Chapter 521 Charles was Truly Stumped
Aaron stopped in his tracks when he saw Charles's message and turned to Sam. "How should I respond to this?"
Sam rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Why were you so secretive about it back then? Besides me, it seems like no one else knew. Maybe Maria did, since she helped you out of that mess."
He figured even Maud was in the dark.
Aaron shrugged. "It was part of the deal. The whole thing was a big deal, and a lot of important people were involved. To keep our identities safe from the enemy, we all stayed undercover."
Regular people were also part of it, so if the terrorists discovered their true identities, they would be in grave danger.
Aaron had brought these people together to fight the terrorists and needed to keep them safe.
Sam nodded. "But it looks like the terrorists figured out who you were. I was worried they'd come after you, but nothing happened. Were they scared of who you really were or just didn't want the hassle?"
"Who knows? Doesn't matter now. How should I reply?"
"Just tell the kid what you told me."
Aaron did as Sam suggested. As he sent the voice message, he felt a bit emotional. He never thought this old incident would help him connect with his kid.
Aaron added to the chat, "This happened years ago. I rarely talk about it to protect those who helped behind the scenes. I didn't want this to mess up their lives. Many of the captured terrorists had powerful families who would definitely hold a grudge."
Charles got why Arthur never mentioned it or said he was involved in the hacker battle. It was probably for the same reason Aaron had: to protect the unsung heroes.
Charles felt conflicted.
He'd always thought Aaron was irresponsible and disliked him.
But now he realized Aaron was the mastermind behind that incident.
A guy who could pull that off couldn't be all bad.
With a tense face, Charles tentatively asked: [So you don't know ShadowFox's identity either?]
Aaron replied, "No, we never asked each other that. It was an unspoken rule."
Charles was in a whirlwind of emotions. The Aaron he hated didn't seem to be the person he thought he was.
Charles continued to ask: [So, are you a good guy or a bad guy?]
Aaron was taken aback by the question and turned to Sam. "What does he mean by that?"
Sam thought for a moment and laughed. "I guess your story worked. The kid was moved. I told you this would clear your name."
Aaron was a bit exasperated but didn't expect this outcome.
He sent another voice message, "I don't think I'm a good person, but everyone should have their own principles."
Charles listened to the message and was at a loss for words.
Aaron looked at the chat box, puzzled. "No reply?"
"Aaron, tell him you want to stay in Philly to do what you want. Keep building that goodwill!"
Aaron nodded and did as he was told.
Charles quickly responded: [What do you want to do?]
Charles thought, 'He definitely wants to win back Susanna!'
After a moment of thought, Aaron replied, "To make up for my past mistakes and get my wife and kids back."
Charles scoffed, "In your dreams."
He typed back: [What if they don't forgive you?]
Aaron replied, "Then I'll wait."
Charles immediately turned off his phone. It was clear Aaron staying in Philly was all about them.
Aaron sent another message, "I've bribed you with this secret. You can't go back on your word, right?"
Charles smirked: [You guessed right. I never said I'd keep my promise.]
Then he deleted Aaron from WhatsApp.
Aaron quickly noticed and looked at Sam seriously. "Didn't you say you had a plan?"
Sam shrugged. "I asked for your phone, but you wouldn't give it to me. What else could I do?"
Aaron kicked him lightly. "Think of something."
"There's nothing we can do now. Wait a bit. You can re-add him later with a good reason. If you try now, you'll get blocked, and it'll be over."
Aaron sighed, rubbing his temples. He had to take it one step at a time.
Just then, an assistant hurried over. "Mr. Abbott, there's something you need to know."
"What is it?"
"Calum has been released."
Aaron looked up in surprise. "Who did it?"
Given Calum's current power in Philly, he couldn't have done it alone. Someone must have helped.
Could it be someone that Maud assigned? It shouldn't be; he had already warned them.
The assistant said, "It was someone from Emerald Island. They seemed to have had a meal with Maud and then paid off Calum's debt, so the Thornberry Family dropped the lawsuit."
Sam chimed in, "The Thornberry Family went bankrupt because of the Jones Family. If they get paid, they'll drop the lawsuit. They need money the most right now."
Aaron frowned. "My mother had a meal with someone from Emerald Island? When did she get so close to them?"
"We're not sure yet. We're still investigating."
Sam said, "They're probably after you. Owen wants to recruit you, and Emerald Island might be the same. Why not use this chance to infiltrate the enemy?"
Aaron immediately called Maud, but the call didn't go through. She was clearly hanging up on him.
It was probably because of Vivian that Maud was still angry.
Aaron told his assistant, "Keep an eye on my mother's movements. Inform me of any abnormalities."
Aaron felt Maud was definitely being used by someone from Emerald Island.
Owen and Emerald Island were clearly targeting the Jones Family.
Aaron sent a WhatsApp message to Susanna: [Be careful of the people from Emerald Island.]
Susanna received the message but didn't reply. She knew Emerald Island was working with Owen, and they had started opposing the Jones Family.
The next morning, Susanna was woken up by Aviana bursting into her room. "Susanna, did you get back together with Aaron?"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
