The Heiress’ Return: Six Brothers at Her Beck and Call (Wynter Quinnell) novel Chapter 1748

The day faded into a breathtaking sunset. Despite being the champion, Wynter chose not to stay for the interview, sparking a wave of discussions that trended at the top.

The Malone family, realizing they couldn't silence the uproar, attempted to shut it down with their connections. But before they could act, news confirming foreign investments in race gambling broke out online.

It was one thing if the activity had been legitimate. Instead, it was a new form of money laundering that threatened Cascadia's core interests.

The Malones had no reservations about sending a racer to jail. Thanks to their connections, they could even handle any fallout with the Quinnells, though not without complications. But if they had endangered the country's interests, they would face questioning from the authorities.

Bernard Malone hurriedly instructed someone to inform his son, Lenny. They had to get out of this mess, and fast!

Meanwhile, Lenny was savoring his moments. The chandelier towering overhead and the wafting fragrance of tea set a scene of full Velorian grace. The guests, all company owners, toasted and chatted in groups as if closing deals.

It was rare to see the Royal Luxury Hotel so crowded. Its exorbitant costs usually kept ordinary citizens at bay, yet luxury cars rolled in one after another that day. Clearly, Eric was a true mover and shaker.

Lenny stood by Eric's side. The two were now the central figures in the Colifernia Chamber of Commerce, with everyone eager to butter them up.

The guests, relaxed and contented, sipped tea as they toyed with their rosary bracelets.

A guest remarked, "As expected of Mr. Lofstedt. I've heard that Riocard Baire of the Cloudveil Sect is hard to please, but his divination is valuable. He never joins any chambers. Is it true that he'll be coming?"

"And then there's Mt. Verfait! Mr. Pritchett, the young medium who has been following Mr. Lofstedt, claims that his mentor will be attending, too. I guess Mr. Lofstedt is the only one in Colifernia with such influence," another chimed in.

As the praises poured in, Eric feigned humility. "I was only given such respect because of their genuine concern for the Southern Cascadia Chamber of Commerce. They sincerely hope for its prosperity in the coming year.

"Once the new heritage site for the chamber is confirmed, I'll ask Mr. Uselton to assess your companies' geomantic layouts—he's already done so for Mr. Malone's."

Lenny, a firm believer in fortune-telling, eagerly spoke up for Riocard. "Ever since Mr. Uselton helped me set up the ornamental horseshoe in my company, my luck has taken a turn for the better. I can just sit back and wait for the money to pour in!"

"Indeed. You're already making hundreds from today's rally, Mr. Malone," someone added.

"Do you think he cares about those small gains? He has probably pulled in thousands from his investments in Galnon!" another exclaimed.

Lenny didn't object to such comments as he clinked glasses with the guests. Those hungry for profits eagerly sought his favor.

"Both you and Mr. Lofstedt are too kind. Gordon Quinnell has been dead for years, yet his descendants think they can ride on the chamber's coattails. In their dreams!" Someone scoffed.

"Exactly. If she ever achieves Mr. Malone's wealth and Mr. Lofstedt's influence, I may reconsider my opinion about her. Who does she think she is? She's just lucky to have landed that engagement!"

Lenny was pleased by the insults. He was determined to see the Quinnells brought low.

In contrast, Eric calmly stated, "Now isn't the time for this, gentlemen. The mediums will be arriving soon, and choosing the new heritage site for relocation is far more important."

Lenny echoed with a disdainful smirk, "Mr. Lofstedt is right. The Quinnells aren't worth mentioning today."

As soon as he said that, Clare Purlles, the Malone family's secretary, hurried over and whispered in his ear. Lenny's expression changed instantly, and his grip on the wineglass tightened. "Who did you say is the champion?"

"Ms. Wynter Quinnell, the Quinnell family's daughter," Clare replied with his head low.

Lenny seethed, and his plump cheeks quivered with rage. "Impossible! How could she be the champion? What the hell was Buck doing?"

Billions of dollars were gone, just like that. Even worse, he might have lost his investments over that single failure. The cunning foreign investors were quick to pull out at the first sign of trouble, leaving his business in ruins.

How Lenny wished he could tear Buck into pieces. He demanded, "Where the hell is Buck Cordova?"

Clare hesitated to speak the full truth and instead handed Lenny a tablet. "You should see the trending news, Mr. Malone."

Lenny's hands shook when he saw the video. It was no longer just about money—that idiotic Buck had spilled out everything he shouldn't!

Lenny yanked Clare over and ordered, "Seek out Dad's connections right now and separate the company's overseas account. We can't let it end like this!"

Clare was flustered. "Why don't you go back and handle it yourself, Mr. Malone?"

"How can I simply leave? Everyone here is brilliant and influential. If I rush back without addressing the issues, it'll just prove the news true," Lenny growled.

Such was the business world's cruelty. A single sign of weakness could destroy everything.

Taking a deep breath, Lenny gave his assurance. "Don't worry, we've been tricked by the Quinnells this time. There's nothing a bit of money can't fix. Besides, we're a long-standing enterprise with numerous connections. We just need to play it right."

Even if the rally was found to have been manipulated, the Malone family could still weather the storm with Bernard's connections. However, they couldn't afford to remain in a controversial situation for too long.

"Leak some dirty secrets about that celebrity. The Quinnell family has quite a few children, one of whom is a celebrity. Just spread the rumor that he's been involved in affairs with others on set," Lenny instructed.

The Malone family was no stranger to using such tactics to avert the public's attention, but little did Lenny know that things had spiraled out of his control. He doubted that Wynter was as capable as they claimed, or that the higher-ups would abandon the Malone family over her.

It wasn't the first time the Malones found themselves in such a precarious situation.

Ten years ago, Lenny forcefully took advantage of a young, innocent celebrity. The celebrity, Sylvia Chenoweth, intended to charge him with rape, but Lenny arrogantly believed that she was lucky to have been in his bed.

To Lenny, Sylvia was a troublesome minor. She had spent two years submitting documents to sue the Malone family, all the while abandoning her career. Eventually, the incident reached the meddlesome Quinnells' ears.

Lenny was annoyed that Rowan leveraged his status as the best actor to help Sylvia with the case. Back then, the Quinnells still held considerable influence. Though Lenny couldn't confront Rowan, he had no qualms about targeting Sylvia instead.

He abducted her and sexually assaulted her, even spreading vile rumors that she had been hooking up with wealthy men as a student. In the end, Sylvia took her own life while Rowan lost his chance at the award.

To Lenny, those people were nothing more than mere ants beneath his feet—easy to crush. Did they think they could challenge him with wealth? They should've known better.

The only retribution he faced was the torment of recurring nightmares. But thanks to the medium Eric had introduced, he hadn't had a sleepless night since.

"The Quinnell family has really gotten on my nerves. Tell the police to deal with Blake Quinnell. Since they've made me lose a billion, I'll make sure he's in prison for the rest of his life!" Lenny snarled, chugging down a whole glass of wine.

Stunned, Danyell instinctively glanced at the chief director. The latter replied, "Deal with the Malones however you see fit."

Wynter suddenly let out a chuckle. "Interesting. It seems like the Malone family isn't the only ones suspicious—all of you are, too. I guess I made the right choice contacting you. One question, and you all slipped up."

Before anyone could respond, she ended the call.

The conference room fell silent, more than ever before. Although they knew that the caller was from the Special Unit, the voice-changer made it impossible to identify who it was.

The local government was aware of the Special Unit's unique role and the obligation to support its operation. However, they never anticipated the extent to which the Special Unit would go.

Danyell attempted to call out to the chief director, but the latter merely waved his hand and dismissed the meeting. The message from the Special Unit was clear—they would conduct a thorough investigation in the local government.

Slumped in his seat, Danyell couldn't fathom how the Malone family had been caught. Hadn't they taken care of the rumors in advance?

But for Wynter, those who exploited others while disregarding human lives were unforgivable. Both Jackson and Lucas had worked relentlessly on the front lines, even traveling to the countryside. Yet, some people trampled on anyone they wanted.

"It's truly an insult to a law student like me." Wynter smirked. She clicked her tongue, giving her a dash of flair.

The laws could never bow to the unjust, and those who benefited from others but committed misdeeds should fall from grace.

Still clad in her race suit, Wynter sharply turned her car and slid into a parking spot outside of the Royal Luxury Hotel. She gazed through the window into the hall, where Lenny and Eric were clinking glasses.

With a smirk, she pressed her earbuds and ordered, "It's time to wrap this up."

The Special Unit's members responded enthusiastically to her command.

…

Meanwhile, in the interrogation room, Nickson remained oblivious to the storm brewing ahead. As he glared at the stubborn Blake, he realized that further delays might change the course of things. Eager to force a confession, he shut down the cameras and recorders.

Seeing that, Blake couldn't shake his growing suspicions of Nickson.

"I advise you to cooperate, Blake Quinnell. This is your last chance. If you still refuse to confess, I'll just have to teach you a lesson. I know many ways to make you bleed to death. The hospital won't suspect anything. They'll just think you died of an illness," Nickson threatened with a sinister grin.

Blake gave a cold smirk. "I knew something was off about you. You're finally showing your true colors."

Nickson lunged forward and seized Blake by the collar. "I didn't want it to come to this, but you've been dragging this on long enough. They've been pushing me. I warned you to cooperate, but you wouldn't listen."

Blake arched an eyebrow. "They? I guess I was right. What happened wasn't an accident at all."

Nickson appeared unconcerned as he casually pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "So what if it wasn't? This testimony is written in your handwriting. All that's left is your thumbprint."

Grabbing the ink pad, he applied some ink to Blake's thumb and was about to stamp it onto the document.