Chapter 385 - EMPTY PROMISES

The Chairman of the International Health Alliance looked at two of his board members with his old but piercing eyes. The entire group had left the Netherlands and returned to London where the headquarter was situated. 

"We are not completely out of the woods. We have only been granted a reprieve. You understand that, don't you?" He spoke.  ​​

"Yes." The two men responded. 

"William, I know you can be a bit restless, but do not be careless during this period. The Interpol will be watching us, waiting for us to make a mistake." The Chairman's eyes were sharp. 

William Springer was the enforcer for the board. He was the man who cleaned up the messes for the IHA board. Unfortunately, he was also their primary point of weakness. 

As a rash man with a lot of anger, he was prone to fits of madness. Those fits could expose them, so Interpol would probably focus on him. They would watch and wait until he made a mistake. And then, they would use him to get to the rest of them. 

And William knew all their secrets. If he was arrested, he was unlikely to go quietly. He would probably bring down everyone with him. 

If the international court and Interpol agents were not watching them so closely, the Chairman would have dealt with William cleanly. This type of person was better off dead when a situation like this arose. His continued existence was a danger to everyone. 

"Chairman, I understand what is at stake. Trust me. I will not do anything to jeopardise our freedom or our future." William said with an ingratiating smile. 

The Chairman became a little more severe. 

"I do not want empty promises. Do you ȧssume I am unaware of the matter involving you and the prȯstɨtutė at the hotel in Amsterdam?" His voice was sharp and cruel. "Do you know some Interpol agents took her in and questioned her?" 

William remembered that wh*re he had hired and cut loose before the end of the night, and a cold sweat trickled down his back. He did not think that it would attract attention since he did not do anything illegal. 

However, seeing the Chairman's eyes, he understood that he had made a mistake. He should never have tried to vent his anger in that way. If the Chairman took action against him, no one would be able to save him. 

"I did not do anything to her. She is just a sl*tty b*tch I used. Everything she said was a lie." He defended himself with a blotchy face. 

The Chairman's powerful presence bore down on him, causing him to almost lose his ability to breathe. It was obvious he was very angry.

"You are fortunate that she was too afraid to rat you out to the Interpol. Otherwise, we would still be held in the Netherlands indefinitely. This kind of willful behaviour will not be tolerated. If you want to go back to your carefree life, wait until the coast is completely clear. Understood?" The Chairman asked. 

"Yes," William responded servilely. 

The Chairman turned to the other man. This man was Simon Burke. He was known to be the most level-headed and stable member of the board. He was the charming one who maintained relationships between the board and the important directors and managers of IHA. 

His mild demeanour gave him an easier time with the international court liaisons and Interpol agents. 

"Simon, you were the closest with Dr Harriet Brown." The Chairman said. 

"We communicated well. It was part of my responsibilities." Simon back answered without inflexion in tone. 

"Could she have left anything that could jeopardise us? Can anything related to her be used to expose us to more problems?" The Chairman asked. 

"I do not think so. She was cautious, but I do not believe that she could plot against us. Her focus was only on her work." He replied. 

"I hope that is the case." The Chairman sighed. "This situation would be over, but Zhong Feng is pushing for a prolonged investigation. He has too much economic power, so the concerned governments are afraid of offending him. Make sure that no one makes any wrong moves." 

He added a few more words before dismissing the two men from his soundproofed study. He had gotten the room swept for listening devices with care to avoid spying. He would not put it past those despicable agents to violate his legal rights. 

As William and Simon left the large mansion, their faces showed a heavy mood. Simon started to bid William farewell and head to his car, but the other man stopped him. 

"Why didn't you tell him about that matter?" William asked. 

"I do not have any evidence or witness. It was just a casual conversation between friends after a few drinks. You should know by now that finding the girl is like finding a needle in a stack of needles. It is not worthwhile to rock the boat for an uncertain thing." Simon responded. 

William nodded in understanding before waving at Simon. Each of them stepped into their cars and drove off from the mansion. William smiled with vulgar happiness as he passed through the gigantic gate and got on the road. 

'What an idiot!' He thought. 

The only problem was the payment. The other person had a higher requirement due to the high-risk nature of the information. As soon as he could sort out his finances, he would have all the details on that b*tch's daughter. 

In the vacated study, the person remaining dialled a number with some tension and waited with stiff anticipation. The call was picked after almost a minute. No one spoke on the other end, but the Chairman knew someone was listening.

"Zhong Feng is insisting on pursuing the investigation. The pressure on the members of the board is enormous. I am afraid that it is only a matter of time before someone snaps. Maybe you can do something to make him ease up." The Chairman said. 

"If this little bit of pressure is unbearable, you are not worth keeping around. Do not contact me again. Our ȧssociation is terminated." The eerie and chilling voice responded.

The Chairman shook. "Why? I have followed everything you asked." 

"Have you? You used the power given to you to enjoy a carefree life without focussing on the mission ȧssigned to you. If you spent as much time working as you did on your lavish parties, I would have what I wanted, and you would not be in this position." 

"I am not a philanthropist. You have not provided scientific data or a paper addressing the problem I presented. You have lost all the experts working on the solution. You have no hope of recovery. Tell me why I should continue helping you?" The voice had a murderous tinge.

The Chairman felt afraid, but he could say nothing. He wanted to beg, but he did not have the right. He could only listen to the harsh beep as the call disconnected.