With Victor cuffed, disarmed, and dragged away by heavily armed officers and soldiers, William maintained his composure, watching the scene unfold with a faint smile. Once the chaos subsided, he looked directly at Kevin, the French president's chief aide, and asked, "Now, would you like to tell me who else in your government is collaborating with Amir Barkawi's remnants?"
Kevin frowned in confusion, while Victor, pale and sweating, stammered, "What? Collaborating? That's impossible! This has nothing to do with me! I was only…"
Victor's words trailed off as his mind raced. He couldn't reveal his involvement in the French National Bank heist, which was now spiraling into a political and public relations disaster.
Kevin, remembering the near-death experience he'd had in London months ago due to Barkawi's attack, felt an overwhelming wave of fury toward Victor. He snapped, "Enough! Drag this man away! I want him under 24/7 surveillance. And listen carefully—if Victor dies in custody, everyone responsible for guarding him will be imprisoned!"
"Yes, sir!" The officers treated Victor like a ticking time bomb, securing him as though he might escape or be assassinated at any moment. They called in a squad of heavily armed soldiers to escort him away, leaving no room for error.
Victor's protests grew louder, but they were drowned out by the boots of the officers and soldiers dragging him off.
Once Victor was out of sight, Kevin's expression darkened. Turning back to William, he growled, "Mr. Devonshire, rest assured, we will give you a satisfactory explanation. But in return, we'll need one from you as well."
"Of course," William said with an easy smile, shrugging casually. "But you'd better be quick about it. If I get a call from England, the conversation may become… less flexible."
Kevin immediately understood the unspoken threat. If England's government got wind of the blackmail-worthy evidence William had, they would undoubtedly use it to pressure France. Knowing this, Kevin quickly proposed, "Perhaps the president would appreciate a private lunch with you this afternoon?"
"Gladly," William replied, his smile tinged with a hint of mischief. "I just hope President Beckon will still have the appetite to focus on the festivities after our conversation."
Kevin froze for a moment, realizing the weight of William's words. He was dealing with someone bold enough to negotiate with the French president face-to-face while holding damning evidence over his government.
"Understood," Kevin replied cautiously. "I'll make sure the president is prepared. Until later, Mr. Devonshire."
As Kevin led his team away, William turned his attention to Abigail, who had been standing silently behind him the entire time. He felt her arms suddenly tighten around his waist, her face pressing against his back.
Squeezing her hand gently, William teased, "Still feeling jealous about Jesse?"
"Ugh, you're so annoying," Abigail muttered, her voice muffled against him. She pinched his hand hard in retaliation. "You only care about me because I'm the 'rational and obedient' one. Do you even consider my feelings?"
William chuckled, unwilling to admit that Abigail's calm and reliable nature made her indispensable to him. Instead, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly. "No, my dear, you've got it all wrong. You're the one I rely on the most. If you ever left, I wouldn't know how to handle half the things in my life."
"Liar," Abigail grumbled, though a smile crept onto her face. She knew that her role in managing William's affairs made her irreplaceable.
The President's Lunch
At 12:30 PM, dressed in formal attire, William adjusted his tie with Jesse's help. As he prepared to leave, he asked her, "Are you sure you don't want to come? It's not every day you get to dine with a president."
"No, no," Jesse shook her head fervently. "Let me work on my etiquette and learn more about managing a vineyard first. I don't want to embarrass you in front of important people."
William smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "Alright, take your time. No rush."
After descending the stairs, he found Abigail ready to go. Together, they left the villa, climbing into a Rolls-Royce driven by Gunnar, heading to the French presidential residence.
The private lunch lasted until 2 PM, with the president departing reluctantly to resume his duties for the day. Whatever William and Beckon discussed remained confidential, but the effects were felt almost immediately.
Within days, an internal investigation rocked the French government. Several high-ranking officials, along with numerous middle managers, were arrested. Among those caught in the scandal was none other than the president of the French National Bank—the very man who had clashed with William during their earlier encounter in London.
The French National Bank was hit hard. The earlier $7 billion loss had already shaken the institution to its core. Now, with the public revelation that $40 billion had been stolen under its nose, the bank faced a complete collapse. Investors fled, public trust plummeted, and bankruptcy loomed on the horizon.
Château Latour Acquired
While the French government scrambled to contain the fallout, William reaped the benefits of his negotiations. With President Beckon's mediation, he met with the chairman of the Printemps department store chain, a prominent French corporation.
A few days later, news broke that Printemps had struck a deal with William's Devonshire Defense Solutions. In exchange for 73% ownership of Château Latour, one of France's five premier wine estates, valued at $300 million, Printemps received $400 million worth of advanced bulletproof fabric. The fabric would be used to manufacture cutting-edge combat suits for the French military.
The agreement also included a clause allowing Printemps to purchase up to $1 billion more in bulletproof fabric at a 5% discount, solidifying William's foothold in the defense industry.
The announcement sent Printemps' stock soaring by 8%, adding $1.1 billion to its market value. Though critics decried the sale of a national treasure like Château Latour to a foreigner, shareholders were too busy celebrating their windfall to care.
For William, the acquisition was a double victory. Not only did he gain control of one of France's most prestigious vineyards, but he also succeeded in introducing his advanced combat gear into the French military.
This opened the door to future military contracts. Shortly after, the British government announced a $100 million purchase of the same materials for their special forces, further legitimizing William's defense solutions in the global market.
Both nations opted to produce the suits domestically to save costs, arguing that William's designs wasted materials by reinforcing non-vital areas with bulletproof fabric. By producing the gear themselves, they could reduce material use by a third, effectively turning three suits into four while cutting expenses.
For William, however, the more nations involved, the better. Every purchase secured his dominance in a lucrative and rapidly expanding market.
His enemies might have thought themselves clever, but in the end, William always came out on top. "Cross me," he mused, "and all that awaits you is a reckoning."
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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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