Chapter 3: Agreement to be free

There was no time to delay saving Ethan from the clutches of the legal system. Liam was quick to act. First, he decided to keep a close eye on the girl who accused Ethan of raping her to uncover the mastermind behind it.

During the surveillance and investigation, Liam learned that the girl's family owed money to the mafia. It seemed likely that she had collaborated with Ethan's enemy to orchestrate this scheme to harm him. If the case is successful, the girl will have some money to pay off the debt.

After three days of following the girl, Liam speculates that the girl may be very worried and frustrated that she still hasn't received the amount she should have received after completing the task.

Trusting his sharp instincts, Liam devised a highly feasible plan. He decisively put it into action. When he saw the girl sitting alone in a café, seemingly waiting for someone, Liam approached her with an attractive enticement.

"Hello, I wish you a good day," Liam greeted politely.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Mila eyed Liam warily.

"Are you Mila Cox?"

"Yes, so what?"

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Liam Grey." Liam smiled politely. "I represent Ethan Thomas. Could you spare some time to talk with me?"

"Ethan who?" Mila feigned surprise and acted as if she didn't know Ethan.

"The man you accused of raping you," Liam reminded her straightforwardly, a faint smile on his lips.

"I'm busy, and I don't want to be disturbed. If you have any issues, talk to my lawyer," Mila immediately declined, not wanting to get involved further in the case. She became cautious when she heard the name Ethan because someone had warned her that someone from Ethan's side might approach her. It was best to stay away to ensure her own safety.

"Just ten minutes, please," Liam pleaded in a low voice. "Please."

"I'm sorry, but I have to leave." Mila firmly refused, getting up from her seat and quickly leaving the restaurant.

As Liam had predicted, he followed Mila with a smirk and went straight to the point.

"I will help you pay off all your debts to the mafia," Liam declared resolutely, causing Mila to stop in her tracks. "You need a lot of money, don't you?"

Mila was a bit puzzled by the offer. Seeing that, Liam said again:

"In addition, you will receive a substantial amount of money and many other benefits." To convince her further, Liam provided compelling evidence: "Ethan Thomas is a successful and wealthy businessman. He is the heir to a large family fortune, and he has plenty of money. He is willing to pay you handsomely."

"Besides that." Liam suddenly emphasized, "Ethan Thomas also has the ability to punish those who dare to harm him. His method of revenge is quite cruel."

Facing the temptation of money and Ethan's impressive background, it is hard for anyone to resist. Of course, Liam's threats also made Mila tremble. When involved in this case, Mila knew nothing about Ethan. She simply needed the money, so she agreed to participate. After the incident happened and Ethan's identity and status were revealed, it made Mila extremely surprised.

"You should think very carefully. Your decision is extremely important for the future of not only you but also your family." Liam added that he knew for sure that the other party could not control his emotions. As expected, after a moment of silence, Mila turned around and asked:

"What does Ethan Thomas want from me?"

"Let's sit down and talk. Your coffee is still warm," Liam requested, and Mila obediently complied.

…

After the conversation with Mila and reaching certain agreements, Liam went to meet Ethan to discuss the new direction of the matter.

Once again, Ethan sat across from Liam in a private room, separated by a table.

"For three days, you disappeared, and there was absolutely no news about you," Ethan reminded. "I hoped your reappearance would bring some good news."

"Congratulations; your hope came true," Liam replied cheerfully.

"Really?" Ethan's gloomy face suddenly lit up, and he eagerly asked, "How's the situation?"

"I've talked to Mila Cox."

"Who is that?" Ethan interrupted impatiently.

"The victim.  I mean the person you raped."

"Watch your words carefully; I didn't assault her," Ethan retorted angrily.

"Calm down." Liam requested, and Ethan grumbled, "It was you who started first."

"Sorry." Liam said it flatly.

"In summary, what did you say to her?" Ethan inquired, "And what does she want?"

"I asked her to withdraw the lawsuit."

"What's the result?"

"She agreed."

"Indeed, everything is resolved with money," Ethan concluded bitterly. "So when will I get out of here?"

"Until I finish working with the police and the judge," Liam replied.

"Hurry up then," Ethan urged. "I'm really fed up with this place."

"Ethan," Liam hesitated no longer and decided to share his proposal with Ethan: "To get out of here, I require you to cooperate with my plan."

"Why do you look so serious? What plan are you talking about?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, observing the worried expression on his friend's face. Suddenly, Liam's behavior frightened him.

With an extremely calm tone, Liam made a shockingly bold statement: "I want you to marry Mila."

Ethan was taking a sip of water and immediately spat it out all over Liam's face. Liam's words had taken him by surprise. There was silence as Liam gently wiped his face with a handkerchief, and Ethan tried to suppress his coughing fit from choking on the water.

"What did you just say, Liam? That's not a funny joke at all," Ethan asked, as soon as he had recovered from his coughing fit.

"I'm serious." Liam maintained a stern demeanor that made Ethan doubt him.

"Are you insane?"

"No."

"If you're not crazy, how can you say such nonsense? If you want to anger me, then congratulations on your success." Ethan exclaimed excitedly.

"Calm down and listen to me," Liam demanded in a raised voice. Seeing Ethan fall silent, Liam sighed and continued, "It's the best solution to put an end to this."

"Isn't she already accepting the money and agreeing to withdraw the lawsuit?" Ethan asked anxiously, "Then why do I have to..."

"It's not as simple as you think it is." Liam calmly interrupted: "The fact that Mila agreed to cooperate could be another trap the enemy wants you to fall into."

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"It's very possible that you'll be accused of additional charges like bribery, tampering with official documents, obstructing justice, etc. when you use money to bribe Mila into changing her statement," Liam explained.

"How could that be?" Ethan asked, bewildered.

"The enemy knows you have money and will use it to handle this situation. So, everything happening now is according to their plan."

Although he didn't want to believe it, after thinking about it, Ethan had to admit that Liam was absolutely right.

"So, what makes you think I should marry the person who put me in this precarious situation?" Ethan suddenly revealed his curiosity.

"That's what we have to do for you to get out of here," Liam asserted. "Listen carefully, Ethan. Right now, you're in a difficult situation. Everything seems to be against you. However, instead of accepting it, why don't we change the nature of the case so that your sentence will be lighter?"

"Explain your plan in more detail to me," Ethan demanded earnestly.

"We can drop the rape charge against you if you can prove to the judge that you and Mila were in a romantic relationship and you're willing to take responsibility for her."

"How can we do that?" Ethan was skeptical. "Would that girl cooperate with us?"

"Mila has agreed to withdraw the lawsuit and change her statement from coercion to voluntary." Liam revealed, leaving Ethan astonished once again.

"How did that happen?"

"Money," Liam replied decisively, causing Ethan's expression to shift to anger.

"You're confusing me, Liam. Didn't you say that using money would get me charged with bribery and a series of other crimes, and now?"

"They are completely different scenarios. If it's just money, the risk of you falling into another trap is very high, and no matter what you say, it won't convince the jury to trust you. However, if we have money and add a marriage, I believe everything will work out smoothly."

"Are you saying that?" Ethan seemed to grasp some wisdom and secretly admire Liam's genius mind.

"That's right. This is mutually beneficial cooperation," Liam emphasized. "Do you understand what I'm saying, Ethan?"

"I understand," Ethan admitted. He wasn't foolish enough to miss the intentions and purposes behind Liam's actions.

"But Liam, is there really no other solution than the idea you just said? Why don't you find evidence to clear me up?" Ethan asked exasperatedly, "I don't like the idea of marriage at all. I have to marry my slanderer. Oh, that's ridiculous."

"If we do as you say, it will take a lot of time, and there's no guarantee of a good outcome because, as I mentioned, the evidence against you is very convincing," Liam explained wearily. "Moreover, it's your fault when you don't take precautions, so please accept my arrangement."

Ethan could not argue with the lawyer's argument and reluctantly agreed to obey.

"Liam, are you sure this plan will succeed?" Ethan wanted to confirm for reassurance.

"It depends on many factors, including luck," Liam replied hesitantly. "So, you should pray to the heavens a lot."

Ethan nodded and sighed with worry. Once he got out of this ordeal, he vowed to live a virtuous and disciplined life, refraining from indulgence.