Chapter 313 Faked Death

Chapter 313 Faked Death

Hannah's brows furrowed slightly. She glanced at Verity beside her, but her voice remained cheerful as she replied, "Don't worry, I've got it under control. There's porridge I made for you in the kitchen. Make sure you eat it."

After hanging up, Hannah let out a cold snort, her gaze settling on Verity. "Charles is getting more and more concerned about you, but you need to understand something—you're older than him, and you have this kind of history with Michael. There's no future for the two of you."

Verity lowered her eyes and nodded gently. "I know. When Charles saved me, he made it clear—his goal is to take back the Johnson Group. We have a working relationship. I won't harbor any inappropriate fantasies."

"You're a smart girl." Hannah finally smiled with satisfaction, though her eyes still held a trace of wariness. "Remember, revenge is what you should focus on. Don't let romantic entanglements trip you up, or you'll not only ruin yourself, but you'll also fail your mother and waste all the effort Charles put into saving you."

Sunlight filtered through the car window, illuminating Verity's pale, translucent face. She spoke slowly, her voice calm but resolute. "Don't worry. I won't forget. My mother's death, my sister's suffering—I'll settle every score."

Hannah looked at her and finally relaxed.

Meanwhile, in a stretch limousine not far away, Brian was holding a thick stack of documents as he spoke to William. "Your suspicions were correct. Verity isn't dead. She was confined in a psychiatric hospital by Michael for years, and everyone believed she had mental issues. Charles discovered her existence while trying to bring down Michael, so he staged her suicide and smuggled her out."

William raised an eyebrow, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. "Michael never saw Verity's body?"

Brian nodded. "Michael wasn't abroad at the time—only Alice and her mother were there. By the time Michael arrived, they'd already cremated the 'body.'"

William's lips curved into a knowing smile, his tone laced with amusement. "Charles is smarter than I gave him credit for. He's just as good at manipulating people as his mother."

Brian looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

William mused thoughtfully, "Even if Alice didn't see the body, or knew it wasn't her sister's, she would've lied to Michael anyway to make him believe Verity was dead. First, it would frame Evelyn. Second, she knows exactly how important Verity is to Michael. Only by making him think Verity's dead could she take her place. Charles must have exploited this—that's why he chose to extract Verity when Alice and her mother were abroad and Michael wasn't around."

Just then, Brian's phone rang.

After answering, his expression turned grave. He looked at William. "Mr. Brown, the hospital says… Mrs. Hayes doesn't have much time left."

When I got back from the hospital, my chest felt like it had a stone lodged in it. The pressure was unbearable.

I felt like a trapped animal with a snake coiled around its throat, slowly suffocating.

Just then, Charles showed up at my place.

The moment he saw me, he cut straight to the point. "Are you really getting back together with Michael? Is it worth throwing yourself back into the fire for William's sake?"

I spoke dully, "If I don't agree, Michael will drag William and Phoenix down with him. Phoenix has lived her whole life with a spotless reputation—how could she endure that kind of vicious abuse? You know how cruel people were when I got cyberbullied. I can take it. William can take it. But Phoenix is elderly. She doesn't deserve to suffer like that because of me."

Charles frowned deeply, as if wrestling with something. After a moment, he finally spoke. "Have you told William about this?"

I shook my head, a bitter smile tugging at my lips. "If I told him, he'd never stand by and do nothing. But letting him destroy himself fighting Michael for my sake—it's not worth it."

My voice grew quieter, more dejected. "Besides, I think he's angry with me. Ever since Michael posted about the wedding on Instagram, he hasn't contacted me once."

Charles said, "William's mother is dying. He's been dealing with that. He hasn't had time to reach out. He knows exactly what kind of person Michael is—how could he possibly be angry with you? If anything, he's heartbroken for you."

My heart sank like a stone. Suddenly, I remembered what Michael had said—that Imogen had given up on treatment because of me and William.

Overwhelming guilt and heartache surged through me. My chest tightened so much I could barely breathe.

Charles watched me fall apart and sighed softly. "Don't blame yourself too much. William didn't tell you because he didn't want to distract you. He's always thinking of you. He's never blamed you for anything."

I nodded, my eyes welling up with tears.

Charles tried to comfort me for a long time, but in the end, he couldn't find a way to get me out of this mess.

The elevator descended slowly, its mirrored walls reflecting Charles's somber expression.

His handsome face was shadowed with a deep, heavy look—gone was his usual playful demeanor.

His fingers absentmindedly traced the edge of his phone as a clear thought circled in his mind: If Verity reappeared in front of Michael, that obsessive, crazed man would immediately shift all his attention to her. He'd stop tormenting Evelyn.

That was why Charles had gone to such great lengths to rescue Verity from the psychiatric hospital in the first place—to turn her into his trump card against Michael.

But now, the thought of it made him inexplicably irritable.

He suddenly didn't want to do it. He didn't even want Michael to see Verity again—not even for a fleeting glance.

But then… what about Evelyn?

Charles couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Back in his car, he pulled out his phone and dialed William's number without hesitation.

He didn't believe William would just sit there and let Michael hold Evelyn hostage like this.

The phone rang for a long time before someone finally picked up, but it wasn't William. It was his assistant, Brian, and his voice was heavy. "Mr. Charles, are you looking for Mr. Brown?"

"Yeah, I am. Where's William?" Charles's tone was urgent, his words coming out faster.

Brian let out a heavy sigh. "Mr. Brown's mother… she's not going to make it. He's in her room right now saying goodbye. Unless it's urgent, please don't disturb him. He's in a really bad place right now."

Charles's heart sank. His grip on the phone tightened.

On one side, Michael was escalating his tactics, posting daily updates on social media about his and Evelyn's "wedding progress," cornering her with nowhere to turn. On the other, William was drowning in grief over his mother's death, unable to focus on anything else.

Charles thought for a long time. Finally, he made a call to one of his people. "Leak the news that Michael was ousted from the Johnson Group. Get trolls to spread it everywhere. Make it blow up—big enough to overshadow the wedding news."

After hanging up, he muttered to himself, "Evelyn, this is all I can do for you."

He really didn't want to sacrifice Verity.