Chapter 238 Alexander Delivered a Huge Accusation
Ezekiel threw this big fancy party to flip the script, but man, did it backfire! He had this whole elaborate trap set up at the estate, just waiting for Alexander to mess up and get totally wrecked. "Alexander, didn't you know you need proof for everything? I'm really bummed about what happened to Santino, and today's shindig is to show everyone I had nothing to do with it!"
Ezekiel's voice boomed as he raised his arm, making sure everyone could hear him.
"So you're saying Santino's mess isn't on you? Then who is it on?" Alexander shot back.
Ezekiel was ready for that. "Who would want Santino in trouble the most? You should know better than anyone, right?"
Alexander just grinned. "I brought you a little something when I came. You're gonna love it."
"A gift?"
The big screen in the hall lit up with clips of Ezekiel's rise to power. To clear his name and flex his muscles, there was even a video of him shaking hands with a former national leader!
Alexander clapped, and suddenly, the video switched from Ezekiel drinking with military bigwigs to a bloodied Santino!
The crowd gasped, clearly freaked out by the sight of Santino in the video.
Santino lay in a pool of blood, eyes bulging and face pale, muttering repeatedly, "Ezekiel, I treated you well! Why did you do this to me? And you want to use my death to frame Alexander! I'll be waiting for you in hell!"
Santino's words, dripping with anger and hate, echoed through the hall.
A voice piped up next to Catherine. "This video is kinda creepy."
Santino's message played on a loop, and with his furious expression, it was definitely unsettling.
Catherine turned to see Emilia, who was munching on a cream cake. "What are you doing here?"
"Getting something from Solon!" Emilia said, her mouth full.
Catherine looked Emilia up and down. She was in a simple hoodie and jeans, sneakers on her feet, not exactly banquet attire.
"How'd you get in?" Catherine asked.
Emilia pointed to George, who was watching the video. "I bumped into George on the way, and he brought me in!"
George, in his black trench coat, looked effortlessly classy. Even without formal wear, he turned heads.
George watched the video of Santino and said, "Ezekiel just wanted to bleed him out. What a grudge! And they're brothers. It's wild. Multiple gunshot wounds to the ulna, distal radioulnar joint, and humerus, none fatal. Ezekiel's got some precise aim."
Ezekiel was losing it, scrambling to turn off the video as the guests' looks towards him changed.
'Did Ezekiel really throw this party just to show he killed his own brother and tried to frame Alexander?' the guests wondered.
Catherine said casually, "Charles, did Ezekiel invite us here to scare us? If we don't play ball, is he gonna do the same to us?"
Emilia quickly shot back, "No way! Ezekiel's not that kind of guy. He only messes with his own family! The one you gotta watch out for is Alexander, carrying such a heavy crime at such a young age."
Charles nodded. "Don't worry, we definitely won't team up with Ezekiel in the future. The Windsor Family's partner, having the Howard Family alone is enough. The Windsor Family won't dare work with someone who can harm his own brother."
The guests were all thinking the same thing, 'If we team up with Ezekiel, we might end up worse than Santino!'
Ezekiel was sweating bullets, trying to keep his cool in front of everyone. "Alexander, is this the gift you mentioned? You killed Santino and didn't save him. How heartless can you be?"
Alexander just smiled and looked around the room. "The person Santino mentioned wasn't me."
Emilia gasped, covering her mouth. "Is this a setup?"
Catherine glanced at Alexander, a hint of pity in her eyes. Then she turned to Ezekiel, her eyes full of disdain. "But if we don't want to work with Ezekiel, does that mean we can't leave today?"
Charles frowned. "No, Ezekiel isn't like that."
Their back-and-forth made everyone look at Ezekiel suspiciously, wondering, 'Is this party meant to force us into submission? If we don't cooperate with Ezekiel, will we end up like Santino?'
Ezekiel was at a loss, thinking, 'The more I explain, the worse it gets! Santino made this video to drag me down, knowing he was going to die and not wanting me to live well!'
Ezekiel gritted his teeth so hard his jaw hurt. "This is a misunderstanding. The video isn't real; someone must have doctored it because they have it out for me! I would never harm Santino!"
Emilia took another bite of cake. "Then why did I see so many people surrounding the banquet hall when I came in? Are you not planning to let us leave?"
The crowd was stunned.
Someone immediately stood up. "Ezekiel, I have matters to attend to at home and business to handle. So I need to leave!"
"This is all a misunderstanding! I arranged for people to ensure everyone's safety, nothing more," Ezekiel explained.
The person yanked their hand from Ezekiel's grip and quickly left, afraid that if they stayed a moment longer, they'd end up like Santino.
Charles took Catherine's hand and sneered, "Catherine, let's go. Looks like Ezekiel has plenty to deal with today."
"Alright." Catherine turned to call Emilia and George to leave with them, but the two were already gone.
Alexander glanced at the balcony. "George and Emilia went to find Solon. Let's head back first."
Charles raised an eyebrow. "Since when did George and Emilia get so close? I asked him to come with us this morning, and he said he was too tired after several surgeries."
'Is this what tired looks like? He just climbed the balcony with Emilia! When asked to work, George always complains, but with Emilia, he seems to have endless energy!' Charles thought.
Ezekiel walked up to Alexander, trying to grab his wrist, but Alexander smoothly dodged, nearly causing Ezekiel to fall.
"Alexander! You can't leave today!" Ezekiel shouted.