The family members all agreed.

With the seal now in Wesley’s possession, the chances of reclaiming the garment department seemed slim. As a result, they were forced to explore alternative options. If a superior partnership could be established through the chess tournament, reliance on Debra or Wesley would become unnecessary. The future would no longer require them to pander to their whims.

“Mom, your shrewdness is unparalleled,” Maria complimented.

Baxter, with a mysterious thought in mind, narrowed his eyes. Jagger, who had been vigilantly standing by the door, finally greeted the Coopers. He hoped they might offer his sister, Sandra, a chance.

Maria responded directly, “It depends on the Hill’s sincerity.”

Jagger exhaled softly, the weight of his sigh evident.

“This decision is beyond my authority. I must consult with Gary.”

Maria’s tone was tinged with impatience. “We can afford to wait, but time is not a luxury your sister possesses.”

Baxter added, “Sandra is just a village girl. The Hill doesn’t give her much importance, right?”

Jagger frowned. “No matter what, Sandra remains a daughter of the Hill.”

His words, firm and resolute, seemed to lift Maria’s spirits.

“Very well, then call Gary.”

Taking a deep breath, Jagger stepped aside to make the call.

Gary, exhausted from managing the chess tournament, answered. “What?”

“Sandra was taken away by the police.”

“What did you say?” Gary’s voice was filled with alarm and concern.

After hearing the situation and Hailey’s request, Gary fell silent. Jagger understood that this was a complicated matter, so he knew better than to rush Gary.

The chess tournament was the result of Gary’s dedication, a labor that even Jagger appreciated for its complexity. The Cooper Group already had admission tickets in hand. However, Hailey’s condition was that more family members attend, thus elevating the status of other members to be on par with Wesley.

If Gary agreed, any advantage gained for the other Cooper members would mean the Hill could no longer host the tournament. It was the future of the Hill weighed against Sandra’s freedom—a herculean dilemma.

“Take your time, Gary. I will negotiate with the Coopers once more.”

Gary’s voice grew weak. “I will make a call to someone to see if they can help too.”

Jagger’s heart skipped a beat. This was Gary’s refusal to help.

But if Gary had a chance to reduce Sandra’s sentence, he would try. Consider it the last act of siblinghood, done out of utmost benevolence.

“Gary, can you…”

“No.”

Gary’s voice was soft but resolute. There was no room for negotiation.

“Fine.”

Jagger sighed and hung up the phone.

The Coopers were still waiting for his response. Right now, he truly didn’t know what to say.

But remaining silent was not an option either.

“Maria, Baxter.”

He approached them.

“Could you give me a little more time? I will think of another solution.”

Saying this meant there was no hope from Gary’s side. However, Sandra’s detention time was running out.

Once Hailey woke up, it would no longer be detention but direct imprisonment.

“Jagger, can you really deliver what we want?” Maria’s tone turned extremely cold, her expression laced with disdain.

“Since you just made a call to your brother, you must know how difficult it is.”

Jagger knew very well how difficult it was, which is why he felt so helpless. But he couldn’t blame his older brother for not being able to save his younger sister. His heart was shattered.

“I apologize, we need some time.”

Jagger placed himself at the lowest position, humbled.

Maria sneered.

“Jagger, we all know that you are solely involved in car racing and have no real job.” Implicitly, the other four all had their own businesses and positions.

Maria was calling Jagger useless.

Even though Jagger was being humiliated, he remained resolute.

“Could you give me three hours?”

Baxter was about to speak when he noticed police officers approaching from a distance.

“They must be here to take a statement.” He walked up. “Hello, I am Baxter.” The police officers nodded.

“We are here to find you.”

Baxter smirked and glanced at Jagger.

“Time is running out.”

Jagger’s hands involuntarily clenched.

“Baxter, we need you to come with us for questioning,” one of the police officers said.

Baxter was taken aback. “Questioning?”

“Yes, you are suspected of several criminal cases.” The police officers requested his cooperation.

Baxter was at a loss.

The police spoke similar words to Maria, asking her to come for questioning as well.

Maria’s face sank. “What do you mean? How could I be involved in criminal cases?”

“It needs to be investigated.”

“We hope you will cooperate with our work.”

Maria wanted to argue, but faced with the evidence provided by the police, she could only hold back for now. Subsequently, the police officer went to meet other family members. All of them were to be taken away. Jagger couldn’t approach them now, let alone discuss the matter.

Hailey had been pretending to be unconscious. When she heard the news, she suddenly couldn’t continue pretending. “What are you doing?”

The police officers saw her regain consciousness and considered it an unexpected gain. “Now that you’re awake, we can take your statement, Hailey.”

Hailey’s face immediately turned dark. “I have a headache!”

“It’s okay, we will have a doctor on standby.” The police officer then made a call. “The doctor will examine you first, and if you’re fit for a statement, we’ll proceed.”

Hailey almost choked. “May I ask, what happened to them?”

The police officer shook his head. “This matter involves many cases, we cannot disclose it.”

Hailey still had some dignity left, but now she was being treated like this. A chill ran through her heart. Could it be that something irreparable had happened? It must be Wesley’s act!

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