Chapter 537 Astralton City (1) The Hotchner Family's Gideon Hotchner
Cecilia stared blankly at Cassius.
Cassius spoke quickly, almost frantically, "Last year for his birthday, I got Alaric a globally limited edition phone. I even went all the way to Mosterwania to stand in line and buy it for him. It's still not available here."
Dashiell turned to Cecilia and asked, "Is Alaric talking about the phone?"
"Probably," Cecilia thought for a moment and then nodded.
Dashiell said, "So, Alaric means all the evidence is on his phone."
"Why didn't I think of that?" Cassius slapped his forehead. "I should've realized it sooner. Besides his computer, it could only be his phone!"
"Storing stuff on a phone is risky," Dashiell said. "None of us thought of that, but sometimes the most obvious place is the safest. Plus, there are tons of apps that can hide things. I even installed some for Alaric before, but I forgot."
He felt a bit guilty as he spoke.
"So now, we need to get Alaric's phone," Cecilia said, moving on to the next step.
"All of Alaric's stuff, including his computer and phone, has been confiscated. If we try to get them through official channels, it'll definitely raise suspicion and alert the other side. If we don't go through official channels..." Dashiell looked at Cassius. "Can you use your connections to get it?"
"I don't know, I need to ask my dad," Cassius said uncertainly. "I heard that the ones framing Alaric this time are from a noble family. When I was detained in Harborvale, my dad personally went there and tried all his connections, but it was useless. It took so many days before I was finally released. So, it's clear that the other side doesn't respect my dad. It's not that my dad wouldn't want to help, but I'm afraid it might backfire."
Dashiell said, "So, no method is feasible right now."
"Then let's not use our methods," Cecilia decided.
"What do you mean?" Dashiell asked.
"It's obvious that Alaric didn't commit any crime. We don't need to investigate more. As long as we present the evidence we have, we can clear about eighty percent of his charges," Cecilia said to them. "So what we lack now isn't evidence; we lack a fair judge."
"Tell us your plan," Dashiell said, clearly in agreement.
Cecilia said, "The Monroe family has so much power now. Whoever they protect can thrive under their wing. To put it bluntly, Dominic is definitely the mastermind behind this, with the Monroe family supporting him. But the person judging Alaric is from the Monroe family. Even if we win the case and Alaric is acquitted, the person who framed him will still be free! If that's the case, is all the suffering Alaric endured worth it?"
"No, it's not!" Cassius said, "I want to drag Dominic out and kill him!"
"Right, it's not worth it. More importantly, if we don't catch them all, we might escape this time, but what about next time? And the time after that?" Cecilia looked at Cassius and Dashiell. "This time, we must make sure Dominic suffers and give the Monroe family a heavy blow! We need to make it clear that we are not to be messed with!"
"I fully support this!" Cassius said.
Just thinking about it made his blood boil.
"And now, the only ones who can balance the Monroe family are..." Cecilia trailed off.
Dashiell filled in, "The Hotchner family."
Cecilia nodded.
Cassius's face darkened a bit. "The Hotchner family aren't exactly saints either."
Cecilia said, "True. At the top, there are no purely good people. But as long as our interests align, we can work together."
Cassius frowned.
Cecilia continued, "For years, it seems like the two major noble families have been peaceful, but there's always been tension. The Hotchner family hasn't backed down to the Monroe family; they just haven't had a reason to act. If either of the two major noble families makes the first move, it will be criticized. The higher you stand, the more you care about your reputation, or it's hard to maintain authority. What we're doing now is giving the Hotchner family a legitimate reason to confront the Monroe family."
"You mean you want to involve the Hotchner family in Alaric's case?" Cassius exclaimed.
He hadn't thought that this matter would involve the two major noble families.
Cecilia replied, "There's no other choice but the Hotchner family."
Cassius and Dashiell fell silent, both contemplating the potential implications and the harm this plan could bring.
"Otherwise," Cecilia said bluntly, "the outcome of Alaric's case is uncertain, and Dominic will not suffer any consequences."
"Alright!" Cassius, being impulsive, agreed. "We'll go to the Hotchner family!"
Dashiell glanced at Cassius and then nodded.
"Then tomorrow morning, we'll go to Astralton City to find Gideon," Cecilia said.
Gideon Hotchner, rumored to be the most capable and highly valued descendant of the Hotchner family, held much of the family's power. He was the best choice to confront the Monroe family.
"Alright," Cassius agreed again.
Cecilia said, "Tomorrow, Cassius will go with me. Dashiell, you stay in Serenovia City and handle any urgent matters."
Dashiell agreed. "Okay."
"Tomorrow, we won't fly. We'll drive," Cecilia said, "We'll travel in secret."
"I understand." Cassius nodded. "What time do we leave?"
"We'll leave when we're well-rested," Cecilia said, thinking there was no need to hurry.
After all, the journey was long, over 12 hours by car.
In any major event, health was the most important. If their body collapsed, everything else was in vain.
"Then we'll leave at night," Cassius suggested. "It's easier to travel secretly at night."
Dashiell said, "Agreed."
"I'll go make arrangements right away," Cassius said, getting up to leave.
"Dashiell," she called out to him, "You've worked hard these past few days; go home with Cassius and rest."
"Alright," Dashiell said, standing up.
Cassius and Dashiell didn't delay any further and left.
As they drove through the quiet night streets, Cassius suddenly spoke up, "I think Cecilia has stirred up the conflict ahead of schedule for us."
"That's why Alaric once said that Cecilia has bought us at least ten years," Dashiell replied with a slight smile. "Never underestimate the power of a woman."
Cassius nodded.
This time, he was truly convinced of Cecilia's capabilities!
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