Watching Wesley comforting Fox, William curiously asked Carlos, "Aren't you worried Wesley will be completely manipulated if they stay together?"
Carlos shook his head. "I know Fox. Ever since Sloan brought her into the Assassin Brotherhood at age eleven and told her that her parents died because an assassin hesitated during a mission, letting the murderer go free, she has lived solely for revenge. She's a true assassin of destiny. But with Sunday's help, I found this in Sloan's vault."
Carlos took a document from his coat pocket and handed it to William. Glancing at it, William smirked. The document revealed that Sloan had intentionally been searching for children with heightened reflexes and accelerated heart rates—traits linked to superhuman perception and reaction speed.
Although this document didn't directly prove Sloan's involvement in Fox's parents' deaths, it clearly showed that Sloan's connection to Fox was no coincidence.
While this evidence couldn't be used against Sloan before his exposure—when he broke the centuries-old Brotherhood code and deceived everyone—it was different now. Once the Brotherhood's brainwashing lost its sanctified facade, even fools wouldn't believe in it. Then again, there seemed to be no shortage of such fools. Otherwise, there wouldn't be frequent cult-related incidents in the USA making headlines.
William hesitated. "Let's hope so."
"Relax. Wesley is my son. I'll keep an eye on him. Besides, I destroyed that loom earlier. The so-called 'Fate Assassins' are history now. All that's left are the guardians of the Devonshire family," Carlos reassured William, patting him on the shoulder.
"Fine, maybe I'm just overthinking it." William shook his head, trying to clear his concerns. "Take Wesley and Fox to London and wait for me, or bring them directly to the Kingsman Academy. Wesley's training is still incomplete."
"Understood," Carlos agreed without hesitation.
Carlos and Fox were alike in many ways. Having spent decades following orders, Carlos was conditioned to obey authority figures—first William's grandfather, Henry Devonshire, and later Sloan. When Sloan proved untrustworthy, Carlos naturally shifted his allegiance to William as soon as William showed signs of rising power.
This unyielding loyalty made Carlos an ideal subordinate for William, especially since Carlos was a man of principle: he only killed when ordered to do so. William appreciated this pure dedication even more because of his own manipulative tendencies, like his willingness to lower himself to call Carlos' disillusioned and defeated son a "brother."
After Carlos finished speaking with Wesley and Fox, the three of them approached William. William extended his hand to Wesley and said, "I owe you an apology, Wesley, for deceiving you earlier."
Wesley quickly shook his hand, a bit nervous. "It's fine, Mr. Devonshire."
"Call me William," William replied with a smile. "To be honest, we're deeply connected, though you might only vaguely remember it. I certainly don't, since, according to your father—Uncle Carlos—I was only a month old at the time."
This was the first time William openly acknowledged Carlos as his uncle, effectively recognizing Wesley as his brother.
"Haha!" Carlos laughed heartily, clearly pleased. "That's right. If not for William, old Mr. Devonshire wouldn't have saved me, nor would he have helped me search for you, Wesley. When you were attending kindergarten in Oxford, Mr. Devonshire and I even visited you. Years later, after learning you moved to the USA with the Gibsons, Mr. Devonshire didn't hesitate to send me here to accompany you. So yes, our family has a strong bond with the Devonshires."
"Well..." Wesley found it difficult to adjust to the sudden revelation that his former target of revenge was actually his father. However, with William's DNA test report and Fox's confirmation, Wesley no longer doubted Carlos' claim.
"Haha, don't worry, buddy," William reassured him. "We'll take our time getting to know each other. Your future is entirely your choice. Still, I'd like you to finish your training at the Kingsman Academy in London first. After that, it's up to you."
For Wesley, the only sense of achievement he'd recently experienced came from shooting and training. Hearing William's suggestion, he didn't refuse, unsure what else he could do. "Alright, W-William."
"Don't worry," William said, patting his shoulder. "Finishing your training is just to avoid leaving things half-done. During that time, you can think about what you want for your future."
He added with a grin, "Even if you want to go back to being an accountant or something similar, that's fine. The Devonshire Family Foundation could use someone I trust."
"Thank you. Thank you, William." Hearing William call him trustworthy filled Wesley with gratitude and excitement.
For many Americans, the title of an English duke still held prestige. William's self-made wealth only added to his credibility.
"Haha, don't be so nervous, Wesley. I'd like our relationship to feel more like friends or family," William explained. "You've probably heard about my childhood. My first eighteen years weren't great either—I was just a regular guy. So, Wesley, let's keep things casual."
"Exactly," Carlos chimed in. "Wesley, William is easy to get along with—he's not pretentious, except..." Carlos glanced at William with amusement.
Seeing William merely shrug in indifference, Carlos continued, "...except for his issues with women and his indifference toward strangers. Other than that, he has no real flaws."
"What can I say?" William sighed. "I've been under surveillance since I was ten. If I weren't cautious, I'd have been exploited long ago. As for women..." He glanced at Fox and shook his head. "Let's not get into that. Just consider me a man who got rich too quickly and lost himself in the allure of wealth."
"Haha!" William's self-deprecating humor made Wesley, Carlos, and Fox burst into laughter.
Satisfied with the lighter atmosphere, William handed Carlos' file to Fox. "This document doesn't prove much directly, but it should help you realize that everything Sloan told you was a lie."
"Thanks," Fox replied, shaking her head and refusing the file. "When you're lost in a web of lies, it's easy to ignore the obvious. But once you wake up, too many 'coincidences' stop being fate and reveal themselves as deliberate traps. Don't worry, I've been clear-headed since the moment I shot myself in the jaw and survived."
"Alright then," William said with a smile, taking the firing pin for Fox's handgun out of his pocket and handing it back to her. "See you in London."
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Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
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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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