Chapter 34: Benoit Wants to be a Good Citizen

Shipley sat in silence for a moment. He was not ready to give up just yet, and called Benoit again.

This time, Benoit, who had just left the police station, answered.
As soon as the phone was connected, Shipley's roaring voice came through.

"Benoit, what is the meaning of this?! You're untrustworthy! Whether you believe it or not, I told Queenie that your leg is fine. You deceived him."
"Careful what you say."
Two casual words and Shipley instantly shut up.

After a long silence, Shipley spoke up with a grievance, "Benoit, I was merely protecting your image."
"I know."
"You know? You know and yet you let the dogs attack me?!" Shipley's voice raised a few notches.

Benoit replied coldly, "There are many ways to protect someone, but you chose the worst one."

Listening to this, Shipley felt so wronged that he wanted to cry. "You knew it was urgent at the time!"
"I don't care."
Shipley's mouth twitched, and he retorted, "Then...what if I hadn’t done anything at that moment? What if I had let your true identity be exposed?"

"Then you're done for. If I'm not happy, you won't be either."

Shipley was stunned into silence.

"Please endure a little longer up in the tree. Tomorrow morning, I'll have Manley come pick up the General."
Shipley instantly lost his affection. "Not a problem, just my luck."
Benoit hung up the phone, a hint of a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

He felt relieved now.
In the next instant, Manley's call came in.

"Mr. Clancy, Mr. Carter wants to talk to you."
"Okay."
In a split second, Benoit's face turned grim as he started to grind his teeth.

When Mr. Carter saw Benoit, in his hospital room, he instinctively moved back towards the bed screen, pointing at him and saying, "You…You stay there, don't come near me."

Benoit sat in a wheelchair, his well-defined knuckles gently adjusting the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose, and smiled coldly, "Didn't you say you wanted to see me?"

"You don't have to get that close to see." Mr. Carter swallowed, trembling, "You...you...don't think I'm afraid of you! Jeremy told me about being kicked by Mr. Duke! He said you're nothing special, just a bodyguard who knows how to fight and has a reputation to intimidate people."

"No need for useless chatter. Tell me, what do you want to do?"

"I want to make a deal with you! Mr. Carter cowered in fear and shrunk his neck. "I didn't mean for anything to happen. I just wanted to protect myself."

"Protect yourself? By throwing dirt on my wife? I thought you wanted to die more comfortably," Benoit's voice was chillingly cold, making Mr. Carter feel as if a sharpened knife was gently rubbing against his neck, causing him to shiver uncontrollably.

"I... I know you're investigating my accounts! Anyway, the situation is as it is now. I can go out and issue a statement, saying that all of this is a misunderstanding. I will let them know Queenie is innocent but on one condition... you have to let me go. Don't report me to the police!"

"Oh? Is that what you call a deal?" Benoit's voice held a hint of disdain.

"Yes!" Mr. Carter responded, his bulky body shifted, instinctively picking up a bedside lamp for self-defense. "Let me tell you, no matter how you try to clear her name, it's useless! Don't underestimate these rumors. In ancient times, many women couldn't bear these kind of accusations and they would jump into the river."

Upon hearing this, Benoit's face turned extremely cold, and his voice barely squeezed out from between his teeth. "That's other people! My wife is not that kind of person! You are taking advantage of women's psychology to set this trap for her, aren't you?"

Mr. Carter didn't directly admit it. "Whether you believe it or not, the person involved needs to come out and explain. As long as I am willing to come forward, and if the maid admits that she intentionally said those things, just to gain attention, then this matter will be over. Currently, the maid is with me, and you won't be able to find her! Only by making a deal with me can you find her."

"Well, feel free to try. Under the heavens, there is no one that I, Benoit, can't find," Benoit said, raising his hand to signal Manley to push him away. His patience had run out, and he didn't want to continue the conversation with an idiot.

Seeing Benoit about to leave, Mr. Carter panicked. "Hey, don't go! We can still negotiate! How about this, I'll help Queenie clear her name and give you five million dollars. "

Benoit didn't respond, his expression indifferent, as if the five million dollars in Mr. Carter's mouth was as insignificant as ten dollars.

"Ten million dollars! I can't offer any more than that! As long as you don't make me go to prison, I'll give you all the money I have!"

In a panic, Mr. Carter jumped off the bed and stood in front of Benoit. Benoit stared at him as if he were looking at a dead man. "I don't lack money. I am reasonable and open to negotiations as long as you don't touch my bottom line. But, my wife is my bottom line. Even if you give me a billion dollars, I won’t negotiate."

Hearing this, Mr. Carter was so frightened that he knelt with a thud. Even if Jeremy said that Benoit didn't have much money to act this arrogant, his natural aura, as a big boss, still made Mr. Carter tremble. Swallowing his saliva, he quickly begged for mercy, "Mr. Clancy, it was my mistake to offend your wife. I am willing to do anything to make amends. Other women had entangled me. It was because of my foolishness that I believed that woman's words."

"Woman?"

Mr. Carter quickly recounted the details of the phone call to Benoit.
After hearing the whole story and considering the timing of the phone call, Benoit finally understood everything.

It was exactly the kind of scheme his sister-in-law would come up with!

Benoit ignored Mr. Carter, who was kneeling on the ground, and let Manley push him away directly.
Halfway there, with a deep gaze, Benoit spoke up, "Manley, it seems that Queenie has ten million dollars deposited with a private loan company."

"Yes."

"Shut down that private lending company," Benoit's lips curved with a harmless smile.
"Alright," Manley responded and started handling it.
In less than half an hour, Manley reported that the loan company had been shut down.
Satisfied, Benoit nodded and made a phone call to Lilith.

When Lilith received the call, she froze for a moment, "Well, Benoit, what wind blows you to call me? Queenie perhaps? Are you begging for mercy, hoping I will spare Queenie?"
Lilith paused and coldly sneered, "Only you consider Queenie precious. The Lorente family doesn't want her, and neither do I. Now, you're using the daughter-in-law that I don't want..."

Before she could finish her words, Benoit interrupted her.
"Lilith, do you know Belle Limited Company?"

The smile on Lilith's face instantly froze.
This company was opened by her distant relative and had extremely high-interest rates.
She wouldn't dare to invest in a regular company, but because it was her relative's company, she secretly invested the money there.

Now, why would Benoit suddenly mention this company?

"What are you trying to do, Benoit?"

"I want to be a good citizen."

"A good citizen?" Lilith was completely confused.

Benoit smiled and said, "I heard that Belle Limited Company was engaging in extortionate lending. As a good citizen, I reported it. Now, the company's executives have been arrested, and their assets have been frozen. I estimate that the ten million dollars you invested have gone down the drain, sister-in-law."

"Benoit, you-!" Lilith was so angry she couldn't speak!

Thinking about the ten million dollars, her heart was bleeding!

"This ten million is my way of teaching you a lesson about Queenie. Don't ever bully my people. If there's a next time, it won't be as simple as ten million dollars."
After speaking, Benoit immediately hung up the phone.

…

Queenie suddenly woke up and saw Benoit in her room. He had a faint smile on his lips, and this confused Queenie.

"What's wrong? Is there good news?"

Benoit smiled warmly and nodded, "Yes, there's already a plan in place for your well-being."
"The whereabouts of the servant have been discovered, and the police should find them soon," Benoit said.

"Really?" Queenie rarely showed a joyful smile.

It won't make much difference if they find Harper! Cyberbullies may claim that the police forced a confession, but if the police find her and release the results, after handling the case, the outcome will naturally be different!