The Heiress’ Return: Six Brothers at Her Beck and Call (Wynter Quinnell) novel Chapter 1903

Ingrid's safety weighed the heaviest on Antoine's mind. All he wanted was for her to return unharmed.

Those people could throw accusations at him all they wanted, but without solid proof, he would hold his ground—unless they forced a confession out of him.

"Did they do anything to you, Dad?" Ingrid asked, looking at Antoine worriedly.

Antoine shook his head. "No. We'll have to wait until the investigation is over."

Hearing that, Ingrid whispered hopefully, "Mr. Harrods is here, too. He'll get you out for sure."

However, Antoine shot her a sharp look. "Wilfred isn't just anyone. If he bails me out, people will start talking. It could ruin his career."

"Then what should we do now?" Ingrid asked anxiously.

"We wait," Antoine replied, flicking his finger.

Ingrid was puzzled. "What are we waiting for in this kind of situation?"

Instead of answering her, Antoine fixed her with a stern gaze. "Where's Curtis right now?"

"We've sent him to the Public Integrity Department along with the USB. Lorcan's there, too. Mr. Harrods has his men questioning them," Ingrid answered.

With that reply, Antoine's furrowed brows finally smoothed out. "That's good to hear."

If Curtis cracked, there might still be a chance to turn the tables. Besides, Wilfred was known for his meticulous nature. Otherwise, he wouldn't have risen to lead the Public Integrity Department.

At that thought, Antoine instructed, "Bring Wilfred in. I need to talk to him."

As Ingrid hurried off to fetch Wilfred, the guard at the door called out, "Are you done talking to him?"

"Not yet. I'm bringing someone in," Ingrid said.

The guard frowned at her words. "You only have three minutes. After that, no more visits."

Ingrid nodded and quickly trotted off to find Wilfred. Soon, she led him into the room before stepping away, leaving him with Antoine.

Gazing at Antoine, Wilfred gave his assurance. "I'll get to the bottom of this, Antoine."

Antoine chuckled in response. "I trust your sense of justice. However, the mastermind behind my perjury isn't someone to be taken lightly. You might've caught Curtis, but he's got powerful backing."

Wilfred was stunned by the revelation. Then, a sudden realization dawned on him. "Are you talking about Barnaby Wildingham, the deputy director of the Havenia Office of National Intelligence?"

Antoine gave an affirmative nod. "Exactly. Curtis alone couldn't have pulled enough strings to mobilize both the Organized Crime Department and the Internal Revenue Service."

Wilfred's gaze turned stern. "I've wanted to look into Barnaby for a long time, but I didn't have the chance. His position makes it nearly impossible to touch him. I'll get clearance from the chief executive to open a formal investigation."

"Sorry for all the trouble, Wilfred," Antoine said, sounding apologetic.

Wilfred merely waved a dismissive hand. "No need for courtesy. We've known each other for too long for that. Just understand that I'm doing this for Havenia, not as a favor to you."

As soon as he said that, the guard stepped into the room and urged, "Time's up. You have to leave now."

Wilfred rose to his feet, offering Antoine assurance. "Take care, Antoine. Wait for the good news."

And with that, he turned and walked out.

Ingrid, who had been waiting outside, hurried over anxiously as Wilfred emerged. "Mr. Harrods! How long before my father can get out of here?"

Wilfred could only comfort her. "Now's not the time. I can only take the next steps after a thorough investigation. Come with me to the Public Integrity Bureau. I'll question Curtis myself."

At those words, the chauffeur quickly went to fetch the car. Once he drove it out, the others climbed in and headed to the Public Integrity Bureau.

Soon after, they arrived at their destination. Taking the lead, Wilfred stepped out of the car and called out to Ingrid. "Come with me, Ingrid."

"Can we bring him along, too?" Ingrid asked, pointing at Wolf.

Wilfred's gaze followed her finger, and he shook his head. "There are protocols. Bringing you in is already an exception, and that's only because you're involved in the case."

"But Wolf might know more than I do. How about you bring him instead?" Ingrid insisted.

Wilfred considered for a moment before agreeing. As Wolf followed him into the building, he suddenly turned back and instructed, "Wait here. I need to make a call."

So, Wolf nodded obediently and sat on a bench nearby. With him settled, Wilfred headed into his office and placed a call over the landline.

The line was picked up seconds later, and a voice spoke. "Hello, this is the chief executive's office."

Wilfred stated his purpose. "This is Wilfred Harrods from the Public Integrity Department. I would like to speak with Mr. Bristol."

"One moment, please," the voice replied, then transferred the call.

Moments later, a haggard voice answered, "It's you, Wilfred. Is there something you need?"

With a firm tone, Wilfred stated, "I ask for your approval to investigate Barnaby Wildingham, Deputy Director of the Havenia Office of National Intelligence."

Hearing the request, Tybalt Bristol questioned sternly, "What's wrong with Barnaby?"

"We still need to look into the details, so I'm asking for your permission to proceed," Wilfred explained.

There was a moment of silence before Tybalt consented. "Very well—you have my approval. If Barnaby is truly involved, gather all evidence and report back to me. He holds an important position, so if anything goes south, Havenia may fall into chaos."

Upon receiving the approval, Wilfred was visibly relieved. "Understood, sir. I'll assemble a team and proceed discreetly."

"Do what you must." With that, Tybalt ended the call.

Wilfred then summoned two subordinates and briefed them on the secret investigation. Once everything had been arranged, he left the office and met up with Wolf. "Come on, little guy. Let's go inside."

At Wilfred's call, Wolf hopped off the bench and followed him into the interrogation room.

Noticing their arrival, one of the interrogators stood up and reported, "He's still refusing to say anything, Mr. Harrods."

"Alright, you can leave now. I'll take it from here," Wilfred said.

Once the two interrogators exited the room, Curtis fixed Wilfred with a mocking smile. "So, what crime have I committed to earn this invitation here, Mr. Harrods?"

Instead of being infuriated, Wilfred calmly walked to Curtis' side. "You know full well what you've done, Mr. Lottway."

Leaning into Curtis' ear, Wilfred whispered, "I get why you're so cocky—you know Barnaby will silently bail you out. Alas, I've got my eyes on him now. Do you seriously think he'll care about you once he realizes he's in deep trouble?"

Curtis' expression changed instantly, shock flashing in his eyes. Still, he attempted to stay composed. "You're bluffing. No one can touch my father-in-law."

Only then did Wilfred realize the truth. "Oh? So, he's your father-in-law. Now that just makes things easier."

He settled back into the chair and continued, "As the deputy mayor, surely, you understand what the Public Integrity Department is capable of.

"Even the director of the Havenia Office of National Intelligence gets summoned here for questioning if there's suspicion, let alone a deputy director. As for how long they stay, well, that depends entirely on the severity of their offense."

Curtis had never dealt with the Public Integrity Department, so he had always dismissed it as little more than a bureaucratic branch. Never in his dreams did he expect the department to wield such high authority.

"But I really hadn't done anything!" Curtis protested. Though fear rose in his heart, he still refused to confess.

Wilfred chuckled and held up the USB. "This contains evidence that you hired someone for murder. Care to affirm it?"

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