Once the guests had all assembled, William Thompson took the stage and delivered a passionate speech, expressing his gratitude to everyone. Emma Johnson waited patiently for a moment, then lifted her gaze to Liam Williams.
"Didn't you say there was going to be some drama? I haven't seen anything interesting yet. Don't tell me William's speech is the big show?"
"Patience. A good show doesn't start this early."
Liam spoke slowly, a calm smile fixed on his face. Emma had no choice but to quiet her nerves and wait.
Just as William's speech was drawing to a close, the grand doors of the banquet hall were suddenly pushed open from the outside.
A group of men in police uniforms, their faces cold and stern, strode in from the entrance. The crowd fell into stunned silence. No one could figure out why the police would show up at a reception like this.
"Do you know where you are? Who gave you permission to barge in without notice? I'll call your superiors and ask them what the hell is going on."
Unlike the others, William wasn't intimidated. He was used to dealing with the police. But the middle-aged officer leading the group showed no reaction to his words. He simply pulled out the badge hanging from his chest and flashed it.
"Everyone, stay calm. We're from the Commercial Crime Investigation Department. After an investigation, we've found that William Thompson is suspected of financial fraud over the past few months. We're here to take him back to the station for questioning. This has nothing to do with anyone else."
After the officer finished speaking, the crowd seemed to move in unison, all eyes turning to William, who was still standing on the stage, microphone in hand.
Emma's eyes widened, a flicker of excitement running through her. Could they finally put William behind bars this time?
"Is this the show you were talking about?"
Emma leaned closer to Liam and whispered.
"You said it."
Liam looked at her with a smile.
"It really is a good show. William was caught completely off guard. But this time, he won't just walk out of the police station like he did before."
Liam was amused by Emma's description, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"We have solid evidence. Unless someone is willing to take the fall for him, William will be taken into custody tonight and face more than twenty years in prison. He doesn't have time to prepare a replacement."
That was exactly why Liam hadn't revealed any information beforehand. He wanted to prevent William from preparing countermeasures in advance. After all, William had deep roots and enormous influence in the city. The only way to bring him down was to catch him by surprise. If Liam had more time, he could have uprooted William and his entire network, but he had lost interest in dragging things out.
So this time, he was going to make it quick.
Hearing Liam's words, Emma felt a wave of relief. She remembered the last time she and Olivia had almost gotten into trouble at the KTV, and she still hated William with a burning passion. If that man wasn't locked up, it would be a real shame.
"You want to take me to the police station? Where's the arrest warrant? I'm calling your director right now."
William refused to step down from the stage. He glared at the police below, his face twisted with anger. If this got out, who would ever want to cooperate with him again?
The middle-aged officer pulled out the arrest warrant and held it up for William to see. A hint of sarcasm flickered in his eyes.
"You can call our director. But you'll have to do it from the station."
William's hands were cuffed with shackles. As he was led away unwillingly, he passed by Liam.
"Did you do this?"
William asked in a voice low enough for only the two of them to hear, his tone almost certain.
"I just want to say one thing. If you do wrong, you'll pay the price."
Liam looked at him coldly. William wanted nothing more than to kill the man standing in front of him.
"I won't lose that easily."
Those were William's last words to Liam before he was escorted out of the banquet hall. Liam's face remained expressionless.
Daniel Taylor watched them from a distance. He couldn't hear what they had said, but the murderous intent in William's eyes as he glared at Liam didn't escape his notice.
A wicked smile curled at the corner of Daniel's lips, his eyes thoughtful.
Without the host, the reception quickly fell apart. Some guests didn't leave immediately. Instead, they came over to Liam, trying to curry favor with him. If it weren't for today's event, it would have been nearly impossible to get a chance to talk to him.
Everyone knew that the Pinnacle Corporation had a massive scale and a stellar reputation worldwide.
Faced with everyone's enthusiasm, Liam maintained a polite but distant demeanor. Then, he left the Grandeur Hotel with Emma.
"That was a great show tonight. He shouldn't have another chance to cause trouble now."
Emma said happily in the car.
But then she thought about it. William had once held so much power in the city. She doubted he would stay in prison quietly. He would definitely find a way out.
"They say a centipede doesn't die even when it's dead. Liam, I'm still a little worried."
"If he really has the ability, I'm not afraid of him. Today, he's no different from a drowning dog. I'd like to see what kind of waves he can make."
Liam's tone was completely unconcerned. Seeing how confident he looked, Emma's heart gradually calmed down.
Elijah Clark was on duty late into the night. When he returned to the villa where he lived, he found the lights were all on. He thought Adrian Frost had come again.
Was that guy asking for trouble again?
He opened the door and walked to the porch, only to be surprised to see his father.
"Father."
There was a hint of surprise in Elijah's voice.
Sitting on the sofa was a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses. His hair was faintly streaked with a few silver strands.
"Well, you're back."
Elijah's father was still wearing the white coat he used in the operating room. He nodded at Elijah calmly. If you looked closely at his eyes, you would see that they only held a trace of warmth when looking at Elijah. The rest of the time, they were as sharp as the scalpel on the operating table, flashing with cold light. There was no emotion in them at all.
"There's a body in the darkroom right now. My assistant is cleaning it up. You can tell him how to handle it."
Elijah's father said without any expression.
"Why did you come to Silverdale?"