Bryan took a deep breath and with hard eyes, he turned to Arnold and pointed at him quickly, "Grandfather, the intruder is Arnold." He said. “What?!" Freda and Claire both said in unison, thoroughly shocked. Grandfather Maxwell's face turned beet red with rage, his eyes blazing with fury. He sprang from his chair, his voice thundering, “is this some sort of joke? Arnold?" He asked. "Yes, grandfather, it's all been Arnold's plan,” he replied. "You! You're the one who's been causing us so much trouble?" Grandfather snapped aggressively. Claire's eyes widened in shock, her voice trembling: "I can't believe this, you were the intruder?"Arnold tried to deny it, "No, no, that's not true! I don't know what this fool is talking about!"But Bryan cut him off with a firm voice, "I have proof, Grandfather. I've been investigating, and I have evidence that links Arnold to the break-in."Grandfather Maxwell's face turned even darker, his fists clenched. He still couldn't believe he'd been f

Bryan woke up to the gentle rustle of sheets and the very familiar lavender smell of Claire's shampoo. He squinted at the light peeking through the windows. Bryan rubbed his eyes, feeling the fatigue of the long night still lingering. But as he turned to his side, he was greeted by the lovely sight of Claire, sitting beside him with a tray of freshly baked muffins and a bottle of red wine."Good morning," she said, her voice husky but still melodious. "I thought you might need a little something nice after last night."Bryan leaned back against the headboard, taking the tray from her. "Thanks, Claire, breakfast is a good idea," he replied and poured himself a glass of wine, but as he raised it to his lips, he hesitated. Wine would be a good idea but that wasn't what he needed that morning. He needed a clear head, a sharp mind to meet his brother that morning. "You've been working all night," Claire observed, her eyes filled with concern. "You must be exhausted."Bryan set the glass d

Claire extended her hand, and Josiah took it, his grip firm as they shook hands. She was taken aback by the intensity of his gaze, his dark eyes seeming to bore into her soul. He held onto her hand a fraction of a second longer than necessary, and Claire felt a shiver run down her spine as she pulled away. He had a lustful glint in his eyes that almost made her groan. “What was it and men leering at her?" She thought inwardly and for a second regretted wearing the low neck blouse which seemed to catch Josiah's attention. “It's a huge pleasure to finally meet you, we've planned this meeting for so long," he said with a welcoming smile. "The pleasure is all mine," Claire replied and mustered a right smile of her own. Josiah spoke, his voice low and smooth, his smile charming. "You're even more beautiful than I imagined."Claire smiled politely, trying to hide her discomfort. "Thank you, Josiah. I get that compliment a lot," she replied and shrugged. She looked at the man closely. S

Josiah's head shook back and forth, a cynical and sarcastic laugh escaping his lips. The sound was bitter and strange, like a mixture of anger and disappointment. "I knew this little thing was too good to be true," he spat angrily, his eyes flashing with rage. He turned his gaze to Bryan, his expression twisted in a snarl. "What a welcome back home, little brother!" he snapped fiercely, his voice dripping with venom. “You really went all the way to give me a grand welcome, didn't you?" He asked sarcastically. Claire shook her head, inwardly wondering how such a vile man could possibly be related to Bryan. They looked nothing alike, and neither did they talk alike. Josiah's words were laced with malice and anger. He had a permanent sneer on his face and apart from when he'd thought that they had a chance at signing the contract, he'd not seen him crack a smile. While Bryan's were calm and collected, his brother was bugging but. It was like they came from different worlds.Bryan's exp

They had arrived home, and Bryan could see the shock on his uncle's face at the sight of him and Josiah. The old man's mouth was literally agape, and he held the arms of his chair as he got to his feet."Bryan," he said in a breathy voice as he stood up, his eyes fixed on his nephew with a mixture of surprise and concern.Josiah stepped into the room, and as if it just dawned on him that Bryan had been bullying him, he began to rant. "Uncle, how could you tell Bryan where I was?!" he snapped, his voice venomous.The old man's eyes widened in shock, and he took a step back, his hands raised in defense. "What? I would never do that," he said honestly, his voice firm. He was even shocked to find out that Bryan had found Josiah.Bryan's eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on Josiah with a mixture of anger and frustration. "I didn't need Uncle's help to find you, Josiah," he said, his voice cold. "I have my ways."Uncle Williams' eyes flickered to Bryan, his voice cold and almost accusing. "How