Chapter 286 She Was Reluctant
“I don’t want you to respond to me. I want you to find an end to this, and make up for your conscience. Javon died a painful death. Don’t you feel guilty for that?” Hansen asked furiously, knowing that he would not give in so easily.
Sheldon was horrified. All of a sudden, he bit the bullet and got on his knees. “Mr. Richards, it’s not that I don’t want to say it, but I really can’t. If I say it, I will be killed. My family members are counting on me.”
“Did you think that you’ll be able to live if you don’t speak the truth? Did all of you think that no one will find out about the fake records and report you after Javon’s death? The money will just be gone like that?” Hansen scoffed and asked repeatedly. These people were evil, and shameless as well.
“Mr. Richards, I was forced into this. I didn’t want to do this,” he replied with a bitter expression on his face.
“Who was forcing you, Javon Murphy?” Hansen said aggressively.
“No, no, Javon Murphy was a good official. He never bothered to do such things, and he firmly rejected cooperating with them. It just so happened that my family members were in the Capital City, and I was eager to get rid of Lydia. This was why I was forced to accept it. I really deserve to die,” He muttered, shaking his head with a blank expression. He didn’t expect Lydia to be such a wicked woman, exposing him when she couldn’t have him.
“Not only that, you also earned the benefit of being promoted in the Capital City, right?” The gleam in Hansen’s eyes was terrifying. Just as he had expected, Javon was killed because he didn’t want to commit misconduct with them. The thought of this made Hansen clench his fist tightly.
Sheldon collapsed to the ground, with his head hung low like a dead fish.
Alvin clenched his fists and gave him a kick.
“You b*stard,” he scolded angrily.
“Mr. Richards, even if you kill me now, I still won’t tell you who he is. Please give me some time and let me think about it. After all, they still have something on me.” Sheldon, who was kicked away, said with all his might. He went limp on the ground, weak with the pain and sweating buckets.
Alvin was extremely mad and wanted to make another move, but Hansen stopped him.
“You may go. I have all the information, witnesses, and physical evidence that I need. What you try to do doesn’t matter anymore. Even if you don’t say it, we will find out eventually.” Hansen scolded coldly, “None of you will be able to escape this.”
The moment Sheldon heard his words, he immediately got up and ran away, without even thinking about it.
“Mr. Richards, if you let him go like this, will he try to escape?” Alvin asked worriedly.
“Don’t worry, even if he wants to escape, a certain someone won’t let him,” Hansen said in a deep voice. He walked around in the room, rubbing his fingers on the document folder, when suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind.
“Grandpa Johan, is that you? It’s me, Hansen.” Hansen took out his cellphone and put it by his ear with a smile on his face.
“Hansen!” The old man on the other side of the phone had a voice as loud as a drum.
“Grandpa Johan, I am now in the Capital City and would like to treat you to dinner. I was wondering if you have any time for me?” Hansen asked politely.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
“Oh, Hansen, when did you come to the Capital City? How’s your grandma doing?” the old man asked.
“She’s doing well, Grandpa Johan. I came to the Capital City for a business trip. I haven’t seen you in years, and I really want to meet up with you. I must treat you to a meal today. Are you free tonight?” Hansen said.
“Ah, of course I’m free,” Johan Moore said with a smile, and a very pleasant voice.
“Okay, I’ll go pick you up.” Hansen offered.
“There’s no need for that, I’ll let my driver send me there. There’s no need for all that hassle. I want to meet my little guy too.” Johan smiled.
“Alright, Grandpa Johan. Then I will send you the address first. Thank you for sparing some of your time for me.” Hansen smiled modestly.
The two of them chatted a little more before hanging up.
As soon as Hansen hung up the phone, the smile on his face turned into a frown.
Initially, he didn’t want to alarm Grandpa Johan. After all, Grandpa Johan was old friends with his grandfather. The two of them fought together on the battlegrounds back when they were young, and they were as close as brothers. For many years, the two families maintained a friendly relationship, and Hansen had always been the good grandson his grandfather was most proud of. He really didn’t want Grandpa Johan to know that such things were happening to his company and the Richards family. It would ruin the reputation of his grandfather and the Richards’ family.
That’s why he used the excuse of treating him for dinner, instead of visiting his home.
He wasn’t able to achieve his goal the previous time he came to the Capital City, so he had no choice but to contact Grandpa Johan for help.
Johan Moore was already 90 years old. He was well-known in the military and political arena. Many of the politicians in the Capital City used to be his subordinates, so all he had to do was to make a call, and he could know everything he wanted to know about.
Hansen gained a lot of information during that meal. He carefully ate and chatted with Johan. Halfway through the meal, Johan was curious. After all, he had watched Hansen grow into the young man he currently was, and he knew exactly what he was thinking.
All these years, he had been paying attention to the growth of the Richards Group as well. He admired Hansen’s intelligence and methods, and he had known Hansen’s personality like the back of his hand ever since he was a child.
Hansen invited him for dinner, yet he was too prideful to say anything. He must be here for a reason.
Even though he didn’t say anything, Johan knew exactly what he was thinking.
Therefore, he cleverly helped Hansen lessen his embarrassment.
Surely enough, Hansen didn’t request for anything directly. Johan squinted his eyes and smiled calmly. Halfway through the meal, he made a call. Then, a senior official of the Capital City came. Soon after, Hansen obtained a piece of important information. Earl McAdams was about to become the mayor of A city, his opponent had been defeated. That scheming old man had already extended his relationships all the way to the Capital City. Several important politicians have already been bribed by him.
At the end of the drinking session, his mood worsened considerably.
Johan stared at him with a flickering pair of eyes. His eyes were filled with the marks of age and wisdom, and a meaningful smile crept across his face. He smiled lightly and patted Hansen’s hand.
The New Year’s eve was approaching.
That day, Jenna wore a white, comfortable coat on the outside. On the inside, she wore a long, loose white dress with lace on the sides. The fitting coat accentuated her curves, and along with the dark gray snow boots she wore, it made her look elegant and dignified. A cold smile hung upon her face.
“Jen, are you sure you want to go to the Richards Manor today?” a voice asked.
By the time she walked out of the living room, Rayan was already waiting for her in a dashing suit. He had the aura of an aristocrat, elegant but gentle, like the European gentlemen in paintings.
Jenna couldn’t help but to sigh. It seemed that the characters and aura of people were decided since birth. There was a saying, ‘three generations are not enough to cultivate a noble’. Jenna thought that it was a little far-fetched, as Rayan was born a noble, and he was born with an aura like this. It had nothing to do with wealth.
His noble aura came from the bottom of his heart. He wasn’t like those aristocrats who looked glamorous on the outside but were cunning on the inside. Every action of his was pleasant to everyone’s eyes. It was precisely that, with his identity in addition to that, that could make Hansen jealous and actually believe it.
Hansen, on the other hand, could be described as a nobleman of generations. However, in Jenna’s eyes, his elegance and noble aura carried a hint of darkness and enchantment, which made women even more fascinated.
“Yes, it’s the 29th today. At 8 o’clock tomorrow morning, guests will be arriving one after another. I have to go there today and help prepare for the next day, or else, Sabrina may not be able to handle it on her own,” Jenna replied with a smile. She said it generously and naturally, without a trace of complaint.
Rayan looked at the white maternity dress she was wearing, and a sense of regret appeared on his face.
This woman wore it to cover her belly, did she? Technically speaking, her waist was so slender that it didn’t look like she was pregnant for three months, but she still put on a long, loose dress to hide her belly. Although this did not affect her elegance, she could’ve dressed up more gorgeously and luxuriously.
“Jen, I’ll get you a stylist tomorrow, to help you do your hair and pick a nicer outfit,” he said with a smile, as he stepped forward and stretched his arm out towards her.
“No, thanks. I’m not the main character. I don’t need to be dressed so grandly,” she said softly and shook her head. As Jenna looked at the arm that was stretched out in front of her, she remembered what he said that day. She hesitated for a while, and did not reach out to hold his arm.
Rayan felt glum for a while. She was still rejecting him, even in her subconscious. This was his villa, yet she wasn’t even willing to hold onto his arm as they walked out. Only in front of Hansen was she able to do it, but never in private. This was enough to show that she never loved him.
This did make him feel a little disappointed, but he quickly laughed and retracted his arm.
“It seems that you’re still not willing to accept me, Jen.” He mockingly laughed at himself.
Jenna realized the awkwardness, and her face flushed in embarrassment.
“Let’s go, silly girl. I was just kidding. I know that you’re being careful.” Rayan turned around casually, and retracted his arm naturally. He walked calmly in front while Jenna followed with light footsteps. The car drove to Richards Manor.
Rayan insisted on staying by her side to protect her. She herself also knew that the New Year Banquet was not going to be just a fun party. After all, she was all alone and powerless in the Richards Manor. Now that she had offended Hansen, there would be less people to defend her.
Inside the Richards Manor.
The sweet-scented air flowed in every corner like fine sand. The whole place was beaming with lights and decorations, and filled with joy and laughter. Large stages and tents were set up on the Central Island. A wooden boat floated in the middle of the water, giving the place a hint of the olden days.
The scent of coffee and vanilla broke into the cold winter morning like a sharp blade, and the excitement in the Richards Manor began.