Chapter 280 Plan as Usual
The person speaking was Timothy Thomas, the subordinate who had previously advised Zachary not to return to the country.
He was also the one who, when stuck in traffic on the elevated highway, decisively got out of the car and chased on foot.
Once he got down from the highway, he found a taxi and caught up with Amelia again.
That's how he found this place.
Having finally found Zachary, Timothy naturally wanted to ensure Zachary's safety first and get him out of the country.
But Zachary disagreed.
"No! You drive. Go to the back door. I need to find Amelia."
"Who? You don't mean Samuel's fiancée, do you?"
"She's one of us now."
"Impossible!" Timothy said. "There must be a misunderstanding here. They have a good relationship."
Zachary smiled.
"Good? Good my ass! Samuel is just using her, and she knows very well that Samuel is using her. They're both cunning people, and two cunning people can't work together. Drive back now!"
Timothy was going crazy with anxiety.
"Mr. Crawford! This must be a trap! They're waiting for you to walk right into it!"
Zachary scoffed. "A trap? Who's setting a trap for whom is still up in the air. Stanley is already dead. Samuel is hiding it from everyone outside, but Amelia secretly told me. As long as we get proof that Stanley is dead, Samuel is finished. Drive! Go back!"
Timothy refused.
His gut told him something wasn't right.
"Mr. Crawford, please listen to me. Leave the country first, and let me handle things here."
Zachary frowned and looked over coldly, " looks like you dare to disobey me now."
Timothy was stunned.
"Mr. Crawford? Why would you think that? I'm just thinking about your safety. If Stanley is really dead, Samuel will be finished sooner or later anyway, without us having to lift a finger. If he's not dead and you rush in, what if..."
"There's no 'what if!" Stanley is already dead!" Zachary said, narrowing his eyes. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If I miss it, I might never be able to come back here."
"Mr. Crawford!"
"Shut up!"
Zachary grabbed the steering wheel.
The car immediately lost control, swerving left and right.
Timothy was terrified and had to quickly hit the brakes.
The car left a long skid mark.
Within seconds, Timothy was kicked out of the car.
Zachary ordered another subordinate in the car to watch Timothy, then drove himself toward the hospital.
And this scene was witnessed by Amelia, who had caught up.
Her car was parked far away, and with it being late at night, they didn't notice her.
She curved her lips slightly, turned around, and took another small road.
Meanwhile, Zachary drove the car back near the hotel and quietly came to the location he had agreed upon with Amelia.
When he arrived, Amelia was already standing there— She had taken a shortcut and arrived early.
She had thought Zachary would leave or something would go wrong, but this idiot actually ditched his subordinate and came over.
The plan had gone off track, but now it was back on course.
Even God wanted Zachary dead.
"Where did you go?"
Her face was cold, and in the moonlight, the chill on her face could almost freeze someone to death.
Zachary hurried over.
"My people found this place. He and I had a disagreement, which delayed me for a bit."
Amelia's delicate eyebrows drew together.
"If you can't even make this simple decision, then I think we can cancel our cooperation. You decide."
With that, she turned to get in the car.
Zachary quickly stopped her.
"Of course I can make decisions. I came over, didn't I?"
He walked around to face Amelia, earnestly asking her to continue their cooperation.
The corner of Amelia's lips pressed together slightly, as if smiling.
"Since you're asking me so sincerely, get in the car."
Zachary, afraid Amelia would change her mind, opened the door and sat in the passenger seat.
"Get in the back," Amelia said expressionlessly. "There are clothes in the back. Change into them."
Zachary obediently climbed into the back seat.
Sure enough, there was a set of clothes back there.
It was a white doctor's coat, along with a mask and cap.
"Remember, once we're in the hospital, don't say anything. Just follow me. Don't attract anyone's attention."
"Okay!" Zachary agreed readily.
It was precisely because Amelia was so cold and had an attitude of being ready to abandon their cooperation at any moment that made him trust her even more.
He even regretted bringing that idiot Timothy back to the country.
He should have left him abroad!
On the way, Amelia told him what to do next.
"Before we enter the hospital, you need to communicate with your people and get public opinion stirred up again. It would be best if you could attract reporters directly to the scene, the more the better."
"No problem!"
Zachary wasn't without people he could use domestically.
He quickly used the phone Amelia had retrieved for him from the hotel to contact his people.
"Send out a press release! Say that Stanley is already dead and Samuel is suppressing the news, deliberately not announcing his death."
The person on the other end hesitated and asked, "Is this true?"
Amelia turned her head at that moment.
In her eyes was obvious contempt.
She was mocking him.
Laughing at how none of his subordinates listened to him.
Zachary was furious and immediately started cursing.
But he wasn't cursing Amelia—he was cursing the person on the phone.
The person on the other end was startled and didn't dare say more, agreeing to do as told.
"Send the press release after we get to the hospital. We'll be there in about twenty minutes."
"Yes."
The person on the other end agreed repeatedly, not daring to anger Zachary further.
And Amelia had already turned back to focus on driving.
However, when the two arrived at the hospital, they saw the main entrance was already packed with reporters.
"What's going on?" Zachary asked her.
Amelia turned her head and said, "I should be asking you what's going on. Didn't I tell you to have your people wait until we were inside the hospital before sending the press release? What if this tips them off by sending it so early?"
"I..."
"You're more trouble than you're worth!"
She gave Zachary a thorough scolding.
When had Zachary ever been scolded like this?
His face darkened immediately, looking extremely unpleasant.
If it weren't for the fact that Amelia still had value, he would have slapped her already.
What was she to dare speak to him like this?
But thinking that he still needed Amelia's help, he forced himself to swallow his anger.
Once everything was settled, he would definitely teach this ungrateful Amelia a lesson! Zachary thought to himself.
But he said, "It's all my fault. I really need to manage my people better. But what do we do now? The main thing is what matters."
Only then did Amelia stop scolding.
"On the west side of the hospital is the cafeteria. There's a door we can use to get in. Let's go that way."
"Okay, okay."
Zachary nodded, glad he had held back his temper.
Amelia was still somewhat useful.
Amelia had already turned the car around and was driving toward the west side.
She parked the car, opened the door, got out, and told Zachary to put on his mask properly.
The two walked through the cafeteria toward the inpatient building.
"He's still lying in the ICU, maintaining his last vital signs."
Zachary looked at her. "Didn't you say he was already dead?"
"Last vital signs—do you understand what that means? It means his heart has stopped, only his brain isn't dead yet. Barring any accidents, he'll be completely dead within the next two hours."
Zachary breathed a sigh of relief.
"You just need to wait nearby. When he's completely dead, you can take proof that he's deceased."
Zachary nodded vigorously.
Soon they were in the elevator. Amelia said, "Just follow me in a moment and don't say anything."
"Okay." Zachary nodded hard.
His heart was beating fast, excited about the tremendous fortune that was about to return to his hands.
The elevator went up to the floor Amelia was heading to.
This floor was the ICU level, quiet and still.
But one room had two bodyguards standing at the door.
Zachary felt nervous.
If Samuel caught him, he'd be as good as dead.
But seeing Amelia walking ahead so calmly and composed, he forced himself to calm down too.
If Amelia wasn't afraid, what did he have to fear?
So his courage grew again, and his steps became more natural.
Before long, the two of them, one after the other, arrived at the door of the guarded room.
"Ms. Richardson."
The two men immediately greeted her respectfully.
Amelia nodded and said, "I'm here to check on the situation. There are a lot of reporters outside, and some might sneak in. You two standing here is useless. One of you guard the elevator, the other guard the emergency stairs. I'm enough here."
The two men nodded, but their eyes looked toward Zachary.
Zachary's face was almost completely covered, only his eyes visible.
Amelia introduced him, "This is a doctor. We need to extend Stanley's life as much as possible."
In the current situation, for Samuel's side, the later Stanley died, the better it was for Samuel.
So when Amelia said this, Zachary saw the two bodyguards show expressions of understanding. They quickly followed Amelia's arrangement—one went to the elevator, the other to the emergency stairs, to make sure no reporters could sneak in.
Amelia led Zachary into the room.
It wasn't until the door closed and he couldn't see the two bodyguards anymore that Zachary let out a heavy breath.
His heart was about to jump out of his chest.
He knew that Samuel had originally planned to kill him!
It was Amelia who said to give him some time to think, which was why Samuel hadn't acted.
If Samuel knew he was here, he would kill him without hesitation!
Zachary was very scared.
But beyond the fear, anger burned in his heart.
That bastard Samuel dared to treat him like this!
In the past, Samuel was nothing but trash despised by everyone!
However, Zachary soon stopped dwelling on his emotions.
Because when he turned around, he saw Stanley lying on the hospital bed.
Stanley was very still, his face an abnormal pale, with no rise and fall visible in his chest.
He had many devices attached to him. Zachary couldn't understand them, but he could see that the heart rate line was flat.
This appearance was indeed exactly as Amelia had described.
Stanley truly wasn't much different from a dead person.