"Sorry, buddy. You know, obstructing someone else's merit is a big no-no. Besides, if you want to accuse a colleague, you need evidence." William brushed past Nick Reese and gestured to the equally stunned warden to lead the way.
As they walked, William casually asked the warden, "I heard Bill Reno's death was due to someone intentionally stalling for time?"
"Ah..." The warden snapped out of his daze at the question, hastily defending himself. "We were just following routine procedures."
"Doesn't matter," William replied with a meaningful look. "You're close to retirement, right? I bet you wouldn't want to jeopardize a nice hefty pension over some minor issues, would you?"
"Of course not, of course not." The warden caught on immediately to the insinuation. "Rest assured, Mr. Devonshire, I'm not stupid enough to offend the wrong people."
A few minutes later, William arrived to see Clyde. After dismissing the guards monitoring him, William turned off the surveillance and sat across from Clyde. "So, tell me. What do you want from me?"
"You already know why I want to see you," Clyde said coldly, locking eyes with William. "If you want that $500 million, don't interfere with my revenge."
"Interfere with your revenge?" William gave a calm smile. "No, no, buddy. Look, before you took out Clarence Darby and Rupert Meeks, we already knew everything.
We even knew how you switched Meeks' medication and how you set up Darby. My men were right outside the warehouse where you dismantled him.
And yet, did we stop you? No, we didn't.
So don't insult us by pretending that what you're doing now is all about revenge. Okay?"
"I'm f***ing telling you, it's revenge!" Clyde slammed the table with both hands, lowering his voice to a growl. "Anyone who let Clarence Darby walk free is my enemy."
"Fine. Then Bill Reno, the lawyer who took money to defend Darby, was probably the unluckiest. If it hadn't been for deliberate delays and Nick Reese not wanting to upset his colleagues, Reno would likely be at home with his family right now."
Before Clyde could erupt, William pulled a sleek, futuristic-looking smart glass device from his pocket and tossed it on the table. "Relax, buddy. Watch this. You'll thank me later."
Clyde, intrigued by the high-tech, single-lens device, hesitated briefly before putting it on. Within seconds, a video began playing on the lens. Recognizing the person in the footage, Clyde gritted his teeth. "James Nardi."
"Happy to see an old friend?" William chuckled. "Ever heard of Blackstone Prison?"
"Yeah," Clyde replied, his eyes glued to the screen showing his brother-in-law being brutally mistreated. "They say no one ever comes out of Blackstone. A guy like me would know about it."
Watching James Nardi's suffering, Clyde struggled to keep his composure. "Should I be impressed by your reach or terrified? You didn't just identify the mastermind behind the case from ten years ago; you also had him thrown into the most chaotic, lawless prison in the world."
"Honestly, as long as we're willing to dig, it's easy," William replied, reveling in Clyde's misinterpretation. The truth was, without Clyde's prior confession, uncovering the truth and capturing Nardi so quickly would have been nearly impossible.
Smirking, William added, "Keep watching, buddy. The best is yet to come."
"More?" Clyde raised an eyebrow but continued watching. As the footage progressed, his hands clenched tightly.
"Surprised?" William asked with a sly grin. "Your former boss and your brother-in-law had significant financial dealings. There's even a few patents listed under your brother-in-law's name. You don't need me to spell out the rest, do you?"
"No, you don't," Clyde spat through gritted teeth. "Where is that bastard now?"
"Miami," William replied with a shrug.
"FK!" Clyde cursed, furious that Miami was too far from New York for him to act immediately. After a long tirade, he calmed down and said, "Help me take out Jacques Audiard, and I'll tell you everything about the $500 million."
"Haha." William smirked, shaking his head. "Sorry, buddy, but that bargaining chip is outdated. Not only do I already know about the $500 million, but I also know about the $3.5 billion in unregistered gold bonds.
So if you want me to take out your boss—the one who lowballed you for all your patents and was one of the masterminds behind your wife and daughter's deaths—you'll need a new offer."
"Damn it, already?" Clyde's bravado faltered, replaced by genuine fear. "It's only been a few days. Since when did England's agents work this fast? Or are your Kingsman operatives all superhumans?"
William shrugged and lied with a straight face. "Like I said, when we get serious, our capabilities are beyond anything a lone wolf like you could imagine."
This statement both startled and discouraged Clyde. He had been toying with the idea of going to France after everything was over to try his luck with the $4 billion. Now, that idea seemed hopeless.
Dejected, Clyde slumped in his chair. After a long pause, he sighed. "Fine. I'll tell you everything you want to know. But I want Jacques Audiard and his family sent straight to hell."
"No problem," William replied, pulling out his phone. After a few taps on the screen, he slid it across the table. "You know how the dark web works. Post the job yourself. It'll feel more like revenge that way, don't you think?"
Chuckling, Clyde pushed the phone back, pointing to the smart glasses still on his face. The screen now showed Jacques Audiard and his family lounging on a sunny beach. "I want them dead now. Don't tell me you're not ready for this."
"Sorry," William said with a shrug. "Taking out scumbags like Audiard is no issue, but I don't target innocent people, especially kids."
"Are you joking? The underworld is full of stories about how you've personally killed over a hundred people, and now you're telling me you don't touch innocents?" Clyde sneered.
When William remained unfazed, Clyde pressed further. "You're not serious, are you?"
"Of course I am," William replied firmly. "My hands are drenched in blood, but I still have a few lines I won't cross."
"Nice words. But if what happened to me happened to you, what would you do?" Clyde retorted angrily.
"Simple," William said with a grin. "I'd take out the mastermind myself. As for the rest, that's what methods like 'using others to do the dirty work' are for."
Ignoring Clyde's sneer, William added, "It might sound naive, but I'd rather not personally stain my hands with blood that would haunt me in my sleep."
"Naive indeed," Clyde muttered, staring silently at his hands. After a long moment, he finally said, "Fine. Start with Jacques Audiard."
------------------
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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