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 a*sume 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 a*set. 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.”
