Chapter 1557: The luckiest man

A moment of silence fell in the old warehouse as neither of them spoke for a while. Each had their own reasons for the silence, with the hostage wondering what Hugo might do next.

"If there’s a bomb, where is it now?" Stephen finally broke the silence in a hushed voice.

"I defused it when I saw him attaching it under the car," Hugo remarked casually, his eyes fixed on the man. "It’s not a complicated improvised explosive, so no need for an expert."

Stephen and the man looked at Hugo in disbelief. They shouldn’t have been surprised, knowing Hugo was equipped for battle with grenades. Still, it was shocking to hear it.

Especially for Stephen, who had known Hugo since childhood.

Did Charles know about these details, or was it Stephen’s fate to keep secrets about Charles’ sons?

"But that’s not the point," said Hugo. "Since it’s meant to kill you both, uncle, things could get complicated if it didn’t happen."

Stephen and their hostage raised their eyebrows, intrigued.

"What should we do?" Panic tinged Stephen’s voice. "You’re not seriously considering killing me, right?"

"Uncle, killing you would only derail our plans," Hugo replied calmly. "It’s an option, but not ideal."

The hostage paled, his thoughts turning darker. Were they really going to blow him up? But Hugo’s next words caught his attention.

"And for him... he can’t return to his gang without a good explanation."

"What?" Both the hostage and Stephen looked at Hugo in confusion.

Hugo leaned forward, humming thoughtfully.

"Hugo, what do you mean—" Stephen began, frowning. "You’re not planning to send this guy back there, are you? If he comes up with an excuse, they’ll just send him to finish the job! We can’t trust him!"

"My dad trusted you when he didn’t have to, didn’t he?" Hugo shot back, giving Stephen a significant look that made Stephen pause.

"Uncle, I know you don’t like the guy who planned to kill you and himself, but in the bigger picture, he can help us," Hugo continued, flashing Stephen a smile before turning to the hostage.

"There are government programs that could help you. I know you may not trust the government, but not everyone is bad. There are those who serve the people, not just themselves," he reassured. "You’ve committed crimes, regardless of your reasons. But there are ways to lessen your punishment if you cooperate with us."

"You want me to cooperate with the police?" the hostage asked, voice shaky. He scoffed at the idea. "Even if I help, what’s to stop the gang from killing me?"

"Nothing, really," Hugo nodded. "But not if it’s not your fault, right?"

Again, the hostage and Stephen exchanged puzzled glances. They had no clue what Hugo was planning. All they could do was stare as Hugo’s grin widened, finally seeing a way to tie up all loose ends.

—---

Two hours later, in Stephen’s home...

Stephen sat in his study, watching Hugo chug the tea meant to be sipped slowly. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and his fingertips trembled.

"Hu—" He cleared his throat. "Hugo, are you sure this is going to work?"

Hugo hissed, licking the corner of his mouth after draining the entire cup.

"This sucks." He snapped his gaze to his uncle. "Of course it will."

Stephen didn’t feel the slightest reassurance. If anything, his anxiety only grew.

"How can you be so sure?" he asked. "It’s a good thing your cousin and your aunt aren’t home, but... I still don’t trust the guy."

"You and I don’t have to trust him—"

BOOM!

Before Hugo could finish, a deafening explosion roared from outside. Even from a distance, Stephen jumped from his seat, dropping to the floor with his hands over his ears.

The blast was like thunder, sharp and jarring, loud enough to alert the neighbors.

Hugo rose slowly from his chair and walked to the window. He squinted out, watching a car burn in the middle of the driveway—strategically placed so no one would get hurt. A satisfied smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Stephen, still crouched, peeked up. Seeing Hugo by the window, he forced himself to stand. His knees wobbled and his whole body shook. He had to cling to the desk for support, realizing with dread that he could barely take a step.

"Hugo..." Stephen breathed, his voice low and sharp. "This better work."

Hugo chuckled and glanced over his shoulder. "I told you, Uncle—it will."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I said so," Hugo said with calm confidence. "Our guy needs to return to his gang, and since he can’t do that while you’re still alive and well, we need to make it look like the bomb did go off."

Stephen narrowed his eyes. "Even if they don’t kill him for failing, they might just send him back to finish the job!"

"That’s why we had to detonate it," Hugo said. "Uncle, blowing up your car isn’t for his sake—it’s for yours. A real explosion in your own driveway makes it look like the bomb malfunctioned, which isn’t a new problem in their line of work."

"It gives our guy a way out and casts doubt on the whole mission. At the same time, it sends a message—someone is after you. That should be enough to make whoever gave the order hesitate."

His brows wiggled mischievously. "They won’t send anyone else to finish the job. Not for now, at least."

Stephen held his breath, staring blankly at Hugo as realization dawned on him. His main concern was that even if their hostage returned to his hive, they might just send him again to finish off the job.

So, having the car explode right in Stephen’s home would inevitably involve the police. With the police’s involvement, they would grant Stephen protection until the investigation was completed. Whoever sent that guy would surely take a step back, just a precautionary measure.

"Hah..." Stephen breathed out while Hugo slowly nodded at him. "I see. So, that’s the plan."

"That’s our plan." Hugo smiled. "Uncle, at this point, I can’t help but think you’re really lucky."