Chapter 297

Just as Isabella rolled up to the restaurant, ready to party with her old work buddies, Michael was back at the hospital, visiting Mason and John.

The second Michael stepped into the ward, Mason jumped in, "Did you hear? Jasper busted out of the hospital."

Michael nodded. "Yeah, Mason, I heard."

Mason let out a heavy sigh, "And your guys didn't catch wind of it?"

Michael's face darkened, shaking his head, clearly pissed off by the whole mess.

After a beat of silence, Mason suddenly grinned, "Jasper played us all. Not just your crew and John's. Even the other three big families had people watching the hospital, but they never saw it coming. Jasper, who was supposed to be in a coma, slipped out right under their noses."

John's fists clenched, his voice icy and hard. "When I get my hands on Jasper, I'm breaking his legs. That old man has been messing with me, and I'm not letting it slide."

Michael just looked at John, staying silent.

Mason turned to John, his smile both knowing and challenging. "You holding up okay? Being in the crosshairs of the three big families isn't a walk in the park."

John nodded, cool as a cucumber, "It's not a big deal. I can manage my finances for now."

Mason pressed on, "If it gets too much, let me know. We're family, after all. Your uncle and I will back you up."

John's eyes locked onto Mason's, cold and unyielding. "Grandpa, is this some kind of test from you?"

Mason put on an innocent face. "Why would you think that?"

John snorted, "Only you, me, and Michael know about our bet and the property split. I doubt the lawyers and accountants would dare cross the Williams Family. They wouldn't sell out such crucial info to the three big families. So, it had to be you who told Paxton and the others about our property split, right? That's how they targeted my assets so precisely."

Mason suddenly smiled, no shame at all. He waved his hand, "Yep, I did it. I wanted to see how Paxton and the others would handle you, or if you could fend off the three big families. So far, you're doing alright."

Mason openly admitted John's suspicions.

John was fuming, his fists clenched, but he couldn't lash out, not with his grandpa and uncle right there. He couldn't fight back, even if they started it.

John's gaze shifted to Michael, who seemed lost in thought.

"Michael, do you have any way to track down Jasper, or any tricks to deal with the three big families?" John suddenly asked.

Michael's eyes flickered with surprise, a faint smile playing on his lips, "Didn't you say you could handle it yourself? Why are you asking for my help?"

'I'm just trying to remind you not to make things worse for me right now,' John thought, already feeling the pressure from the three major families. The last thing he needed was Michael adding to his problems.

"I just want to hear your advice. You've got way more experience and know-how than I do. Maybe I can learn something from you," John replied, trying to sound humble.

But Michael saw right through him. While he sneered inside, he kept a faint smile on his face.

"I'm afraid I can't offer you any useful advice," Michael said, making John's expression tighten.

Mason watched their exchange with curiosity, clearly interested in the dynamic between uncle and nephew.

"Michael, I'm your nephew. Can't you trust me even a little? Or are you worried I'll use your methods to get out of trouble and then cause problems for Isabella?" John shot back, clearly annoyed.

'You got it. I don't want you causing us any more headaches,' Michael thought, still sneering inside.

Shaking his head, Michael replied, "No need to provoke me. I really can't teach you. My experience comes from overseas, and the chaos there is a whole different ballgame. In my territory, if someone targets me, I send people to their homes, point a gun at their heads, and make them kneel. Simple as that. But here, I can't do that."

John blinked, trying to wrap his head around the kind of chaos Michael was talking about, something he'd never seen firsthand.

"Is it really that bad where you're from? Sounds like a war zone. Your dad must've been even tougher than my grandpa to build a business in that mess," John muttered.

"Talking about this is pointless. Whether it's you, me, or the three major families, we're not pros at finding people. That's a job for the police or the thugs. We just have to wait for news," Michael said with a faint smile.

"But how long do we wait? Relying on the police and thugs means that once one person finds Jasper, everyone else will know too. This city has no secrets from the four major families. Then it's a race to see who can act faster," John argued.

Michael, unfazed, just sighed and said, "Sometimes luck is its own kind of strength. If fate doesn't want you to find something, you won't. But if it does, you might just bump into what you're looking for while taking a walk in the park."

John furrowed his brows. "Michael, are you saying I should leave everything to fate?"