Chapter 283: Who Do You Want to Kill?
Zachary's reaction caught everyone off guard.
Not just the reporters and police officers - even York, who was "in the know," was completely shocked.
It was really strange. He never used to think Zachary was that stupid. On the contrary, he thought Zachary was quite calculating.
After today's events, he had clearly overestimated Zachary.
No wonder Amelia once said that Zachary was no match for her and Samuel.
He used to seem capable only because he had the halo of "the Crawford family heir."
Now that the halo was gone, he naturally became just an ordinary person.
Zachary's biological mother was just an ordinary person.
However, Zachary wasn't really that stupid.
He was just too guilty.
When someone not smart enough falls into a trap, they naturally panic.
What's more, he had actually tried to kill someone.
The reporters who had taken Zachary's money looked at each other, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Instead, several police officers walked forward with serious faces.
"Zachary, who were you trying to kill?"
Zachary froze. Had the matter not been exposed?
Before he could speak, York jumped in first.
"Didn't I just say? He was trying to kill Stanley!"
Zachary's lips moved, not knowing what to say, because he was afraid of saying the wrong thing.
He didn't know what had happened while he was unconscious, so he didn't dare speak carelessly.
To avoid exposing himself again.
"You're lying!" Several reporters spoke up for Zachary. "Stanley died a long time ago. How could Zachary kill him?"
"Who said Stanley died?"
At this moment, York finally moved from where he stood.
- Before this, he hadn't moved at all, actually deliberately blocking Stanley's face.
Stanley was still recovering and had been frightened, so his voice was very weak.
And he couldn't make big movements either, so no one had noticed that Stanley had been trying to get people's attention.
- He had actually been speaking all along, but no one heard him.
There were too many people in the room, too chaotic, and his voice was completely drowned out.
Of course, York was closest to Stanley and had heard him.
He just pretended not to hear and deliberately dragged things out, delaying.
Because Amelia said to let Stanley hear for himself who had paid these reporters and whose side they were on.
And how much Samuel had been wronged for no reason.
Now Stanley had heard everything, so he could let everyone see Stanley.
It was time to let Stanley speak.
At this moment, York stepped aside, pointed at Stanley and said, "He's right here, perfectly fine, and you're cursing him dead? What exactly are you people up to?"
Everyone's eyes immediately fell on Stanley's face.
Seeing his eyes wide open, looking very angry, everyone froze.
Stanley really wasn't dead!
Not only was he not dead, he could hear and see clearly, and had heard all the commotion just now.
That's why his eyes looked angry.
A few timid reporters' legs went weak, almost collapsing to the floor.
Only with help from people around them did they manage to stay standing.
"I'm not dead!"
Stanley said sternly, "It's this bastard who wanted me dead!"
He was very angry, his voice trembling slightly.
Though his voice wasn't loud, "this bastard wanted me dead" was shouted with almost all his strength.
Everyone heard it loud and clear.
The police officers immediately looked at Zachary.
York spoke up at this moment, "I saw with my own eyes that he was holding this pillow, trying to smother Stanley, so I knocked him out. I was about to go out and call someone, but Stanley was afraid he'd wake up and wouldn't let me leave."
As he spoke, he looked at Stanley.
Stanley showed no favoritism or concealment, saying with certainty, "Everything he said is true."
The reporters Zachary had brought all fell silent.
They couldn't say a word.
Stanley had said so himself - what more could they say?
Moreover, Stanley was alive, which was a huge blow.
A heavy blow to their side that had been saying Samuel killed Stanley.
York spoke up again at this moment, saying to the officers, "Officers, I suspect all these people were hired to deliberately cause trouble, which is why they've been targeting me and Samuel since they came in! You must help us get justice and find out who sent these people!"
The officers nodded.
"None of you are leaving."
"And Zachary, you need to come with us!"
Just then, Samuel's people arrived.
He didn't come himself, but Jeremy did.
He brought a large group of people and quickly got all the reporters under control.
The officers also apologized to Stanley.
"Samuel put us in charge of keeping the hospital stable. We failed to stop these people - that's our fault. Please forgive us."
Stanley couldn't care less about all that. He didn't have the energy for it.
His mind was entirely on Zachary trying to smother him.
"That bastard!"
He took a deep breath to keep from losing his voice from anger, then continued, "Handle it however you should. If York hadn't acted in time, I'd really be a corpse right now."
Hearing these words, the officers understood that Stanley wasn't going to let them go easy.
In fact, he wanted to make this big so Zachary would have no way to overturn it.
They thought Stanley was being a bit heartless - Zachary was his biological son after all.
But thinking about how Zachary had almost actually killed Stanley, the officers didn't think he was cold-blooded anymore.
Stanley doing this was only natural.
"Yes, we've got it."
The officers quickly left.
The hospital room fell quiet again.
Since Stanley no longer needed machines to keep him alive, the sudden intrusion of so many people into the ICU didn't have much impact on him.
"Mr. Crawford, then we'll leave first too."
As York and Jeremy were about to leave, Stanley spoke up, "Stop pretending. Tell Samuel to come over! I know he's been watching this whole time."
His gaze landed precisely on a spot overhead.
There was clearly a surveillance camera there.
Because there was so much equipment in the room, most people wouldn't notice that camera.
Stanley was a perceptive person, so he had noticed it.
Jeremy and York looked at each other.
Jeremy spoke first, "I'll go get him right away."
As soon as he finished speaking, Samuel appeared at the hospital room door.
Amelia was right beside him.
The two had been in the next room all along, watching everything happening in this room through the monitor.
The monitor could also pick up sound from here, so when Stanley mentioned him, the two came over from next door.
"Have them all leave. I want to talk to you alone," Stanley said.
Amelia left with Jeremy and York.
Soon only Stanley and Samuel remained in the room.
"Tell me, what arrangements did you make?" Stanley asked, his tone carrying a hint of anger.
Samuel met Stanley's eyes with no expression.
"I found out in advance that Nash had been in contact with Zachary, so I guessed that once you started surgery, Zachary would definitely return to the country, because like you, he was suspicious of me, thinking I would let you die on the operating table."
Stanley froze, his expression no longer as confident as before.
He had indeed suspected Samuel.
Samuel gave a cold laugh and continued, "As soon as he arrived in the country, he spread the news that I had killed you. So I simply used his plan."
He explained his scheme.
Deliberately detaining Zachary, making Zachary believe he had really killed Stanley.
Then using Amelia to make Zachary confirm Stanley was dead.
During this time, he detained all the doctors and nurses who participated in the surgery, not letting any information leak out.
After that, Zachary, ignoring his subordinates' advice, didn't leave Phoenicia but snuck into the hospital.
He wanted Zachary to show his true colors in front of Stanley.
He and Amelia had calculated everything.
Except for one thing they miscalculated.
That was Stanley waking up early.
The original plan was to end it when Zachary spoke his true feelings while waiting for Stanley to "die."
Their goal would have been achieved.
But they didn't expect Zachary would actually try to kill Stanley.
Fortunately, he and Amelia had York hide under the bed just in case.
Otherwise, Stanley would have really died.
He calmly explained everything without hiding a single word.
He knew that after he finished, Stanley would definitely fly into a rage, thinking he was too calculating, too scheming.
But he didn't care anymore.
He realized that what he had been bothered by all along wasn't that Stanley didn't trust him.
It was that Stanley trusted Zachary too much.
Now that Stanley knew Zachary's true nature, the knot in his heart had finally opened.
So he was very calm and composed.
He felt that from now on, he could live completely according to his own wishes.
However, contrary to Samuel's expectations, Stanley didn't get angry.
He just looked deeply at Samuel, and in that look, there was actually some sadness.
He didn't know where Stanley's sadness came from.
He didn't want to dig into it anymore.
"Help me change rooms," Stanley looked away and said. "This room is too stuffy. I want one with better ventilation."
Samuel was slightly stunned.
He didn't expect him to just be talking about the room.
"You..."
He opened his mouth but still didn't know what to say.
Samuel and Stanley had always been distant.
So he simply didn't say anything.
"I'll talk to the doctor about changing rooms."
With that, he turned to leave.
Stanley spoke up at this moment, "I'll attend your wedding."
Samuel's steps stopped.
He turned around and heard Stanley continue, "Amelia is very smart. She shouldn't hold you back in the future. When I'm discharged, I'll go meet her parents and have dinner together."