Chapter 427 Thalia, Stop Right There
Before I could say anything, I saw William toss his phone aside. "Emerald City isn't Regal City, and I'm not someone you can push around. You'd better stay away from me, or next time it won't be as simple as just taking down a news story."
After William finished speaking, he rolled up the car window. Sean stood by the window, watching the departing vehicle.
His hand, hanging at his side, slowly rose.
The expression on William's face when he said those words gave off the impression that he was looking down on them, too lazy to even bother with them.
That arrogant attitude was like a king looking at commoners beneath him, struggling to survive.
Dismissive and contemptuous, not taking them seriously at all.
"Thalia has been in contact with Michael?"
"Michael has been in Emerald City for a while, and he's been hanging around Aurora Tower all the time. I'm guessing they must have had some contact."
"Back to the Jimenez Mansion."
Sean was just putting on a show anyway. Obviously, he didn't want William to return to the Jimenez family. Steven was set on pulling William back to Regal City to back them up. Once William returned, his position in the Jimenez family would shift. As long as William got ahead of him, someone like Eileen, who only cares about power, would abandon him for William in a heartbeat for immediate benefits.
Then everything he'd worked so hard to build over the years would vanish like smoke, turn into bubbles.
He'd finally managed to push down Michael, how could he let another William come along and destroy all his years of effort?
.........
"Why aren't you going in?" William asked.
Thalia replied, "I was waiting for you."
Amara and Harper had finished their twenty-day world tour last night and got home at eight. William suggested last night that they should come back to visit tonight. Thalia had no objections. After her date with Evelyn ended, she went to find William, thinking they could come back together, but then they ran into Sean.
"What's wrong?"
"Dragging me into this?" Thalia got straight to the point, William understood. He took off his suit jacket, shook it out, and handed it to Finn, signaling him to take it inside.
"He threatened me, said he wanted to talk to me, and if I wasn't willing, he'd go find Amara or you."
"He really said that?"
"Of course, I'd never lie to you," William nodded seriously.
Inside the house, Harper and Amara were sorting through the gifts they'd brought back. Seeing Finn come in without Thalia and William, they looked puzzled. "Are you the only one who came back?"
"Mr. and Mrs. Brown are back too, they're talking about something in the yard."
"Have you been drinking?" Harper could smell the alcohol on William's suit from far away.
"Yes."
"How much did you drink? Your clothes smell like they've been soaked in alcohol. Bring him a bowl of hangover soup to clear his head."
Finn took the bowl from Harper's hand and walked to the yard to give it to William.
Thalia looked at the man as he took the bowl, staring at him without saying a word.
Her eager expression carried a hint of warning. William got it and handed her the bowl, Thalia took a sip.
"Should I get you another bowl?"
"No need, you can go." William waved his hand.
Finn was about to leave when someone called him back. "Cigarette."
Not drinking the hangover soup, so now it's time for a smoke, huh? In the end, he still indulged Thalia.
Thalia's needs come first; he himself doesn't matter.
"What exactly does the Jimenez family want?" Thalia changed positions, not wanting to stand downwind of William's smoke.
"Everyone in the Jimenezes has their own agenda. Steven wants me to get involved in the Jimenez family's affairs, but Sean doesn't want that. If I go back, it means he'll have another enemy in the Jimenez family. He just dealt with Michael, and now he'd have to figure out how to deal with me. That's not what he wants to see."
"So that's why he's going after us behind the scenes?"
"Yeah."
Thalia hissed. Looks like there's no escaping this!
She shouldn't have run away today. She should have gone up and hit him. She wasn't going to Regal City to get revenge on him, but now he's come looking for trouble.
William tapped off some ash downwind and saw Thalia looking down silently. "What are you thinking?"
"I didn't do a good job cursing him out tonight. I'm a bit annoyed."
William couldn't help but laugh. "No rush, there'll be plenty of time and opportunities later."
"If you still can't let it go after tonight, I'll find a chance for you to curse him out, okay?"
The man had his hands behind his back, hiding the cigarette, bending down to look at Thalia, looking like he was watching a sulking little girl.
Thalia was touched by his indulgent words and gaze, pretending to look down casually.
"Alright then!" She shrugged, acting like she didn't care.
"So, shall we go in?"
"Go in after you finish the hangover soup." Thalia obediently held the bowl to his lips. Without thinking, William drank it all in one gulp, as if no matter what Thalia gave him, he would drink it, even if it was poison.
"Was it good?" Thalia blinked at him, her eyes fluttering like a cunning fox.
"Isn't it just hangover soup?"
William looked at her, confused. Thalia smiled, speaking mischievously. "Look at the bottom of the bowl."
The moment William looked down, he saw a fly lying at the bottom of the cup, black and sprawled out, looking like it had just drowned but wasn't quite dead yet.
"Thalia! Stop right there."
"Thalia!"
"What's going on? Are you two about to fight?" Harper heard the commotion in the yard. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Thalia in a soft white sweater slip through the doorway, like a snow-white cat, very cunning.
"What happened?"
"William wants to hit me," Thalia complained sweetly.
Harper knew William well. Hitting women was something he'd never done in his entire life. Never mind other people—Thalia was someone he'd pursued, knowing it was difficult, someone he'd carefully planned to win over. He'd spoil her before he'd ever hit her.
But since Thalia said it, Harper definitely had to take her side, whether it was true or not.
Even if it was true, protecting Thalia was what William wanted to see anyway.
Her face fell as she looked at William. "What's going on?"
William stared at Thalia, watching her blink cunningly, so angry he was stuck. He hid the bowl in his hand behind his back, and as he turned around, a black fly fell out of the cup.
Finn behind him watched, dumbfounded. No wonder it's Thalia—she tricks people without batting an eye!
"It's nothing."
"If it's nothing, then talk nicely. You're a grown man, what's the point of being fierce with a young girl?"
"Exactly," Thalia chimed in.
"Come inside quickly, the temperature's dropped, it's cold out."
Thalia smugly walked over to sit next to Amara. Amara glanced at her. "If you make him so angry he dies, who are you going to bully in the future?"