Easily subduing elite agent Bond and effortlessly disarming three armed elite agents, especially with those impressive hidden weapon and whip skills to snatch the weapon, it was evident that William hadn't learned these skills in just a few years.
The more M thought about it, the more furious she became. She, the head of MI6, had been played by a 19-year-old kid from age 10 to 19, nearly ten years.
Henry, that old fox, must have left all the special knowledge he had to William. The Devonshire family had likely prepared for a successor's absence over the past hundred years, leaving behind contingency plans.
Recalling when Henry was dying, he made a deal with her to disband the W Group in exchange for her not troubling William and Lena. When William came of age, he was to be told about his grandfather's identity and inherit the special team the Devonshire family had controlled for over a century.
Now, it seemed her moment of leniency had played into Henry's plans. Ten years later, the little boy had grown capable of taking over his family's power. Meanwhile, she had been consumed with the elusive W Group members list, not paying any attention to William, who appeared harmless.
The more M pondered, the more she felt deceived by Henry, who had confidently said on his deathbed that his team had disbanded. But now, she no longer believed it. The team must have continued, protecting William and his mother, Lena, right under her nose, making her search fruitless for ten years.
Only such skilled members could have left no traces while secretly training William, turning a timid, bookish child into a master capable of taking down four of her agents.
Having controlled MI6 for twenty years, M had never felt this humiliated. Her eyes blazing, she questioned William, "Tell me, where are the people who taught you all this?"
William, contemplating how to get through this, immediately sensed M's hesitation to act directly against him.
Shrugging, he said, "No one taught me. I found a special training manual among my grandfather's belongings. You might know, I've had few friends since childhood, so I practiced on my own out of boredom. Unexpectedly, I had a knack for it and ended up like this."
Though his expression remained calm, blaming his skills on the deceased Henry, some things didn't require evidence, especially since M had her own agenda. Even if William's story sounded plausible, M wouldn't let it go.
"Practicing out of boredom? Do you take us for fools? If anyone could achieve your skills by self-training, we wouldn't need any of us. What are you hiding? Did Henry reveal all his secrets to you?"
Bond immediately interjected, "Ma'am, this is against protocol. You can't interfere in Devonshire family matters. Henry was an Earl."
Annoyed, M retorted, "Henry claimed his team disbanded, and he's been dead for ten years. I must know if the silent team has betrayed us."
"William, you must tell me everything about the W Group," M demanded.
William was genuinely confused about this spy team. If Lena were here, M might indeed glean something. But even if he knew, he wouldn't disclose it. This seemed like a legacy Henry left for him, and M desperately wanted the team.
Feigning a deep recollection, he finally shook his head, "Sorry, Henry's belongings didn't mention any spy team. I found only some family secrets. That old fox didn't leave a penny for my mother and me. If he had such abilities, why would we live so difficultly?"
This shocked everyone present, knowing Henry's background. He couldn't have been penniless, so where did his assets go?
M pressed, "Then hand over Henry's belongings, every single piece."
William shook his head. Even if there were secrets, he'd have to find them himself. Revealing them would be more dangerous, possibly leading to his death. Narrowing his eyes at M, he warned, "The Devonshire family's secrets belong only to the family. I don't believe I can't find someone willing to take five million or fifty million pounds to settle this."
Damn, everyone understood William was putting a price on their lives. Few people's lives were worth fifty million pounds, and M knew many would risk everything for that amount to assassinate her.
But M wasn't easily intimidated. Smiling suddenly at William, she said, "As head of MI6, I order you to reveal everything you know and hand over Henry's belongings. Otherwise, I'll detain you for threatening national security."
Just as William contemplated escaping this relentless old lady, a man seated in the café's private room opened the door and said to M, "Sorry, M, but you don't have the authority."
Startled, M asked, "Gareth Mallory, why are you here?"
Gareth replied, "You came to meet the new head of the W Group. Shouldn't I, the Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, be informed? Madam, with due respect, the Devonshire family's personnel have answered to the Security Committee for over a century, and the Committee answers only to the Prime Minister. If you have questions, you can take them up with higher authorities."
Ignoring M, Gareth turned to William and introduced himself, "I'm Gareth Mallory. Nice to meet you, William."
Though William suspected Gareth of being similar to M, he wouldn't be foolish enough to offend two spy chiefs simultaneously. Shaking hands, he responded, "Hello, I'm William Devonshire. Nice to meet you, sir."
Gareth nodded at M before smiling at William, "Mr. Devonshire, may I call you William?"
William nodded, "Of course, it's my honor."
Regardless of Gareth's true nature, William decided to get to know him better, even if it meant taking legal action later. Gareth continued, "Let's find a place to chat over a drink and discuss any questions you have."
"Sure, sir. We can go to the hotel restaurant. It's lunchtime, and I hear they have excellent grilled turbot."
"Okay, with a billionaire treating, I can't refuse. Let's go."
Four chapters delivered. During the new book period, please help with recommendations and favorites. Thank you very much.
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