Chapter 247: The First Lady
A Display of Power
The atmosphere in the hotel room was extremely tense.
The First Lady, enraged by Luke's insolent behavior, immediately ordered the Secret Service agents to arrest him on charges of posing a security risk.
Ron Baker did not want a conflict, but he had no authority to refuse the First Lady's demand.
Just then, a blinding flash of white light erupted in the room, followed by muffled groans. When the light dissipated, all the Secret Service agents lay unconscious on the floor. Only Vanessa, the First Lady, and Luke, who was wearing a silver glove, remained in the room.
Kate Nash looked around in terror.
"Ron! Figg! You... what did you do to them? I warn you, I am the President's wife. If you dare to lay a hand on me, I... I will not forgive you!"
Vanessa tugged on Luke's arm, her face filled with anxiety. She didn't know what had just happened. A white flash, and then the Secret Service agents were all down. This was too dramatic! Those were Secret Service agents!
Luke patted her arm reassuringly. "It's alright. I won't hurt your mother. The bodyguards are fine too; they're just unconscious. They'll wake up in three minutes."
Vanessa immediately relaxed. She looked up at her mother, struggled with herself for a moment, and then whispered,
"I want to go back with my mother."
Luke was not surprised by this answer. After all, they were mother and daughter. Blood ties, family relationships, and decades of shared affection—how could all that change because of a "boyfriend" she'd known for less than two days?
"As you wish."
Luke poured a glass of red wine, sat down on the sofa, and began to savor it. Seeing this, the First Lady's tension eased somewhat. She looked Luke up and down, her gaze finally settling on the silver glove.
She had no memory of when the glove appeared. She only remembered the silver glove emitting a blinding white light, and after the light faded, the highly trained Secret Service agents were all on the floor. She had no idea what had happened in between.
A terrifying young man!
No wonder Joel had used the words "extremely dangerous" when discussing him.
After Luke's display of intimidation, Kate dared not maintain her superior stance. She called her daughter to her side and quietly asked about the events of the last two days.
A short while later, the people in the room woke up. Their faces were sullen, and the anger in their eyes was nearly tangible. Being defeated in a single encounter was an absolute disgrace to the Secret Service, who prided themselves on providing the strongest security.
Kate stood up and coldly ordered,
"The incident just now ends here."
Ron's face was grim, but he nodded. "Understood, Madam. Your safety is our primary concern."
Kate then invited Luke.
"Mr. Shaw, I would like to invite you to Blair House as my guest. Will you accept?"
Luke spread his hands. "It would be an honor."
The conflict came to a close. Luke traveled with the Secret Service detail to Blair House. As they passed the coffee shop, he casually glanced toward the window.
Eve was astonished. "He knows we're here?"
Jack Harvey sneered.
"Of course he knows. This street not only has our eyes on it but his, and probably more."
"What do we do next?"
"The first phase of the plan is successful. Now, it's up to Luke Shaw's on-the-spot performance. And you—you must stay in contact with Vanessa and constantly monitor her emotional changes. Notify me immediately if she has any extreme reactions."
Eve nodded. "Understood."
The Interrogation
The President of the United States has more than one official residence. Aside from the famous White House, the second-most prominent is likely Blair House, located at 1651-1653 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington D.C.
Due to certain reasons, Joel Nash preferred not to live at the White House, so the family had been living in Blair House, which is located directly across the street, for four years.
Blair House is a compound of three interconnected buildings with a courtyard and back porch. While its exterior is unremarkable, the interior decorations are quite nice—though only "nice."
Upon arrival, Vanessa was called upstairs by her mother for questioning, while Luke was led to the drawing-room by the butler.
After looking over the room's decor, Luke shook his head in boredom, closed his eyes, and began to feign sleep.
Upstairs in the bedroom, Kate Nash stared sternly at her daughter.
"You like him?"
Vanessa lowered her head. Silence was an implicit agreement.
Kate inhaled sharply, forcefully controlling her anger.
"Do you know who he is? He's not only the founder of ShowMe, but he's the grandson of the former Hongmen leader—the crime boss of Coast City! He is a mobster, an executioner, with the blood of innocent people on his hands. Did you know any of this?"
Vanessa remained silent. On the way back, she had used her phone to look up Luke Shaw's background, and she had vaguely sensed his possible connection to the underworld. But what did that matter?
They say a woman in love has an IQ of zero. Vanessa was completely oblivious to the negative impact this situation would bring.
Kate was almost frantic. Her daughter had always been smart; why was she acting so foolish now? To prevent things from escalating, she patiently pleaded with her, analyzing Luke's motives for approaching her from all angles and focusing on the bleak future of their relationship.
But no matter what she said, Vanessa maintained a posture of internal focus and silence.
The First Lady gave up. She had no choice but to call her husband, asking him to come home that evening. Afterward, she went to the drawing-room to find Luke, who was dozing.
"Mr. Shaw, I need to speak with you."
"Of course, Madam."
Luke sat up and smiled. "What would you like to discuss?"
"Why did you approach my daughter?"
Luke sighed. "It was a chance encounter and an accidental reunion. Perhaps it was fate."
"If an ordinary person answered like that, I might believe it, but you..." Kate shook her head, her tone exceptionally firm. "I don't believe a word of it. I know your background and history very well. A person like you wouldn't waste time on romance without a special purpose. And saying you didn't know Vanessa? Only my foolish daughter would fall for such a low-level lie."
Luke glanced at the pin on the First Lady's chest. He remained silent for a long moment before shaking his head.
"You know, one of the things I hate most in life is being recorded during a conversation. I never expected the dignified First Lady to resort to such a cheap trick. I wonder who gave you that idea?"
Kate's expression stiffened. In the monitoring room, Ron and the others exchanged nervous glances. The listening device had been very well concealed; they never expected it to be detected so easily.
"Madam, I think our conversation can end now."
Kate lowered her head without a word. After a moment, she took off the pin, snapped it, and threw the pieces into a nearby trash can.
"Can we talk now?"
Luke still shook his head. "Compared to you, I'd rather speak with the President himself. When will he be returning?"
Kate said tightly, "My husband is your target?"
"No, no, you misunderstand." Luke curled his lip, a demonic smile on his face. "My target is your entire family."
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