Chapter 164: The Confusing and Elusive Truth

Pierre fell silent for a long moment.

"Pierre."

Seeing Pierre's continued hesitation, Erwin's brow furrowed. "What exactly happened? You've been investigating the truth all these years. You must know something."

"Mr. Ashford, since you've asked, I'll tell you."

A trace of urgency crept into Erwin's tone. "We're already in the same boat now anyway. What's there to hide?"

Pierre drew a deep breath, his aged hands trembling slightly.

Leo didn't press him. Instead, he walked leisurely to the bar, picked up a bottle of aged whiskey, and poured himself a glass.

The amber liquid swirled gently in the crystal tumbler.

He raised the glass, took a sip, then turned and leaned against the bar, his gaze calm as he watched Pierre.

Giving Pierre all the time he needed to think.

"Mr. Ashford..."

After a long while, Pierre finally made his decision.

He slowly drew an antique-looking silver key from his coat and placed it on the table.

It was a specialized key for a Swiss bank vault.

"All these years, I've been secretly investigating the truth about that night."

Pierre's voice was hoarse. "I used every connection I had, piecing together fragments of intelligence. Though incomplete, it was enough to tell me... what happened back then was far more complicated than it appeared."

"This key opens a vault containing all the materials I've collected over the past twenty-five years."

Leo glanced at the key but didn't pick it up immediately, waiting for Pierre's explanation.

"All I know is..."

Pierre closed his eyes, his voice heavy with helplessness. "Before his death, Erwin's father was indeed collaborating with The Evernight Order on something. And that something... involved the Japanese Imperial Family."

"The Japanese Imperial Family?"

Erwin froze, clearly blindsided by this revelation.

Leo's eyes narrowed slightly, though his expression remained calm.

"So what exactly happened back then?"

Leo set down his glass, his voice low.

"I... I don't know the specific details."

Pierre shook his head with a bitter smile. "Erwin's father kept this matter extremely confidential. Even I, his personal butler, wasn't privy to it."

"But I remember very clearly..."

A glimmer of recollection flashed in Pierre's eyes. "Half a month before that bloody night, a Japanese man came to the estate to visit him."

"The Japanese man wore an exquisitely tailored kimono and brought two personal bodyguards. He had a private discussion with Erwin's father in the study that lasted the entire night."

"The next morning, when the Japanese man left, I saw that Erwin's father looked extremely troubled."

"Then not long after..."

Pierre's voice caught. "Louis launched his coup. The Evernight Order not only didn't stop it—they threw all their resources behind Louis to clear the field."

"My guess is..."

Pierre looked up at Leo. "Most likely, Erwin's father and The Evernight Order failed to reach an agreement on that matter involving the Japanese Imperial Family."

"Or rather... Erwin's father refused some demand from The Evernight Order."

"So The Evernight Order backed Louis instead, using the bloodiest means possible to replace him with a more obedient puppet."

After hearing Pierre's account, Leo fell into brief contemplation.

He picked up his glass and drained the remaining whiskey.

The Japanese Imperial Family, the Evernight Order, the Valois family...

Three seemingly unrelated forces had intersected at some point twenty-five years ago.

And that intersection had ultimately led to a bloody family coup.

In Leo's mind, countless threads of information began weaving together.

The Evernight Order had been dormant in Europe for seven hundred years, controlling vast wealth and power.

And though the Japanese Imperial Family had lost real authority after World War II, they still held an extremely special position and symbolic significance within Japan.

What could bring these two behemoths together?

And what matter could be important enough that The Evernight Order would kill their own representative rather than compromise?

Leo thought of the Japanese sniper who'd tried to assassinate him in New York, and Parker from the shadowy Japanese Black Dragon Society behind Nightfall...

Everything seemed to point toward a larger, more terrifying conspiracy.

Back then, The Evernight Order must have been deeply involved in that secret transaction concerning the Japanese Imperial Family.

Erwin's father's refusal hadn't just cost him The Evernight Order's support—it had directly enraged this behemoth that had lurked in the shadows for seven centuries.

That's why he'd died so thoroughly, so suddenly.

"Mr. Ashford?"

Seeing Leo's prolonged silence, Erwin asked somewhat anxiously.

"I understand."

Leo snapped back to attention, picked up the silver key from the table, and casually slipped it into his coat pocket. "I'll take this key. I'll retrieve the materials from the vault myself."

He turned to look at Erwin. "Now, you can begin."

"Begin?" Erwin blinked.

"Building momentum."

Leo lit a fresh cigar and took a deep drag. "Antoine's video has already sparked the first wave of public outrage. Now it's time for you, the victim, to speak out."

"Use social media, use every channel you can access to denounce Louis's crimes from that year."

"Tell them how your parents were murdered, how you escaped, how you've been hiding these twenty-five years... lay it all out."

Leo exhaled smoke. "The more tragic, the better. The more authentic, the better. Let all of France, all of Europe know that the Valois family has a true victim seeking justice for his murdered parents."

Excitement flashed in Erwin's eyes. "I understand!"

"But remember."

Leo's tone suddenly turned ice-cold. "All your accusations can only target Louis. You absolutely cannot mention anything about The Evernight Order."

"To the outside world, this is simply a family power struggle that turned bloody. Louis is the murderer; Antoine was his accomplice."

"As for The Evernight Order..."

A cold smile curved Leo's lips. "You must pretend you know nothing about their existence. Only then will they feel comfortable approaching you as an 'innocent' victim."

Pierre immediately grasped Leo's deeper meaning and nodded solemnly. "Understood! We'll proceed carefully and won't alert them prematurely!"

"Good."

Leo strode toward the door. "I'll be waiting for your good news."

With that, he swept out in his coat, disappearing into the darkness beyond.

...

Two p.m.

The French internet, already boiling over Antoine's death, erupted like aviation fuel had been poured on a raging fire!

An account called "Ghost of the Valois Family" posted a ten-minute accusatory video.

In it, a young man presented the seal of the previous Valois family head, along with his own DNA test results.

"I am Erwin Valois. Twenty-five years ago, in that massacre disguised as a gang shootout, I was the only surviving bloodline."

Before the camera, Erwin's eyes red, tearfully denounced Louis's brutal acts of fratricide and usurpation, forming a perfect evidential loop with Antoine's morning video!

In an instant, French society was rocked to its core!

The legitimate heir wasn't dead!

He'd returned for vengeance!

On the Paris streets, the Valois Group headquarters was surrounded by furious protesters packed so tightly a drop of water couldn't squeeze through.

Louis Valois instantly transformed from an aristocratic family head into a murderous demon everyone wanted destroyed.

And while all of Paris descended into madness over this elite family feud...

Switzerland, Zurich.

One of the world's most secure and confidential private banks—Swiss United Bank's VIP section.

A low-key black Maybach pulled slowly into the bank's private parking area.

The door opened.

Leo, in his black coat with a cigar between his lips, stepped out with measured strides.

Behind him, four stunning beauties—Ivy, Victoria, Serafina, and Charlotte—each carrying limited-edition handbags and wearing stilettos, descended gracefully.

The moment they appeared, they commanded every eye in the vicinity.

"My God, those women are gorgeous..."

"Who's that man? Such presence..."

Inside the bank lobby, a middle-aged manager in an impeccable suit stood behind the counter, scrutinizing every client with a critical eye.

When he saw Leo's group enter, contempt flickered in his gaze.

In his view, while these people were reasonably well-dressed, and the women were indeed breathtakingly beautiful...

The young man leading them looked barely thirty.

At Swiss United Bank, the real high-rollers were white-haired old-money aristocrats and tycoons.

Young men like Leo were probably just disappointing heirs of some nouveau riche family, bringing their mistresses to Switzerland for tourism, stopping by the bank to show off.

"Good afternoon, sir."

The manager approached with a perfunctory smile. "How may I help you?"

His tone carried a subtle dismissiveness.

Leo said nothing. He simply pulled the silver vault key from his coat pocket and tossed it onto the counter.

Clink.

The key rang crisply against the marble surface.

The manager glanced casually at the key, about to say something.

The next second.

His pupils contracted to pinpoints!

He froze as if struck by lightning!

This was a "Black Gold" level top-secret vault key!

In all of Europe, fewer than a hundred people possessed vaults of this caliber!

Every single one was a hidden titan capable of making Europe's economy tremble!

"You... you..."

The manager's expression instantly shifted from contempt to horror, his voice shaking. "Esteemed guest! I deeply apologize! Just now I was blind to your status!"

"Please... please wait a moment! I'll immediately open the exclusive VIP passage for you!"

The manager personally escorted Leo, leading their group into the bank's most secure vault area.

Layer upon layer of security, iris recognition, fingerprint verification...

Finally.

A massive alloy door slowly opened.

Inside was an extremely luxurious private chamber.

In the room's center sat a black vault roughly the height of a person.

The manager respectfully withdrew, leaving the space to Leo's group.

Leo approached the vault and inserted the key into the lock.

With the dull sound of mechanical movement...

The heavy door slowly opened.

Inside, dozens of yellowed file folders were neatly arranged, along with several old videotapes.

Leo picked up the topmost folder and tore open the seal.