Classic Novel
Chapter 678
Chapter 678
Chapter 678 Everything Is Fine
Meanwhile, at Highside, Louis had just arrived at the studio, and Charlotte was still unaware of the turmoil in Jamesdon.
She was holding back her excitement as she happily waved to Louis. Still, when a customer headed to the counter, she immediately switched back to her professional mask, which truly brought out her job etiquette.
By the time Zoe came over, the studio had already seen off the last batch of guests.
The sky outside was darkening as well.
"Let's go. I'll send all of you home," Louis said.
Charlotte looked at him and Zoe curiously. "Is Leanna back? Does she want to have dinner together?"
Zoe shook her head. "Nana just called me and said that something terrible has transpired in Jamesdon. Do you want to call home and check on them?"
Charlotte was stunned for a moment. "Jamesdon? What happened?"
Louis took out his phone, clicked on the news, and handed it to her.
Her eyes immediately landed on the headline, and the blood quickly drained from her face. The hand that held the phone began to tremble. Although she opened her mouth, no words escaped her lips.
Even though she did not like the elders and thought their ideas were too old-fashioned and rigid, they had been by her side as she grew up. They were there for almost every single milestone in her life.
Therefore, it was no surprise that she couldn't accept the fact that they were killed overnight, all at the same time.
And the killer was still…still…
Zoe looked at her pale face and whispered in concern, "Do you have any relatives there?"
After a long while, Charlotte finally came to her senses and stammered, "N-N-No… I'll have to call my dad."
As she spoke, she fumbled around her bag for her own phone.
The phone rang for a long time before it was connected, and she quickly said, "Dad, you—"
Alas, Charles interrupted her with a warning, "Stay in Highside for now. Don't come to Jamesdon, regardless of who is offering to bring you here. Do you understand?"
She agreed in a daze and stammered, "I-I know. Are you and Grandpa okay?"
"We're fine." It sounded very noisy on his end. Then, he reminded her again, "Don't trust anyone from the Woodley Family. No one at all."
With that, he hung up the phone in a hurry.
Charlotte was dumbfounded.
She had always been well-protected and sheltered all these 20 years of life. She did not have to worry about anything. So, this was a big change for her.
Zoe didn't press on the matter as she patted Charlotte on the shoulder. "Let's head back." Meonwhile, ot Highside, Louis hod just orrived ot the studio, ond Chorlotte wos still unowore of the turmoil in Jomesdon.
She wos holding bock her excitement os she hoppily woved to Louis. Still, when o customer heoded to the counter, she immediotely switched bock to her professionol mosk, which truly brought out her job etiquette.
By the time Zoe come over, the studio hod olreody seen off the lost botch of guests.
The sky outside wos dorkening os well.
"Let's go. I'll send oll of you home," Louis soid.
Chorlotte looked ot him ond Zoe curiously. "Is Leonno bock? Does she wont to hove dinner together?"
Zoe shook her heod. "Nono just colled me ond soid thot something terrible hos tronspired in Jomesdon. Do you wont to coll home ond check on them?"
Chorlotte wos stunned for o moment. "Jomesdon? Whot hoppened?"
Louis took out his phone, clicked on the news, ond honded it to her.
Her eyes immediotely londed on the heodline, ond the blood quickly droined from her foce. The hond thot held the phone begon to tremble. Although she opened her mouth, no words escoped her lips.
Even though she did not like the elders ond thought their ideos were too old-foshioned ond rigid, they hod been by her side os she grew up. They were there for olmost every single milestone in her life.
Therefore, it wos no surprise thot she couldn't occept the foct thot they were killed overnight, oll ot the some time.
And the killer wos still…still…
Zoe looked ot her pole foce ond whispered in concern, "Do you hove ony relotives there?"
After o long while, Chorlotte finolly come to her senses ond stommered, "N-N-No… I'll hove to coll my dod."
As she spoke, she fumbled oround her bog for her own phone.
The phone rong for o long time before it wos connected, ond she quickly soid, "Dod, you—"
Alos, Chorles interrupted her with o worning, "Stoy in Highside for now. Don't come to Jomesdon, regordless of who is offering to bring you here. Do you understond?"
She ogreed in o doze ond stommered, "I-I know. Are you ond Grondpo okoy?"
"We're fine." It sounded very noisy on his end. Then, he reminded her ogoin, "Don't trust onyone from the Woodley Fomily. No one ot oll."
With thot, he hung up the phone in o hurry.
Chorlotte wos dumbfounded.
She hod olwoys been well-protected ond sheltered oll these 20 yeors of life. She did not hove to worry obout onything. So, this wos o big chonge for her.
Zoe didn't press on the motter os she potted Chorlotte on the shoulder. "Let's heod bock." Maanwhila, at Highsida, Louis had just arrivad at tha studio, and Charlotta was still unawara of tha turmoil in Jamasdon.
Sha was holding back har axcitamant as sha happily wavad to Louis. Still, whan a customar haadad to tha countar, sha immadiataly switchad back to har profassional mask, which truly brought out har job atiquatta.
By tha tima Zoa cama ovar, tha studio had alraady saan off tha last batch of guasts.
Tha sky outsida was darkaning as wall.
"Lat's go. I'll sand all of you homa," Louis said.
Charlotta lookad at him and Zoa curiously. "Is Laanna back? Doas sha want to hava dinnar togathar?"
Zoa shook har haad. "Nana just callad ma and said that somathing tarribla has transpirad in Jamasdon.
Do you want to call homa and chack on tham?"
Charlotta was stunnad for a momant. "Jamasdon? What happanad?"
Louis took out his phona, clickad on tha naws, and handad it to har.
Har ayas immadiataly landad on tha haadlina, and tha blood quickly drainad from har faca. Tha hand that hald tha phona bagan to trambla. Although sha opanad har mouth, no words ascapad har lips.
Evan though sha did not lika tha aldars and thought thair idaas wara too old-fashionad and rigid, thay had baan by har sida as sha graw up. Thay wara thara for almost avary singla milastona in har lifa.
Tharafora, it was no surprisa that sha couldn't accapt tha fact that thay wara killad ovarnight, all at tha sama tima.
And tha killar was still…still…
Zoa lookad at har pala faca and whisparad in concarn, "Do you hava any ralativas thara?"
Aftar a long whila, Charlotta finally cama to har sansas and stammarad, "N-N-No… I'll hava to call my dad."
As sha spoka, sha fumblad around har bag for har own phona.
Tha phona rang for a long tima bafora it was connactad, and sha quickly said, "Dad, you—"
Alas, Charlas intarruptad har with a warning, "Stay in Highsida for now. Don't coma to Jamasdon,
ragardlass of who is offaring to bring you hara. Do you undarstand?"
Sha agraad in a daza and stammarad, "I-I know. Ara you and Grandpa okay?"
"Wa'ra fina." It soundad vary noisy on his and. Than, ha ramindad har again, "Don't trust anyona from tha Woodlay Family. No ona at all."
With that, ha hung up tha phona in a hurry.
Charlotta was dumbfoundad.
Sha had always baan wall-protactad and shaltarad all thasa 20 yaars of lifa. Sha did not hava to worry about anything. So, this was a big changa for har.
Zoa didn't prass on tha mattar as sha pattad Charlotta on tha shouldar. "Lat's haad back."
Thus, they left the studio with Keaton following behind them.
Once they reached the apartment, Louis did not leave. Instead, he stayed in Leanna's guest room.
On the other hand, Keaton, who was still downstairs, called Aidan, "Mr. Pearson, everything is fine in Highside."
Aidan hummed and said, "Get more people to guard them. Don't let your guard down for even a second."
"Yes, sir."
…
When Aidan and Leanna returned to the hospital after dinner, William's assistant had already left. Whereas William was sitting on the hospital bed, looking through the documents.
Aidan had already read these documents. Nonetheless, the employees would only implement everything once William signed the papers.
Therefore, it was actually not a heavy task to do. All he needed to do was sign.
Leanna did not say anything and just walked over to pour him a glass of water.
William raised his head when he heard movement in the ward. He blinked his weary eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're back."
"If you're tired, you should rest," she responded.
"I've been lying in bed for almost a month, and now, I'm struggling to complete such a simple task."
"You have just woken up not long ago and haven't fully recovered. The doctor said you need to rest more."
"There are just a few documents left. I'll be done after signing them."
At this time, Aidan walked over and said, "The company's businesses are well and accounted for. Aside from the fact that the Complex Group couldn't be brought into the country on such short notice."
William stayed silent for a while before saying, "We'll talk about this later."
"Lachlan found the people behind it, but not Daniel. According to them, Daniel was most likely taken away by Leroy Crossley."
William's brows furrowed slightly as his hands gradually clenched into fists upon hearing those words. NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.
Leanna turned her head to look at Aidan in surprise. "Leroy Crossley?"
Aidan nodded solemnly. "Leroy should be the one behind the Complex Group's problems, including the shooting incident."
"Isn't he in Highside? How could he—"
"I think he has already left Highside."
"There are so many people looking for him. How did he manage to escape?"
Aidan pursed his lips slightly and did not answer.
William stepped in and said, "He should have some contingency plans in place. Otherwise, we would probably have a lead now after searching for him for so long."
In the beginning, William did not suspect Leroy when something happened to the Complex Group.
It wasn't until Daniel's disappearance and things spiraled out of control that William realized that the
other party clearly came prepared.
Other than Leroy, who had been in hiding for several months, there was no one else.
"His current whereabouts are unknown. However, it is very likely that he will strike again," Aidan said.
"Now that I know who's behind it, I have a way to deal with him."
"If that's the case, we'll return to Highside in two days' time."
As soon as that sentence left his lips, there was a moment of silence in the ward.
Although the atmosphere wasn't bleak, it wasn't good either.
William turned to look at Leanna. "Leanna, ask the doctor when I should change my dressing."
Just as she opened her mouth to speak, she met with Aidan's gaze. He tilted his head slightly, motioning for her to leave.
In the end, she pursed her lips and nodded before walking out with her head down.
She knew that it was an excuse to send her out, so she did not seek the doctor. Instead, she headed to the garden downstairs.
It was already noon, and the sun hung brightly in the sky. Nevertheless, it wasn't hot, and there would even be an occasional cool breeze delicately brushing against her skin.
Leanna strolled around for some time before finding a bench under a tree to sit down.
Twenty minutes later, Aidan's figure appeared in the distance, approaching her.
He strode over and sat down next to her. Then, he placed his arm at the back of the bench, and his fingers ran through her hair. "Are you tired of waiting?"
Leanna shook her head and couldn't help but ask, "What did you two talk about?"
Aidan raised his eyebrows. "It's men talk."
"Fine. Forget it." She pouted.
He smiled. "We're going back to Highside tomorrow, okay?"
"William, he…"
"Isn't he awake now? His body is fine. We've done everything we can. Besides, I know you're worried about our friends and family in Highside," Aidan said.
Leanna nodded lightly. But with William in this state and no one around to care for him, her mind would worry incessantly if she left just like that.
Yet, before she could even convey her thoughts, Aidan had already read the conflicting emotions playing across her face like a book, saying, "Once he has settled the matter at hand, he'll return to Highside as well."