However, Andy's answer surprised him quite a bit as it was against Andy's inherent nature. This wasn't the person he knew at all. Something had changed in him.
"I don't have complete certainty. It's a risk I'm taking, a bet with my own future hanging in the balance," Andy admitted candidly.
Despite claiming to be taking a life-altering risk on a whim, Andy projected an unexpected sense of confidence. This confidence seemed to solely stem from the news he delivered. He chose to back the less powerful Windsor and Smith families instead of the dominant Hunter family, aiming to make a significant impact in one bold move.
His reasoning was rooted in the belief that his value would be greater with the underappreciated Windsor and Smith families compared to his standing within the Hunter family. This strategic decision showcased his calculated gamble, one that he was willing to stake his life on.
"Come on, don't keep me waiting. Share the details of what you've found that's giving you this high level of confidence," Marico urged with excitement evident in his tone. He couldn't help but be curious, eager to hear the information that had stirred up such assurance in Andy. The prospect of unveiling a hidden truth hung in the air, and Marico's anticipation grew as he awaited Andy's response.
With the morale of Zach's troops at an all-time low, this was the exact moment when they needed something to boost their courage and to give them hope. He could only hope that what Andy had brought wouldn't end up being a dud with no effect.
"I've been keeping tabs on a certain individual for quite a while. It appears that due to the Hunter family's mistreatment, he's been forced into a life on the run. Fortunately, I've managed to track his path and follow his movements," Andy elaborated.
"So, you're suggesting that this person harbors a grudge against the Hunter family. But it's hard to fathom how a single individual could truly impact the unfolding situation," Marico remarked, his tone tinged with incredulity.
The idea of one person wielding enough influence to shift the course of events seemed implausible to him. He couldn't help but wonder about the practicality of such a notion, contemplating the potential avenues through which a lone individual could potentially alter the intricate dynamics at play.
He couldn't grasp why Andy was so confident merely because he had identified a potential enemy of the Hunter family.
The fact that Andy's confidence was based solely on this discovery puzzled him, as it just didn't seem enough to justify such certainty on his part.
There seemed to be more to the story, something he wasn't seeing, which made him curious about the piece of information that had brought Andy to their side.
"What if I were to reveal to you that the individual in question happens to be none other than the infamous murderer, Jack?" Andy retorted, a self-assured smirk gracing his face.
Marico had a straight face at first but soon a smile bloomed on his face as he came to understand Andy's train of thought.
If strategically managed, Jack had the inherent capacity to position himself as the pivotal trump card, possessing the potential to utterly disrupt the existing game board dynamics. His role, if carefully orchestrated, could wield an influential impact capable of reshaping the entire landscape of the situation.
It was only at this moment that Marico grasped the reason behind Andy's unwavering confidence as he strode into Marico's mansion. All Andy possessed was a fragment of information, which might or might not have held any significance, yet his assurance was now clear to Marico.
Without wasting any more time, Marico called for Clara. He knew how important the piece of information could be for Zach in this crucial time where both the families were waiting for the other to give in. Either Zach would have to bend the knee and agree to the demands of the Hunter family, or the latter would have to accept the fact that Diana had no value for Zach which would cause them heavy losses in terms of resources they had utilized to accomplish this sinister scheme with Diana at its center.
Clara had returned from Greenland the previous day. Although she wanted to stay beside Zach, her sister needed to return for some important tasks at home. In such a situation, she couldn't allow Violet to go back alone. So, she accompanied her home with an unwilling expression as if she was leaving something extremely precious behind.
Currently, she was out for some fresh air when she received her father's urgent summons.
She didn't loiter any longer and rushed home at a brisk pace leaving the messenger in dust.
"I'm here, father." Clara almost broke the door when she entered so there was no need for her to announce her arrival at all.
Marico only shook his head slightly but didn't reprimand her. He knew she was angry after seeing Andy in the room. But there were more important things than her childish anger at that moment.
Marico narrated everything that he wanted to convey to Zach to his daughter and sent her to deliver the message. The reason he didn't send any messenger was that he didn't trust anyone else in this precarious situation. It was better to be cautious.
Clara didn't understand why this piece of information was so important, but she did as she was told and hurried to deliver the news to Zach as urgently as possible.
…
In Greenland, Zach was still busy fumbling with the drones trying to locate a weakness in the barrier. He had lost a lot of drones, but he had a lot of them to continue experimenting with. Diana was far too important compared to a bunch of drones. He looked a bit pale and haggard, but he didn't look as bad as Bruce due to Christina's impeccable care.
Zach was surprised that Clara was back already, but the girl had always been eccentric, so he didn't bother too much about it. But the message she had brought for him from her father lifted his spirit up instantly after what seemed like an eternity.
His eyes twinkled with unhidden excitement and hope as a crafty strategy began to take shape in his mind. Sometimes a single ray of light was enough to light up the world. This message was akin to that ray of light for him.
…
In a back alley of a small bazaar at the edge of Byzantium city, a hulking man was breathing heavily as he stuck close to the wall, as if to hide his countenance from his imaginary pursuers.
His haggard face and dirty clothes made him look like a beggar but the physique he boasted was far from that of a beggar. It was sturdy like a bull except for the fact that it was missing a limb, an arm. The sleeve that should have housed an arm was hanging limply by the man's side.
The man was none other than the murderous criminal Jack, notorious for massacring countless individuals. He was a man who was even feared by the jailors in prison and yet he had been reduced to such a pathetic state, forced to run in fear of being captured and put into prison once again.
Jack had never found a moment of respite after escaping from Zach and Christina's hands. He had been the one to kidnap Violet from the Windsor family mansion and for that he had paid the price in blood. The missing arm was a gift from Zach and Christina on that fateful day.
Unfortunately for him, the Hunter family refused to compensate him for his loss. They used him like a dog for as long as he could offer some benefit to them and then discarded him without any explanation.
The promises of freedom he had received from the Hunter family weren't fulfilled at all. They turned out to be just flowery words to manipulate him into doing their bidding for a while.
The Hunter family didn't save him from the police at all even after they had promised him freedom. Instead, the police began to look for him actively and the story of his escape from prison began to be hyped among the city residents so as to close off all avenues of escape for him.
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