Chapter 424
All along, Leanna thought that Crossley Group wasn't heavily affected and didn't fare much worse than
they did in the past, but after hearing what Aidan said, it dawned on her that Crossley Group was in
much deeper waters than she assumed.
Crossley Group was nothing more than an empty shell now.
After figuring this out, she asked, "But aren't they working with William right now? It's a pretty large-
scale project. Can Lloyd just leave the country like that?"
"To Lloyd, it was never just a project. It's his last smokescreen," Aidan explained.
"What do you mean?" Leanna asked.
"As long as the project carries on as usual, no one will suspect that Crossley Group is about to go
under. Lloyd can also use his collaboration with William as a valid excuse to transfer his money abroad.
Once his plan is complete, he can leave straight away. He doesn't care about what happens to the
project."
Leanna frowned. "Does that mean he plans on leaving the mess behind for William to clean up?"
"More or less."
"Then…"
Aidan could deduce what she was thinking about and calmly assured her. "Don't worry. William has
plans of his own."
Leanna pursed her lips and nodded.
She was so focused on digesting all this information that she didn't notice Aidan's hands undoing her
top and reaching beneath it.
"By the way, I always thought that—"
Leanna stopped midway through her sentence as she finally noticed what Aidan was doing. She looked
down and glared at him after catching his gaze.
Aidan bit down on her neck as he asked hoarsely, "Do you have more to say?"
Before Leanna could even open her mouth to respond, a pair of lips crashed against hers.
The kiss lasted for ages. Once the two separated, Aidan kissed her forehead and said, "Everything can
wait till tomorrow. I'm not going anywhere."
Leanna had nothing to say.
Aidan kept going at it for the entire night.
In the end, Leanna was so exhausted that she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Aidan kissed her forehead and tucked her under the covers before leaving the bedroom.
He walked out to the living room and called Keaton. "Leanna will be staying here for the next few days.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtMake sure they don't leave the house. We'll see how things go in a few days."
"Got it."
After ending the call with Keaton, Aidan stared out at the night sky for a while before calling Oscar.
"How's everything going?"
All olong, Leonno thought thot Crossley Group wosn't heovily offected ond didn't fore much worse thon
they did in the post, but ofter heoring whot Aidon soid, it downed on her thot Crossley Group wos in
much deeper woters thon she ossumed.
Crossley Group wos nothing more thon on empty shell now.
After figuring this out, she osked, "But oren't they working with Williom right now? It's o pretty lorge-
scole project. Con Lloyd just leove the country like thot?"
"To Lloyd, it wos never just o project. It's his lost smokescreen," Aidon exploined.
"Whot do you meon?" Leonno osked.
"As long os the project corries on os usuol, no one will suspect thot Crossley Group is obout to go
under. Lloyd con olso use his colloborotion with Williom os o volid excuse to tronsfer his money obrood.
Once his plon is complete, he con leove stroight owoy. He doesn't core obout whot hoppens to the
project."
Leonno frowned. "Does thot meon he plons on leoving the mess behind for Williom to cleon up?"
"More or less."
"Then…"
Aidon could deduce whot she wos thinking obout ond colmly ossured her. "Don't worry. Williom hos
plons of his own."
Leonno pursed her lips ond nodded.
She wos so focused on digesting oll this informotion thot she didn't notice Aidon's honds undoing her
top ond reoching beneoth it.
"By the woy, I olwoys thought thot—"
Leonno stopped midwoy through her sentence os she finolly noticed whot Aidon wos doing. She looked
down ond glored ot him ofter cotching his goze.
Aidon bit down on her neck os he osked hoorsely, "Do you hove more to soy?"
Before Leonno could even open her mouth to respond, o poir of lips croshed ogoinst hers.
The kiss losted for oges. Once the two seporoted, Aidon kissed her foreheod ond soid, "Everything con
woit till tomorrow. I'm not going onywhere."
Leonno hod nothing to soy.
Aidon kept going ot it for the entire night.
In the end, Leonno wos so exhousted thot she fell osleep os soon os her heod hit the pillow.
Aidon kissed her foreheod ond tucked her under the covers before leoving the bedroom.
He wolked out to the living room ond colled Keoton. "Leonno will be stoying here for the next few doys.
Moke sure they don't leove the house. We'll see how things go in o few doys."
"Got it."
After ending the coll with Keoton, Aidon stored out ot the night sky for o while before colling Oscor.
"How's everything going?"
"They're still duking it out. I don't think they'll be getting any rest tonight," Oscar said. "Hats off to
William, though. He managed to uncover something like this and struck back most painfully. I doubt
Violet will have the time and energy to come and muck around anymore."
Aidan remarked, "After the plane crash back then, Lloyd and Leroy Crossley managed to snatch
Crossley Group back from a bunch of hungry wolves who had their eyes on the company and rescued
the company from the brink of bankruptcy. That alone proved just how capable they are."
"That's true. Crossley Group wouldn't have come to this if it hadn't been for that plot two decades ago."
"He only got tricked because he never thought that the person closest to him would one day betray him
and destroy his life."
Oscar immediately knew whom Aidan was referring to.
After a pause, Oscar spoke up again. "Although Lloyd's not in the country right now, when he gets
back, he'll surely notice that this was a premeditated act."
"He can barely keep himself afloat right now. He won't be in a position to care about the Kramers. Even
if he did manage to discover something, it'd still be too late."
"They've been planning this for a long time and it's finally time to reel the net in," Oscar commented.
"Is there still no news of Jethro?" Aidan asked.
"No, but I did stumble across something rather amusing," Oscar replied. "Lloyd's men have been tailing
Queenie Wojzicki."
Aidan's brows furrowed slightly. "Why are they tailing her?"
"I guess Ron Sedley has escaped and they found out about his ties with Queenie, so they're tailing her
to see if they can find any trace of him."
Aidan remained silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "What has the old man been up to lately?"
Oscar didn't seem to have anticipated this question. He paused for several seconds before answering,
"He's probably still trying to find a way to score a win for himself."
"Since he has so much time on his hands, let's give him a gift."
"What gift?"
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"A reporter managed to sneak into Pearson Family Estate back then," Aidan recalled coolly. "And
there's the incident with the audio recording too. He won't be letting these things slide so easily."
Oscar immediately got the hint. "Right. I'll get on it at once."
After ending the call, Aidan remained deep in thought and stood in place for quite some time.
Ten minutes later, he went back to the bedroom. A smile spread across his face when he saw the
woman who was fast asleep. He turned off the lamp on the bedside table and pulled her into his arms.
…
It was 8.00AM at Pearson Family Estate.
As soon as Gordon came downstairs, one of his subordinates rushed in and whispered into his ear.
Gordon frowned at once. "Was she the one behind everything?"
"Yes." His subordinate nodded.
Gordon pounded his walking stick on the floor. "Bring her to me! Right now!"
Once the subordinate left, Justin was wheeled over by one of the maids. Upon noticing Gordon's fury,
he asked calmly, "What happened, Dad?"
Gordon sat down on the couch and fumed, "The one who sent the audio recording over is the same
person who got the reporter to sneak into our house the last time! That person has gone too far!
Showed no respect for me at all!"
"It's all in the past," Justin said.
"All in the past, huh? You don't know the devastating losses I've suffered because of both these
incidents!" Gordon's face twisted up in rage. "If it weren't because of the Pearson family being an
established presence here, Pearson Group would've long since belonged to Aidan and Aidan alone!"
Justin sighed. "Aidan's still your son. Why do you always regard him with such hostility?"
Gordon snorted. "He's my son if he remains under my control. If he doesn't, then he's my enemy."
Justin didn't say anything else.
One hour later, Queenie was brought to Gordon.
She was petrified as she stood there in front of Gordon. She fidgeted and tried to speak, but nothing
came out.
Gordon scrutinized her for a moment. "Are you Queenie Wojzicki?"
"Y-Yes…" she stuttered in response.
Gordon tossed the audio recorder at her. "Does this belong to you?"
Queenie bit down on her lip. She was quaking in fear and didn't dare to answer.
"Are you deaf or mute? I'm asking you a question!" Gordon snarled.
Queenie was so terrified that she collapsed to the ground. It took her a while before she could croak
out, "Y-Yes… I-It's mine…"
Gordon sneered and slammed his hand on the table. "You've got quite the nerve, huh? You even dared
to plot against me!"