Chapter 197

"Dax, how's Christina holding up?"

After getting everything sorted, William called Dax, the butler who was taking care of Christina, from home.

"Ms. Windsor's alright, but she's in a pretty bad mood. She keeps saying she wants to come back."

The butler gave William a detailed update on Christina's situation.

William rubbed his temples, feeling the stress.

He knew Christina was headstrong and wanted to confront everyone before the truth came out.

But wouldn't that just make her look guilty?

He didn't want Christina to go through that kind of humiliation.

"Okay, I get it. Keep an eye on her. Once I wrap things up here, I'll make sure you get a bonus."

After giving a few more instructions, William hung up the phone.

Christina was still staring out the window.

For the past few days, she had barely moved, except to eat and sleep, constantly thinking of ways to leave.

At first, Christina thought she could escape once she got her documents.

Or she could sneak out when the butler wasn't paying attention.

But despite his age, the butler was sharp.

None of Christina's little tricks escaped his notice.

"Ms. Windsor, don't waste your energy. Staying here isn't so bad. I know you want to clear your name, but going back now would be walking into a trap."

"Mr. Cavendish is already investigating. Don't rush things."

The butler tried to persuade her earnestly.

But Christina wouldn't listen.

"If you keep causing trouble like before, I'll have to get some bodyguards to watch you," the butler said firmly.

Hearing this, Christina had to temporarily give up her plans.

But she kept scheming in her mind.

How could she leave this place?

Christina knew the butler was telling the truth. Although she was staying here, she wasn't being mistreated.

She had the best food and drink, and she overheard the butler's call with William.

Christina was curious about the progress of the investigation.

But she couldn't stand the rumors online.

If people knew she had fled abroad without clearing her name, it would only worsen their judgment of her.

She couldn't accept that.

"I'm not running, but can you give me some electronic devices? If not, I'll keep causing trouble."

The butler, worn out by Christina, finally called William to ask for permission to give her a phone.

But Christina didn't have a local number, so she couldn't contact anyone back home.

After all this, Christina had been abroad for several days.

Though her life here seemed pleasant, she was constantly anxious.

Her anxiety worsened her morning sickness.

She had suffered a lot to keep this baby, but Christina didn't want to let things go.

William was equally worried. He was concerned about Christina's health and the baby.

Whenever he had time, he would call the butler to check on Christina.

It seemed to be the only way to ease his mind.

On the seventh day abroad, Christina couldn't take it anymore.

She asked the butler to buy ice cream from the countryside, a plan she had prepared in advance.

Once he left, Christina used a candle from a dinner to set the curtains on fire.

When the butler returned, he was shocked by the blaze.

He called for help to put out the fire while searching for Christina.

Christina had planned to use the fire as a distraction to slip past her guards and escape.

After days of careful observation, she had pinpointed where her documents were kept.

Now was her chance.

But she didn't anticipate the fire spreading so quickly. By the time the butler returned, Christina had already collapsed from the smoke.

The butler rushed her to the hospital and immediately called William.

William was terrified by the news.

Why was she in such a hurry? Couldn't she wait a little longer, give him more time?

He knew Christina was stubborn, but now he felt utterly helpless.

He couldn't leave the country until the matter was resolved, so he had to rely on the butler.

"Take good care of Christina. Don't restrict her movements for now. Call me if anything happens."

"What do you mean?" The butler was puzzled.

William sighed.

"If she wants to leave, just follow her and make sure she's safe. Don't interfere otherwise."

The butler was surprised but followed William's instructions.

Since Christina left, William had intensified his investigation.

He looked into the company's internal affairs and the recent actions of his family elders.

He had to find out the cause of Nicholas's death. Initially, he believed Christina was innocent.

He wanted to have a forensic examination.

The cause of Nicholas's death would be clear from an autopsy.

But the family elders wouldn't allow it.

Nicholas had always cared about his appearance.

They believed he deserved peace in death, not further disturbance.

William thought an autopsy was the best way to prove Christina's innocence.

But the elders' words were also true.

Nicholas had been strict about maintaining his appearance, even in death.

If William went through with it, it might truly upset Nicholas.

In the end, William had to find another way.

This made the investigation harder, but he wouldn't miss any opportunity, even if it meant sleepless nights.

"Yes, follow this lead. See what my uncle Gage has been up to."

He thoroughly investigated the Cavendish family elders.

When they found out, they were terrified.

One elder confronted William.

"Why are you doing this? Do you think we could be behind this?"

The elder feared William would uncover their dirty secrets.

So he tried to persuade William to give up.

"It's not that complicated. Have Christina come back and confess. We'll write a letter of forgiveness, and she can get out sooner."

"You're wasting time and energy, neglecting the company. Why bother?"

William sneered at the elder's words.

"If you haven't done anything wrong, you have nothing to fear. Besides, she didn't kill anyone. Why should she confess?"

"Is it to cover up someone else's crime?"

He had once respected these elders, but now their actions disgusted him.

"As an elder, I'm just advising you not to waste time on this. If you insist, I can't help you."

Seeing he couldn't persuade William, the elder left in a huff, informing the others.

They had always covered for each other. If the investigation into Nicholas's death exposed other issues, it would be bad.

Despite their attempts to dissuade him, William refused to give up.