Chapter 417: Don’t Blame Me

For a moment, Caroline’s heart pounded wildly. “So, those people weren’t here to watch Zachary—they were watching her!” Frederick already knew the truth about Claire falling off the cliff. No! No! That’s impossible! How could he find out so quickly?

Caroline kept trying to calm herself, but her panic had already spiraled out of control. If Frederick truly knew, with his temperament, she’d never escape unscathed! Deep down, Caroline had already considered the consequences when she started all of this, but back then, all she thought about was making Claire disappear.

As long as she could be with Frederick, become his woman, it would all be worth it. But now, her plan was incomplete, and everything was falling apart. Not only had Claire returned to the Halfmoon Manor safe and sound, but Frederick was also starting to suspect her. No, she couldn’t let this happen. Since Frederick was investigating, it was only a matter of time before he found out.

She had to find a way to stop him! Caroline sat up in bed, her bare body trembling as she racked her brain for a solution. She thought for a long time, going over everyone she could possibly use, but no solution came to mind. After the incident with Claire’s car accident, Diana certainly wouldn’t dare act again anytime soon. And now, she and Zachary had completely fallen out. As for that woman overseas, she was never reliable to begin with, and after what happened with Noah, Caroline saw right through her.

So, who else was there? Caroline’s mind suddenly went blank. Ha, no one…

“Hahaha, no one. Caroline, you’ve endured and schemed for four whole years, only to end up with nothing. What a pathetic joke you are. Now, you’re not just being used by men every day, but you’re falling deeper into it. Hahaha! There’s probably no one more ridiculous or pathetic in this world than you!”

Thinking of this, she burst into hysterical laughter, like a lunatic who had completely lost her mind. She couldn’t think of any way to handle this anymore. It seemed like her only option was to surrender, wait for Frederick to uncover the truth, and accept her fate. At that moment, Caroline felt like her bones had been shattered, and she’d been thrown into hell, unable to even stand.

Meanwhile, Zachary was leading his men in an emergency retreat, but it was already too late. Who was Frederick? A general and the head of the entire Kingstown Security Department. Even though most of his firepower had been taken out, tracking down a low-level thug like Zachary was child’s play.

Zachary and his men hadn’t even made it to their next hideout when Richard intercepted them. “Zachary! Hah, what a fitting name. They say cats have nine lives, and the nine-tailed fox can save itself with each tail. Do you think you’ve got nine lives too?” Richard pulled out his gun and aimed it straight at Zachary in the crowd.

“I wouldn’t dare, Adjutant Parker. What brings you here today?” Zachary asked with forced politeness. Of course, Zachary knew Richard—Frederick’s right-hand man. In Kingstown, almost no one didn’t.

“What do you think, Zachary? We both know what you’ve been up to, so I won’t bother listing it all. Here’s your chance—surrender and come back with me to the Security Department. If not, don’t blame me if the bullets don’t have eyes!” Richard snapped. Richard didn’t waste time with pleasantries and demanded Zachary return with him immediately.

“Hah, I know nothing gets past you, Adjutant Parker. At this point, I won’t deny anything. I admit it—everything you’ve found out, it’s all true,” Zachary said with a bitter laugh, acting as if he had no other choice. Zachary forced a bitter smile, looking as if he was completely cornered. In reality, he was retreating to advance, his hand already creeping toward his waist as he spoke.

“I’ll admit it, sure. But going back to the Security Department with you? That’s not happening!” he declared. As he finished speaking, Zachary moved quickly, pulling a grenade from behind his waist, yanking the pin, and hurling it toward Richard. After throwing it, Zachary shouted to his men, “Run!”

But Richard wasn’t just anyone—he was a battle-hardened veteran. Having fought alongside Frederick and faced countless life-or-death situations, there was no way a simple grenade would faze him. In a flash, before the grenade even hit the ground, Richard swiftly kicked it back toward Zachary. A deafening explosion followed.

Luckily for Zachary, he was the first to run, or else the grenade would have taken him out. He hadn’t expected Richard to react so quickly. When he turned back, all he saw was a scattered mess of his men, blown away. Only a handful of his men who had stayed close to him were left. But right now, escaping was the priority—he couldn’t worry about anyone else.

Zachary didn’t look back, fleeing in a panic, while Richard led his men in hot pursuit. At that moment, all of Richard’s focus was on Zachary. He didn’t notice a familiar figure stepping out from a nearby alley as he chased after Zachary.