for me to explain her motive for murdering my father because both of you know it better than I do. We're all clear on the situation, so let's not pretend to be dumb.” Hazel stared at them with annoyance. “You—"

Hazel uttered furiously, “You guys assume that by cornering Mr. Lindberg and placing the Lindberg family in the president's control, you'll reap more benefits. I think that's just a foolish fantasy. Since the president used such unscrupulous methods to deal with Mr. Lindberg, he can use similar methods to deal with us in the future. Once the Lindberg family is completely under their control, we would have served our purpose, and we would meet our doom!”

Upon hearing those words, Kevin's expression changed greatly as his eyes darted around amidst his state of panic.

“I think that there's something wrong with your brain.” Harrier paid no heed to Hazel's words. "Why are you spouting nonsense? Everything happened because the two of you are competing over jealousy! Why must you drag the president and his wife into your sordid affairs?”

"Why are you still putting on an act? What's the point?” Hazel couldn't be bothered to reason with them anymore. “It's only natural that you think you're the greatest beneficiary. After all, someone will have to take charge of Lindberg Corporation in the future. The Atkinson family has fallen, Mr. Lindberg is no longer here. and Mr. Yarrow isn't presentable. Hence, you'll be the one at the helm. However, do you really wield any substantial power? You'll be a puppet at most.”

“You—"

Harrier wanted to retort her, but Hazel could not care less and had already walked away.

As Harrier stared at her retreating finger, his face turned red with rage. He then gestured at his subordinate to follow Hazel.

His personal subordinate immediately brought his men along and trailed after Hazel

When Kevin saw that, he was flustered, and his expression grew all the more complicated.

Harrier patted Kevin on the shoulder and consoled him. “Mr. Yarrow, don't listen to that brats words. She is trying to frighten you.”

Alas, Kevin was terrified and uneasy. “No, her words make sense. Think about it! Danrique is such a mighty person but has been destroyed by the president and his wife so easily. If the president wants to target us in the future, wouldn't it be as easy as crushing an ant? We tried so hard to cooperate with them and target Danrique. However, when the president has control of Lindberg Corporation, will he kick us to the curb?”

Harrier chuckled. “You're overthinking. Lindberg Corporation is a large company. Someone needs to take charge of it. We are the most familiar with the company’s operations, so how can it operate without us? That aside, even if the president wants to gain control of Lindberg Corporation, he would have to do so behind the scenes. We will still be in charge of it superficially. Otherwise, what will the public say about them?”

“That's true.” Kevin heaved a sigh of relief.

Harrier patted the other man's shoulder again. “Don’t overthink. I need to tie up some loose ends. You should find some time to go to the Lindberg residence to get their legal seal.”

"How am I going to pull that off?” Kevin's face turned pale with fright. “That Francesca girl has got a bunch of flying and prowling beasts to look after the place. My men will be devoured by the animals before they can even step foot into the castle.”

Harrier did not hesitate to pressure Kevin. “Come up with a plan! I'll leave this matter to you. I still have to meet Mrs. President. All the best!”

Thereafter, Harrier hurried away.

q

Chapter 2256 Wheels Within Wheels

"Harrier... Harrier..." Kevin called out a few times. Harrier ignored him and walked out without hesitation. He even said to some of the people from the upper management outside, “Please find Mr. Yarrow for the matters regarding the seal. I'll take care of the public opinion.”

“Yes, Mr. Harrington!” The senior executives all came to Kevin with documents in their hands, saying that they were urgent and needed approval from him to commence the project. Otherwise, they would lose over a hundred million every day.

Kevin was placed in a difficult situation because of Harrier, and he could only bite the bullet and say that he would try everything to get the seal.

However, after regaining his composure, Kevin felt something was off. Harrier had let him deal with the hot potato while he went to please the president and the first lady himself. In the end, all the benefits would go to Harrier while he would get nothing at all.

As he was pondering about it, his phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Hazel. He quickly answered the call. “Hello, Hazel..."

“Mr. Yarrow, help me,” Hazel shouted in panic.

"What? Hazel, what's going on? Hazel—" Before Kevin could even finish his sentence, there was the sound of an explosion on the other end of the phone, and the call was disconnected.

Kevin was utterly stunned and only regained his senses after a while. He immediately called Hazel, but he couldn't reach her anymore. He tried to call Hazel's bodyguard, but to no avail as well.

He then called Harrier, whose phone was on hold the whole time. After that, he had someone go to the Atkinson residence to check the situation.

Half an hour later, his subordinate called and said, “Mr. Yarrow, Ms. Atkinson's car exploded on the flyover just now...” “What?” Kevin was shocked. “Where is she?”

“The car fell into the river after the explosion. The police are recovering the body..."

“The body?” Kevin was so frightened that he slumped down on the sofa. In just seven days, the father and the daughter of the Atkinson family were gone.

If Danrique’s high position had threatened the president from taking the reins, what about the Atkinson family? What had they done wrong?

Gerard had always followed orders and had been unopinionated. He had always been under the thumb of the president and his wife, who had poisoned him to death in the end to convict Francesca.

Now, Hazel ended up in such a situation because she had discovered the truth, told the media everything that had happened, and confronted the first lady.

Kevin was worried that if he did not do as the president and his wife said in the future, he would die too.

Now that Danrique’s survival was still hanging in the balance and Gerard and Hazel were dead, Kevin doubted if he could remain unharmed.

The more Kevin thought about it, the more afraid he was.

Soon, the news of Hazel's accident spread like wildfire.

Various major media outlets reported the news of the explosion with clear photos and videos.

The conclusion was that her life and death remained unknown, and her body was not found.

These words left rooms for the imagination of the people. How could her life and death be judged when her body was not even found?

This soon caused an uproar on the internet, and public opinions erupted like a volcano. After all, Hazel had just recounted the entire incident at the press conference. They believed that the first lady had something to do with this matter.

However, Harrier had interrupted her before she could even finish her words. After that, the press conference had been forced to stop and what followed in less than one hour was the news of her accident.

The entire thing seemed to be interrelated. It was not surprising that people would associate this matter with the first lady.

After all, the other suspect, Francesca, had already been arrested. It was impossible for her to make a move against Hazel, so all fingers were now pointed toward the first lady.

The enormous waves of public opinion could not be suppressed at all. Kevin was terrified. He hid in his home, not daring to see anyone.

Meanwhile, Harrier, who had heard the news, immediately went to the presidential palace. Upon learning about the entire situation, the first lady was shocked. “How could this be? I haven't even done anything yet.”

q

Chapter 2257 Wheels Within Wheels 2

"Well, that makes sense.” Harrier frowned. “She was involved in an accident immediately after giving her speech at the press conference. No wonder people would think it has something to do with you."

"What on earth is going on now?" The first lady was distraught. "Have you found out who did this?" “I sent someone to follow Hazel when she left the company, but they lost her very quickly...” Harrier furrowed his brows. “Soon after that, I heard something happened to her.”

“The news is spreading fast, and the public opinions are now against me.” The first lady started to panic. “Who is behind this? Could it be Danrique?”

“I don't think so.” Harrier's expression changed drastically. “His life and death are uncertain, and he can't even take care of himself now. He can't possibly get so many things done.”

“Then who could it be? Who else could it be..."

“Could it be him?” Harrier thought of someone.

"Who?" the first lady hurriedly asked.

“Prince William.” Harrier frowned. “Although I know very little about him, I always feel that he is not a simple man. Something happened to Danrique, Francesca went to jail, and Sean is not in Xendale. Sloan and the boys are incapable of doing such a thing. Only one person from the Lindberg family is capable of plotting this whole thing behind our backs...”

"How is that possible?” The first lady did not see William as a threat at all. “He's just a wastrel who was kicked out by the royal family of Danontand. He's not capable of making any remarks in Erihal at all. If he was truly that capable, he wouldn't have been bullied by his cousins.”

“This...” Harrier could not respond for a moment. She's right. William has always been bullied by his cousins. Everyone in the upper echelon of society knows that. Besides, Hazel's accident requires not only planning but also asking for a favor from the media and arranging the explosion... Even if William is crafty and shrewd, he doesn’t have the connection and ability to buy off the media to fight against the first lady.

"Check it out and report to me as soon as there's any information,” the first lady instructed.

"Got it.” Harrier immediately left to investigate this matter. As soon as he got into the car, he said to his subordinate, “Check with the prison if Francesca has escaped and if she has contacted anyone outside.”

“I've checked with them, and I was told that they've been monitoring her closely in the prison Besides the basic living facilities, there are no communication channels in her room. She couldn't possibly contact anyone outside. Although they have let her watch the news today, the computer is placed outside. She could only watch it through the bars of the prison...” the subordinate carefully recounted the results of the investigation.

Harrier was very confused. If it is neither William nor Francesca, who could it be?

Meanwhile, in the prison, Francesca was lying leisurely on the bed, crossing her legs and eating an apple.

It was true that she could not contact anyone outside. However, the female prison guard had deliberately shown her Hazel's news today to make her angry, but who would have thought that there was an unexpected turn of events?

At that time, Francesca was shocked too. She could still vividly remember that Hazel hated her on the day she was arrested. Why did she change her mind all of a sudden?

After that, Francesca thought about it carefully. Perhaps William had found a way to reveal the truth to Hazel. She knew that her father's death had nothing to do with Francesca and that it might have something to do with the first lady, so she changed her mind.

As long as the tables had turned, that meant that things were looking up.

Francesca was in a bright mood now. She was waiting for good news and hoping they would release her straight away.

Meanwhile, in the Lindberg residence, Sloan was leading a woman who was wearing a black cloak to the study. Layla turned around, and the woman took off the hood of the cloak. Layla was stunned. “It's you.”

“Ms. Atkinson.” Monica was also surprised. “So you..."

Chapter 2258 Protect Her

"What a great move!” Layla exclaimed as she smacked her thigh. “First, you had Hazel hold a press conference to explain what happened so that the people would know the truth and where to put their doubts.

Then, you created an accident before Mrs. President can counterattack. After that, you directed the people's attention to the matter and made them turn on her. Then Hazel came back to the Lindberg residence to hide. That way, she'd be safe.”

"We're simply giving them a taste of their own medicine.” William curled his lips. “We'll counterattack in the same way they've attacked us.”

“Brilliant thinking, Your Highness.” Hazel was thoroughly impressed by William. “Harrier and Mrs. President would never expect me to be in the Lindberg residence.”

“Indeed,” William affirmed with a smile. “Be at ease and just stay here. It's safe here.” “That's right.” Monica nodded fervently. “Even if they know that you're here, they won't dare to do anything to you.”

“But...” Layla seemed to be worried. “Let Ms. Atkinson stay at my place,” William said, instantly figuring out what was on Layla’s mind. “It'll be more convenient for me to discuss with her the next steps of the plan.”

“Yes,” Hazel agreed, realizing what Layla was worried about as well. “Besides, this is Mr. Lindberg'’s residence. It won't be right for me to move in without his permission.”

"Good, good.” Layla nodded. “Ill have Norah make arrangements for a few maids to take care of you there.” “Thank you,” William replied, smiling. “Ms. Layla, we'll go over now, then. Please summon us anytime you need anything.” “Of course.”

After watching them leave, Layla went into the house. Sloan asked, “Ms. Layla, are you worried that Ms. Atkinson would steal the seal?”

"You've gotten smarter,” Layla commented, chuckling. “Although I know it's unlikely for her to do that, it's better to be safe than sorry. Francesca entrusted this house to me before she left. I have to keep it safe for her.”

Sloan nodded. “But it looks like Prince William and Ms. Atkinson truly want to help us out. Now, everyone is pointing fingers at Mrs. President. It's an advantageous situation for Ms. Felch.” “Precisely,” Layla said wistfully. “We have to thank William for this, but somehow, something tells me that he’s not a simple man. Perhaps you can think of me as someone petty, but regardless of everything, I have to keep my guard up around him.”

"Anything you say,” Sloan said obediently.

“By the way, have you contacted Gordon and the others?” Layla asked.

“Not yet. I don't know why, but I cant reach him at all,” Sloan muttered despondently. “I've lost contact with the others too. Did something really happen to Mr. Lindberg?”

"Shush! Don't say such unlucky things.”

"Of course!” Sloan smacked his mouth in penance. “I wonder how Ms. Felch is now. I was thinking of getting someone familiar to take care of her there, but I found out that the ones who are watching over her are all Mrs. President's men. None of our people could get in there.”

“Looks like they're guarding the place rather strictly.” A pause later, Layla said smugly, “But there will always be loopholes. I'm not good at strategizing, but I'm one of the best in prison breaking.”

"Uh, are you thinking of helping Ms. Felch escape?” Sloan's eyes lit up. “I'll prep for that right away!" “Wait.” Layla stopped him. “She can't run now. This isn't a good time. She can't leave yet, or else they'll assume that she’s making a run for it because she’s guilty.” “Then...”

“I'm worried about her being bullied,” Layla said. “What about this? Find out where she’s being held, and I'll send something to her.” “Huh? Will that work?”

"Of course it will.” Layla grinned. “We'll send Sam in to protect her.” “Okay. I'll summon Sam immediately.”

q

Chapter 2259 He Is Useless

William brought Hazel back to the castle he was staying in. When he heard her talk about the explosion and how the driver and two other bodyguards had escaped safe and sound, he drew his brows together. “What's the matter?” Hazel queried. “Did we do something wrong?”

“Not exactly,” William responded in a solemn tone. “I just think that you should have been meticulous in the act. Others would assume that your body was destroyed in the explosion if they couldn't find your body. However, if the driver's and the subordinates’ bodies couldn't be found as well, it would be obvious to anyone that this was a trick.”

“So what?" Hazel countered. “I can't possibly let my men die, right? They've been working for me for years, and I can't bring myself to be that ruthless. Besides, I've already had a falling out with Mrs. President. What could she do even if she found out that I was tricking her? It's not as if they can find me."

“The lack of bodies means they can persuade the media to think that this was a trick meant to set Mrs. President up,” William pointed out with a frown. “It's a lousy trick, and one that anyone can see through it.”

“I...” Hazel froze. She had not given it much thought.

“Does that mean our efforts have been for naught?” Monica quickly asked.

“Not completely,” William reassured. “They're already starting to talk about Mrs. President. We could have defeated her with just one strike, but Ms. Atkinson's mercy meant that this thing will have to last longer. It's just a battle of manipulating public opinion now to see who will be the victor.”

“I'm sorry,” Hazel said guiltily. “It could have been a perfect plan, but I ruined it. Still, I can’t bring myself to let my men die.”

“You're kind, Ms. Atkinson.” William looked at her in approval. “It's a good thing.”

His gaze made Hazel nervous, and she hastily lowered her head.

At that, Monica's heart lurched.

"Get some rest and don't think about it anymore. Prioritize your recovery,” William consoled. “You can leave the rest to me.”

"Okay. Thank you.” Hazel rose to her feet, still not daring to look at William.

“Send Ms. Atkinson to the guest room,” Monica quickly instructed the maid.

“Yes, Ma'am.”

Once Hazel was gone, the gentle look on William's face disappeared, and he snapped his brows together again.

“Your Highness, you've spent so much money to bribe Gold Group to let us manipulate the people, but Ms. Atkinson messed it up,” Monica said, understanding what William was thinking about. "What a pity.”

“I thought someone like her who has been working for Danrique for so long would be someone merciless. But as it turns out, she’s indecisive,” William commented. “She can't even bear to part with a few of her subordinates. How will she pull off grand plans like this?”

Hearing that, Monica froze. Although she lamented the loss of a flawless plan, she could understand why Hazel did not wish to hurt innocent people. Those people were Hazel's long-term subordinates. No matter what, she would still have feelings for them.

A hint of terror crept onto Monica's face after she heard William's words.

If my sacrifice is necessary for one of his future plans, does that mean he'll...

"We'll have to keep spending money on this, then,” William uttered, changing the topic. “Lucky for us, Jesse's the money-grubbing kind. As long as money is on the table, he'll be willing to assist us.” “Mm, Gold Group is the best in Koandria for manipulating public opinion,” Monica said. “But you've already used thirty percent of your assets in exchange for his assistance. If you keep spending money on this—"

“I have to keep doing this even if it means spending everything I have,” William interrupted. “I have to make sure Francesca is safe.”

Monica lowered her head and fell silent. She had been worried that William and Hazel would be interested in each other, but it looked like she had thought too much about the matter. The only person he had in his heart was still Francesca.

"How goes the investigation on the president's daughter?” William asked. “Why isn't there any news about it yet? It's been a long time since I've assigned this task to you.”

“Dominic is looking into this for—"

"He's useless,” William responded in frustration. “Go to Ms. Layla right now and ask for her help in this investigation. I need to know the answer as soon as possible.”

“Understood.”

 

 

 

Chapter 2260 Sam Swallowed The Tracker

When Monica went to look for Layla, she saw that Sloan was about to take Layla out. Layla was throwing a large black backpack into the car, wearing a strange outfit. When she saw Monica, she asked warily, “What are you doing here at this hour?”

"His Highness asked me to look for you.” Monica hurried over to pass her Avery's documents. After telling her a brief summary of the situation, she added, “I've asked my ex-partner to look into this, but he hasn't been able to yield any results after a long time. His Highness is anxious about it, so he has sent me here to ask for your help.”

“You're doing this to save Francesca, so this is no trouble. It's my duty, really,” Layla replied, her tone softening. “You should have told me about this earlier. I'll look into this now.”

“I thought my partner could find some lead on this...” Monica muttered. “You're heading out, right? I shall take my leave, then.”

“I'll look for you all when I have results. I'll be off now.” With that, Layla got into the car with the documents.

After watching them leave, Monica drove back. Layla read Avery's documents and mumbled under her breath, “That's strange. Why does this girl look familiar to me?”

"Are you talking about the president's daughter?” Sloan asked. “I heard from Gordon that she has been sickly since young, so she has never appeared in public. Have you seen her before?”

“No.” Layla shook her head. “I doubt I've seen her before, but there's something familiar about her.” Once she finished reading all the pages, she stiffened. “Ms. Avery has congenital heart disease?” “Yes.” Sloan nodded. “Ms. Felch even treated her a while back.”

“Not only does she have heart disease, but she also suffers from mental illness...” Layla continued skimming through the pages. “This is strange. Where have I seen her before?”

“Ms. Layla, let's think about this later on and look for Ms. Felch first,” Sloan reminded. “Are you sure Sam will be able to find Ms. Felch? What if it doesn't find her and even bites innocent people on its way there? Won't that make things—"

“Don’t worry. I have a telepathic connection with Francesca. If she knows that I'm here, she'll summon Sam.”

“Really?”

"Of course. Not only is Sam going there to protect Francesca, but it's also scouting the path for us. If anything urgent pops up later, we can use this path to rescue Francesca.”

"Okay."

Soon, the two of them came to a hill near the prison.

Sloan stopped the car in the forest before pointing at the stone tower a short distance away. “Ms. Felch is imprisoned there, but I'm not sure which cell she’s in.”

"Are you sure she's there?” Layla asked.

"Of course. Although Mr. Lindberg is currently missing, he is still a well-known, powerful man. It was easy to retrieve information from others.”

"Okay."

Layla looked up and let out a wolf's howl

Sloan was stunned to his core, for Layla's imitation was almost perfect.

The guards on duty were alerted, and they began glancing around warily, thinking that there were wolves

Meanwhile, Francesca, who had just fallen asleep, woke with a start. She clambered out of the bed to look out the window. She knew Layla was there.

That was because Layla's wolf's howl was not actually an imitation of a real wolf's howl. There was a hidden message in it.

Layla continued to howl a few more times before asking Sloan to release Sam.

Quickly, Sam slithered in the direction of the prison.

Francesca, who had received Layla's message, knew that Sam was on its way, so she made a low whistle to summon Sam to her side.

After watching Sam go, Layla asked Sloan, “Did you put the tracker on Sam?”

“I did,” Sloan answered timidly. “But Sam swallowed the tracker. Will it poop it out?”

“You had one job!" Layla huffed and glared at him

“There was nothing I could do about that. Sam didn’t want to listen to me, and I didn’t dare to hurt it,” Sloan muttered aggrievedly.

"Forget it. It's good enough that it swallowed it.”