Chapter 631 To Guard Against The Hidden Evil
A Crazy Night Novel
âThis is a well-planned murder.â Sebastian donned a somber look on his face. âThere arenât any signs of braking at the scene, and the driver wasnât breaking any traffic laws. Although they found traces of alcohol in his blood, itâs still under limits.â
He could not imagine what would happen if that car had seemed completely fine before they left. Christina would have been in the accident, and she would have died with the baby. He wondered if Nathaniel would lose his mind.
Meanwhile, Christina started mulling over the matter.
She had crossed quite a number of people lately, with Nigelâs family hating her the most. She had forced them to a dead end, so it would not be a stretch to assume that Nigel might want to come after her.
She then asked Sebastian. âWho do you think is the likeliest to be behind this?â
It was a difficult question, for there were too many suspects he could list. Without clear clues, he could not come to a proper conclusion.
âMr. Nigel and his family might be after you,â Sebastian started. Then, he added, âWarren Yackley, Anyaâs patron, is a suspect too.â
Warren Yackley!
Christina had nearly forgotten about that man. Anya despised her, and she was willing to forgo her principles to get a patron so that she could get out of her troubled situation.
However, Anya was also a manipulative woman. It would not be impossible for her to use Warren to get rid of Christina.
After a while of rumination, Christina realized that it was likelier that Anya was the one behind the accident.
Nigel and Yerek were too preoccupied with rejoining the Stone family and getting investors for the failing company. It was unlikely that they would have the time to come after her yet.
Christina hummed and said. âLetâs not board the plane.â
Christina did not find it safe to have Timothy stay in Hallsbay alone. Gibson Corporation had just revived itself, and she could not let anything go wrong.
Her survival in this accident meant that there would be another attempt on her life.
âMrs. Hadley, Iâd suggest you return to Jadeborough. Itâs the Hadley familyâs territory there, so thatâll be the safest place for you now,â Sebastian pointed out.
Lyle, who was always silent, chimed in, âI agree with Mr. Taggart. Itâs not safe to remain in Hallsbay.â
While Lyle could go up against three men by himself, no one could tell if there were going to be more enemies than Lyle could handle.
It was easy to defend herself from public attacks, but it would be far harder to guard against the hidden evil. Lyle might be able to protect her once, but he might not be able to protect her as well the second time.
Ultimately, Christina said, âOkay, letâs go back to Jadeborough first. Donât let Mr. Hadley learn about this yet. I donât want him to worry.â
âYes, maâam,â Sebastian and Lyle replied in unison.
The several-hour flight was uncomfortable for pregnant Christina. She felt as if she was in a trance during the flight, and when she alighted the plane, she was as pale as a sheet of paper.
Sebastianâs heart was in his throat. âMrs. Hadley, are you feeling unwell?â
Christina shook her head and wearily answered, âIâm fine. I couldnât rest well on the plane earlier. Iâm just tired. Letâs go back to Scenic Garden Manor first.â
Still worried, Sebastian arranged for the family doctor to wait at Scenic Garden Manor before Christina returned.
Upon reaching Scenic Garden Manor, the family doctor did a checkup for Christina. He concluded that it was a mild case of malnutrition and tiredness, so he told Christina to rest and recover until the day of her labor.
After Sebastian sent the family doctor away, he instructed the kitchen staff to prepare supper.
Christina was slow in eating it. She was deliberately waiting for Nathaniel to return from his social events, but after a long while of waiting, she could no longer keep her sleepiness at bay. So, she sent Nathaniel a message and went back into her room to sleep.
In her half-asleep state, she sensed someone hugging her. She tried pushing them away, but the more she did that, the tighter the embrace became.
Annoyed, Christina opened her eyes only to see Nathanielâs handsome face. She froze but soon pushed his head away, remarking. âYou smell like alcohol. Hurry up and take a shower.â
âDarling, itâs been such a long time since weâve seen each other, so let me hug you a little longer.â Nathaniel buried his face in the crook of her neck. âWhy didnât you tell me that you were coming back? If I knew that you were coming back tonight, I wouldnât have gone for the event.â
Christina snorted at his clinginess, but she was the one who indulged him in these episodes:
âItâs only been three days and twenty-three hours since we last saw each other.â
âYou seem to be well aware of how long it has been.â Nathaniel beamed and let go of her. âGo back to sleep. Iâm going to take a bath.â
âOkay,â Christina then watched Nathaniel enter the bathroom. She had sobered up by then, so she went downstairs to make a bowl of hangover remedy for Nathaniel.
As she stared at the bubbles in the pot, she thought about the earlier car accident.
âWhat are you thinking about?â came Nathanielâs sudden voice. He hugged her from behind and gently brushed his lips past the edge of her car. Reaching out to turn off the stove, he uttered, âI can see that you have something on your mind.â
It was not a question.
âNathaniel, Iâd like to discuss something with you,â Christina began, turning around to face him. âMy fatherâs relationship with Nigel is now tense. I donât feel safe leaving him in Hallsbay alone, so Iâd like to bring him here. Once Gibson Corporationâs development has stabilized, Iâll move the office here too.â
Nathaniel responded, âTo be honest, you donât need to ask me this. You have my support in every decision you make. In a while, Hadley Corporation will have an office building constructed. Once youâre ready, you can move Gibson Corporationâs office to that building.â
An office building was nothing to Hadley Corporation, but Christina did not wish to rely on Nathaniel for everything she wanted.
âWhy donât I pay you rent? Itâs an office building that Hadley Corporation has invested much money into, but youâre not even getting back your capital. The directors will surely kick up a fuss over this later.â
Hadley Corporation was no longer the same company it used to be. Not only were the Hadleys waiting for Nathaniel to rake in profits for them, but the shareholders of the company were too. If they were to make things difficult for Nathaniel, they would be challenging their source of income.
âYou have a part in the company, and all the money I spent is our shared asset. They have no right to intervene in this,â
Nathaniel said with a chuckle. âThat building was meant to be yours from the start. When your studio grows into a larger-scale business, youâll have to establish a proper office. I thought itâll be better to prepare a building for you earlier.â
Then, he added, âFrankly, Iâve wanted to ask you to move Gibson Corporation to Jadeborough. That way, you wonât need to travel between two cities so frequently.â
Nathanielâs consideration moved her. Thank you, Nathaniel.â
While fixing his burning gaze on her, he said. âIâm so honest with you, so donât you think itâs time for you to tell me whatâs up with that accident in Hallsbay?â
Christina brought the warm bowl of hangover remedy to him and urged, âDrink it while itâs hot.â
However, he took the bowl and put it aside. Then, he placed his arms by her sides and trapped her in his arms.
âChristina, donât change the topic. I know everything you do in Hallsbay. Iâm curious about why youâre hiding this from me. I want an explanation.â
It seemed like there was no avoiding the topic any longer.
At the end of the day, Christina was no match for Nathaniel in keeping things secret.
âI had a conflict with Anya before the accident. I think sheâs the one behind this.â