Holding the phone, William was at a loss for words. If it were about taking out irrelevant people, he wouldn't hesitate for a second. But targeting Charles—no matter how much he disliked him—when there was no direct conflict of interest or enmity? That was a line William found hard to cross. However, if Charles really was responsible for the murder of Marco Cannes, that would be a different story altogether.
On the surface, if a scandal broke out, only the Cavendish family would suffer. What did that have to do with him? But in England, everyone knew the relationship between the Cavendish and Devonshire families. On top of that, just a few days ago, William had openly appeared alongside Charles on a livestream.
If the two major hereditary ducal families of England were accused of murdering a relative, the resulting shame would be catastrophic. If it were proven that Charles was involved in the murders, William would have no choice but to take action to protect the family's honor.
After giving a simple "Understood" to the Duke of Devonshire, William hung up and began pacing the living room, frowning deeply. Abigail and Jesse, sensing the tension, didn't dare breathe too loudly.
After a few minutes, William said to Sunday, "Prepare two planes for me. One will take Abigail and Jesse back to the London estate, and the other will take me to Monte Carlo in the southern region of France, within the Principality of Monaco."
"Understood, sir."
"My dear, are you seriously planning to get involved in this mess?"
Abigail, quick-witted as she was, didn't need to hear William's phone conversation with the Duke to piece things together. The mention of the Cannes duo's death made it obvious why William was heading to Monte Carlo.
"Getting involved in someone else's family affairs is the kind of trouble most people would avoid at all costs," Abigail said anxiously. "You don't lack money, status, or reputation. Why put yourself in this situation?"
"You don't understand," William said, taking Abigail's hand to explain. "Since the day Charles came to see me, I've already been dragged into this. The only way out is to completely clear Charles Cavendish of suspicion. If I don't, both the Duke of Devonshire and I will lose face among England's nobility and upper class. We might even be branded as unwelcome."
"Is it really that serious?" Abigail asked, startled.
"Of course, it's serious," Jesse interjected with a frown. "Back when I was hustling on the streets of New York, anyone who turned on their own people became a public enemy. And whoever took down a traitor would reap huge rewards."
"Hahaha," William burst into laughter, amused by Jesse's comparison of family inheritance disputes among the wealthy to gangland vendettas. "Exactly. The circumstances might differ, but the principle is the same—no one wants to deal with someone who backstabs their own family."
William kissed Jesse on the cheek and then turned to Abigail. "When you get back, keep an eye on the banquet preparations with Jesse. I'll handle things here in two or three days, max."
"Two or three days? You sound awfully confident," Abigail said, giving William a suspicious look that seemed to suggest she believed he might be involved in the whole ordeal.
Annoyed, William grabbed Abigail and playfully smacked her on her backside.
"Ow!" Abigail punched him lightly in the chest and scolded him, calling him a jerk. Her reaction only made William's frustration melt into an itch for affection.
Two hours later, with Abigail and Jesse blushing and thoroughly relaxed, William escorted them onto a helicopter heading to London before boarding another helicopter to Monte Carlo himself.
When he arrived in Monte Carlo, William checked into the Grand Casino Hotel. Before the helicopter even landed, he noticed a group of men in suits standing about ten meters away from the helipad. At the center of the group was an elderly man who was clearly a butler.
As soon as the helicopter's rotors stopped spinning, William disembarked. The group approached, and the butler at the center bowed slightly and said, "Good evening, Your Grace, Duke of Devonshire. I am Lowell, the royal butler of the Moroccan monarchy. His Highness the Prince has asked me to formally invite you to his residence as a guest."
William shook his head and politely declined. "I'm sorry, Mr. Lowell, but you must already know why I'm here. This isn't a suitable time for a social visit. Please convey my regards and apologies to His Highness."
"That's truly a pity," Lowell replied. He, of course, understood why William was in Monte Carlo. Reports had already reached them about the deaths of Marco Cannes and his son Toby aboard the yacht Mediterranean Queen in French territorial waters.
The Moroccan monarchy had no intention of getting involved in the matter. However, not long after the incident, French authorities informed them that William would soon arrive in Monte Carlo to personally oversee the investigation into the Cannes duo's deaths.
Had it been anyone else, the royal family might not have cared. But William was not just anyone; he was a Duke of England. As fellow nobility, the Moroccan royal family naturally extended a polite invitation to meet.
Realizing William had no intention of accepting the invitation, the butler quickly surmised the real reason for his visit. Officially, it was to investigate the deaths of his relatives. But in truth, William was likely there for Charles Cavendish, who was still alive and under suspicion of murder.
After personally escorting William to the presidential suite and briefing the hotel's private butler on handling noble guests, Lowell politely bid him farewell.
The next morning, as the Mediterranean Queen returned from the Mediterranean Sea and docked, everyone who had been present at the scene of Marco Cannes' death was taken by French police to the Moroccan precinct for questioning.
Why were French police investigating? The answer was simple. Morocco, surrounded entirely by French territory and only slightly larger than Vatican City, was the second-smallest country in the world.
Though nominally independent, Morocco was heavily influenced by France in all aspects, including foreign policy. It had to align its actions with French interests to a significant extent.
Now that a French billionaire was dead, there was no way Morocco could handle the investigation independently.
After three hours of questioning, around 10 a.m., nine suspects were placed under supervised accommodation at a French-mandated hotel.
Shortly after the interrogations, copies of the suspects' statements were delivered directly to William. As he reviewed them, he cross-referenced the information with the findings from Sunday's overnight investigation.
William couldn't help but curse Marco for his naivety. The old man, confident in his role as the family patriarch, had assumed none of his younger relatives would dare challenge him.
He never considered that, from the moment he decided to strip everyone of their inheritance rights, there would inevitably be one or two resentful individuals among them, capable of committing desperate acts.
Although Marco was dead, a certain statement he made on the yacht in front of everyone helped resolve a ten-year-old mystery that had plagued William.
It was the question of why his maternal grandfather, Henry Devonshire, had only left a small house to his mother. Not only that, but Lena had been burdened with the medical debts incurred while caring for William's grandmother, struggling alone to raise him under such harsh circumstances.
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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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