Pampered By My Three Brothers: The Return Of The Neglected Heiress - Chapter 824

Chapter 824: Stick to the plan
“I’m revealing this to you and only you because I want to give you reassurance. I can help you.”

Help.

All this time, Stephen had thought he wouldn’t get any help. After all, those people had ambushed him right in front of the police station, erasing all hope for him from the get-go. With how things went down, Stephen believed he was up against a very powerful force.

And if he didn’t listen, his entire world would come crashing down.

They cornered him at his most desperate moment, and taking advantage of this desperation, they extinguished any sight of hope. It was as though Stephen had fallen into a hypnotic trance, unable to see a way out anymore.

But hearing that word, “Help,” made him wonder if it was possible.

“Slater…” Stephen hurriedly scooted to the corner of the couch, closing the distance between them. He pointed at Slater’s pocket with a trembling finger. “That—that ID… is it… is it real? It says Homeland Security Special Division—are you really not pranking me?”

“Even if I’m as foolish as you think I am, do you think I’d joke about something like this?”

Stephen gulped. “Are you sure you can help me? I mean, how did you even get in there? You’re a celebrity. How come no one knows about this? No, your father probably knows, huh? Or maybe Atlas—Hugo! He must know, right?”

“Correction, I am an artist, not a celebrity. Even if I’m going to fall into that category, the right term is superstar,” Slater corrected. “Second, no, they don’t know. Surprisingly, you’re the only one who knows. I didn’t expect it either, but I’ve already revealed it to you.”

“…” Stephen studied Slater with shaky eyes, unsure whether he should fully believe him now. But then again, this was no joking matter.

Slater couldn’t just hold a Homeland Security ID if he weren’t an agent. This agency might not be as well-known as other international ones, but Stephen had heard of them plenty of times in his life. Simply put, Homeland Security was more of an Internal Affairs agency—they were the police of the police. They focused mainly on national security. If this agency was involved, it meant things were bad. In other words, it was huge and serious, and for Slater to be a part of it meant he was skilled enough to be there.

But then again, there was still one possibility. After all, Stephen had never seen a real Homeland Security ID before.

“Is this a prop for a movie?” Stephen blurted out, making Slater frown deeply.

“Uncle, if I killed you right now, would you believe I’m capable?” Slater responded without missing a beat, causing Stephen’s breath to hitch. Rocking his head in satisfaction, Slater continued, “I’m not joking with you. This is not a joke, as you said. It involves the life and death of not just one person, but many. I wouldn’t joke about this.”

This time, Stephen straightened his back and leaned back slightly, as if the realization was slowly sinking in.

“I already told you what I can, but I can’t tell you more. However, I’m serious when I say I can kill you, and I can get away with it,” he emphasized, locking eyes with his uncle. “I am the only hope you have right now. So, if you want to free yourself from this, I need you to be patient and listen to me without question.”

“…” Stephen didn’t answer immediately, holding his breath until he felt suffocated. After that, he nodded, his eyes still locked on Slater. “What do we do, Slater?”

It was strange for him to ask such a question because, never in Stephen’s imagination, had he thought he would be asking Slater what to do. But if it was true that Slater was who he claimed to be, then perhaps there was hope left for him.

Seeing the determination in Stephen’s eyes, Slater sighed and nodded in satisfaction. Slater leaned back on the couch, keeping his calm eyes on his uncle.

“First, I need to know what you know about these people,” Slater urged calmly. “From start to finish. You need to tell me everything—no matter how small or insignificant they seem to you. Only then can I figure out if this plan will work or if I still have to improvise.”

Stephen gulped nervously, nodding in understanding. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth. Once the first word came out, he just kept going.

“I see…” Slater rocked his head, not surprised by anything Stephen said.

“I haven’t seen this person I’ve been talking to,” Stephen continued. “All communication was either by people walking by, telling me that he wanted to talk to me. Then, I would go to whatever meeting place I was told, and there would be an old phone waiting for me.”

Slater nodded, but then arched an eyebrow when Stephen eagerly added, “But I’d know him if I heard his voice. I get nightmares because of him. So, I’ll definitely know who he was, just from his voice.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“Why?”

“Voice changers exist,” Slater replied, his tone a little indifferent. “However, it’s still good if you can identify him once you hear him. After all, it’s possible he isn’t using one, given how confident he was. We’ve profiled countless criminals, and from what I’ve heard so far, he likely wouldn’t use one.”

“Then why did you say it’s unnecessary?”

“Because I’m not trying to catch him for now and I don’t want to rely only on that.”

“What?”

Slater let out a shallow breath, tossing a pill bottle to Stephen. The latter caught it instinctively, furrowing his brows in confusion.

“Why did you—?” he halted, looking at Slater for an explanation.

Slater remained calm. “I told you that I needed you to be patient, Uncle. So, I’m giving those back to you. However, what’s inside that bottle isn’t the same as the original drugs. I already sent the real ones to someone as part of the evidence.”

“I don’t think I’m following…”

“Stick to the plan,” Slater said in the same calm and quiet voice. “Do what you were told to do, but this time… with a twist. After all, if you tell them you want to back out, they’ll just find another person to do the job—it could be anyone, your wife, daughter, or some completely different person. So, we might as well keep them in the loop.”

Stephen furrowed his brows, holding his breath, waiting for Slater to say more. Slater’s eyes glinted dangerously before his mouth opened.

“Confess this to my first brother. He’ll know what to do.”