Chapter 282 Reporter Intrusion
Zachary pressed the pillow hard over Stanley's face.
His face was twisted with the sheer force he was using.
The news had already gotten out. If Stanley didn't die, Zachary would be the one to die.
Zachary knew this all too well.
Plus, Stanley had just heard all those "honest words" of his. Zachary knew that if he backed down now, he'd be dead. So he couldn't care about anything else anymore.
He had to kill Stanley!
After all, to the outside world, Stanley was already a dead man anyway.
But less than two seconds into it, he suddenly felt something grab his ankle hard.
He instinctively looked down and saw a rough, large hand gripping his ankle.
Someone was under the bed!
At that moment, Zachary broke out in a cold sweat.
Even more terrifying than when Stanley had suddenly woken up and called his name.
Who could stay calm when grabbed by the ankle by someone who appeared out of nowhere while committing murder?
Zachary immediately forgot about Stanley on the bed.
He grabbed the pillow in his hand and backed away while hitting hard at that hand.
But he'd barely hit it once when the hand's grip suddenly tightened, pulling him hard toward the bed.
Zachary couldn't break free. He tried to stomp on the person's hand with his other foot, but just as he lifted his left foot, before he could stomp down, the person under the bed grabbed it with their other hand.
"Let go of me! Who are you?!"
The person completely ignored what Zachary was saying. With a full-force pull, Zachary fell backward, his head hitting the ground hard. He actually passed out.
Seeing this, the person under the bed quickly crawled out.
He didn't bother with Zachary, but first checked on Stanley's condition.
Having been smothered with the pillow for less than two seconds, Stanley wasn't seriously hurt, just extremely angry. His cloudy eyes were wide open, but he couldn't say a word.
"It's me, York."
The person under the bed was York.
Stanley recognized him. He was one of Samuel's people.
York explained, "Mr. Crawford told me to stay by your side at all times. I was a bit sleepy, so I lay down under your bed to sleep. Then I got woken up, opened my eyes and saw someone break in, but I didn't expect it to be Zachary."
Stanley recovered a bit and said with difficulty, "He—he tried to kill me."
"I know. I've knocked him out. You rest well first. I'll call Mr. Crawford over right now."
Just as he finished speaking, a sudden burst of noisy footsteps came from the hallway outside.
Like a large group of people rushing this way.
"Sounds like people are coming outside. I'll go check."
York was about to leave.
But Stanley grabbed his hand tightly.
"Don't go, he's trying to kill me!"
Stanley was terrified.
He really thought he was going to die at Zachary's hands just now.
Although Zachary had passed out, who knew when he'd wake up again.
He didn't want to be alone with Zachary, so he didn't dare let York leave.
He was afraid Zachary would attack him again.
That's how people are, once trust collapses, it can never be restored.
York nodded, a flash of surprise quickly passing through his eyes.
Of course, he wasn't surprised that Stanley was so timid, but rather surprised that, how did Amelia guess this would happen?
He actually hadn't planned to go out at all. He said that on purpose to make Stanley ask him to stay.
This way, he couldn't go out to stop those people from breaking in.
Honestly, when he first met Amelia, he didn't really take her seriously.
He thought Amelia was just a pretty human, and even felt she wasn't as good as Evelyn, didn't deserve Samuel caring so much about her.
But later, as he had more contact with and understanding of Amelia, he realized he was blind and couldn't judge people at all.
In this world, there was no woman wiser than Amelia.
Never mind women—there weren't many men who could match her either.
But this surprise only lasted a few seconds, because the footsteps had already reached the room's door.
It was a group of reporters.
And several police officers.
They came in large numbers. The bodyguards on this floor were outnumbered and couldn't stop them.
So they broke in easily.
They immediately saw Zachary unconscious on the floor.
Shocked, everyone looked at York.
"What's going on here?"
"Did you knock him out?"
People who didn't understand the situation questioned York.
Some recognized Zachary lying on the floor.
"Isn't that Zachary?"
"It really is him!"
Others recognized York.
"Isn't that Samuel's bodyguard?"
"Why is he hitting people? Did he kill Zachary?"
"Is he dead or just knocked out? Looks like he's still breathing."
The group chattered noisily, not forgetting to take photos of the hospital room frantically.
The originally dimly lit room was illuminated bright as day by camera flashes.
"This is to silence him, right?" someone analyzed.
Samuel's side said Stanley's surgery was very successful, but just now someone released photo and video evidence saying Stanley was already dead.
So Zachary must have come to check the situation, to see if Stanley was really dead.
But in the hospital room, he ran into Samuel's man York.
York wanted to cover up for Samuel, so he knocked Zachary out.
It was just lucky they arrived when they did, otherwise Zachary probably wouldn't have left here alive.
That person loudly analyzed all this, and soon everyone pointed their cameras at York.
York had a cold, fierce look. He already looked intimidating, and seeing him like this, the person's guess seemed even more accurate.
"Officers are here too, right? Quickly arrest this criminal!" a reporter shouted.
The police officers blocked at the door finally had a chance to squeeze in.
Seeing the situation, they were also startled.
"York, what's going on? Did you hit him?"
They hoped York would deny it, then they could take the reporters out first.
What to do after that would depend on what Samuel said.
However, York directly admitted it.
"That's right!"
Those police officers didn't know what to do.
But this successfully angered the reporters.
"Beating someone like this and acting like it's justified—Samuel's people really don't take the law seriously!"
"Arrest him quickly!"
"This kind of person must be arrested! Samuel should be arrested too. York is just doing the work, Samuel must be behind it all!"
More and more people shouted, demanding the officers arrest York and Samuel.
"Quiet!"
One officer shouted loudly.
The surroundings quieted down a bit.
Only then did the officer speak again, asking York, "York, why did you hit him?"
York pointed at Zachary.
"Because he was trying to kill someone! He tried to smother Stanley with a pillow. I happened to see it, and in my panic, I knocked him out."
But the reporters didn't listen to this explanation at all.
"What nonsense are you talking?"
"You dare tell such a lie?"
"Who doesn't know Stanley died long ago? You're deliberately hiding the news of his death. Now you dare say someone tried to murder him?"
"Exactly! How can someone who's already dead be 'killed' again?"
York's gaze swept over coldly, his eyes clearly showing killing intent.
The few people who spoke most aggressively were startled and instinctively shrank their necks.
They were just doing this for money—they never thought about risking their lives.
York's eyes clearly showed he wanted to kill them!
But seeing the officers present, their courage quickly grew again.
"Why are you looking at us like that? We're just telling the truth."
"What, you want to attack us? The officers are right here!"
"Absolutely lawless!"
"Too arrogant!"
With these people leading the narrative, those legitimate reporters who weren't paid to be there also became dissatisfied.
"Who wants to attack you?" York sneered and said, "Hit stupid people like you? I'm afraid it would lower my own IQ!"
"You!"
Just as both sides were about to argue again, the lead officer had to ask everyone to quiet down again.
He asked York helplessly, "York, is Samuel nearby? If so, please ask him to come over."
"He's still in the doctor's office, asking about the situation."
"What situation?"
"Stanley's condition has improved. He doesn't need to stay in the ICU anymore and should be transferred to a regular room. But Mr. Crawford is worried the regular room isn't as good as here, and wants the doctor to keep Stanley in the ICU for observation for a few more days."
York seriously explained all this.
However, the reporters behind him clearly didn't believe a word.
"What an act! The person's already dead, why keep him in the ICU?"
"What kind of excuse is that? Can't even come up with a good excuse. I think Samuel is hiding, too scared to come out, right?"
"You people!" York's anger flared up.
He knew in his heart this was an important "performance," and he shouldn't lose his temper.
But hearing them slander Samuel like this, he couldn't control his rage.
"You dare badmouth Mr. Crawford? You're asking for death!"
The reporters immediately seized on this statement and said to the officers, "See! He's threatening us!"
The officers were very troubled.
Things were getting more and more out of control.
But just then, Zachary's hand, lying unconscious on the floor, suddenly twitched, and then he slowly opened his eyes.
As soon as he opened them, he saw a room full of reporters, and four police officers.
For a moment, his face went deathly pale.
His mind went completely blank.
It's over!
Everyone knew about him trying to kill Stanley.
He was finished!
In his panic, he blurted out, "I didn't kill anyone! I didn't want to kill him! Samuel forced me to do it. I was forced."
As soon as he said this, everyone froze.
What difference was there between this and a voluntary confession?