Chapter 345 Revelation
Upon hearing the name Ivan, Maggie could easily guess who the person behind him was, except for Sierra. She couldn’t think of anyone else.
Nathael frowned and said seriously, “Sierra just can’t stay out of trouble.”
Draco, looking pale, listened to the two talking on the side, hesitated for a moment, and couldn’t help but say, “I’m not sure who the person behind is, but it doesn’t sound like it’s Sierra.”
Nathael looked at him and said, “Tell me about it.”
Draco smiled and replied, “It’s nothing else, but when Ivan mentioned this, he unconsciously showed some respect for the person behind him, suggesting they’re probably older.”
Maggie furrowed her brow, thinking about the upcoming college competition and running through all the possible people in her mind.
The one who could contact Ivan and would want to cause trouble was likely someone from the Pierces.
Either Olivia sought help from Master Pierce, or Master Pierce couldn’t resist getting involved himself.
Nathael turned to Draco and said firmly, “Now you have a clear understanding of the situation, you handle it.”
With no need for further discussion, Draco, being quick on his feet, showed a hint of excitement on his face and said, “Don’t worry, Mr. Harris! I’ll take care of it. Those people who dared to scheme against you and Ms. Adam will regret it!”
With that, Nathael made it clear that there was no need for Draco to linger if he couldn’t handle it, his tone cold and final.
Facing those ice-cold eyes, Draco felt a shiver run down his spine, but he gritted his teeth through the pain and said, “Don’t worry, sir! If I mess up, I’ll kill myself!”
Maggie stood up too, a smile playing on her lips as she looked at Draco and said, “Make sure to gather solid evidence.”
“Don’t worry, Ms. Adam. I’ll have the evidence in your hands in no time!”
With Maggie and Nathael leaving, Draco felt like a deflated balloon, his vision blurring and fear creeping in.
He urged, “Let’s get to the hospital!”
The group spent the entire night at the hospital, and it wasn’t until the early hours of the next morning that things finally calmed down.
With the situation under control, Tony limped into the hospital room to visit Draco. It was clear he had to play nice with Draco in the future, so he couldn’t afford to rub him the wrong way too much.
That’s why Tony decided to fully lean into his coerced and helpless situation.
Of course, it wasn’t exactly acting, considering the circumstances were real. At best, you could say he wasn’t putting the blame on Tony.
“Draco… How’re you holding up?” Tony managed a weak smile, his face a mess of bruises and swelling.
Feeling a mix of emotions, Draco couldn’t help but sympathize with him, despite their past grievances.
“I’m just the same. The thing is, those few people were too ruthless. They looked all polite and refined, but when they got their hands dirty, they were even more vicious and cunning. This world has no f*cking principle."
“For now, I won’t die. But how long I’ll live, that’s hard to say," Draco said with an unpleasant expression, his words carrying a double meaning.
Tony nodded. “Mr. Harris is willing to give you a chance; there might be a turning point in this matter.”
Draco understood this, but he couldn’t say for sure how things would turn out.
“What are your plans after this? What do Mr. Harris and Ms. Adam mean? I still haven’t figured it out,” Tony asked, adopting a humble tone as he cautiously spoke.
Draco’s irritation was evident, his eyes showing signs of frustration. “Do you think I’ve got it all figured out?”
Of course, it couldn’t be said that he truly hadn’t figured it out. It’s just that he wasn’t sure to what extent he was expected to go. If he made one wrong move and displeased Nathael, his good days would be over for good.
After a brief silence, Tony spoke up, “Anyway, we need to get moving quickly. We don’t want to risk ticking off Nathael by dragging our feet.”
Draco nodded in agreement. Those at the top didn’t have time for incompetence, especially not from people like them.
Feeling the urgency, Draco let out a sigh and said, “Get Ivan to meet with me. Tell him that Nathael visited us and we both ended up badly hurt.”
That afternoon, Ivan rushed to the hospital carrying some things. When he saw Draco with thick bandages wrapped around his head, hand, and arm, he was shocked for a moment.
“Hey, Draco, what happened to you?”
Ivan was a suave middle-aged man. Though no longer young, the accumulation of fame, wealth, and his immersion in the artistic circle over the years made him look quite dashing.
Draco gave a rueful smile. “I’m sure you’ve heard. This time, you’ve landed me in quite a mess.”
“You’re saying Nathael and Maggie are together?” Ivan cautiously probed.
Ivan had heard some rumors about Maggie and Nathael, but he always took them with a grain of salt. Sierra hadn’t mentioned anything to him, so he hadn’t paid much attention to it. He just assumed Maggie was trying to cozy up to Nathael and ride on the Hases’ coattails.
“It’s more than that. He’s protective of Maggie. She’s practically his woman. Now, it feels like I’ve stirred up trouble with the big boss. My days in Aquapolis won’t be smooth sailing from now on," Draco said with a sense of resignation, showing no resentment towards Ivan.
Ivan fell silent for a moment, then pulled out a check and handed it to Draco. “I messed up this time, causing trouble for you, Draco…”
Draco didn’t even glance at the check, just spoke in a low voice. “Ivan, can you tell me the truth? Who’s behind this? Who wanted to teach Maggie a lesson? Going after a woman like that suggests there’s some serious grudge.”
Ivan stayed silent for a moment, while Draco said, “What? Still don’t trust me? At this point, you gotta be straight with me, right? I need to know who I’m dealing with and if they’ve got my back.”
Ivan glanced at Draco and lowered his voice. “No harm in telling you. It’s Master Pierce. He’s set on helping his granddaughter snag first place in the college competition, but Maggie keeps getting in her way. So he wanted to teach her a lesson.”
Hearing this explanation, Draco felt a surge of anger, as if he might just spit blood but couldn’t.
“Master Pierce sure seems to dote on his granddaughter. But what now? Can he protect me?” Draco put on an urgent facade, seeking reassurance.
Deep down, Ivan knew it was unlikely. Master Pierce was getting on in years and valued his reputation above all. He wouldn’t get mixed up in something like this.
“I’ll go find out what I can from his side, see if I can smooth things over,” Ivan offered.
Draco nodded. “Since the plan fell through, I won’t take the money from before. Consider this check as payment for medical bills. When you get back, help me talk to Master Pierce. I did this for him, and now that things have gone sideways, he can’t just leave me hanging!”