Chapter 106: No Choice Left
Nathan’s voice boomed through the phone, filled with fury. Before Frederick could respond, the call ended abruptly. “Yes, Father,” Frederick murmured, his words respectful even as the line went dead. He glanced at the clock, seeing it was 7:40 a.m., and rose from his seat. He went straight to the basement.
Claire was still deep in thought, planning her next move, when the door slammed open with a loud bang. “My father wants to see you. Now,” Frederick said, his tone brooking no argument. “What?” Claire froze. She had been so focused on surviving Frederick that she had overlooked Nathan entirely. She bit her lip. She knew there was no turning back now. Fine. She took a deep breath and nodded.
Half an hour later, Frederick had her dressed properly and made up before they set out for the Hawthorne Manor. “You know what to say and what to keep to yourself,” he warned as they arrived. Then he opened the car door and left. “I understand,” Claire replied, gripping his arm in a show of love. But inside, she was trembling.
Nathan wasn’t a stranger to her. As Frederick’s childhood fiancée, she’d once been familiar with him. But that was a long time ago. Back then, she had been the Prescott family’s cherished daughter, and Nathan had treated her with kindness. Now, everything was different. She tried not to think about the stories of Nathan she’d heard. The man was a living legend, an architect of the nation, unflinching in the face of death. Everyone knew about Nathan’s iron will, his fearsome temper, and his ruthless efficiency on the battlefield. Nathan had been through many battles and experienced many hardships. She was really afraid that Nathan would know everything and see through her plan at a glance. Claire clenched her fists, forcing herself to stay calm.
As they reached the front door, her grip on Frederick’s arm betrayed her fear. “Afraid now? You weren’t scared when you uploaded that video,” Frederick muttered. Frederick felt Claire’s trembling.
During this period, Nathan had not been in Kingstown, and Frederick did not tell Nathan about Claire’s release from prison. He had been hesitating about how to tell Nathan that he and Claire were going to get married. Now, it had directly hit the hot search. He could only face the consequences now.
Walking to the door of the Hawthorne Manor, he took a deep breath before taking Claire in. Before they could take another step, an object came hurtling toward them. “You useless fool! Look at the mess you’ve caused at such a crucial time!” Nathan’s furious voice roared across the room. Because of what Claire suffered in prison, she subconsciously wanted to dodge it when she saw it, but then she stood her ground. Without hesitation, she stepped in front of Frederick, shielding him.
The object, a heavy glass, hit her squarely on the forehead with a big crack. Nathan only had a cup by his side, and he picked it up and smashed it. The impact sent pain shooting through her skull. Blood trickled down her face, blurring her vision.
“Father, I take full responsibility. I failed to manage the situation properly and caused you this trouble. I’m sorry.” Frederick looked at Claire’s injury and subconsciously wanted to check it, but thinking of Nathan, he let go of Claire’s arm and walked over respectfully.
“I think you don’t want to run for president anymore. How can you be with a woman who has been in prison and has a criminal record? You bastard, don’t forget, it was you who sent this woman to prison.” Nathan’s anger was far from spent. Even though Nathan smashed the glass at Claire, he was still furious.
“Yes, I know, Father, it’s all my fault. You can rest assured, Father. I will handle this matter as soon as possible.” Frederick knew the seriousness of the matter. “You? Handle this? You think you’re that capable? If you could handle it, things wouldn’t have escalated to this point.”
His gaze shifted to Claire, and his voice turned even colder. “Here’s what we’ll do. We’ll send her to a mental hospital and claim she’s mentally ill, severely schizophrenic. Everything online was her delusion, her little act, and it has nothing to do with you.” “What? Schizophrenic?!”