A Crazy Night Novel

No matter how Barnaby kept his voice hushed, Christina managed to hear his every word.
Remaining calm, Winston smiled and took a huge step toward Barnaby. “You’ve done your fair share of grumbling behind the
backs of those who feed you, Barnaby. Why don’t you reveal all the things you used to do back then? We can go down together.
I’m just a nobody, though. I’m nothing compared to prestigious folk like you?
Seeing the elderly man quiver with rage. Winston continued smugly, “Nigel is a lost cause. Wouldn’t it have been great if you
chose me as your right-hand man instead of him? Too bad it’s all in the past. I have my own establishment now, and I don’t need
anything from you.”
Barnaby gritted his teeth. “I can crush your little company with just my finger!”
An insidious look flashed in Winston’s eyes. “Yeah. That’s why you’ve been secretly plotting against me ever since Nigel and I
fell out and he went to jail. You convinced David to divide our assets and gave him all sorts of other ideas. Well, you got what you
wanted. I nearly died by my own cousin’s hands, and most of the company’s shares and funds belong to him.”
“That’s what you get for being too greedy,” Barnaby taunted mercilessly.
Winston lit a cigarette, took a puff, and blew out a cloud of smoke. Then, he smirked.
“That’s why I don’t intend to leave things the way they are anymore. I’m a sore loser who can’t handle seeing others doing better
than me, and I have no qualms about getting even with you. I’m going to come clean to the Gibson family and appeal for
leniency.”
His last few words hit Barnaby like a bomb, shattering the latter’s composure.
“You’ve gone mad, Winston!”
The younger man smirked. “What else can I do when I have nothing left?”
Barnaby glanced toward Christina warily before gripping Winston’s wrist. “Please remember where we are now. This isn’t a place
for you to do whatever as you wish. Let’s talk somewhere else.”
Winston chuckled. “A hundred million. Nothing more, nothing less. I’ll do whatever you ask as long as you agree.”
A hundred million was the exact amount David had robbed of him.

Barnaby had instigated the affair, so it didn’t seem like a stretch for Winston to reclaim what he had lost.
The old man glared at him. “You’re asking for the world!”
A hundred million was about half of his net worth. Winston was practically skinning him alive!
In response, Winston retracted his hand and commented shamelessly. “It’s your choice. It’s not like I’m forcing you to hand over
the money with a knife over your throat.” Then, his lips curled maliciously. “It’s about time. I’d like to have a chat with Mrs.
Hadley. We have quite a few common topics to discuss.”
Barnaby gave in just as the former was about to leave. “Let me think about it. Come with me for now. We can talk in detail.”
Winston quirked his brows in satisfaction. “Mrs. Hadley is watching us. I have to get in there and pay my
respects to prevent her from feeling suspicious. Don’t worry, though. My lips will stay sealed as long as I get my money.”
Christina stood nearby watching as Barnaby reluctantly let Winston off. “I’ll be waiting for you inside the car at the entrance.
Don’t take too long,” said the elderly man.
With that, he strode away.
Retracting his contemptuous gaze, Winston turned around and walked toward Christina, wearing a gentle expression.
“Hello, Mrs. Hadley. I’m here to pay Mrs. Lazuli my last respects.”
“Thank you, Mr. Labarge,” Christina replied cryptically. “Are you well-acquainted with Old Mr. Stone?”
Winston kept his answer vague. “We’ve worked together a few times, but we’re not exactly close. I just so happened to bump
into him today, so I thought I’d say hi.”
Christina said nothing more and let Winston in.
She then dialed Lyle’s number. “Look into Winston Labarge and Barnaby’s relationship.”
Meanwhile, Barnaby was seated inside his car when the door on the other side flew open, and someone sat next to him without
any hesitation.
“Who are you?” Barnaby turned to the person cautiously.

Emilia took off her cap and mask. “It’s me, Emilia. Do you still remember me?”
She grinned at Barnaby, but there was no warmth in her eyes.
“So, it’s you. What do you want for you to be sneaking up on me like this?” Barnaby asked disdainfully.
He had met Emilia a few times before this and didn’t have a good impression of her at all.
What good could come from a woman who relied on her looks to get by?
Disregarding the insulting look in Barnaby’s eyes, Emilia went straight to the point. “I’ve gotten evidence from Winston.”
Barnaby didn’t know what evidence she was referring to, but hearing Winston’s name had alarms going off in his head. “What
evidence?”
Emilia didn’t answer him directly. “Winston’s going to hand this evidence over to Christina. I’m sure it’d be a huge deal for you if
whatever you did fifteen years ago came to light.”
Barnaby’s expression turned grave as he realized Emilia’s motive. “How much do you want?”
The woman’s eyes gleamed. “I don’t want money. I want you to help me get rid of Christina.”
Barnaby suspected that Emilia wasn’t of sound mind.
If I were capable of getting rid of her, I wouldn’t have had to bow down to her all this time!
Disposing of Christina was easy, but Nathaniel would surely never let him off.
Still, Barnaby had to keep in mind the evidence Emilia possessed. “What evidence is this? Show it to me.”
The woman took out her phone and played a recording of Barnaby and Nigel discussing how they could seize Gibson
Corporation.
The elderly man’s face clouded over.
“I’m not sure how you managed to escape unscathed and put all the blame on the Labarge cousins,” Emilia remarked. “Think
about your family when in doubt, Old Mr. Stone. Sheridan is your pride and joy. Are you going to sit back and watch him fall to his
doom?”

Barnaby was infuriated. Why is everyone threatening me? Do they think I’m a pushover?
He gripped his cane so hard that he was about to break it, but upon careful consideration, he steeled himself and replied,
“Christina is the most important person to Nathaniel, and she has his support. You’ll have to give me time to prepare.”
Emilia beamed. “Okay. I look forward to your good news.”
She then put her cap and mask back on before opening the door to get out.
Barnaby turned to his driver in front. “Get someone skilled to follow her. Take care of this matter without leaving any trace, and
don’t fall into her trap. Make sure to leave no loose ends.”
The driver nodded. “Understood.”
Then, Barnaby gazed at Winston, who was walking toward the vehicle. “Bring him along too. It’s less lonely having some
company on the road.”
Harboring all his dreams of rising again, Winston happily opened the door to the car before him, completely oblivious to the
catastrophe that would soon befall him.