Chapter 159: Leo's Scheme

"Get out! Leave me alone!"

Antoine's hysterical roar echoed through the room.

His aide, as if pardoned from execution, practically crawled out of the study on all fours.

"BANG!"

The heavy oak door slammed shut.

Antoine collapsed into his chair, all the strength seeming to drain from his body.

After a long moment, he reached for his private phone with trembling hands and dialed a top-secret number.

The phone rang for what felt like an eternity before someone picked up.

"Louis... It's me..." Antoine's voice cracked with tears.

"I know."

Louis Valois's voice came through from the other end, tinged with cold indifference. "Looks like we both underestimated that American's methods."

"Louis! You have to help me!"

Antoine completely broke down. He clutched the phone, his voice shrill. "These twenty-five years—how much have I done for the Valois family? How many people trying to overturn the case did I silence for you?"

"If I hadn't locked down the manor back then, could you have seized power so smoothly?"

"Now that I'm in trouble, you can't just abandon me!"

A brief silence fell on the other end.

After a moment, Louis spoke coldly. "Antoine, calm down."

"This whole thing—nine out of ten chances it's Leo's doing. That lunatic isn't just powerful, he's ruthless and cunning. He's using you to strike at the Valois family."

"I know! Of course I know!"

Antoine screamed hysterically. "That's exactly why you should help me! We're in the same boat! If I go down, it won't be good for you either!"

"Help you?"

Louis let out a derisive laugh. "How exactly am I supposed to help you? Right now, all of France's media is watching this. If I publicly speak up for you, I'll only drag the Valois family down with you."

"You..." Antoine's entire body went ice cold.

"Listen to me, Antoine."

Louis's voice became extremely calm. "At this point, you only have one option."

"Immediately issue a statement. Say all of this is baseless, malicious slander. That all this so-called evidence was fabricated by someone with ulterior motives."

"Be aggressive. Use strong language. As long as you deny everything, no one can touch you."

"Really... will that really work?" A glimmer of hope flashed in Antoine's eyes.

"Of course it will."

Louis's voice carried a hint of reassurance. "Don't worry. I'll use my connections behind the scenes to help suppress this. Before long, it'll all blow over."

"Thank you..."

Antoine grabbed onto this like a drowning man clutching a lifeline.

However, he didn't see that on the other end of the phone, Louis's lips curled into a cold, mocking smile.

"Idiot. You think I'd actually save you? You're already a liability. Better to let you fend for yourself than waste resources on you."

Louis sneered inwardly, though his voice remained concerned. "By the way, Antoine. You need to be careful lately. That Leo is ruthless—he might make a move against you."

"I... I understand..."

After hanging up, Antoine took a deep breath and shouted toward the door. "Schedule a press conference immediately! I need to clear all this up!"

...

Two hours later.

French Ministry of Defense Press Room.

Wearing a crisp military uniform with a chest full of medals, Antoine faced dozens of media cameras with a grave expression as he issued his statement.

"I, Antoine Bernard, swear on my honor as a French soldier that all the accusations circulating today are malicious lies and slander!"

"I have never participated in any illegal activities, much less assisted gangsters in murder! All this so-called evidence was fabricated by people with ulterior motives!"

"I reserve the right to pursue legal action and will cooperate fully with the prosecutor's office to prove my innocence!"

The reporters below frantically clicked their shutters, camera flashes erupting like fireworks.

Antoine forced himself to remain composed, trying his best to appear righteous and confident.

However, less than half an hour after his statement was released...

A video that would shock all of France suddenly appeared online.

In the video, a middle-aged man in civilian clothes was hiding in a hotel room somewhere in Southeast Asia, sobbing uncontrollably into the camera.

"I... I'm Antoine's former aide, Jacques Dupont..."

His voice trembled, his eyes filled with terror and regret. "I'm sorry... I just can't keep lying to myself anymore..."

"Twenty-five years ago, the night of the Valois Manor massacre, I was there! I saw Antoine with my own eyes directing troops to seal off the perimeter of the estate!"

"I heard him with my own ears confirming operation details with Louis Valois over the radio!"

"The screams of those innocent victims being slaughtered... I can still hear them..."

Jacques broke down crying and pulled out a stack of yellowed documents from his jacket. "These... these are the secret orders from back then! All signed by Antoine himself!"

"I've already fled overseas. I know that speaking out will get me killed... but I can't stay silent anymore!"

"I'm guilty! But Antoine's guilt is far greater! He doesn't deserve to wear that uniform!"

The video cut off abruptly.

France's entire internet exploded!

"My God! Is this real?!"

"Antoine just issued his statement, and his former aide immediately contradicts him?!"

"Those signatures on the documents... they look authentic..."

"What the hell is happening to this country?! A lieutenant general is actually a murderer?!"

Antoine's statement instantly became a joke.

Every media outlet frantically reported this explosive news.

Antoine's residence.

Watching that video on television, Antoine collapsed completely in his chair, eyes vacant, muttering over and over, "It's over... all over..."

...

Meanwhile.

Central Paris, presidential suite of a luxury hotel.

Leo leaned back on the sofa, watching the video on TV, a satisfied cold smile playing at his lips.

"Reaper, that move was brilliant."

Ivy lounged lazily against Leo's side, her azure eyes filled with admiration. "First release evidence to make him deny it, then release a witness to counter. Now Antoine's completely ruined."

"This is what they call destroying someone's body and soul."

Serafina took a sip of red wine, smiling seductively. "Killing him outright would be too easy. Better to let him experience the despair of falling from the clouds into the mud."

Leo stood and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Ivy."

He spoke coolly. "Prepare the sniper rifle."

"What?"

Ivy froze for a moment, then excitement flashed in her eyes. "We're making our move?"

"Wait."

Charlotte set down her tablet, confusion crossing her cold, elegant face. "If we're going to kill him, why not just storm in? Why use a sniper rifle?"

"Exactly."

Serafina also looked puzzled. "With our capabilities, killing Antoine would be a piece of cake, right?"

"You've got it wrong."

Leo turned around, his deep eyes gleaming with an extremely sinister coldness. "What I want isn't Antoine's death."

"It's... to stage a show where Louis tries to silence him."

At those words, the women immediately understood.

"I get it!"

Ivy clapped her hands excitedly. "You want Ivy to wound Antoine, creating the illusion that Louis is trying to silence him!"

"Exactly."

Leo nodded. "Antoine's already finished. His value isn't in his life, but in how much more trouble he can cause Louis."

"A wounded Antoine is far more valuable than a dead one."

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

Serafina's beautiful eyes filled with worship. "Reaper, this move is pushing Louis to the brink of death!"

"I can't wait to see Louis's expression now." Victoria laughed seductively.

Leo pulled on his black trench coat, his voice ice cold. "Let's move."

"Time to add more fuel to Paris's fire."