Chapter 364 Untangling the Knot

Chapter 364 Untangling the Knot
Just then, Robert’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and answered—it was David.
“Jenny’s been taken to the hospital,” David reported. “They managed to stabilize her. She’s out of immediate danger but needs to stay for observation. We won’t know if there’ll be any long-term effects until they monitor her more closely.”
Robert hung up and relayed the update.
James let out a breath of relief. “That’s good… I never imagined Jenny would go that far. She really…”
“She’s always been loyal to you,” Robert interrupted, his tone turning grim. Even if Jenny hadn’t hired someone to harm Will, the weight of everything she had endured was no small matter.
James’s expression stiffened. He glanced at Laura, clearly worried about how she might interpret all of this. So he changed the subject.
“After the ambush at the Manhattan Hotel failed, what did you do next?”
Robert’s eyes darkened. “I thought of countless ways to get back at you. But then I saw how you looked at Laura. That kind of love? It’s the perfect weapon. So I thought… why not use the woman you love to tear you down? Betrayal cuts deeper when it comes from someone close.”
Laura frowned. “Wait, are you saying you knew James had feelings for me the moment we met?”
“I did,” Robert said without hesitation. “Back at the Ginkgo Leaf Hotel. James looked at you differently—softer, almost protective. I’ve seen that look enough to know what it means.”
He turned to James. “You remember? I asked if you regretted your choices. If you really had, you would’ve made a different one that day.”
James nodded slowly. “Yeah… I remember. I said I didn’t regret it. So what—you were already planning to use Laura against me back then? How did you know she’d go along with it? Did you blackmail her, or…?”
“I didn’t need to,” s Robert said, shrugging. “Once I looked into Laura, I realized your relationship wasn’t as solid as you thought. There were cracks. All I had to do was apply a little pressure. When Laura found out your identity as Night Hawk and couldn’t accept it, she nearly sold herself to pay off her debts. That’s when I knew—she already felt betrayed. The rest was easy.”
His words sent a shiver down both James’s and Laura’s spines. They looked at each other—then turned back to Robert, eyes wary and sharp.
Seeing their expressions, Robert smirked. “Hey, relax. I said I know all your secrets, but not the ones that happen in bed. I don’t care what you two do behind closed doors.”
James narrowed his eyes. “Alright, enough. Did you plan everything that came after that?”
Robert didn’t flinch. “Of course. Once I knew your weakness, I had to use it. Emily, Alexander, Jenny—they were all pieces on the board. Each scheme was meant to drive you apart, make Laura hate you enough to fight you on my behalf.”
By now, James didn’t feel anger anymore. There was only exhaustion… and guilt. Deep, heavy guilt.
After a long silence, he sighed and gave a bitter smile. “I’ll keep a lower profile from now on. Compared to you, I’ve been too careless. You knew everything about me… and I didn’t even know you were the one behind Blood Shadow. You win.”
Robert waved dismissively. “Don’t flatter me. I don’t have time to obsess over you. What happens between you and Laura next—that’s your business, not mine.”
Then he turned to Laura with a faint smirk. “Oh, right. Laura, don’t forget to remove the listening device from your Flying Eagle pendant. Otherwise, I’ll still hear everything you say.”
Laura instinctively reached up and touched the pendant at her neck. “That was bugged?”
Then she narrowed her eyes. “Robert… back when Alexander and I were on that farm, there was a man who used to call me out at night. He taught me how to eavesdrop, how to assassinate. That was you, wasn’t it?”