Ch. 2271..2280

Chapter 2271 Pros And Cons

Time passed by slowly as everyone anticipated the arrival of Danrique. His appearance seemed like the only way to ensure that an ice-sealed Xendale would be awakened.

Meanwhile, Francesca was extremely weak after going through our rough days. She lay on the bed daily, only drinking water to survive.

Sam brought her worms, rats and other food options. Yet, Francesca couldn't swallow anything at all.

On this day, she heard a familiar howling outside. It was then she knew Layla had arrived.

Francesca wanted to howl in return, but she had difficulty doing so as her throat was dry and hoarse. Left with no choice, she asked Sam to look for Layla, for she was worried that Layla would come to her rescue impulsively.

Mrs. President has set up traps everywhere here. If Layla rushes in, she will definitely fall into her trap. Unless Mrs. President releases me on her own accord, there's no way someone can rescue me. Layla was feeling anxious in the forest not far away, as there was no response from Francesca after a long moment. She stressed, “Something must have happened to Francesca. I need to go rescue her now.”

Sloan immediately trailed behind her. “I'm going with you!”

“Sloan, Gordon is not here yet. Why don't we wait and ask for his opinion?” His subordinate advised, “I don't think a small group of us has the ability to save Francesca by rushing in without any preparation.”

Sloan pushed his subordinate away as he followed behind Layla. “No. We can't just sit back and do nothing!”

Without a choice, all the subordinates followed suit on their quest to save Francesca.

The group sneaked into the prison through the side door. As Layla was an agile woman, she had no problem doing so.

Sloan quickly followed her. His watch vibrated when he was about to climb through the window. Noticing that it was a call from Gordon, Sloan wanted to pick up when the signal cut off.

A jail like the one they were heading into would cut off all communication signals, so there was no way for Sloan to talk to Gordon now. Sloan decided to put this matter behind him first. For now, the most important thing was to save Francesca

The group climbed through the wall successfully under Layla's lead. Then, they followed the GPS on Sam's body to the cell holding Francesca.

Even with the GPS guidance, the jail was massive and had many winding roads, so the group needed time to figure out where Francesca was held at.

Conversely, Gordon was rushing over to their meetup point with his subordinates. As Sloan's communication signal was cut off, no one picked up Gordon's call.

He then tried to call Sloan's subordinates, but the result was the same. He couldn't get hold of them too. It dawned on him that the group had already gone ahead and broken into the jail.

Mylo was worried. “Gordon, will anything happen to them? Sloan had only two subordinates with him. Together with Layla, there are only four of them. They are prey walking into a trap right now!" “That brat is too reckless.” Gordon furrowed his brows. “We have no choice now. We got to save them.”

“Noted.”

In the castle, Monica heard that Sloan and Layla were on their way to save Francesca. She quickly rushed to William to report this matter to him, asking agitatedly, “Your Highness, should we lend them a helping hand?”

“It would end badly if we help them now,” Hazel explained rationally, “I know Mrs. President. She must have set traps everywhere in the jail when she leaked the news to the public to lure Mr. Lindberg's people to her."

“But we can't let them die just like that!” Monica looked at William anxiously as she awaited his response.

Even though she was selfish, especially with matters concerning William's safety, Monica still wanted to help the group out under such circumstances. After all, Francesca had gone all out to help them when they were at their lowest points.

Hazel peered at William too. She, too, wanted to know what his decision was.

After a while, William finally said, “There's nothing we can do even if we show up now..."

Monica didn't dare to speak as mixed emotions swirled within her.

I thought William liked Francesca. Isn't he willing to do anything for her? Why...

Chapter 2272 It Is A Trap

William's fingers rapped against the wheelchair's armrest. He lowered his eyes. It was as if he was contemplating something as he said, “Nothing will happen to Francesca.”

Monica had no idea what was going on in his mind. Even though she was worried, there was nothing she could do. With that, she retreated to the side silently.

Hazel gazed at William. She couldn't help but remark, “You are good at maintaining your composure...” William didn’t respond. It seemed like Hazel's words had fallen on deaf ears

“You're meant to succeed.” Hazel smiled as admiration filled her eyes. “However, maybe I can read this as a sign that you don't like Francesca as much as you portray yourself to be. There must be some kind of misunderstanding during your previous display of affection.”

“She is going to be fine,” William stated abruptly. His eyes were still lowered as if he had just said that to himself.

Hazel took that as the cue for her to leave him alone. She leaned against the sofa and continued scrolling through her phone. I'm waiting to see how things will turn out. Will Francesca leave the jail unharmed?

Layla and Sloan managed to find Francesca's jail cell. When Layla saw the fragile-looking Francesca lying on the bed, she called out, “Francesca!”

“Ms. Felch!” Tears filled an agitated Sloan's eyes.

Francesca thought her mind was playing tricks on her. She froze when she turned her head and saw Layla and Sloan. “You guys..."

“Let me rescue you from here, Ms. Felch!” Sloan aimed his gun at the cell's lock before firing a few shots.

“Leave!” Francesca shouted.

The moment her words ended, countless lasers were aimed at Sloan and the rest.

Stunned by the turn of events, Layla turned around to see a few dozen fully armed soldiers rushing in with guns to surround them.

Even though they had already expected the outcome, Sloan and the rest were still frustrated to be apprehended so early in their rescue mission.

A subordinate thundered, “We are from the Lindberg family. Who dares to...”

A shot was fired at his head before he could finish his sentence.

The subordinate fell to the ground without any signs of struggle as life squeezed out of him in a second.

Horrified, Sloan screamed, “Zolt!"

“How could you...” Another subordinate gaped in disbelief. The Lindberg family was untouchable previously. No one dared to offend them. But now, it seemed like the Lindberg family was the target.

"How dare you guys trespass into the jail? Do you guys have a death wish?” The leading military officer roared.

“Don’t you guys do anything rashly!” Francesca supported her weak body as she walked over to the jail bar. She continued anxiously, “They have nothing to do with this. Do not harm these innocent people!”

“We won't lay a hand on you, Ms. Felch. But it's a whole different matter for these people.” The military officer mocked before pointing his gun at another subordinate of Sloan's

“Stop!” Francesca and Sloan's voices rang out at the same time. However, the military officer did not pause his action. He pulled the trigger straight away.

“Morty!” A perturbed Sloan wanted to rush over and fight with the military officer.

Dozens of guns immediately aimed at his head.

Layla quickly shielded Sloan behind her. She scolded, “Danrique will be here soon. Do you guys still want to act so disorderly? Are you guys tired of living?”

“Let's talk further when he is here.” The military officer waved his hand in command as his soldier prepared to fire at Layla and Sloan. Francesca yelled, “I would never let you guys off the hook if you guys hurt them!”

Bang!

The loud sound of gunfire disrupted Francesca’s words. Sloan fell to the ground as the shot hit him in his knees. Blood began oozing out of his wound.

Francesca widened her eyes in disbelief.

I knew Mrs. President had already set up traps here, and it's dangerous for anyone to trespass into this place. Little did I expect these people to be so bold. How dare they kill the Lindberg family's men in front of me?

“Sloan...” Layla immediately tried to get Sloan up from the ground, but the guns were aimed at her now.

“Layla...” Francesca panicked. She grabbed the jail bar and grumbled, “Don’t you guys do anything to her. I swear I will kill you guys if you do so!”

Bang!

Chapter 2273 Leave Now

A crisp sound rang out as a gunshot hit Layla’s calf. Layla fell to the ground as blood flowed out of her leg. Sloan put himself in front of her. “Layla!”

The two supported each other as they tried to pick up their gun to fire back. Yet, there were dozens of guns and lasers aimed at their heads. There was no way for them to escape now.

"Stop! Stop!” Francesca hit on the cell's metal door agitatedly. She wanted to stop the soldiers from continuing their rampage.

The military officer sneered as he pretended to speak politely, “Since Ms. Felch has asked us to stop, we will listen to her.”

Then, he took out Francesca's phone and dialed a number. “Ms. Felch, you've been here for so long. I'm sure you missed Mr. Lindberg dearly. Why don't you give him a call?”

Francesca stared at the phone. She wanted to know whether she could reach Danrique now.

As the phone was put on loudspeaker, the mechanical voice rang out then. “The number you've dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later.”

“It seems like Mr. Lindberg doesn’t care about you.” The military officer frowned. “If that's the case, these two people are worthless to us.”

He gestured for his subordinate to drag Layla and Sloan away.

“Let them go! Release them now!” Francesca hit on the metal door anxiously. However, nobody bothered to look at her.

The soldiers didn't pay any attention to Layla and Sloan's wounds as they forced them away. They slammed their guns on Sloan's head when he tried to break free from their grasp.

Instantly, blood oozed out of Sloan's head. Layla wanted to protect him, and that in turn, caused her to be the next target of their beating.

Francesca couldn't suppress her anger anymore. She immediately used the summoning spell.

Sam rapidly flew in from the outside and coiled herself around the military officer's neck. The military officer wanted to pull her away, but his attempt ended with a bite in his hand.

The man was so frightened he turned pale. He immediately screamed for others’ help.

Two soldiers came to his aid. They, too, got bitten by Sam when they tried to pull her away.

At the same time, a group of police canines rushed in. The soldiers thought these dogs were sent by their people, so they instructed them to catch Sam. Little did they expect the police canine to throw themselves at them.

The soldiers were toppled to the ground in a blink of an eye as chaos ensued at the scene.

The soldiers stationed in the surveillance room wanted to use their laser guns to end Layla and Sloan, but they stopped themselves for fear of hurting their comrades.

Meanwhile, a soldier fell to the ground near Francesca’s cell. She grabbed his gun and fired a few shots at the lock on her door.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The door was finally unlocked. Francesca ran over immediately to help Layla and Sloan up before the trio escaped hurriedly from the scene.

"Seize them!” The military officer commanded before falling to the ground with foam coming out of his mouth.

The remaining soldiers wanted to go after Francesca and the rest, but the police canines stopped them from doing so. The soldiers couldn't help but wonder.

What? We own these police canines! Why are they protecting Francesca? These dogs are risking their lives now to ensure Francesca's escape!

Francesca supported Layla and Sloan as they escaped, but it wasn't long before she ran out of energy. She had been starving for the past few days. Plus, she had to help support the weight of the two casualties. It was only normal for her to feel weak quickly.

Sloan noticed the soldiers were catching up to them. He pushed Layla and Francesca forward and said anxiously, “Leave now, Ms. Felch.”

“No. I can't leave you behind,” Francesca retorted as she tried to grab Sloan.

However, he pushed her away. “Leave! Run! If not, nobody gets to leave this place today. I'm Mr. Lindberg's man. They won't dare to do anything to me.”

“Sloan...” Francesca wanted to say something.

Layla interrupted, “Please don't forget that you're a pregnant woman. The most important thing now is for you to leave this place safely.”

With that, Layla dragged her away.

 

Chapter 2274 Live Well

Francesca turned her head to look at Sloan as she ran away. Sloan gave her a charming smile before sliding down onto the ground with his back against the wall. Then, he aimed his guns in the direction of the pursuing soldiers.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! After a round of gunshots, Sloan sacrificed himself to slow down the chasing soldiers. The young man’s life ended instantly in the place that held Francesca captive. “Sloan!” Francesca's screams were full of anguish. She wanted to return to save Sloan, but Layla refused to let go of her grip on her. “Listen to me, Francesca. We've got to go.” Anxious, Layla pushed her forward. “Sam will lead you out of here.”

“Ms. Layla, we will leave together.” “I can't walk. I will only slow you down if I tag along.” “But...” “No buts,” Layla stopped her anxiously. “Zolt, Morty, and Sloan all sacrificed themselves for you. If you cannot leave this place in one piece, all of our efforts will go to waste. Run!”

“I would rather die with you than watch something happen to you before my eyes!” Guilt had eaten up Francesca when she watched Sloan die before her. She couldn't bear to see anything bad happen to Layla now.

“You're not alone. You are with child, so you've got to think about your baby!" Angered by Francesca, Layla pushed her forward forcefully. “Run!”

“Ms. Layla...” Francesca continued. Layla responded by slapping her. “Go now!"

Francesca's body trembled as she cried, but she listened to Layla and left.

“Francesca!” Layla shouted behind her. “Live well!”

Tears streamed down Francesca’s face as she ran forward with all her might.

Layla finally heaved a sigh of relief after Francesca left. She had difficulty standing up as her leg was wounded. Knowing fairly well that she could not escape, the woman took a bomb out as she waited for the soldiers to catch up to her.

Francesca quickly found the way out, with Sam leading the way. After she passed through the long corridor, the woman finally arrived at the other end of the dungeon.

There's light in front of the tunnel. I will be safe the moment I step out of this dark tunnel. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion behind her.

A shudder ran through Francesca. She turned and saw the collapsing tunnel behind her. There was thick smoke everywhere.

Francesca froze, knowing that Layla was gone. Tears began flowing down her face as her heart shattered into many pieces.

I've never fallen into such despair before. My life has been smooth sailing all this while because I have extraordinary medical skills and the ability to summon animals. Even if I encounter any challenging situations, I can always solve them in the end. It seems like I've never faced any loss in the process. But now, those people who had always protected me—Sloan and Layla—had given up their lives in order to save me.

Intense pain took over Francesca’s body. Anger and hatred filled her heart.

I don't understand. Why do they have to kill the innocent? I don't understand why these people have to go after others’ assets when they already have so much power. I don't understand why the world is like this. This is eating me! I'm just a regular doctor. How did I end up in this conflict and cost the life of my beloved Ms. Layla? What did I do wrong?

Francesca's weak body wavered and almost fell to the ground. At that moment, she saw no hope in this world.

The woman was so caught up in her mind that she didn’t even notice the footsteps getting louder behind her.

“I've already told you that you won't be able to escape, so why did you even bother to try?” mocked a female voice.

A female military officer caught up to Francesca with a group of soldiers behind her. They proceeded to point their guns at Francesca.

Francesca heard Layla's familiar voice telling her, “Francesca, live well!”

 

Chapter 2275 Missing

Francesca supported herself by holding on to the stone wall next to her. She slightly lifted her head, and a dark and cold glint flashed across her narrowed eyes. Then, she muttered in a low voice, as if she was speaking to herself. “You killed Sloan and Ms. Layla...”

"Whoever trespassed the dungeon shall die!” The female military officer was the first lady's trusted subordinate. At that moment, she was walking toward Francesca slowly with a gun in her hand. “You killed Sloan and Ms. Layla...” Francesca repeated the same sentence and added, “You must pay with your life!”

"What?" The female military officer burst out laughing. “Are you kidding me? How can you make us pay with your current capability? Are you going to do so just by using that little green snake?” Francesca merely stared at the sky with her eyes narrowed while staying quiet.

“Take her down!” Right after the female military officer demanded, a few soldiers strode forward to capture Francesca.

Just when the soldiers were about to reach Francesca’s shoulders, a black figure suddenly appeared and dashed toward them like a sharp arrow.

An agonized shriek sounded behind Francesca. The next moment, blood splattered onto Francesca's body.

Francesca's eyes were filled with murderous intent when she opened them again.

Layla and Sloan's death had already awakened something in her. She wouldn't be as kind and merciful as she was before anymore, as it would only drag those around her down. I must become merciless and determined! I will spare no one who tries to hurt me anymore!

“It's an eagle!” A soldier shouted.

The other soldiers regained their senses and started shooting at the eagle desperately.

At this moment, someone screamed in horror, “Oh my gosh!”

Upon hearing that, the female military officer turned around. She was dumbfounded when she saw what was happening.

In the sky, a cloud of dark creatures was rushing toward them. Not only that but there was also a hoard of wild beasts filled with murderous intent storming toward them.

Francesca stood still with her arms spread open as if she was a god who could summon every animal in the universe.

The birds and beasts lunged at the female military officers and the soldiers ferociously, tearing them apart and devouring them before they could even open fire.

Instantly, Francesca was covered in blood. She walked forward emotionlessly. However, she passed out and collapsed on the ground after only a few steps.

Ten minutes later, Gordon had just arrived at the site with his men. He was stunned when he witnessed the scene and exclaimed, “Ms. Felch!”

There was blood everywhere, and bodies were scattered all over the ground.

Mylo and the rest looked for Francesca and Sloan in an agitated manner but to no avail. At that point, they were all anxious.

Gordon said, “The animals were probably summoned by Ms. Felch, so she should be fine. Let's head inside and search for her.”

“Yes, sir.”

With that, the group barged into the jail. Soon, they found Layla’s belongings and Sloan's body inside the tunnel.

Perturbed by the discoveries, Mylo and the rest let out furious roars while calling out Sloan's name with red-rimmed eyes.

Unfortunately, Sloan would never respond to them again.

Later, they found Zolt and Morty’s bodies in the dungeon.

Currently, they had already confirmed the deaths of Layla, Sloan, Zolt, and Morty. As for Francesca, she was still missing.

Gordon instructed his men to carry their bodies and belongings away before leading a group of men to search for Francesca nearby.

Yet, they failed to find her even until late at night.

Just when Gordon was about to assign his men to continue searching, Sean called to ask about Francesca’s situation.

Gordon stuttered as he informed Sean that Francesca had gone missing.

Utterly shocked, Sean covered the phone and asked softly, “How did that happen?”

“It's a long story...” Gordon then explained the entire situation to Sean.

Sean panicked after hearing Gordon's statement. “How can this be?”

“I regret this as well. Thinking back on this, I should've communicated with Sloan before this. I didn't expect them to be so impatient. They didn't even wait for me to return before rushing over to save Ms. Felch alongside Ms. Layla.” Gordon was filled with remorse. “I'm still searching for Ms. Felch around this area. I hope she’s fine.”

“You must find her. If not, when Mr. Lindberg wakes up...”

“I know.”

Chapter 2276 The Identity Of Her Lover

Gordon was still leading his men to look for Francesca outside. Meanwhile, Monica was racked with guilt and regret when she heard that Layla and Sloan were dead, while Francesca went missing. She was stunned by the news and felt regretful for not being able to help.

When Monica and Francesca were in Danontand back then, they went through life-and-death situations together. Regardless of whatever situations they were in, Francesca never left Monica's side. However, now that Francesca was in danger, Monica couldn't do anything to help.

Later, Monica broke the news to William and Hazel. William's expression changed drastically as he heard that. He immediately lowered his head as if he was pondering something. Meanwhile, Hazel remained quiet with a grim look on her face.

Hazel thought she would be overjoyed when her love rival, Francesca, finally died. Yet, she didn't feel happy at all. She felt disappointed instead.

Actually, Francesca was a simple lady who knew nothing about deception or scheming. Moreover, she didn't understand how to fight for power. Hence, she was destined to be sacrificed.

From a sentimental point of view, it was a pity for a young lady to suffer such a cruel outcome. From a rational point of view, however, even Francesca—who was Danrique’s fiancée—had encountered such a horrible fate, there was no way the others would be able to escape.

Hazel was worried sick and felt lost regarding her own future. “Your Highness, shouldn't we do something?” Monica sobbed. “After all, Ms. Felch did everything to rescue us back then—"

“She's going to be fine.” William interrupted Monica. “I'm sure she will be all right!" He seemed utterly calm, and there was almost no emotion on his face at all. Besides, he seemed to be comforting Monica and himself with those words.

"Although her current situation had nothing to do with you, she still risked her life to save you back then. Aren't you a little heartless right now?” Hazel stared at William deeply.

Yet, William ignored Hazel's question and simply instructed Monica, “Head over to Danrique Castle and see if there's anything you can do to help.”

"Yes, Your Highness.” Monica nodded sorrowfully. “Gordon is still searching for Ms. Felch out there. Now that Ms. Layla and Sloan are dead, there must be a lack of manpower at Danrique Castle.” “Go.” William urged. “Report to me immediately if something happened.”

“Yes.” With that, Monica departed to Danrique Castle immediately. Hazel couldn't fathom what was going on in William's head at all. He seemed unconcerned, yet he assigned Monica to help at Danrique Castle. Hazel didn't know what he was up to.

However, the more he acted like that, the more curious Hazel felt. She couldn't help but want to know what was in his mind. Meanwhile, Monica arrived at Danrique Castle swiftly.

A melancholic atmosphere enveloped the place. First, Danrique’s life and death were still unknown. Then, Francesca went missing, while Layla and Sloan died.

Everyone was heartbroken.

Norah and a few old maids cried until their eyes were red and swollen. When they saw Monica, they no longer greet her with a cheerful smile and merely inquired about her purpose of visit with their hoarse voices.

Monica didn't know how to console them and only told them she was there to help.

As soon as Norah started speaking, she began sobbing. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she muttered, “Ms. Layla was such a kind soul. How did she... Moreover, Sloan, Zolt, and Morty were only in their twenties, and their lives had just begun. Yet, they died just like that.”

Monica felt sad after hearing Norah's words.

Norah wiped her tears off and told Monica that she had to get back to work. There wasn't much to do around the house. The phone in Layla's room kept ringing, and her computer remained on, but nobody dared to touch those items.

Monica went upstairs to help out. Layla’s phone and the computer had switched off as they ran out of battery. However, Monica dared not move them around. Suddenly, the documents on the desk were swept to the floor by the wind and scattered around.

Feeling dejected, Monica bent over to pick up the documents one by one. She froze like a statue when she abruptly noticed a document written in Ustranasion.

The document contained Avery's information. Not only did Avery's ex-husband was recorded in it, but also her lover's identity.

Upon discovering the true identity of Avery's lover, Monica widened her eyes in shock and called William quickly.

 

Chapter 2277 Look At What You Have Done

"Your Highness, Ms. Layla has discovered who Avery's lover and ex-husband are.” “The ex-husband is not important. Who is the current one?” questioned William.

“Chrono,” replied Monica agitatedly. “Who would've thought she'd end up with him? Did she frame Ms. Felch just to avenge him?” “Is there any other intel? Did they have a child together?”

"Huh? Not only are they lovers, they actually have a child together?”

Shocked by William's question, Monica hurriedly flipped through Avery's data, reading it carefully. Eventually, she found some information regarding the latter's past pregnancy, yet there was no detailed explanation about the child. Monica then informed William about her findings.

"She was pregnant before, but the child's whereabouts is unknown. There are only two possibilities regarding this—she either had a miscarriage or Chrono took the child with him,” speculated William. Monica's face drained of all color. “Could Candice be... Chrono and Avery's child?” “It doesn't matter. What matters now is that we have a good chance to strike back,” stated William in a deep voice. “Bring the data back here at once.”

“Yes.” After tidying up the papers and bidding Norah goodbye, Monica hastily returned to the castle. William scrutinized the data once before contacting the Gold family.

Soon, the person on the other end casually responded, “Your Highness, nothing good will come with offending the president. I'm risking my life to help you here, so maybe you should increase my pay.”

With a tight frown, William retorted, “We've discussed this three days ago, Mr. Gold. You're doing this on purpose.” Increasing the pay? I might as well give him my entire assets.

"If this issue causes a stir, not even Mr. Lindberg could do anything. Mr. President is not one to mess with. Using the company's resources to spread scandals on them is like making enemies with some people. Even money couldn't cover such a big risk.”

“Mr. Gold, Mr. Lindberg will definitely be on our side. Making this move will be like helping him. He'll certainly return the favor.”

"How will he return the favor when he’s not even able to take care of himself? Are you trying to make empty promises to me? I won't fall for that trick.” “Mr. Gold..."

“Forget it. Since you're not willing to pay the price, then I'll not take the risk. Let's not invite trouble and end things here.”

When Jesse was about to hang up, William hurriedly said, “Wait. Okay, I'll increase the price and transfer it to you right now. However, you have to make sure the issue lasts longer in the public's eye, so you need to help me through this until the end.”

“How long, though? Surely there's a time frame?” “One month. No matter how Erihal pressures you, you must not delete them for one month. Instead, you have to post the info consistently according to the data I'll provide you.”

"I gained seventy percent of your assets for just a month's work? Well, it's a deal!” William had transferred his assets to Jesse in exchange for the latter's help.

Soon, the major media in the world spread the scandal regarding Erihal’s president and his family: The President Married His Daughter Off To Rope In The Nobles Of Dartan. However, His Daughter Refused To Comply And Had An Affair With A Killer, Which Resulted In Them Having A Daughter Together.

The scandal caused an uproar as soon as it came out. After all, there was evidence provided to support the claims.

In an instant, the public gossiped about it and reposted the scandal. A considerable amount of Erihal’s netizens were furious about the issue. To them, Avery had ruined their country’s reputation. Some even dug out Avery's past controversies to add to the attack.

When Mrs. President saw the news, her face turned ashen, and she wasted no time ordering her people to suppress the news. By the time the president returned home, he slapped her across the face. “Look at what you've done!”

 

Chapter 2278 Disaster

Mrs. President held her cheek and did not even dare to let out a loud breath. Even though she felt extremely aggrieved, their daughter was not her responsibility alone. Mr. President, as the father, had to take part in disciplining their child as well.

Despite that thought, she had not the courage to say it aloud. After all, her husband was no ordinary man.

"You've been staying at home and doing nothing all these years, yet you can't even raise our daughter properly! How useless you are!” he fumed. “Resolve this matter right away, or you'll regret it.” “Yes,” replied his wife quietly before doing as she was told.

However, before she could start handling the first scandal, another piece of news came that read: Avery's Lover, Chrono, Took Her Illegitimate Child Away And Raised Her Alone. They Were Attacked At An Airport But Were Rescued By A Passing Chanaean Doctor. However, The Child Passed Away In The Hospital Due To Serious Injuries. In A Fit Of Fury, Chrono Killed A Total Of Thirteen Doctors And Nurses. He Even Exacted Revenge On The Chanaean Doctor.

This news came with Chrono's verdict when he was sentenced in Jetroina, as well as the videos and pictures of him with his daughter during a hunt at the airport.

There was even a video of a female Chanaean doctor rescuing his daughter, although the former's face was unclear. Hence, the situation got even more out of control.

Seeing that, Mrs. President broke out in cold sweat. She was aware of how the opposing party was trying to incite the public, which would then end with the revelation of her plotting against Francesca to avenge her daughter's lover and child.

Such a ruthless move! When the president learned of the second news, he realized how serious the situation was, so he tried to sort out the issue personally. Unfortunately, no one in Koandria heeded his words. They could do nothing, anyway, for the Gold family was Koandria's biggest tycoon.

Jesse did things with money, and since William had given him that much, no other offer could make him change his mind. Moreover, the president could not fork out an offer higher than William's in such a short time.

The best he could do was ask his wife to contact Harrier and get the latter to prepare money and contact Jesse. While they were still arranging stuff, the third wave of the scandal was published. Chrono Went Insane And Repaid Kindness With Evil. To Hunt Down The Chanaean Doctor, He Even Used The Children From The Orphanage To Threaten Her.

This piece of news came with the relevant information provided by the police of S Nation. Even though Francesca's face was not revealed, it appeared that she was desperately trying to protect the children.

In no time, she received the full support of netizens from all over the world. Some had even created a slogan, asking everyone to form a union to protect the Chanaean doctor.

With that, the scandal blew up even more. While Francesca received massive support, turmoil happened in Erihal's presidential palace.

By now, Mrs. President was already powerless to do anything; she could only let her husband take matters into his own hands. Once again, the president pressured Harrier and Kevin to handle the issue immediately.

Even so, there was nothing Kevin could do, and while Harrier had contacted Jesse, he could not afford to pay the latter's price.

After all, Lindberg Corporation had always been under Danrique’s control. As shareholders, both Harrier and Kevin could not fish out that much money on such short notice.

When Harrier suggested raising money, Kevin was so furious that his face turned green. "We're risking our lives to deal with Danrique for them and receive absolutely no benefits, and now you say you want to raise money? Have you gone mad?”

“Do you think I want to do it? We're caught between a rock and a hard place here. I don't have a choice.” Equally infuriated, Harrier began doubting whether being on the president's side was the right choice.

 

Chapter 2279 Exposed

Harrier soon got his answer when it was revealed that the Chanaean doctor was the suspect in Gerard's murder case, who was also Danrique’s fiancée.

Once again, the public went crazy with excitement, as they did not expect there would be such a twist to the truth. They could have never foreseen that the doctor they had been supporting turned out to be Danrique’s fiancée

Because of that, the public kept a close eye on the progress of the case. At some point, an anonymous force posted the video of Hazel's press conference.

At that time, the press conference was cut off, and anything about it was completely wiped from the internet. Even though some people in Erihal saw it, nothing relevant about the press conference could be found. Hence, people quickly forgot about it.

With the video out in the world now, people's imaginations ran wild. Many speculated that Mrs. President was the mastermind behind this case, that she had plotted the whole thing to avenge her granddaughter.

Somebody on the internet soon pieced everything together. To butter up the nobles of Dartan, the president and his wife married their daughter off. Since the daughter refused to do so, she had a relationship with a killer from Jetroina secretly and even have an illegitimate daughter with him. Then, the killer took their daughter and ran for their lives. When he was hiding from the pursuit of his enemies at the airport, his daughter suffered from asthma all of a sudden but was saved by a kind Chanaean doctor.

Despite the effort, the child was still murdered by the enemies in the end. As he failed to save his daughter's life, the killer transferred his hatred to the Chanaean doctor and the local medical staff. Not only did he slaughter thirteen medical staff, but he also escaped from prison to hunt the Chanaean doctor down, going as far as to S Nation and using the children in the orphanage to threaten the doctor.

In the end, the police in S Nation rescued the children and shot the killer dead.

Initially, that was supposed to put a fullstop to the case but the Chanaean doctor became Danrique’s fiancée later, and the president's daughter returned to Erihal.

Mrs. President was afraid of Danrique, so she dared not do anything to Francesca until Danrique was attacked in M Nation for work and had his life hanging in the balance.

Seizing the opportunity, Mrs. President arranged the meeting between Francesca and the father- daughter duo of the Atkinson family. She then poisoned Gerard to death and framed Francesca for it

The truth of the situation was exposed, with verified and conclusive evidence constantly being posted for the world to see.

In just seven days, the controversy had pushed the president's side to a court case.

Fuming, the president personally contacted Jesse, demanding the latter to erase everything and even promised to give him ten times the reward

Jesse was contemplating his words. Even if he erased everything now, it would not be a breach of contract. He had achieved his desired outcome, after all

William was already stripped of wealth and had no power, so he could do nothing to Jesse.

Hence, it would be fine for Jesse to do as the president asked him to do.

Thinking about that, Jesse was about to agree with the president when a gun was pointed at his head. There was a golden “L" symbol on the handle of the gun

Shocked, Jesse widened his eyes as his entire being trembled.

The young female bodyguard—who had a mask on—threw a stack of data at him before shooting him a look.

Ending the call, Jesse took the data and gave it a once-over, which made his face drain of all colors. "Pretty girl, these are the data of the crimes committed by the people in the presidential palace. If I release the info, I'll be dead in three days.”

“You'll be dead tonight if you don't do it!” shouted the young woman, furrowing her brows tightly. Suddenly, a loud bang was heard from outside.

The entire villa quaked, the windows shattered, and a raging fire was ignited outside, which caused the thick smoke to permeate the air in the courtyard.

 

Chapter 2280 Female Warriors

Jesse's eyes widened as he stared at the bombed-out garage in disbelief, listening to the commotion outside. “We've planted bombs in your house, office buildings, and clubs. You can't even guess where, and nobody could spot them. If you don't cooperate, the bombs will go off one by one,” sneered the young woman while arching a brow.

"W-What the h*Il do you want?" Jesse stuttered. “I've done everything Prince William asked me to do. I didn't break the contract.”

“Shut up,” stated the young woman as she placed the muzzle on the man's forehead. “Our boss is not the refined Prince William. There's no room for negotiation. If you don't do as asked, death will be the only ending for you. Even your money can't buy you out of this!”

With that said, the young woman whistled toward the outside, prompting another explosion to go off. Shuddering, Jesse raised his head to look at the nearby exploded warehouse, which caused him to widen his eyes in horror.

That was his favorite warehouse, as many heaps of gold and silver jewelry were inside. There were even important documents and countless M Nation's currency. Those were my hard-earned money! “Mr. Gold!"

The bodyguard of the Gold family frantically ran to him. However, he did not even come close to Jesse when he was shot dead by another Lindberg family’s female bodyguard, who was guarding the door.

“You trash! You should've gone to save my belongings!” cried Jesse as he was trying to get to his feet, only to get shot in the leg.

Bang! "Ah!" shrieked Jesse, falling weakly to the sofa. “So? What do you say?” The young woman smirked as she stared at him.

"Okay! Okay!" Jesse finally understood why Danrique was nicknamed “Devil.” His method of handling matters was completely different from William's.

It was resolute; he was given no chance to negotiate. “Do as asked!”

"Yes!" Immediately, Jesse called the company and had them release the news regarding the evidence of the crimes made by those at the presidential palace, as well as the dirty tricks of the political world.

Jesse was aware he would be in immense danger in the future if he released this news. However, if he did not do so, he would be in danger right at that moment.

As of now, all he could do was silently pray for Danrique to turn the tides and return to his peak. Otherwise, he would be dead for real.

“There are ten pieces of news. Release one every day.” The young woman patted Jesse's cheek with the gun's handle. “Remember, I'll be watching you, so no funny business,” she warned before leaping out of the window.

Jesse instantly rushed to the window to see four young women jumping into a black modified car. Soon, the car disappeared into the thick smoke in the courtyard and sped away.

That driving skill, this method... They are certainly not ordinary people. Danrique had merely four young women break into my house and created such havoc. He truly can't be crossed.

With everything that was exposed to the public, perhaps he stood a chance to win. In the meantime, while driving the black car, Morgan asked, “Is it really okay for us to not guard him there, Lupine? What if he plays tricks?"

“Fear not. We've installed bombs and they can be controlled remotely,” replied Lupine. “Sean called earlier and informed us that our future lady is in trouble. They need help in Xendale, so we're going to bring our people there.” “Noted. I'll summon the others now.”

With that said, Morgan wasted no time in calling the others and asking them to gather at the airport. “Listen up, warriors! Our boss has nurtured us all these years. It's now our time to repay the deeds!” stated Lupine. She was all excited.

She and the other seventeen women were orphans. Each of them had gone through tragic childhood, up until Danrique took them in and trained them on a secret underground base.

For years, they had been anticipating the moment they would officially serve Danrique in a life-and- death situation, and a few days ago, they had finally received a notification to prepare to go into battle.