Unexpected Marriage With Mr. Leighton: Rebirth of the Villain-Chapter 260: THE SAFETY MEASURE
"Axel Duncan," Ranon said when he heard what Arthur said.
"Do you know him?" Hazel remembered hearing that name for the first time when they went to Arthur’s place.
He had been investigating several names. Axel Duncan was one of them that he paid close attention to. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
"I thought you said that you didn’t know him." Hazel said. She recalled asking Ranon about Axel Duncan, but he said the name didn’t ring a bell.
"My man had investigated it." He had just received the report, but with everything going on, he didn’t have time to share the information with his wife.
Hazel hadn’t had a chance to look through his phone either.
"That’s fast..." Hazel muttered to herself. She didn’t know Axel Duncan because when she was dealing with the Denvers, the Duncans had never intervened. They were not a prominent family, and River didn’t really pay attention to the maternal side, because usually, they were not a threat.
"Yes, it was Axel Duncan. I have been collecting information about him." Arthur leaned his back against the car behind him; he crossed his arms, deep in his thoughts.
"Do you think he was the one who ordered the hit on Ranon?" Hazel furrowed her brows. "Why? What is their motive? I don’t think Ranon has had an encounter with them." The fact that Ranon didn’t even know about Axel Duncan until recently was the main conclusion of Hazel’s statement.
"Not really..." Arthur hesitated. "Someone else is behind him. He has been in contact with someone for the past five years."
That was the length of time since the fall of the Denvers.
"And what makes you think that person is related to Ranon?" Hazel leaned her back against the car and crossed her arms as well.
None of them might have realized it, but Arthur and Hazel mimicked each other’s gestures while they were thinking. And it didn’t go unnoticed by Ranon.
He listened to their conversation and also paid close attention to how they interacted. Hazel spoke with ease, as if she had known Arthur for a long time. In fact, they had only met a few times.
Arthur had even kidnapped her in the past, yet she was able to speak with him comfortably.
"Because there were several phone calls that came from the Leighton family’s house." Arthur looked at Ranon. "Do you know any family member or anyone in your family who knows Axel Duncan?"
"No." Five years ago, he joined the family to learn about the business and prepare to take over the nearly bankrupt company. "Not that I know of."
Hazel glanced at Ranon. Their eyes met, and they shared a tacit understanding. They were thinking of the same thing.
"Give me all the information that you have gathered. If it’s from within the Leighton family’s house, it will be faster if I look into it."
Arthur wanted to protest because he wasn’t used to taking orders from others. However, Ranon’s suggestion was logical.
"I’ll ask Rye to send you the information." Then, Arthur shifted his attention to Hazel. "About the DNA test..."
***
Hazel had a lot she wanted to discuss with Ranon on the way home, but she was too exhausted. She fell asleep the moment she got in the car, leaning her head on his shoulder.
Ares was driving while Lucian was sitting in the passenger seat, looking at something on his laptop.
It had been two days since the bombing. The media went crazy, and Nolu’s funeral was filled with reporters. Those news hunters didn’t leave them alone, as they were so eager to write something about the attempted murder of Ranon Leighton.
Thankfully, Ranon’s men managed to take control of the situation, so it didn’t disturb Nolu’s funeral. Yara left the hospital for a while to attend to it. She insisted on coming to say her final goodbye to her mentor and partner.
Nolu’s mother was inconsolable, and his sister didn’t say much.
Ranon and Hazel were present for the whole process. Adding to the investigation that was still going on about the bombing, the two of them could only return home after two long, exhausting days.
Even though they were together, they didn’t have enough alone time to discuss the matter that they had talked about with Arthur in the previous days.
It was very hectic, and Hazel’s strength depleted with all the emotional moments she had to go through. She was mentally drained. It was even more tiring than a rigorous exercise.
"What are you going to do now? The enemy has become bolder," Ares stated. "It will be dangerous for you if you don’t get back. You will be a sitting duck."
Ares glanced at Hazel. After what happened, Hazel didn’t seem like a threat in Ares’s eyes anymore. It was obvious that Ranon was the target, not her, and by proxy, her life would be in danger too.
Still, it irked Ares because Hazel didn’t come clean with Ranon, and she didn’t tell him the truth about herself.
"I will talk about this with Desgar," Ranon said. He intended to visit the boxing club and talk it over with Dalton and the others, but when he thought about it again, he asked Desgar and Dalton to come and visit him instead.
He had the whole apartment building checked for any potential hazards and tightened the security. Ranon wouldn’t take a chance on any threats that could come to his wife and daughter.
Hazel was sleeping; she rested her head on his shoulder, but the position didn’t seem comfortable, so Ranon gently lowered her head to use his lap as a pillow.
Meanwhile, Laurel had been staying in the apartment to accompany Ashlyn. When they arrived, Hazel woke up. She was on alert before she realized she was in the car with Ranon.
"Let’s go back and get some rest," Ranon said. He opened the car door for her.
"There’s something I want to talk about."
"I know, but it can wait."
Their conversation could wait because once Ashlyn saw them, their little girl was crying. She ran toward her mother and hugged her leg.
They video called her several times, but she didn’t like them. She would walk away whenever Ranon or Hazel tried to talk to her.
Hazel picked her up and wiped her tears.
"What happened?" Hazel asked; she was confused. Ashlyn didn’t seem to be injured or anything.
"She missed you," Laurel explained. She stood up and approached them. "Since you’re already here, I’ll take my leave."
"Someone will drive you, and I’ll have someone accompany you," Ranon said.
Hazel thanked Laurel and took Ashlyn to the bedroom because she was crying loudly now.
"I don’t think I need someone to babysit me." Laurel raised her brows; she was not happy with the arrangement, but Ranon insisted.
"There is a threat against me, an attempt on my life. It won’t be safe for you to be left alone."
"Don’t worry. The threat is for you..."
"Do you think the threat will not extend to you?" Ranon was exhausted, and he didn’t want to argue. His irritation was written all over his face. "I just buried one of my men; his family can’t see his body because there is not much left of him. So, don’t argue with me in this matter, Laurel. Go home. Someone will take you back."
Ranon’s voice became stern, but before Laurel could protest again, he had already left to see his wife and daughter. Ashlyn’s cry had ceased.
On the other hand, Laurel pursed her lips. She didn’t think someone would be sad with her death. It was not like she had a family. She didn’t even have someone waiting for her at home.
However, she knew better than to argue with Ranon when he was like this. So, she left with a man named Alen. He was one of Ranon’s friends from the boxing club.
Ranon had utilized Desgar’s men. Knowing the people that he had to face, it would be wise for him to have his own people as well. People who knew what kind of danger they were facing.
When it came to a street fight, Desgar’s men were better than any of Ranon’s bodyguards.
"How is she?" Ranon took off his jacket and saw that Ashlyn had stopped crying. The little girl saw him, and she raised both of her arms.
"Da... up, up."
The smile returned to Ranon’s face as he lifted Ashlyn. She giggled merrily. "I will look after her," he said.
Hazel wanted to sleep so badly. Her head felt very heavy, but she couldn’t ignore her daughter, who looked very sad after not seeing her for days.
Once Hazel freshened up, she took a turn with Ranon to look after Ashlyn, because the little one didn’t want to be with Peni or Renna. She wanted her parents.
And when Ranon was done, he found Hazel had already fallen asleep on the bed, with Ashlyn lying down next to her, playing with her mother’s hair.
"Da... Dada..." Ashlyn called to her father, and Ranon approached her immediately after putting on some clothes.
"Come here. Don’t disturb your mother." He kissed Ashlyn and Hazel on the forehead, picked his daughter up, and left the room.
Not long after, Desgar came with Dalton and Elric. They were going to talk about the safety measures that they needed to take. Ranon also shared the information about Axel Duncan.
And because Ashlyn didn’t want to be with Renna or Peni, she sat through the entire discussion, playing with her toy on Ranon’s lap.
