Chapter 563 She's Getting Married?
Cecilia totally got how rich folks think. She knew they hated drama and would rather throw money at a problem to make it go away.
Wesley saw right through her and asked with a grin, "So, what's your plan to fix this?"
Cecilia, brimming with confidence, replied, "Just cover the clothing costs. It doesn't have to be a lot, five million dollars will do."
Even Wesley couldn't help but gasp and chuckle, "That's quite a price tag!"
"Is it really that much?" Cecilia thought the amount was a lot for someone like her. With her salary, it would take decades to amass such a sum.
When Brice heard Cecilia, he immediately said, "That's not much at all. I think we should settle it this way. I'll make sure to comfort Cecilia."
Both Brice and Cecilia were happy with this outcome. Wesley had been right; they did have a shady relationship, and this wasn't their first rodeo. Since Brice couldn't keep up with Cecilia's high expenses, he had suggested extorting wealthy people.
But they didn't just target anyone, as that could easily backfire. They always pre-selected their targets, like men with many mistresses who had visited the hospital or those with embarrassing, undisclosed illnesses.
Brice and Cecilia would secretly record evidence, and Cecilia would then get involved with these old men. If someone didn't pay up, Brice and Cecilia would use the evidence to blackmail them. They only did this every few months, so no one had caught on, and it always went smoothly.
This time, Cecilia set things up without telling Brice because she knew he was on duty today. Otherwise, it would have been hard to pull off without cooperation.
But they didn't expect to run into a big shot today.
"Yeah, it's not much," Wesley said, hands in his pockets, looking at Brice and Cecilia.
Brice was all smiles, but before he could say anything, Wesley cut in, "This kind of extortion could get you about fifteen years."
Cecilia was livid. "What do you mean? Is it fun to mess with us?"
Brice tried to play the good guy, "Mr. Redstone, this wouldn't be good for your friend either, right? Cecilia has been persuaded by me despite her grievances. It's just a small matter that can be solved with money. Your friend hasn't said a word, so it seems he's willing to resolve it this way."
Brice knew Wesley was tight with the hospital director. At first, he was freaked out, but since Cecilia had already made her move, he had no choice but to play along. If Cecilia got into hot water, she'd definitely spill the beans on him, and he'd be toast too. So, Brice had to back her up and keep his cool.
Brice was a pro at this. VIP rooms didn't have cameras, and even the regular rooms only had them in the hallways. With no evidence and no witnesses, it was all on Brice and Cecilia.
Compared to men, a vulnerable woman was more likely to get sympathy. If things got messy, it wasn't clear who'd come out worse. Their underdog status could easily win public support.
Brice kept pushing, "Mr. Redstone, I think you should stay out of this. There's no surveillance here. How can you be sure your friend is innocent? Given your ties with the director, I'll keep this quiet. But Cecilia is a woman and deserves some compensation. How about I give you some time to talk it over with your friend? I'll convince Cecilia to lower the amount a bit."
Brice's pitch was smooth, clearly well-rehearsed. Wesley raised an eyebrow, "Seems like you've done this a lot. Perfect, we'll dig into this thoroughly. If the director weren't my buddy, I wouldn't even bother with this!"
Seeing Wesley wasn't budging, Brice dropped the nice-guy act and said coldly, "Then I won't help mediate. If Cecilia wants to go public or post online about her grievances, I won't stop her. If she gets desperate and jumps off a building, your losses will be more than just money; it'll be your precious reputation!"
As Brice said this, he winked at Cecilia. Cecilia got the hint and started crying, pretending to climb out the window.
Wesley watched as Cecilia took a few small steps towards the window and then started bawling to scare them. He couldn't help but laugh. "What, can't reach the window? Should I get you a chair?"
Cecilia glared, fuming. Wesley's snark was way more annoying than Francis's silence. She angrily pounded her chest and shouted, "You just want to drive me to death! Do you think you can do whatever you want and disregard my life?"
Wesley shot back, "Be gentle with your pounding. Don't blame us later; no one touched you."
Seeing they wouldn't budge, Cecilia had no choice but to grab a chair and put on a show.
Francis, fed up with the noise, said sternly, "Victor!"
Victor immediately came in from outside, "Mr. Getty, what are your orders?"
Since Wesley was there, Victor thought he could handle it, so he hadn't come in. He didn't expect Wesley to taking his sweet time messing with them and not dealing with the matter.
Francis didn't even glance at Cecilia and Brice. He coldly ordered, "Take these two to the police station and handle it as it should be!"
Victor nodded and called out, "Come in."
Two men in black entered and dragged Brice out first. As Brice was being hauled away, he shouted, "How dare you do this! What power do you have to bully us! I won't give in!"
Brice tried to accuse them of abusing their power, spouting all sorts of nonsense. Wesley sneered, "Did you ask what power I have? Look over there."
Both Brice and Cecilia followed Wesley's direction and saw a hidden camera on the ceiling! Wesley pressed a switch, and the camera started blinking.
Brice's face turned livid with disbelief. "How is this possible? When did you install this? Surveillance cameras aren't allowed in the ward!"
Wesley smirked, "It was installed after that previous nurse was reassigned downstairs, to prevent people like you taking advantage of my friend again. This time, the camera really helped, capturing evidence of your setup!"
Brice tried to protest but was dragged out.
When it was Cecilia's turn, she turned pale and said, "I didn't mean it. I was just joking with this gentleman."
"Joking?" Wesley mocked.
"Yeah. Mr. Redstone, please don't hold it against me. I'll do whatever you say!" Cecilia crawled to Wesley's feet, crying pitifully.
"Don't touch me," Wesley said with disgust, wrinkling his nose. "You're filthy."
Cecilia's face turned ashen. Before she could say another word, Victor swiftly dragged her out. If he hadn't, Francis would have lost his temper.
Once they were gone, the room returned to peace. Wesley, as if not noticing Francis's cold expression, pulled up a chair and sat in front of him. "Feeling better?"
Francis glanced at him with an expressionless face and said coldly, "Bored."
Wesley raised an eyebrow, "If I wasn't trying to distract you, do you think I'd waste time playing with those clowns?"
Francis remained silent, continuing to read his financial magazine. Wesley nagged, "Look at you, either working yourself to death or reading financial reports. How can you recover if you don't rest?"
Seeing that Francis still ignored him, Wesley snatched the magazine from his hands and said, "While you're away, Rhodes is managing the company very well. He's just waiting for you to recover and take everything back."
Francis frowned in displeasure, but Wesley didn't care. Ignoring the anger in Francis's eyes, Wesley continued, "If you really want to work, get better quickly. Go back and give Rhodes a break, and give me a break too. You have no idea how many times a day he asks about you."
"I'm fine," Francis said flatly.
"If you were fine, you wouldn't be lying here." Seeing that Francis wouldn't listen, Wesley said angrily, "And you don't even do your leg rehabilitation exercises. Are you planning to never walk again and just lie in bed forever?"
Francis's legs hadn't adapted well after the joint replacement, and he couldn't even perform basic leg lifts.
Actually, it wasn't that he couldn't. Wesley had seen Francis's determination; if he wanted to, there was nothing he couldn't do. But it seemed Francis had lost all interest in life, as if he was deliberately ruining his body.
As a longtime friend, Wesley understood Francis well. After waking up and not seeing Harper, Francis had become like this, but he never asked about her. Some things didn't need to be said; as adults, they understood. Harper choosing to leave on the day of Francis's surgery already indicated that she had given up on their relationship.
And because of his physical condition, Francis couldn't leave the hospital, and his legs couldn't walk. Over time, he became unusually silent and eccentric. He lost interest in everything, living like a robot, wasting his life on work.
This situation had persisted for a long time, and Wesley was troubled but couldn't find a way to persuade him. No matter what he said, Francis acted as if he didn't hear, continuing to do as he pleased. He wouldn't even cooperate with basic auxiliary treatments. How could he ever get out of bed at this rate?
As a good friend, Wesley had to do something. He couldn't just watch this once high-spirited, carefree Francis spend his life in a wheelchair.
Wesley sat by the bed, peeling an apple, chatting with Francis as usual, "The Charles family really holds grudges. They found Audrey's ashes that her stepmother had someone throw away, brought them back to Emerald Isle, and had a witch cast a spell. They say it's a spell that traps the soul, torturing Audrey day and night."
If the magic from Emerald Isle was real, Audrey would never find peace, even in death. But she deserved it. The punishment she didn't receive in life, she would get in death.
"But there's some good news. Armando, to retrieve Stanley's intact body without an autopsy, reached an agreement with Northfield. He will supervise the Charles family and ensure they don't commit crimes in Northfield. If any Charles do, they will fully cooperate with Northfield to bring them to justice."
The Charles family, though ruthless, valued their promises. Stanley's death showed them Northfield's strength. The helicopter they sent to retrieve Stanley's body was captured. This greatly diminished the Charles family's arrogance and changed their view of Northfield. They immediately extended an olive branch to Northfield, expressing a desire for peaceful coexistence and respect for each other's laws and systems.
Wesley was peeling the apple, and as he neared the end, he suddenly coughed seriously. "I heard that Harper is going to have a wedding."
Upon hearing this, Francis finally showed some emotion. He grabbed Wesley's wrist and stared at him, "With whom?"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
