Zoe thought those were just rumors. But hearing her great-grandpa say that made her believe those rumors. If they deal with this that way as well, the Wayne house would probably also fall.
“The Wayne house has had its glorious days. This is where we should stop. Listen to me, girl. From now on, whoever comes to ask you about what happened, you need to watch the words coming out of your mouth. Don’t ask questions. You know I’m just here to make sure you won’t get killed,” Mr. Wayne sighed as he stood up from his chair, “I’m aging, and I can’t protect you guys for too long. It would help if you learned to take care of yourself. And note this, don’t get involved with the Bradley ever again.”
Zoe went frozen. She watched with her mouth open as the old man walked out of the room. The fact that she would be a prisoner finally started to sink in. She would spend the rest of her life in jail. Zoe almost fainted in tears.
****
When Linford arrived, Mr. Wayne had already left. Moreover, he had used his connections in jail, so his conversation with his great-granddaughter wouldn’t be leaked.
Charles sighed, “Mr. Wayne showed up suddenly. There was nothing we could do.”
Linford’s eyebrow raised, nodding, “I’ll take a look inside.”
Zoe was brought out of her cell again.
She remembered what her great-grandfather had told her when she saw Linford walk in.
“Why did you do that to Cristelle?” Linford sat pretty straight. The way he looked at her was cold. He looked like he wanted to kill her.
Zoe’s eyes were blank, her voice hoarse from hours of crying and screaming, “She humiliated our house. And she hooked up with Jasper. I proposed to Jasper once, but he turned me down. I was jealous, and I wished her dead.”
Linford was getting impatient, “Who taught you to do that?”
Zoe swallowed, managing to suppress her tears, “No one taught me to do anything. It was just my own idea. I just didn’t expect that bitch to be so tough. I thought she would die.”
“If anything happens to Cristelle, I’ll slaughter your whole family,” Linford hissed. The idea of not having Cristelle around terrified him. He couldn’t even bear thinking about it.
Zoe knew he was absolutely capable of doing that. She didn’t even dare to look up.
“Why did Clara come to visit you? Was she a part of this?” Linford narrowed his eyes, “If you tell me the truth, I will let the Wayne house go this time. Your house will continue the glory for at least decades. So, think about it very carefully.”
Zoe almost wavered. But she remembered what grandpa told her. He was her grandpa. He only wanted the best for his house.
“I planned everything. It’s completely on my accord. It has nothing to do with anyone else,” Zoe spat out, holding back her tears.
The silence lasted for a short while.
Linford stood up from his chair, knowing she wouldn’t say anything anymore.
“How was it, Mr. Bradley?” Charles asked as he saw Linford.
“I need you to keep an eye on her very closely. If anyone comes to visit her again, inform me immediately,” Linford sounded mildly pissed off.
Charles nodded.
Linford went directly to Mr. Wayne’s place after leaving the jail. Mr. Wayne decided to lie down a bit after coming back. A couple of doctors and nurses noticed how unwell he looked, so they came forth to check on him. When other members of the Wayne house saw Linford, they all walked away instantly. No one dared to talk to him.
Mr. Wayne had told everyone that Zoe wouldn’t come back. More than that, the old man dictates to kick out all the investments coming from the White House. From now on, the Wayne house would settle down as a small enterprise.
Everyone was complaining after knowing that they couldn’t live the old luxurious life anymore. All the family members hated Linford’s guts. Yet they were also too scared to confront him. That was why no one would talk to him.
****
Mr. Wayne was lying on his bed. He let out a weak smile as he saw Linford, “Linford, I’ve been waiting for you.”
Linford faltered a bit before sitting on the chair, “I hope you’re getting better, Mr. Wayne.”
Mr. Wayne smiled, “I’m too old to get fully recover. I’m glad to see you here today, though. Why don’t you play chess with me as we used to do when you were a boy, Linford?”
They were the only people left in the room as they played chess. All the servants and doctors had left. Linford didn’t waste his time with the old man. He didn’t have mercy, as he won the game in the blink of an eye.
“Boy, you’re still the same. Even if you look like a quiet person in appearance, no one could ever tame your proud nature. You have no fear,” Mr. Wayne sighed as he took back his pieces.
Linford’s voice was cold, “You know me well, Mr. Wayne. Why are we still beating around the bush, then? Zoe has been sentenced to prison. Are you gonna sit back and watch?”
Mr. Wayne remained calm, “She made a mistake. She should take responsibility.”
A sarcastic smile appeared on Linford’s lips, “There’s something you don’t want her to tell, isn’t it?”
“Linford, being that smart is not always a good thing.”
“I’m sure I can handle that,” Linford said expressionlessly, “What I’m trying to tell you is, Mr. Wayne, you don’t have to do this.”
Mr. Wayne seemed intrigued, “Really? Any good advice?”
“I know Zoe was the one who caused the accident. You didn’t want to bother yourself to deal with this at first, did you? I bet you also didn’t expect Clara to visit Zoe suddenly. The White House has more power over your family. If Clara decided to threaten Zoe, she wouldn’t even dare to spit out a word. But you somehow decided to show up later.”
Linford put two hands on the armrests and sat straighter, “Are you scared? You didn’t want Zoe to spit nonsense, so you went to visit her. And the girl naturally shut up out of fear.”