Chapter 252 - The Dust Settles (1/2)

Chapter 252 The Dust Settles

Lately, one after another major incident kept occuring in Na.s.sau. Six of the island’s most potent s.h.i.+ps were led by Black Prince Sam to plunder the invincible Spanish treasure vessel. After a long and arduous fight, they finally managed to sink it. However, the navy ambushed them after that and eventually, only Jackdaw survived the battle, hauling home more than half the gold bars back to Na.s.sau.

Not too long after that, a riot erupted at Malcolm’s Terrance Manor. It was a rough night to say the least. The plantations around the mansion sent their men as well, hoping to a.s.sist Malcolm in dealing with the dissent. Some slaves were killed in the battle, and a few were recaptured. Just when speculations about Terrance Manor suffering great losses began to gain traction, news of Malcolm framing Normand started spreading throughout the entire island.

After three years, Eugene finally mustered enough courage to tell everyone that Malcolm made him frame Normand. He admitted working with a few captains to accuse Normand of taking bribes, the main reason why the first black-market alliance was disbanded. After that, Normand left Na.s.sau quietly. Eugene even made public the letters between him and Malcolm.

This shocking news impacted the black-market merchants of Na.s.sau significantly. Though Normand had left Na.s.sau for a couple of years, he was still quite influential amongst the merchants, with more than half of the alliance attending his funeral when he died. However, once Malcolm’s secret was exposed, enormous pressure fell upon his shoulders. The next afternoon, Redmond made an official announcement on behalf of the black-market alliance. On the surface, it seemed as if he was trying to calm everyone down, but whether he wanted it or not, his true intentions were soon revealed. He told everyone that he was going to investigate this incident.

Of course, Malcolm knew Redmond’s ultimate goal, and if he was the one investigating this incident, he already had the outcome in mind. However, Malcolm made no excuses to stop Redmond from immersing himself into this matter; his influence helping him to open up a desirable path. Considering the fact that Redmond was Normand’s close friend and leader of the black-market alliance, he was the best person to dig into this matter.

Until now, Malcolm still couldn’t find a way to dismiss the accusation. On the other hand, three days were almost up, and he was slated to meet up with Carina. Malcolm had high hopes for the meeting, seeing that his situation was deteriorating by the minute. He also needed new allies to overcome this crisis. The terms he offered Carina were still negotiable, and he was prepared to sacrifice some things on his part in convincing her to take his side.

The day eventually arrived, but Carina was nowhere to be seen in the coffee shop. He waited at his favorite table for the entire afternoon until the sun went down. Then, just as he was about to leave, he finally heard someone walking into the restaurant. It was Wallace.

“Something happened again?”

Malcolm set the cup of cold coffee down. He lifted his head and frowned.

“Rumors about you spreading all over the island like wildfire! They say that you have something to do with Mr. Fegan’s incarceration. Many knew that he disagreed forming of the black-market alliance before he went to jail. Ms. Carina is with Redmond right now, hoping that he would help her uphold justice,” said Wallace.

To his surprise, Malcolm’s face remained stoic and unmoved. It appeared as if he’d expected Carina to side with Redmond.

“I got it,” Malcolm replied calmly.

“The investigation regarding the riot at your manor has come to an end. Leah started the whole thing. She led a large number of slaves to the beach, boarded a s.h.i.+p, and left Na.s.sau. I have checked all the s.h.i.+ps leaving port yesterday and the day before that, and guess what I found. Jackdaw set off early this morning with a s.h.i.+p full of supplies. It’s possible they returned to port when it was dark. So…”