Chapter 23 Looking Like Just Having Been Teased
"Thalia, your face is as red as a tomato," Isla teased, carrying a bowl of fruit. She noticed Thalia sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window, her head resting on her hand, cheeks flushed.
Thalia looked like she had just been teased.
Radiantly beautiful.
"Do you even know how to talk?" Thalia shot back, giving Isla a playful glare.
Isla coughed awkwardly and handed her the fruit. "Thalia, what did Mr. Brown say to you just now? Your ears turned red instantly."
Thalia: ........
What did he say?
William had said, "Would you really cut off my reproductive organs?"
Thalia rubbed her forehead in frustration and shot Isla a look. "I told you to keep an eye on Indigo. How's that going?"
"She did meet with a few people yesterday, but none of them are your siblings."
Thalia couldn't stand hearing about her siblings right now. It was because of them that her already tumultuous life had been thrown into chaos, and she had nearly lost her life several times...
She cursed Hayden a thousand times in her heart.
"Who were they?"
Isla replied, "They seemed to be some acquaintances she made outside."
There were many things Thalia couldn't handle personally but also couldn't ignore.
Directly confronting them could backfire and expose her, leaving her with nothing.
The only reliable strategy was to watch and wait.
Thalia's slender fingers tapped the armrest. "Keep watching, don't let up."
........
William left Sunset Grove Villas, taking Chase's men with him. By the time the news reached Chase, it was already past midnight.
Chase was in the middle of an intimate moment with a woman when he got the call.
"Who took them?"
"William."
Chase: ........ "What's the point of you guys if you can't even keep from getting caught?"
The person on the other end complained, "We didn't know. Everything was fine in the afternoon, then suddenly a car full of men in black showed up and grabbed us."
"What did William say when he took them?"
"He just said not to worry, he wouldn't do anything illegal..."
Who was William?
A top lawyer for years, if he took someone, even the police couldn't do much.
And he never did anything illegal.
Just clean and tidy.
Chase wrapped a robe around himself and got out of bed. "Come pick me up."
No wonder William hesitated when he said they'd meet tomorrow night. He knew Chase would come looking for him tonight.
.......Late night......
Aurora Tower was brightly lit. On the top floor, the thirty-first, William lounged on a sofa, casually peeling an apple with a fruit knife, making it look like an art piece.
"Whose men are those?" Daniel asked as he came up and saw several people tied to chairs.
"Chase's."
"Why did you tie up his men?" Daniel was puzzled.
He'd heard about a collaboration a few days ago, and now this? It didn't make sense.
"Take a guess," William said nonchalantly, his tone teasing.
"Is it because of Thalia?"
William continued peeling the apple in silence. Brian, standing behind him, exchanged a knowing glance with him.
Daniel said, "You shouldn't get involved in Thalia's affairs. I've been hearing that the Smith family has been unstable lately, and the board is struggling to maintain control."
William paused his peeling.
Seeing his reaction, Daniel leaned closer. "Think it through! Thalia may be wealthy, but some money is too dangerous to hold onto."
"Boss, Chase is here."
William sliced through the apple peel, letting it fall to the ground. "Take them to the rooftop."
On the rooftop of Aurora Tower, surrounded by barriers, several figures were suspended in mid-air. When Chase arrived, he saw William sitting beneath the platform, casually peeling an apple.
"Mr. Brown, business is business. Let's keep it civil!"
William smirked. "I have no civility to discuss with Mr. Smith."
"If Mr. Brown wants to secure the logistics park project, he needs my vote!"
William's public identity was a lawyer, but everyone knew what he really was.
"Mr. Smith thinks his vote is that important?"
"Mr. Brown, it's wise to leave some room for future encounters."
"Did Mr. Smith think about that when he had me followed?" William sliced the apple and took a bite.
Where was the image of a legal elite? He looked more like a thug.
"Following Mr. Brown was a last resort. If you weren't involved with Thalia, we wouldn't have to do this, would we?"
Chase was nervous. Offending William brought no benefits, but he had no other options now.
William glanced at Chase, making him shiver. William was using his presence to intimidate him...
"Do I need Mr. Smith's permission to see anyone?"
Snap! The apple slice fell to the ground, followed by screams from above.
One of the three figures suspended in the air was dropped straight into a large tank on the rooftop. After a few seconds, the rope quickly pulled him back up.
The gray substance was cement?
Chase's heart tightened, his face paling as he involuntarily took a step back.
He'd heard about William's ruthless methods. Few who crossed him escaped unscathed.
"What does Mr. Brown want?"
"I haven't decided yet, but someone acting out in front of me should pay a price..."
Going too far would scare Chase, benefiting Thalia.
Doing nothing would make him look weak.
William tossed the half-peeled apple into the trash and twirled the knife as he stood. "Drop them in for a soul-cleansing, so they can start fresh."
"You've got too much time on your hands," Daniel said as William entered the elevator.
"If you're doing this for Thalia, you're not really helping her. If it's for yourself, why waste energy on someone like Chase?"
"Money can't buy my happiness."
"I'm telling you, this involves personal threats, which is illegal."
William glanced at him. "Who said those were people?"
The assistants lowered the figures, revealing they were just sandbags.
Daniel was stunned.
He gave William a thumbs-up.
No wonder you're known for following the law.
........
Thalia's foot had finally healed after ten days.
Isla posted on social media, expressing relief about the challenging ten days.
Thalia felt better in the morning, and Layla came to work in the afternoon.
"It's the same show as last time. If you don't go, Nora will overshadow you."
"The director said tonight is the fourth episode. You're just in time, and the trending topic is ready for you. Your fans are supportive. No matter what, you have to go live tonight."