An Understated Dominance - Chapter 2462
“Gentlemen, I’ve done my part and already had my tea. I still have things to take care of, so I’ll leave now. Farewell!” Jovian said.
When no one replied, he simply nodded, stood up, and walked out of the room.
As the door opened, Warrick’s expression darkened, and his hand moved toward his sword. But before he could act, Huxley gently touched his arm and shook his head.
Jovian sensed something was wrong and paused at the doorway before stepping outside.
Boston, who was by the door, let out a quiet sigh of relief as he watched Jovian leave unharmed. However, his relief faded when he saw the serious faces of the three men inside.
It was clear that the meeting hadn’t gone well. Thankfully, nothing too serious had happened. Otherwise, Boston would have had to explain himself to both sides.
“Why did you stop me? That arrogant brat clearly doesn’t respect us. If we don’t teach him a lesson, he’ll think we’re pushovers,” Warrick said, slamming his fist on the table.
The rosewood cracked under the impact, sending food and wine flying. In the past, Warrick’s anger would have led him to attack Jovian on the spot.
“If he were anyone else, you could do whatever you wanted,” Huxley replied calmly.
“But Jovian isn’t just from the Ballard family. He’s also Lord Austin’s guest. If something happened to him here today, do you think His Highness would let us off the hook?”
“That’s right,” Percival added. “We can threaten and intimidate as much as we want, but harming him is not an option. It’s not worth provoking Lord Austin over a small issue.”
Making threats was one thing, but actually hurting Jovian would lead to big problems. Even though they didn’t fear the Ballard family, they still had to show respect to Austin.
“Can’t we just insult him or hit him? So we’re just going to let him walk away?” Warrick looked frustrated.
He knew that if people found out about this, his reputation would suffer.
“Mr. Prescott, please calm down,” Huxley replied smoothly. “We invited him here. If anything goes wrong under our watch, Lord Austin will hold us accountable. But if it happens somewhere else, that changes things.”
Warrick paused, starting to understand. “You mean we should deal with this… quietly?”
“Exactly. We can get a few skilled men, take him, question him, and make sure he disappears without a trace.” Huxley made a motion across his throat and lowered his voice. “As long as we keep it clean and leave no evidence, even if Lord Austin suspects something, he won’t have a reason to come after us.”
Warrick’s eyes brightened. “I like that plan.”
Killing and covering it up wasn’t new to him. If Jovian had been a local noble from West Lucozia, Warrick might have hesitated. But Jovian was from Oakvale. He had some influence, but not enough to cause trouble here. With their connections, Warrick felt safe from any retaliation from the Ballard family.
And as for Austin, Warrick figured that as long as they kept it quiet, Austin wouldn’t make a fuss over a dead man.
“Gentlemen, we shouldn’t take this lightly. We need to think this through more carefully,” Percival said, sounding unsure.
Gathering information was one thing, but if it led to someone’s death, Percival felt it crossed a line.
“If you’re scared, then don’t get involved. Let me take care of it,” Warrick said coldly. “But let me be clear—everyone knows what happened today. If this gets out, don’t blame me for turning against you.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Prescott,” Percival chuckled awkwardly. “Just consider me out of the loop today. I know nothing.”
He was close to retirement and wanted to enjoy his last years peacefully.
Jovian wanted to spend his remaining years quietly and avoid trouble. After years in politics, he knew sometimes it was better to let things go, even if it meant putting up with a little chaos.
Warrick rolled his eyes and commented, “The older you get, the more cautious you become.” He shot Jovian a dissatisfied look but chose not to say anything more.
With Huxley’s support, dealing with the situation was straightforward for Jovian. He felt that Percival’s presence wasn’t needed.
In a moving jeep, Jovian sat in the back seat with his eyes closed while Boston looked tense beside him.
“Jovian, I think something’s wrong. You should leave West Lucozia right away. The sooner, the better,” Boston finally said after a long pause.
“I’ve already made plans with Lord Austin. We’re supposed to go back to Oakvale tomorrow. If I leave now, I’ll be breaking my promise,” Jovian replied, slowly opening his eyes.
“Forget about that. Your safety is more important right now,” Boston insisted, frowning. “Sir Prescott is quick-tempered and ruthless. You embarrassed him today, and he won’t let it go. If you don’t leave now, you might not get another chance.”
“Are you saying he wants to kill me?” Jovian raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
“From what I know about him, that’s very likely,” Boston said seriously.
“I’m Lord Austin’s guest. If they kill me, how will they explain it to him?” Jovian replied flatly.
“As long as they cover their tracks, Lord Austin won’t be able to do anything. They hold too much power in West Lucozia, and His Highness won’t want to create trouble for the Ballard family,” Boston said solemnly.
Jovian fell silent, considering this. It was true that this was his first time…
Meeting Austin was important. No matter how much they got along, Austin wouldn’t jeopardize his relationships with powerful people in West Lucozia for someone who was already gone.
Jovian felt the same way. He had no reason to take such a big risk. Winning wouldn’t bring him any rewards, but losing could cost him everything.