The following scene had taken place in the detention center. Hardy had been locked up for several days ever since he was brought in. The police had been questioning him several times during this period. They wanted to know more in detail about how he had harmed Natasya.
Hardy had been claiming his innocence and refused to admit that he had indeed hurt Natasya.
He knew very well that it would be game over should he admit to his guilty acts. On the other hand, there was still a chance to turn things around should he continue to play dumb.
Hardy knew the severity of this issue and placed all hopes on his father to lend him a helping hand. He was the son that his father was most proud of. His father would not be willing to abandon him and would definitely come up with ways to save him from trouble.
Hardy was initially very hopeful about his father’s rescue plan. However, he had been locked up in the detention center for several days. He began to feel distressed as there were still no updates to make him a free man. He had begun to have second thoughts about whether his father would save him from prison or not.
Could it be that his father had been planning to give up on him? What can Hardy do should this really come true?
Hardy knew what he ought to face should his father turn a blind eye on him. He felt increasingly restless with a racing heart as if the entire world was spinning.
Footsteps emerged from the corridor and it soon halted at Hardy’s door. The security guard opened the door and said, “Do come out for a while as someone is wanting to meet with you!”
Hardy immediately felt refreshed upon hearing about it. He then followed the security guard to the reception room.
His eyes lit up upon seeing his lawyer seated in the room. He asked in a hoarse voice, “Why are you alone? Didn’t my father instruct someone to back me up? Where is Paisley?”
The lawyer sighed and said, “Mr. Anthony did not make any arrangement with regards to your matter. As for Paisley, she can’t visit you as she is being hospitalized for the time being.”
“Why would she be admitted to the hospital all of a sudden? Is she ill? Did she instruct you to update me about anything?” Hardy asked with an anxious look on his face. He could only depend on his lawyer and Paisley as he was currently being locked up. He had no news about his father’s plan since Paisley was currently in the hospital.
“Unfortunately, no. She was seriously injured and may need to recuperate for quite a long period of time. As for Mr. Anthony, he did contact me and I was told to follow the normal procedures.”
Hardy’s heart sank upon hearing such shocking news from the lawyer. “Why would Paisley be injured? What happened?”
“I shall tell you the truth since things had already turned out in such way. Paisley went to the Howard family’s old estate to meet with Mrs. Howard. She begged for mercy in hopes to save you from trouble and there was soon a heated argument among them. I have no idea about the details as I was not there when the incident happened. All I know was that Paisley was sent to the hospital due to broken ribs. The news soon came out which claimed that she had been violent and caused harm to a pregnant woman. She was also blamed to have seduced a married man. The reputation of Paisley had already shattered into pieces.”
“Was it William who did this to her? It must be him! How could he be so heartless? I can’t let things slide! I will never let him off the hook and I shall make him pay the price!” Hardy was fuming with anger and his hand was in fists.
The lawyer glanced at him with a sympathetic look on his face. Hardy eventually calmed down after a while as he knew that being angry would not change anything. Getting out of the detention center was the most important thing at the current moment. He could only turn things around once he walk free. Otherwise, it was useless to make a fuss here.
Hardy suppressed the hatred feeling and asked, “Paisley is currently injured. However, are you sure that my dad did nothing to solve this problem?”
“Sir, your father just instructed me to do things as per usual and nothing else. By the way, there is already a new president in the company.”
“What? Are you saying that my father has arranged for someone to manage the company? How… how could he do this to me?” Hardy’s emotion hit rock bottom upon hearing such a decision that was made by his father. Was this an indication that his father was intending to abandon him?
He refused to believe that his father would be so heartless to abandon him. Hardy was a talented person and his father used to be very proud of him. He had let his guard down and William had successfully lured him into a trap. Hardy could still make a comeback and hence, his father should not give up on him!
Hardy controlled himself and humbly told the lawyer, “Can you please help to tell my dad that I would like to see him? I have something very important to discuss with him. I hope that you could persuade him to pay me a visit.”
The lawyer shook his head and replied, “I’m sorry! Sir Hardy, I’m afraid that I can’t help you out!”
“Why? This is a rather simple task, isn’t it?”
“Sir, I would like to tell you about something. Your father had already issued an official statement ever since you were caught in a mess. He made it very clear to cut all ties with you. Paisley instructed me to keep it a secret from you. Hence, it is impossible for your father to pay you a visit here. By the way, the company has been taken over by someone that your father had entrusted from abroad.”
After a moment of astonishment, Hardy sprung up and roared, “Are you telling me the truth? How can things end up in this way? How could he treat me like this? I am his son, right? He is my father and I have worked so hard for the company. How can he do this to me?”
The lawyer sympathetically glanced at the upset look on Hardy’s face. He knew that Hardy would react in this way long before he made a visit here.
He remained silent despite the countless question by Hardy. The lawyer struggled to answer the queries as he did not know what was going on in the mind of Hardy’s father.
Hardy lost his temper and eventually realized that there was nothing further he could do. His father was the one who had chosen to abandon him. Hence, it was useless to go bonkers in hopes that the lawyer could be his savior.
He crumbled on the seat with a dejected expression on his face. “What can you do then? Do tell me what is going on in your mind to help me out from this mess. You can be very upfront to me.”
“I came here to tell you about another matter as well. Natasya is dead.”
“Haha! She should have died a long time ago! It’s a blessing in disguise for her to have the easy way out without any suffering!” Hardy sneered without feeling surprised by the news about Natasya’s death.
The lawyer sighed and said, “I understand how you feel. However, her death had made things much worse for you. After all, she had lost her life and your father had already given up on you. We’re now on our own and are currently in a disadvantageous position. Sir Hardy, you have to get ready in bracing yourself.”
Hardy’s face immediately turned as pale as a ghost. The lawyer had indirectly told him that all his hopes were lost and he would be faced with jail time real soon. Hardy was not willing to accept the truth as he had always been at the top of the social status. He knew the game very well but did not expect that he would wind up being at the bottom.
A child that was abandoned by his father was destined to face a sorrowful life. Hardy was silent for a long time before he asked in a hoarse voice, “What would be the worst outcome?”
“I’ll do my best to negotiate your punishment and have it diminished…”
“Just cut straight to the point. I need to know how long would I be locked up!” Hardy interrupted the lawyer.
“It is guilty for one in attempting to kill others based on the law of our country. There could be a death penalty, life imprisonment, or more than ten years of jail time. Those with less severe punishment will be locked up for a range between three years to ten years!”
“Are you indicating the minimum jail time that I would be serving is at least three years?”