Chapter 517: Conspiracy (10) Plotted

Hannah spent the afternoon searching Oscar’s apartment, finding nothing. Leaving the apartment, she found Jimmy waiting.

“No luck?” he asked, noticing her frustration.

Hannah shook her head. Jimmy remained silent; he typically reported results without inquiry.

“No one came?” Hannah asked.

“No.”

“Okay, let’s go,” Hannah said, frowning.

“All right.”

As they pressed the elevator button, the doors opened, and an elderly man exited. He glanced at them, seemingly recognizing them as strangers, and passed by. Jimmy entered the elevator, but Hannah hesitated. She watched the old man slowly approach the apartment diagonally opposite Oscar’s, enter, and close the door.

Jimmy urged her, “Mrs. Wells?” But Hannah remained motionless, seemingly oblivious to the elevator’s arrival. Moments later, she reacted and quickly entered the elevator.

The silence in the car mirrored the emptiness of her thoughts. Her preoccupation persisted even upon arriving at the nightclub.

“Mrs. Wells?” Jimmy prompted again.

Hannah roused herself, pursed her lips, and exited the vehicle. They entered the secret room, where a nightclub leader approached Hannah.

“Mr. Wold has been apprehended for illegally entering City Hall,” he announced respectfully. “Don’t worry; he’ll be fine.”

Hannah felt a mixture of sorrow and suspicion, despite expecting this outcome. After his report, the man left, leaving Hannah and Jimmy alone. Jimmy remained silent, mindful of Hannah’s contemplation. She was visibly distraught.

Before she could fully process events, her phone rang. Recognizing Charles’s number, she immediately hung up, unwilling to engage his voice or contain her anger. A message appeared: “Just sent you my wedding invitation. Don’t be rude.”

Hannah stared coldly at the message, sensing Charles’s jubilation. Another message followed: “The 28th of this month, eight days from now, at Kensbury Willis Hotel. Welcome to Sarah and my wedding.”

Hannah fought to control her anger. Charles’s messages had pushed her to the breaking point; it wasn’t jealousy of his marriage, but his provocation that infuriated her.

Clenching her teeth, she called him.

“I thought you didn’t want to talk? Jealous of my impending nuptials?” he taunted.

“Charles, do you realize I’ll record this conversation and play it for Sarah?”

Her threat worked. Charles’s voice turned sharp.

“You’re a snake!”

“You’re the snake,” Hannah sneered.

“Incredible,” Charles scoffed. “In this situation, you still manage to belittle me. Did you intend to be foolish back then?”

She wished she had been. She wished the humiliation was merely pretense.

“Forget it,” Charles declared, suddenly magnanimous. “I consider you a defeated opponent. You’re no match for me!”

Hannah remained silent, refusing to waste her breath.

“By the way, I heard Theodore was arrested as well,” he added. Hannah’s face hardened.

“Why does the ‘Master Theodore’ of the Wold family always associate with you and Oscar? Now he’s enjoying a ten- or twenty-day stay in jail. Do you think a pampered man like him will adapt?”

“Are you finished?” Hannah asked grimly.

“This is for your own good. Stay out of Oscar’s affairs. It was Theodore this time; it could be you next. The tables have turned,” he laughed wildly. “When you plotted against me, did you expect to be plotted against in return?”

“So you plotted Oscar’s bribery case?”

“Nonsense!” Charles denied furiously, though his complacency betrayed his caution.

Hannah knew extracting information was futile; silencing him was her priority. Fear was the most effective tool.

“Just be careful!” he hung up abruptly, seemingly wary of further calls that might reveal information.

Hannah lowered her phone, her expression troubled.

“Are we in trouble?” Jimmy asked.

“Yes,” Hannah admitted. “I think we’ve been played.”

“What do you mean?”

“After arriving, we went straight to Oscar’s apartment, only to be told to leave by the police. This created a false impression of something suspicious, enticing us to investigate further. Today we did, and everything seemed normal. That’s the point. Even with Theodore distracting them, there shouldn’t have been anyone in the apartment, especially since I was there for so long.”

Jimmy struggled to understand her subtle implication.

“This shows they wanted us there. They knew we’d try to distract them from Oscar’s apartment; they anticipated our diversion. They predicted we’d harass City Hall – exactly what they wanted us to do to catch the perpetrators,” Hannah explained, her face growing colder with each word. This realization had formed during the car ride back. Charles’s complacency during the call confirmed her suspicion, even without a direct admission.