Chapter 335: You Came Just in Time!
Now that Diana had left, Caroline wasn’t stupid enough to stick around to face Frederick’s smoldering anger. The truth had become painfully clear to her over recent events: Claire was special to Frederick. Maybe it wasn’t full-blown love yet, but there was definitely affection, maybe a deep one. Otherwise, why would he always jump to Claire’s defense subconsciously? And why would he have reacted so explosively after watching that sex tape of her and Antony?
Caroline left. So did Diana. Only Claire was locked away in the basement. Suddenly, it was just Richard and Frederick in the room. The heavy silence was suffocating.
Finally, Richard could pick up Diana’s phone and play the video. Casting a glance at Frederick, he muted the sound to its lowest setting and meticulously watched the whole video.
Ever since he ordered Claire to be locked up, Frederick had stationed himself before the expansive French windows, methodically lighting cigarette after cigarette. By the time Richard finished watching the video, the floor near Frederick was littered with cigarette butts.
Richard stared at Frederick’s back, struggling with his thoughts. Eventually, he put down the phone, took a deep breath, and walked up behind Frederick. “General Hawthorne, something about this video feels off.”
Frederick took another drag before responding, “What is it?” There was nothing in his tone. He couldn’t tell if Frederick had calmed his nerves down or if the fury was simmering just beneath the surface.
“The video appears to have been shot in some derelict house. Besides, Ms. Prescott and Antony weren’t even on a bed during their sex. There’s no chance a place like that would have any surveillance. So, where could this footage come from? It suggests either Ms. Prescott and Antony were intentionally set up, or this video was expertly edited and fabricated. After all, with today’s technology, such deception is sophisticated yet alarmingly easy to execute. Didn’t we face the same issue last time we clashed with the terrorist? We had everything prepped, yet your positioning and cloud systems still fell through. Our gear is top-of-the-line military tech, and even that was tampered with. So, manipulating a video clip like this would be child’s play.”
To be frank, as Richard concluded his remarks, a chill ran down his spine, leaving his scalp tingling and his back slick with a sheen of cold sweat. He had just caught a glimpse of Frederick’s face twisted in anger. Speaking up like that felt like walking into a death trap, but if he didn’t say something, he’d regret it for the rest of his life.
Richard had followed Frederick for years through countless battles. If it weren’t for Frederick, Richard would have died a dozen times over. He absolutely couldn’t bear to just stand there, watching Frederick being manipulated like this, only to regret it for the rest of his life over a fleeting moment of rage. Richard probably knew more about the complicated relationship between Frederick and Claire than anyone else. In his view, Frederick had unwittingly fallen for Claire, but with all the complications between them, Frederick hadn’t yet realized his own feelings. But one day, he would.
Richard couldn’t bear the thought of waiting for that moment, only to watch Frederick suffer in agony.
“In your opinion, is the video edited, or were Claire and Antony framed?” Frederick asked in an eerily calm tone and looked indifferent.
“I’m pretty sure this video’s been doctored. Look how dim the light is. That’s the perfect condition to pull off the most believable and effective fake. Even if Ms. Prescott and Antony were set up or drugged, it doesn’t automatically mean something went down. The video’s so dark that you can’t really tell if they actually had sex.”
Gathering his courage, Richard pressed on with his words. But just as he finished speaking, a loud voice erupted from downstairs, startling both of them.
“Claire! Frederick, come out here! What the hell did you do to Claire?” Antony shouted with fury and desperation.
Upon hearing the commotion, Richard dashed outside only to see Antony downstairs. He groaned inwardly, “Seriously? Why did he have to show up now? Damn it! Drama king! He just has to be here now!”
“Antony, you came just in time.”