Chapter 681 Cruelty (3) Instigation
Alaric sat in a black sedan.
Every time Alaric went to see Tomas, it was always Tomas's car that came to pick him up alone.
Clearly, there was a great deal of caution towards him.
He had thought about gaining some trust from Tomas, but now he realized it was unlikely.
In politics, no one could trust anyone 100%, not even those who were always by their side.
The car arrived at an estate.
In Astralton City.
The Monroe Mansion and the Hotchner Mansion were located in the north and south of Astralton City, respectively. Both were seemingly unremarkable but priceless classical estates, with many guards stationed inside. Any outsider who wasn't careful could be shot by the guards.
Alaric got out of the car and followed the guards into a small courtyard.
After passing through a hall and a corridor, he finally saw Tomas drinking coffee in the study.
Next to Tomas was Lyra.
Lyra had always been Tomas's most cherished daughter, doted on and always kept by his side.
There was also a man in the study. It was Tomas's only son, Alfonso Monroe, who was basically confirmed to be Tomas's heir.
Tomas also had a younger daughter, Juniper Monroe.
Juniper was still in school and rarely involved in his affairs.
Alaric had been with Tomas for a month and had never seen Juniper.
"What is so urgent that you had to come to me in the middle of the night?" Tomas asked Alaric while drinking his coffee.
Alaric stood in the study, looking somewhat hesitant.
Tomas frowned slightly, "Alaric, I don't have time to waste with you. I have a national meeting to attend tomorrow, and I need to ensure I get enough sleep."
Alaric nodded.
He spoke directly, "Mr. Monroe, there are some things I want to confess to you."
"What things?" Tomas appeared indifferent but was actually very cunning.
He knew very well that Alaric wouldn't come to him for something trivial, so he had deployed extra personnel, fearing that Alaric might have some plot. He also had Alfonso and Lyra by his side to help him strategize.
In short, his outward indifference was completely different from his true feelings.
Alaric pretended not to notice and said, "I have had a cooperative relationship with Gideon from the Hotchner family."
Tomas's expression changed noticeably.
Lyra was even more agitated, "Alaric, what do you mean! Are you saying you were trading with Gideon? Are you Gideon's spy?"
"I was," Alaric admitted.
Lyra was speechless, "Alaric, how dare you say such things here!"
"I believe my loyalty, Mr. Monroe and Ms. Monroe, will see."
"You have connections with Gideon and yet claim loyalty to us. Alaric, who do you think you are, that we would believe anything you say!"
"If I weren't loyal, I wouldn't dare to confess my relationship with Gideon to you publicly," Alaric said. "I admit, I was indeed tempted by Gideon and agreed to cooperate with him. Gideon anticipated that you would try to recruit me, so he reached an agreement with me in advance to join the Monroe family and act as his spy."
Tomas's face turned ashen.
The Hotchner family was indeed cunning.
"But I have decided not to do that anymore," Alaric said slowly.
"You think you can just stop? Gideon will let you go?" Tomas wasn't foolish.
"He won't let me go, but if I truly betray you, you won't let me go either. I can only choose one side."
"So you chose us?" Tomas asked with a cold smile. "What made you choose us?"
"Because Gideon is not worth it," Alaric replied coldly.
The Monroe family members looked at Alaric, seemingly waiting for his explanation.
"He took Cecilia," Alaric revealed everything.
The more truthful he sounded, the more believable he would be.
"Mr. Monroe, I believe you've seen the news. I publicly announced Cecilia's pregnancy and suspended all her social activities to prevent anyone from discovering that Gideon had taken her."
"You certainly did it very discreetly," Tomas commented.
At least he hadn't noticed anything amiss.
He had to reassess Alaric.
"Yes, the purpose was to mislead others. But I am not content," Alaric said bluntly.
Tomas frowned slightly.
"I thought Gideon and I had a mutually trusting relationship. When he first approached me for a deal, I believed we were fair and just. Now he has used despicable means to doubt me and even control me. I don't think following such a person will lead to a better future," Alaric said indignantly. "So after careful consideration, Mr. Monroe, I decided to tell you everything and show my loyalty to you."
Tomas looked at Alaric. At this moment, he would certainly go along with Alaric's words, "Indeed, the Hotchner family is very treacherous. I never even thought of using anyone to threaten you. When I trust someone, it's absolute trust. I would never resort to such despicable means."
"I was too naive to trust Gideon, and now I've lost Cecilia!" Alaric said angrily.
"So what do you plan to do now?" Tomas asked, seemingly concerned. "Cecilia is imprisoned by Gideon. What can you do?"
"Mr. Monroe, I naturally hope you can help me rescue Cecilia," Alaric stated his request.
"That's not an easy task," Tomas said helplessly. "You know that the Monroe family and the Hotchner family seem to coexist peacefully but are actually wary of each other. How can I rescue Cecilia just because I say so?"
"Yes," Alaric agreed.
"But rest assured, I will keep Cecilia's matter in mind," Tomas promised. "Alaric, as long as you are loyal to me, I won't treat you unfairly."
"Mr. Monroe, as long as you can rescue Cecilia, I will pledge my loyalty to you."
"Remember what you said," Tomas said sternly, waving his hand, "It's late. You should go back."
"Yes," Alaric didn't delay any longer.
After all, he had conveyed so much information today, and Tomas would certainly need to discuss it thoroughly.
As for whether they would decide to assassinate him after their discussion, that was Tomas's choice.
After Alaric left.
Tomas's face darkened, "Alfonso, what do you think?"
Alfonso, who had been silent the whole time, observing and thinking about what Alaric had said, spoke directly, "I think we should verify the truth of Alaric's words!"