Patrick began investigating the whole matter. He didn’t want it to affect his mood, but he had to prepare for the worst.
If Beatrice was really colluding with the gang and had intentions of going against him, he had to take precautions and strike back.
Beatrice had been feeling restless these past few days as she had a discussion with the gang members.
Unfortunately, they demanded a high price and didn’t disclose any specific methods to help her.
Beatrice planned to have another conversation with the gang. It would be best if they could reach a cooperative agreement.
If they couldn’t reach an agreement, she would have to consider other options.
In her heart, the concept of familial bonds had already faded. If not, why would she make the choices she had now?
On the contrary, she had always been resentful about Patrick’s company, feeling that she hadn’t gained any benefits from it in the end.
…
Today, Patrick met with a good friend who also belonged to the underworld.
However, this friend had already distanced himself from that world for many years. He had lost interest in the workings of society and had become a law-abiding businessman.
But he maintained contact with these friends, so Patrick knew he could gather some information from him.
Moreover, if Patrick truly wanted to find out the dealings between the gang and Beatrice or the reasons behind their contact, he would need to rely on these few friends.
He had already made promises to other people over the phone, so he didn’t need to meet them personally. However, Zackary Salas in front of him was someone Patrick had to meet personally.
“I know this situation sounds bizarre, and you might find it strange, but this is the reality!”
Patrick began explaining part of the situation to Zackary.
“Of course, it’s also possible that the gang has plotted something that my mother hasn’t realized, so she might have fallen into their trap.”
“Regardless of the circumstances, I want to investigate and gather all the facts before reaching a conclusion. Right now, I can’t say for certain which possibility is true.”
Patrick didn’t want to dwell on negative thoughts, but he had to prepare for the worst. He still couldn’t understand why his mother made such choices.
Even if his mother was a bit obsessed with money and sometimes acted extreme, joining forces with these gang members was a different matter altogether. That was something he couldn’t tolerate.
However, he also held a glimmer of hope, hoping that his mother was deceived by others. That’s why he unintentionally revealed it while talking to Zackary.
“I understand the situation. No matter which angle I investigate from, I’ll help you out. I also hope that Beatrice was only deceived.”
“I’ll go and meet some other friends later. If there’s any news, I’ll send you a message or call you.”
When Patrick heard Zackary’s willingness to help, a smile appeared on his face.
Originally, he thought that convincing Zackary to assist him in this matter would require some effort and promises.
But unexpectedly, Zackary readily agreed without hesitation.
If it had been when Patrick’s company was flourishing, he might have had such confidence.
After all, both companies had some business dealings to a certain extent. However, in the later stages, when Patrick’s company suffered defeat and was left in chaos by Harrison, Zackary had already voluntarily withdrawn.
Now, there was no business interaction between them, only a pure friendship.
Zackary was able to lend a helping hand, making Patrick feel the presence of friends who didn’t need constant contact but were there in crucial times.
“Thank you for helping me like this. I didn’t expect it before, and I was worried that I might cause you trouble,” Patrick expressed his gratitude.
Zackary smiled upon hearing Patrick’s words. “I have a principle when it comes to dealing with things. If a friend is good to me, I’ll be good to them. Although our interaction was solely business-related, we had a good cooperation back then.”
“I also appreciate you, so this matter is nothing to talk about. It’s just a small favor, nothing more.”
Patrick quickly apologized again. For him, contacting people in this circle wouldn’t be too difficult, but he was an exception.
After a brief exchange, the two parted ways.
Patrick sat in his office, holding the recent reports in his hands. As he looked through them, a troubled expression appeared on his face.
From the traces he found, Beatrice had definitely done something. Not only did she hide it from him, but it was likely that even the others in the family were unaware.
Patrick’s private investigators had also interacted with other family members, but they didn’t uncover much about Beatrice.
“Boss, the clues we have now are too few. We can only investigate the surroundings. We have very limited contact with the gang; we can only reach the peripheral people,” the private investigator directly expressed the current challenge. Patrick nodded in agreement.
If they could handle it themselves, Patrick wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of asking his friends for help. They were undoubtedly facing difficulties.
Days had passed, and they still hadn’t gathered enough information about the gang. Patrick had to make the current decision.
But the private investigators had their own strengths. Patrick’s friends were not professionals in investigating matters, so they had to handle the peripheral aspects.
“Just focus on what you have now. I’ll find other friends to deal with the gang-related matters. Your main task is to unravel the relationships within this situation for me,” Patrick told the private investigators about what he needed them to do. After discussing for a while longer, Patrick dismissed the private investigators.
Sitting there, Patrick carefully examined the information in his hands again. After going through it several times, he was able to draw a conclusion. In this stage, his mother had not only been in contact with the gang but also concealed something else from him.
From his mother’s trail and clear statements, Patrick could deduce the same thing.
What was unfortunate was that these relatives didn’t mention any of this to Patrick.