CHAPTER 50: CHAPTER 50: BEHIND FATE, THERE IS A GUIDING HAND

Elias Shaw had navigated the political world for many years, and yet he had never seen a woman so swiftly reject his commission.

Aren’t Lachlan Wyatt’s people supposed to do anything for money? But when it came to this woman, why did she wear such an unwilling expression?

Elias Shaw made his tone slightly more forceful and tried to convey the seriousness of the matter to her, "We need a lot of personnel, so I suggest you join us..."

Iris Crawford pushed the empty bowl toward Martin Hawthorne, indicating for him to continue peeling shrimp, then glanced at Elias Shaw, "I don’t want to get involved in such a complicated case."

Tsk. This woman...

Elias Shaw glanced with dissatisfaction at Lachlan Wyatt, only to find the latter leisurely sipping juice, showing no concern that a team member didn’t regard the client as important.

Is Lachlan Wyatt just allowing this woman to behave so recklessly?

Elias Shaw originally thought that as long as Lachlan Wyatt was present, everyone would listen to him, but who knew Iris Crawford would jump out halfway.

Elias Shaw said, "Lachlan, listen to your office’s..."

"Her, I can’t manage." Lachlan Wyatt spread his hands, saying he couldn’t manage her, but who knew if it was favoritism. He smiled, "No choice, why don’t you try convincing her?"

Elias Shaw had been the one giving orders all his life, never had he been treated like this.

If the person wasn’t too important... he wouldn’t even look twice at this woman! Elias Shaw, in a bad mood, said, "Hope you don’t fail to appreciate what’s good for you!"

Fail to appreciate? Iris Crawford was about to sneer, "The scandal between the officials in your circle and the artists in Hector Sutton’s company, what’s it got to do with me? Did I put a knife to his neck and make them collude?"

Hiss, Sarah Shaw drew a sharp breath on the side; it was her first time seeing someone dare speak to her brother this way.

But Hector Sutton provided a way out, having dealt with Iris Crawford often, knowing her temperament, he quickly said, "Oh Elias, she’s just like that, don’t be mad, talk things through properly... maybe she’ll get interested again?"

What’s going on, why are all these people so accommodating to this woman?

Elias Shaw was incredulous, widening his eyes, "What methods does this woman have, getting you all to listen to her like this?"

James Chesterton looked at the ceiling and whispered, "Mainly... can’t beat her..."

Hector Sutton shifted his gaze over again; he didn’t know why, but ever since getting treated coldly by Iris Crawford last time, he felt uncomfortable, not wanting to be excluded from her circle of friends.

Gritting his teeth, Hector Sutton took out a check from his pocket.

Handed it to Iris Crawford.

Iris Crawford’s eyes immediately lit up!

Five hundred thousand!!!!

Hector Sutton’s neck was flushed red; his pale face had two spots of blush fly across, "Anyway, that, didn’t we talk about this last time?"

Iris Crawford took the check, held it up to the sunlight, examining it like verifying the authenticity of banknotes.

Hector Sutton said angrily, "We had a bet, didn’t we, about your identity! Five million is too much to transfer at once; five hundred thousand is my small compensation to you! Take it!" If this scandal were exposed, what he would’ve spent would definitely exceed this...

Oh, so it’s an apology? Although it still sounds quite stiff, but...

Iris Crawford opened her mouth wide, teasing, "Didn’t expect that, Young Master Sutton, a gentleman’s word is his bond..."

With the money taken, she immediately smiled at Hector Sutton, no sign of that icy demeanor from last time, she even winked at him with a smile saying, "Young Master Sutton is indeed generous, this money is definitely more swiftly given than Jordan Jacobs’s."

Hector Sutton’s hair nearly stood on end, "Who would happily compare with someone like Jordan Jacobs? At least I didn’t cheat and find a mistress!"

Iris Crawford patted his shoulder; whoever gives money gets her pleasantries, comforting him, "Indeed, you and Jordan Jacobs are very different."

"..." Was she praising him now? No, how could Iris Crawford change her attitude so fast? Is this woman obsessed with money, changing her demeanor as soon as she gets paid!

Swallowing hard, Hector Sutton glanced at Elias Shaw, who was left out in the cold, and whispered, "Elias Shaw is also our dear friend; you should help a bit. I’ve given you the money, haven’t I? This may involve the Jacobs Family, surely you don’t want to stay uninvolved?"

If Hector Sutton spoke this way, it showed he genuinely needed Iris Crawford.

Seeing Dane Rivers, Hector Sutton, who previously looked down on Iris Crawford, now treating her amiably like this, Lachlan Wyatt inexplicably felt uncomfortable.

He didn’t quite understand why he felt uneasy, but there was indeed a disquieting feeling.

Just how many men does she have to tame?

Iris Crawford laughed, "You should’ve mentioned it was related to the Jacobs Family... could it be the undercover mission James Chesterton did last time—"

Elias Shaw raised his hand to his lips, "We are tracking the roots behind this, and this person is a key witness. Currently, a female artist beside Hector Sutton seems to be his long-term mistress and is aware of these matters, so we need to protect their lives and arrest them."

Iris Crawford furrowed her brow, "If you’re arresting them, why protect their lives..." By this, she meant, is someone behind the scenes trying to eliminate them, keep them quiet, so Elias Shaw can’t trace the clues further?

"They’re here to conduct a transaction with the people behind it." Elias Shaw, hands in white gloves folded together, his features deep, seemed to carry a heavy sense of pressure, "Once captured fails, they will definitely be killed by the organization behind them, leaving no evidence to protect the organization, so we can’t let them detect our presence, need to ensure a flawless capture without getting eliminated by the people behind..."

So that’s how it is.

Iris Crawford frowned, "Then why say it’s related to the Jacobs Family?"

"Jacobs Family shareholder Yvonne Jennings, has been trading with a particular account frequently in the past two years." Elias Shaw smiled slyly, "As an information exchange, how about you join this mission?"

He only told half to keep her in suspense, holding a grudge because she had said she wouldn’t accept it earlier!

Iris Crawford is adaptable; she immediately responded, "I’ll take it, tell me what you need!"

Ha, this woman!

"The person we’re pursuing, who holds critical financial records, is named Peter Marshall, the son of Marcus Marshall. Marcus wasn’t a good person back then, and now his son has followed in his father’s footsteps, engaging in all sorts of illicit activities. He’s often involved in money laundering, and we’re watching him to secretly gather evidence for his arrest. Some of the records he carries with him. Then there’s a female artist from Hector Sutton’s company named Gia, who is being kept by Peter Marshall and knows many of his secrets; she’s considered an accomplice..." Elias Shaw explained the key points efficiently, it was clear that his usual behavior is like this, and then he handed over a USB drive, "They’ve always had financial exchanges with a mysterious account, which is also the account Yvonne Jennings has been transferring funds to over the past two years..."

Everything is lining up!

Could there be some hidden agenda behind her kidnapping case from back then!

Iris Crawford widened her eyes, feeling like she was slowly uncovering the truth, the excitement speeding up her breathing. The woman swallowed slowly, then looked up at Elias Shaw, "How long have you been investigating this?"

"Two years." Elias Shaw reached out and grabbed Iris Crawford’s chin, "Well, is that enough to pique your interest, hmm?"

Facing his dangerous gaze, Iris Crawford smiled.

If that’s the case, then two years ago, there might have been another hand driving the kidnapping case, possibly the owner of the mysterious account. Maybe she and Yvonne Jennings weren’t just innocently kidnapped, but deliberately ordered to be kidnapped to make them disappear!

The thought that there are people in the world so eager for her demise thrilled Iris Crawford beyond measure.

It was like standing in the eye of a storm, pushed straight into the height of danger.

Come, you malicious killer.

Let’s see who really is the devil!

Watching Iris Crawford and Elias Shaw join hands in partnership, Lachlan Wyatt seemed to recall something, his eyes narrowing slightly.

******

That night, the office’s members laid out a meticulous plan. Sarah Shaw was tasked with approaching the female artist Gia, James Chesterton was responsible for monitoring Peter Marshall’s every move and finding an opportunity to strike, Martin Hawthorne and Peach were in charge of communication and handling various unexpected situations, as for Iris...

Iris Crawford stood in her bedroom, looking at Lachlan Wyatt incredulously, "You want me to seduce Peter Marshall?"

Lachlan Wyatt was expressionless, "Peter Marshall is lecherous; he’s always had designs on female celebrities in the entertainment industry..."

"You mean you want me to steal the evidence he carries?" Iris pointed at herself, "By seduction?" Everyone in the office knew Iris was smart; she wasn’t just a pretty face!

For some reason, her tone seemed accusatory.

Lachlan Wyatt found it grating, "Any other method would alert him, and if Peter Marshall senses something, he might be eliminated by the organization behind the scenes, and all the evidence will be destroyed, leaving us empty-handed. Since he’s lecherous, using allure is the easiest and least suspicious way to get close to him."

Iris Crawford took two deep breaths, "So you really want me to seduce Peter Marshall?"

"Tsk." Lachlan Wyatt raised an impatient eyebrow, "I’m not telling you to actually do anything with him, besides, James Chesterton will be secretly monitoring you throughout, he’ll step in if anything happens."

Looking at Lachlan Wyatt’s face, Iris Crawford asked impulsively, "Lachlan, as long as situations like this arise, you wouldn’t hesitate to send me out, would you?"

Lachlan Wyatt’s heart seemed to skip a beat; for a moment, his mind went blank.

Iris Crawford’s question seemed to have exceeded his scope of handling.

After a while, he regained his composure and said to Iris Crawford with complex emotions, "Why ask such pointless questions?"

Iris Crawford felt an urgent need to press on, "Is it?"

"What else?"

Lachlan Wyatt turned his face away indifferently, "Besides, this task is crucial, and you won’t be short on money."

"Damn it, I don’t care about your money!"

Iris Crawford threw a sofa cushion at Lachlan Wyatt’s face.

She wished desperately she was hitting him with a knife.

This man, cold as ice, has appeared when she’s attacked, even though she’s never once called out "Young Master Wyatt, help me," but every time she turns around, Lachlan is already on her side.

Just like that time with Dane Rivers.

Iris Crawford is someone with a heart of stone, long unafraid of betrayal.

But she’s scared of others... being kind to her.

And now, Lachlan Wyatt is actually asking her to seduce Peter Marshall.

Yes, he is the one ordering her.

No order quite as humiliating as this one.

"If you don’t want to do it, you can quit anytime; you’re capable enough to take on Jordan Jacobs alone now." Lachlan Wyatt carelessly dropped a bombshell, "After all, you’re no longer the person you were two years ago."

Iris Crawford’s heart trembled.