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.”
