“Whatever.” Hansen shrugged confidently. His eyes suddenly narrowed with a glint of cold light as he asked, “Sergio, did you act under Capital City’s orders today? Let me ask you, how did Yaris die? You wouldn’t know, would you? Don’t forget that the former deputy director of the Public Security Department, Charles, was present at the scene. He can proved that Yaris was murdered, instead of committing suicide to escape punishment. You are doubly guilty for breaking the law as a law-enforcement personnel. I am sure you know better than I do what happened to Yaris!”
Sergio’s heart skipped a beat but he gave a blank look. His gaze darkened.
Hansen approached him with conviction and stared at him. “You’re just abusing your powers to interfere with my plan in the election. You won’t succeed.”
Sergio sniggered with a dark glint in his gaze. He looked terrifying.
However, Hansen remained convinced. The mocking smile on his face slowly faded away and was replaced with an icy expression.
“Hitting my land cruiser in my basement garage, Reid’s death, Yaris’ death, the man in black who tried to assassinate me last night… I remember every single incident. And I finally understand now. Tell your family to watch out for themselves. The only reason I haven’t made my move yet is because the time hasn’t come for me to launch an attack,” Hansen said calmly, with his expression neutral. His impassive demeanor was somehow more frightening.
“I don’t understand what you are implying. You should just admit defeat in my hands,” Sergio said. He put up a tough front although he was terrified of Hansen’s unfathomable expression.
Hansen broke into laughter once again as he could hear the fear and panic hidden underneath Sergio’s harsh words.
In Richards Manor, the sun was shining brightly although it was still early. The helpers in the garden were already drenched in sweat.
The sky over Richards Manor appeared a little gloomy that day. The atmosphere wasn’t as serene either.
Jenna got up early. She was still terrified and exhausted from the nightmare the night before.
“It’s getting hotter each year. The global temperature keeps rising.” Carmella’s voice could be heard from the corridor ahead. Jenna looked up and saw Norton walking in with Carmella from outside. They seemed to have returned from their morning exercise.
“Good morning, Jenna,” Carmella immediately greeted Jenna with a wide smile.
Jenna was startled. She wondered why Carmella was still in the Ink Garden. Is she going to be a long-term guest from now on?
“Morning,” she replied with a faint smile. Her gaze, however, fell on Norton.
Norton greeted her and stood there in silence. His expression was casual and neutral.
“Jenna, why are you awake this early? You didn’t even wait for me.” Sabrina spotted Jenna as she walked out from the bathroom. She immediately rushed over.
“Hi, Sabrina,” Carmella greeted her enthusiastically.
Sabrina’s heart skipped a beat. Carmella was still here. This must have meant that things were going well between her and Norton. Carmella was a great person, and she liked Norton too. Of course Norton would hold on to this golden opportunity.
Sabrina gave a nonchalant smile and greeted Carmella.
However, Sabrina, without realizing at that time, felt a tinge of jealousy.
She was reminded of the conversation she had with Jenna the previous night. That made her feel sad, and she felt despicable.
It was ridiculous for her to believe the words of a man who once hurt her deeply. She even thought of marrying him. How despicable was that?
“Carry on with your conversation. I still have some things to attend to,” Sabrina said with a smile. She then turned around and left. She never once took a glance at Norton during their exchange.
Norton wanted to greet Sabrina but he felt the coldness from her reaction. There was nothing he could do but to watch her leave. It felt like he was forced to swallow a huge jug of bitter juice.
“The president of the Richards Group, Mr. Hansen, was taken away by the staff of the safety department as soon as he got off a plane this morning. Through our reporter’s findings, it turned out that he was arrested for leaking confidential information through his company. According to reliable sources, the authorities are treating it as a serious crime. The Richards Group must be held accountable for their crimes.” The TV outside in the Ink Garden was broadcasting the news of that day
Jenna was shocked.
Sabrina froze in her steps.
Norton gasped upon hearing the news and stood there in a daze.
Even Carmella was shocked. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard.
She was aware of this incident in the Richards Group. However, was it serious enough to warrant an arrest? Didn’t they insist that there was some misunderstanding regarding this?
The Richards Group must have offended someone in power. They were framed.
“No. Hansen.” Jenna came back to her senses. She ran towards the TV after letting out a cry.
“Jenna, be careful.” Sabrina immediately reacted and ran towards her. She held Jenna from stumbling along the way.
Norton followed after he was jolted from the daze. He said, “Jenna, be careful. Let’s remain calm. There must be some misunderstanding in this. I’ll find out more about it.”
“Norton, Sabrina, what should we do? They already took Hansen with them. Look,” Jenna asked as she pointed to the TV screen. She was helpless and miserable.
Norton’s face fell. He glanced at the TV screen and said, “Jenna, don’t believe everything you see from the news. Hansen would have already informed us if this was true.”
“No. This is not some entertainment news we’re talking about. It’s making headlines in Capital City news. It is not a baseless claim,” Jenna yelled helplessly. Tears welled up in her eyes as her heart ached with pain. She said, “Norton, go to Trevor and tell him they took Hansen away.”
Jenna was almost shocked out of her mind. Trevor was the core of Richards Manor now that Hansen was arrested. It’d be most wise to consult him regarding this matter.
Norton’s mind was clear and he understood the severity of the situation. He only said what he said to console Jenna.
“Sure, let’s find Uncle Trevor together.” Norton nodded and held onto Jenna’s left arm. Sabrina was stunned by the sudden news and she didn’t feel safe leaving Jenna by herself. Thus, she held onto Jenna’s right arm. The three of them then headed outside.
Carmella stood behind them with a thoughtful look as she watched them leave.
As soon as they arrived at the entrance of the Ink Garden, Trevor appeared.
He was composed. His expression was serious but dignified.
“Dad.” “Uncle.” The three of them called out at the same time.
Trevor glanced at them with an unfathomable expression. It was as if he was awaiting their presence. He nodded in response with a surprisingly peaceful expression.
“Dad, they took Hansen away,” Jenna said with a trembling voice. Her body was shaking slightly.
Trevor looked at her with a tender gaze. He smiled. “Jenna, I know. It’s okay. You don’t have to worry about this.”
“But this is not something we should take lightly,” Jenna said. She was a little confused at how serene Trevor appeared. Seeing his reaction, people might even be surprised to find out that Hansen was his son. Perhaps the news was indeed fake. She felt more at ease as she thought of this.
“Jenna, don’t worry. Nothing will happen.” Trevor comforted her. “You’re pregnant now. You should remain calm and avoid getting agitated. Do you understand?”
Trevor then glanced at Sabrina and said, “Sabrina, why don’t you take Jenna for a rest? We have to keep her emotions stable. Please try to comfort her.”
Sabrina knew Jenna should avoid getting overly emotional but she was caught off guard by the news of Hansen. Sabrina nodded after hearing Trevor’s reminder. She nudged Jenna to leave.
“No, Trevor. I’m fine. I won’t leave. I can’t rest knowing that Hansen was taken away.” Jenna insisted. She came here to find a solution to help Hansen. She was determined that she wouldn’t leave without a solution.
“Jenna, trust me. It won’t be as terrible as you thought. You are pregnant. What matters most now is to keep you and the baby safe and healthy. Hansen is a smart man. He will be fine over there,” Trevor said with a stern voice after seeing the panic in her expression.
Jenna was stunned. Trevor sounded so confident. For a second there, Jenna had an illusion that Trevor didn’t care much about his son’s safety.
Hansen was arrested. Of course it was a serious matter.
“Jenna, good prevails over evil. Don’t worry too much,” Trevor said with a sigh and continued to rationalize with her. He then said with a stern tone, “You know, back in Old Master Richards’ time, he was framed by his rivals and was imprisoned. Look at our Richards Group now. We went through that and we are still doing great, aren’t we?”
Jenna was startled as she heard Trevor’s story.
His words were powerful. His expression was confident and calm. Jenna finally began to calm down as she analyzed Trevor’s words. As she was trying to calm herself down, she noticed the pain in the back of his eyes.
The president of the Richards Group had been taken away with the crime of leaking confidential information. Everyone knew the severity of the situation and potential consequences. Trevor hid his worries deep inside his heart. He had to stay composed.
Jenna finally calmed down and agreed to leave with Sabrina.