No Strings Attached

Chapter 408

Hearing that name, Ian and Casey exchanged a knowing glance. Their eyes locked in silent agreement.

Ian couldn’t fathom how Paolo, in his quest for vengeance for Heidi, could turn his back on years of friendship with the Hayes family and become a mere pawn in someone else’s game.

He and Clara were indeed a match — him with his oblivious mother, and Clara with her shallow, good-for-nothing father.

A shadow seemed to pass over Ian’s eyes. The damage Leonora had inflicted on him and Clara was irreparable, and he would not stand by and watch Paolo become yet another obstacle in their relationship.

He picked up his phone and dialed Edwin.

A few days later...

At a suburban mansion.

A man dressed in black sat in a wheelchair. His face was alight with pleasure as he listened to his assistant’s report.

“Boss, the Hayes family has lost billions. This hit has left the Hayes Corporation reeling. Greta’s been snapping at reporters. She’s so rattled. We’re not far from swallowing up the Hayes family whole.”

A cold sneer played upon the man’s lips. “Soon there’ll be an uprising in the Hayes household, and Greta’s days as acting CEO are numbered. Once our man takes her place, the time will be ripe for me to reclaim the Hayes family.” As he spoke, his hands gripped the wheelchair’s armrests tightly.

His moment of triumph was shattered by the sound of hurried footsteps at the door. A bodyguard rushed in with urgent news.

“Boss, we’ve got trouble. A bunch of goons in black have surrounded the villa, and they’re all packing heat.” Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

The man’s eyes darkened, and the veins on the back of his hands stood out starkly. Simultaneously, his phone rang. He answered immediately.

It was a call from one of the four families, and the voice on the other end panicked. “Boss, all of our assets have been hit hard. Our acquisitions from Hayes Corporation and our stocks have been bought out at rock-bottom prices. We’re facing bankruptcy.”

“Boss, our underground casino’s been raided. Everyone’s been hauled in.”

“Boss, our shipment got intercepted by the cops. That was meant for the big boss in Europe. Our losses are astronomical.”

One call after another brought nothing but bad news.

The man’s eyes seethed with fury. With a violent motion, he hurled his phone to the ground, cursing, “Idiots, all of them!”

The assistant quickly stepped forward to console him. “Boss, there’s got to be a glitch in the system. I don’t think Greta could pull this off on her own. Could Ian be behind this?”

He didn’t dare finish the thought, but his instincts screamed that they’d fallen into Ian’s trap.

The man’s eyes, fierce and tinged with a predatory gleam, fixed on his assistant. “Ian, feigning death to fool me... I’ll make him pay dearly!”

After saying that, he maneuvered his wheelchair towards the basement tunnel, barking orders, “Leave some men to hold them off. The rest, follow me. We pull out now.”

Outside, the battle had already erupted. In less than half an hour, the assailants in black breached the villa.

Elsewhere...

Ian sat on the sofa with regal calm. There was a slight smile on his handsome lips as he perused the stream of messages on his phone.

Just then, Dawson approached with an update. “Mr. Hayes, we’ve secured the suburban villa. Some have fled through the underground passage. This was recovered on site.”

He handed a black insignia to Ian.

As Ian’s gaze fell upon it, his eyes stilled. This insignia belonged to the international syndicate known as Devil’s Claw. Those who bore this insignia were the leaders of Devil’s Claw’s various sects.