Chapter 304: Let Her Go

Claire saw a flicker of emotion in Frederick’s eyes, and she continued speaking. “The day before I got into trouble, I received a call from an unknown number. They claimed to know the truth from four years ago. Anna’s voice was also on the call, so I went to the place she set up to meet.”

“It wasn’t until I got to Wits Mountain that I realized the person who wanted to meet me was Caroline. At the time, Antony and I had just left Eclipse Nightclub after discussing the Hiokeeh Group collaboration.”

“So he came with me, and at that point, I still didn’t know it was Caroline who wanted to meet me. When we arrived, that’s when I found out. She threatened to give me the recording, but only if I disappeared from your life for good…”

Maybe it was the warmth of Frederick’s embrace at that moment, but for some reason, Claire felt he might believe her. She told him the whole thing.

After she finished, there was a long, tense silence. Frederick didn’t respond. His face remained completely still, his eyes unreadable.

Claire had no idea what was going through his mind. She was about to speak again when Frederick finally released his hold on her. He didn’t do anything more; he just stood up and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows, turning his back to her before speaking again.

“Claire, I remember asking you this in the hospital before, and I’ll ask you again now. Do you still want to leave with Antony?”

His tone was flat, almost casual, and his voice was low, devoid of any emotion.

“What?” Claire was taken aback. Why would Frederick suddenly ask her if she still wanted to leave with Antony?

“If you do, I might consider letting you go,” he added.

Still standing with his back to her by the windows, he lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, the smoke swirling around him. Claire stood up, not bothering to adjust her bathrobe, and watched him from behind. Through the haze of smoke, she felt a wave of disorientation. She couldn’t see Frederick’s face, but for some reason, she suddenly felt terrified of him. He hadn’t said anything, hadn’t done anything yet, but there was something unsettling about his question.

To be honest, Claire felt a pang of hope when she heard him say he might let her go. It was everything she’d ever dreamed of—just leaving, living an ordinary, peaceful life. Since she got out of prison, she had just wanted to live a simple, uneventful life. But deep down, she knew Frederick would never let her go. Not unless he’d finally achieved his goal of becoming president.

Claire didn’t understand why Frederick was asking her this now, and she didn’t know how to answer.

“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you afraid? I’ll kill Antony if you tell me you want to leave?” Frederick asked, his tone still calm.

He continued, “If it had been the old me, maybe I would have. But now, don’t worry. Claire, I’m in the middle of a crucial campaign for president. I’m not going to add another body to my list of problems, especially not when it could give my opponents ammunition.”

“You just need to tell me—do you want to leave or not?”

Frederick extinguished his cigarette and turned to walk back toward her. Claire looked up at him. His expression was as calm as ever, no sign of emotion in his eyes.

After thinking for a long time, Claire finally responded, “Frederick, my answer is still the same as it was before. I won’t leave with Antony.”

“Yes, I admit, Antony confessed to me. He said he liked me, wanted to be with me. But I don’t like him. I never did, and I still don’t.”

“In fact, I think the only reason he likes me is because, back in high school, I lent him 1 million dollars. Back then, I was still the heiress of the Prescott family—100 million was nothing to me. I could’ve given him a check without a second thought.”

Frederick’s expression finally shifted as he narrowed his eyes.

“One million dollars?” he repeated, his voice suddenly sharper. He had never known about the 1 million dollars between Claire and Antony.

Claire nodded, her gaze unwavering. “Yes, I just acted on a moment of pity. I thought his family was struggling, so I gave him a check.”

“Pity? On a whim?” Frederick scoffed, his anger flaring. “Clairé, you lie so effortlessly!”

Before Claire could react, Frederick’s hand shot out, gripping her neck with terrifying force.