Chapter 689

His words ostensibly berated his subordinates, but every syllable was aimed at Alexander Hamilton.

The attendants stood frozen in fear, heads bowed in silence. Not one dared approach Alexander. Leonard Laurent's face darkened with rage as he spat, "Useless fools."

Seeing his men fail him, he stepped forward himself. "Mr. Hamilton, what a coincidence running into you here."

Alexander didn’t so much as blink. "Mr. Laurent, you know perfectly well whether this was coincidence or design."

It wasn’t a question—it was a statement.

The air turned to ice.

Leonard knew the truth but would never admit it. Clenching his fists, he forced an obsequious smile. "Mr. Hamilton, this is all a terrible misunderstanding."

Alexander finally lifted his gaze, eyes sharp as blades. "Misunderstanding? Then enlighten me—what kind of misunderstanding leads to attempted murder in a village? If I couldn’t swim, that pond would’ve claimed another body."

Beneath the water, tangled lotus roots and thick mud made perfect hiding places for the dead. The last corpse wasn’t discovered until only bones remained.

Leonard rubbed his hands together, playing dumb. "Murder? I’d never dare! I’m just an honest businessman. Illegal activities are beneath me."

Lydia Laurent peeked out from behind her father, her voice trembling. "Alexander, Evelyn, Dad truly didn’t know. He only came after the police notified him and even gave a statement."

Evelyn Carter met her gaze. "Miss Laurent, remember our phone call that night? We talked quite a bit."

"Phone call?" Lydia feigned thought before suddenly "remembering." "Oh, it was so late. I was half-asleep and only recall you mentioning Alexander. I drifted off after that. When I woke up, I tried calling back, but you didn’t answer."

Confident Evelyn hadn’t recorded the call, she spun her lies effortlessly, innocence plastered across her face.

Evelyn smiled.

Lydia was far cleverer than Annabelle.

"Why are you smiling, Evelyn?" Lydia’s eyes narrowed, her mind already racing to counter any move.

Evelyn’s lips curved, but her eyes remained glacial. "Nothing. Just thinking you’re wasted as a socialite. You’d excel in more... consequential pursuits. Might even make something of yourself."

The words were casual, almost conversational, yet Lydia paled. If not for Alexander’s presence, her carefully crafted mask would’ve shattered.

"I really didn’t hear clearly that night..." Lydia twisted her fingers, voice barely audible. "But now that I think about it, I think you said Alexander was in danger. Yet you didn’t tell me where. How could I have helped...?"

Every word was a meticulously crafted distortion of the truth.

Alexander suddenly chuckled. "That’s good to know."

Evelyn’s understated retelling had left him struggling to picture her worried for him. Now Lydia had unwittingly painted the scene for him.

Leonard was baffled but seized the slight softening in Alexander’s expression. "Exactly, Mr. Hamilton! Lydia has always cared deeply for you. Why would we ever harm you?"

He smiled ingratiatingly while mentally cursing his incompetent men.

Lydia had alerted him immediately that night. Those worthless fools couldn’t even handle a simple silencing!

When he learned they’d encountered Alexander, Leonard panicked, ready to call it off—until Lydia stopped him.

"Dad, it’s too late. If Evelyn called me, they’re already exposed."

"Then what? The engagement’s off—my pride means nothing now. Should we... beg the Hamiltons for mercy?" Leonard grasped at straws.

"No." Lydia’s voice was steel. "This is our chance. Who’s left at Hamilton Group without Alexander? If he were gone, you wouldn’t need to borrow their name for your projects..."

The realization struck Leonard like lightning. He set down his phone and let events unfold—only to learn at dawn that Alexander had merely disappeared.

A golden opportunity, slipped away.

Seething internally, Leonard maintained his facade, desperate to distance himself. "Since the broken engagement, I’ve had no idea of your whereabouts. How would I know you’d be in this backwater? Those men acted alone—Laurent Group had nothing to do with them! I don’t even know them!"

He wasn’t afraid of Alexander investigating. The thugs were in police custody, and breaking them would take time. Besides, he’d always used intermediaries to handle payments.

Evelyn thought of the murdered college student Lotus Waters had mentioned, the body rotting in the pond for months, and fury ignited. "Of course you don’t know them. Money moves mountains—no need to dirty your hands. These two days’ absence? You were busy covering tracks."

Leonard cried injustice. "Evelyn, you make it sound simple. I came as soon as I heard, but this place is unfamiliar. And Lydia insisted on tagging along—dragging a young girl slows everything down. If you think we were too slow, well, I can’t help that."