Chapter 281: Crushed Into Pieces

In the quiet morning, an abrupt noise immediately caught Frederick’s attention. The person standing at the door was none other than Caroline. She had been in high spirits; after freshening up, she was about to head downstairs to prepare a hearty breakfast for Frederick. With Claire gone, it was her time to shine.

Unexpectedly, as she approached Claire’s room, she noticed the door slightly ajar. Caroline’s heart clenched. Her first thought was that Claire had returned. No, that couldn’t be possible! She had pushed Claire off the cliff. Once she fell into such a bottomless abyss, she was bound to be crushed into pieces. There was no way she could come back.

Caroline composed herself and prepared to go inside. But she had taken a step when she overheard Frederick’s conversation with Richard on the phone. Her hand went limp, and her phone slipped to the floor. Moreover, he hadn’t just looked for Claire; he’d also sent people to look for Antony!

Now Caroline was genuinely frightened and worried. She feared being discovered; she knew Frederick’s capabilities. If Frederick really found out something, she would be in deep trouble. On second thought, she had changed her SIM card and disguised her voice. Caroline felt confident that Frederick wouldn’t be able to trace her. Even if he did find out, he couldn’t possibly trace it back to her so quickly.

Caroline had just let out a sigh of relief when she saw Frederick coming out.

“Caroline? Why are you here?”

Frederick, hearing the noise, followed the sound to the door and saw Caroline.

“Well, I saw the door open and thought Claire might have come back. I came to check and accidentally dropped my phone. Frederick, why are you here? Where is Claire?”

Caroline feigned ignorance, walking into the room to look for Claire.

“She hasn’t come back all night,” Frederick replied, not suspecting a thing.

Caroline had been playing her role well in front of him for the past four years. He naturally wouldn’t think that Claire hadn’t come back because Caroline had pushed her and Antony off the cliff.

“What? All night? Seriously? Could it be that Claire and Antony… No, it’s impossible!”

Caroline feigned shock and covered her mouth with her hand.

“What are you trying to say?” Frederick, having been standing by the floor-to-ceiling window all night, was already irritable. Hearing Caroline’s words, he became even angrier, raising his voice significantly.

“Don’t be angry, Frederick. Claire wouldn’t be that kind of person. It must be because I’ve been watching too many romance dramas lately, that’s why I’m thinking about eloping.”

Caroline seemed to be defending Claire, but every word hinted that Claire might have eloped with Antony. Sure enough, Frederick’s expression darkened immediately.

“Frederick, ignore my nonsense. Claire wouldn’t do such a thing! She has no reason to elope with Antony. Besides, you two are already engaged!”

Caroline was particularly pleased with Frederick’s reaction. She deliberately added fuel to the fire, subtly reminding… Caroline had no choice but to lead Frederick in this direction. Otherwise, if Frederick focused on the investigation, she would eventually be found out. At this point, she had no way to turn back. She could only forge ahead with determination.

“General Hawthorne, we’ve found something.”

Before Frederick could speak, Richard’s voice came through the phone. Caroline, standing right next to him, heard it clearly. She instinctively took a step back, anxiously thinking, “Has Richard found out so quickly? Damn it, am I about to be exposed?”

In an instant, Caroline’s face turned pale, her heart raced, and her mind raced, thinking of ways to respond and what to say.