Chapter 276 Shifting Blame
When Damian snagged his fifth fish, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
Ashley, being the closest, peeked at the screen and saw it was Thomas. This late at night, could there be an emergency? Thomas knew Damian was chilling at Limehof and wouldn’t bug him unless it was serious.
Damian set his rod down and stepped aside.
"Mr. Hearst, we got the guy. What's next?" Thomas asked.
Ever since Damian found out who Alexander really was, he’d been digging into his past and current shady deals. No surprise, within days, he found all of Alexander's overseas businesses were dancing on the edge of the law. So, he had his crew in Southeast Asia keep tabs on him.
Seeing Alexander on the boat today, Damian didn’t think much at first. It was only a matter of time before karma hit him.
But the way Alexander looked at Ashley set Damian off. No way was he letting this dude roam free another day!
When Hendrix was messing with Alexander, Damian shot Thomas a message to wrap things up quick.
Thomas's call was to update him, and they were faster than Damian expected.
Damian stared out at the endless sea, dark waters hiding countless secrets. "What did you find out?"
Thomas replied, "This guy’s gotten a lot from Alexander. He’s still waiting for Alexander to bail him out. Thinks too highly of him, like there's still a way out."
Damian sneered, "Let's crush his hopes."
Thomas got it. "Alexander’s got pull on both sides. If he starts pulling strings, it might be tricky to take him down all at once."
If Alexander was a trigger, many people involved would just go down with him.
Damian said, "Don’t worry about that. Just get this guy to talk. Whatever he spills, someone will be eager to clean up the mess."
Thomas was surprised. Who’d want to do that? Besides Damian, who wanted to stick up for Ashley, who else would bother?
Damian said, "Hendrix."
Thomas was speechless but quickly caught on. "Hendrix is the one Alexander cares about most now. Let them wear each other out."
Damian said, "Alexander’s first suspect will be Hendrix. And he’s right. Even if I don’t make a move, Hendrix will find a way to mess with him. I’m just giving him a nudge."
It seemed Hendrix should be thanking him.
Thomas agreed.
When it came to setting someone up, who could beat Damian?
Even if Alexander fell and people wanted revenge, they’d go after Hendrix, while Damian walked away clean.
Thinking of this, Thomas felt pretty pleased.
But Alexander’s mood was like water hitting hot oil, sizzling and popping.
A third of his business was in Southeast Asia, and the guy they nabbed was key to his operations. If they were aiming to bring him down, the fallout would be huge.
Alexander was on edge, yet his fishing rod still. He anxiously waited for a call, dreading bad news.
Freya noticed his pale face. "Mr. Smith, is it hot on the boat? How are you sweating with this strong wind?"
Alexander pulled out a tissue to wipe his face and forced a smile. "Just anxious. Everyone’s bucket is loaded, but I’ve got nothing."
Freya handed him a drink. "Fishing's all about the journey, man. If it was just about catching fish, you'd be a fisherman, right? And Mr. Smith, as long as you can control people, that's what really counts."
Alexander chugged his drink, but the booze only stoked his inner fire. "Mrs. Bergstrom's got a point. We're here for fun. Doesn't matter if we catch anything."
Hendrix hadn't caught anything, either, but seeing Alexander all worked up made him feel smug. "Mr. Smith, you're pretty chill about it!"
Sven chimed in, "You young folks are always pushing forward, always ambitious. At our age, we just wanna relax, fish, and chat. No need for all that aggression."
Hendrix nodded. "Totally with you, Mr. Bergstrom. When I hit your age, I'll be growing flowers and playing with dogs. Why stress? Let the young guns handle the tough stuff! Speaking of which, Mr. Bergstrom, isn't it a waste to leave so many prime spots undeveloped? Why not let us risk-takers bring them to life?"
He laid it out clear, and Sven didn't beat around the bush. "I invited you all today to talk about that island. Mr. Hearst wants to open a wellness center. It's a hot trend. With an aging population and rising mental health issues, we make money, and they enjoy life. Win-win."
Hendrix had other plans. He wanted a high-end resort hotel. From Sven's tone, it seemed like he was set on the wellness center. "Mr. Bergstrom, Limehof is a vacation paradise. Summer's for cooling off, winter's for snow, autumn's for crabs, and spring's for cherry blossoms. It's gorgeous year-round, pulling in over 3 million visitors annually. The local hotels can't meet the high-end demand. If I build a six-star island resort, it'll be more profitable and give guests a better experience. Another win-win."
Sven nodded. "Hmm, worth considering."
Alexander had already pitched his idea to Sven. He wanted an entertainment street, a luxurious integrated venue. The legal stuff would be a front, hiding a ton of lucrative income. A tenth of that would go to Sven.
If it was just about profit, Sven would naturally lean towards Alexander.
Sven smiled at Damian, who said, "Mr. Bergstrom has his judgment. I won't say more."
His response pleased Sven. He was worried about offending Damian and said, "Since Mr. Hearst says so, then..."
Alexander's phone suddenly rang.
He jumped. Seeing the number, he quickly stood up to answer. "What!"
Alexander's face went pale.
Sven saw his panicked look and asked, "What's wrong?"
Alexander didn't have time for details. Swallowing hard, he tried to steady his voice. "There's an issue at the company. Mr. Bergstrom, could you get me a speedboat to the dock?"
Damian stayed calm. "What could be more important than Mr. Bergstrom's promise? Mr. Smith, don't miss this chance."
Alexander urgently said, "Mr. Bergstrom, let's try another time. I really have an emergency and can't stay."
Sven nodded. "Alright, I'll have someone take you back."
Soon, Alexander was on a speedboat, racing to the dock.
Hendrix, holding his fishing rod, grinned. "Mr. Bergstrom, they say everything's about fate. Looks like Mr. Smith has no fate with your island. Even if he got it, he wouldn't make it big."
