Chapter 360: Struggling a Million Times
Jane was still unaware of Arthur’s scheming. Seeing Frederick’s distress, she rushed forward to stop him. “Frederick, sweetheart. Don’t act rashly. This business about the Military Order has no place in our home. It is absolutely unacceptable!”
“Nothing is more important than your life! Nathan, you mustn’t agree to this. If you do, you’ll be pushing him toward his death! How can he possibly handle someone like Madam Prescott alone?”
Jane clearly understood that if Nathan confined Frederick this time, he would inevitably lose control of the Kingstown Security Department. After all, the Kingstown Security Department was far too crucial to Kingstown, especially during this critical period of the presidential election; they couldn’t go without leadership for even a day. Once Frederick lost control of the department, he’d be left with nothing but his empty title of General, stripped of any real power. How could he possibly compete with Arthur after that?
“Oh, Claire, you certainly picked the perfect time to die!” Jane thought. As for this Military Order business, Jane certainly hoped Nathan wouldn’t agree to it.
Arthur frowned, caught off guard by his mother’s interference. Though he knew Jane’s words came from concern for him, he now had a better card to play. He needed to find the right words to convince Nathan.
Meanwhile, Diana never imagined she’d cause such a catastrophe. Sure, she’d wanted to avenge Anna, but this situation had spiraled far beyond her intentions. Had she known it would endanger the entire Hawthorne family, she would never have made her move. Now, Claire was dead, and she was the one responsible for everything. Diana trembled so severely she couldn’t even hold her fork, praying no one would notice her right now.
Frederick, however, had unexpectedly thought of a strategy. Jane clearly didn’t want Nathan to agree to his terms; she wanted Nathan to lock him up. That way, Arthur would soon take control of the Kingstown Security Department. Unfortunately for Jane, her cleverness had backfired. Her words had actually given him the perfect angle to persuade Nathan.
“Father, I swear I’ll keep my word. If you don’t believe me, I’ll give you my life right now!” Frederick pulled out his gun, loaded it with a swift motion, and pressed it against his temple.
“Frederick, no! Father, please, just agree to Frederick’s request!” Arthur seized this opportunity, rushing over to kneel beside Frederick in front of Nathan, joining in the plea.
Frederick was quite surprised by Arthur’s support, but at this critical moment, he couldn’t afford to question it.
“Very well… Since you’re so determined, I’ll give you this chance. But remember, you only have seven days. During this time, I will use every resource of the Hawthorne family to keep Claire’s death under wraps. After seven days, if you haven’t found a way to deal with Madam Prescott, you know what your Military Order requires of you,” Nathan said.
He stood there, staring at his two kneeling sons for what seemed like an eternity, as if wrestling with a thousand conflicting thoughts before finally giving in.
“Thank you, Father. I won’t let you down!” Frederick felt a wave of relief wash over him as Nathan agreed, and he lowered his gun. The meal thoroughly ruined, Nathan had lost his appetite entirely and headed upstairs without another word.
“Get up, Frederick.” Arthur reached out to help Frederick to his feet.
“Thank you for what you did today, Arthur,” Frederick said, bowing deeply.
“We’re family, no need for thanks. But Frederick, dealing with Madam Prescott won’t be easy. If you need anything, just say the word. Your big brother will help however he can.” Arthur patted Frederick’s shoulder, putting on a perfect display of brotherly affection.
“Of course, Arthur.” Frederick nodded. Diana finally let out a sigh of relief at this. Jane shot them a fierce glare before turning to follow Nathan upstairs. Arthur, knowing Jane’s thoughts, followed them up as well.
Frederick turned and left Hawthorne Manor. On his way back to Halfmoon Manor, he kept replaying the scene of Arthur taking his side and pleading to Nathan on his behalf. Arthur had always maintained an impeccable facade. That was true. Logically, there shouldn’t be anything suspicious about his actions just now. Yet somehow, he couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling. Especially when they’d entered Hawthorne Manor together, he’d distinctly heard Arthur on the phone asking, “That woman is awake?” That woman? Frederick’s heart tightened as realization began to dawn. He said, “Richard, increase surveillance on Arthur immediately. Track his every move. And investigate all his activities from the past week!”