Burning with vengeance: The runaway heir

Back home

9. 

"Brother! Brother! I missed you so much! Where have you been? You left me alone to deal with father and... Oh my God! Is this my niece?" Asher asked as he went to pick Melvin. 

"Don't touch my daughter. I don't want her to wake up and get scared by your ugly face," Richard said as he held Melvin well in his arms. 

"Come on brother. I have held it all down for you and the least I deserve is to hold my niece. Bring her here," Ash added as he went to take the child who was peacefully sleeping. 

"Be careful," Richard said as he handed the child carefully to his little brother. 

"Why is Asher so childish? You still spoil him?" Richard asked Michael who was walking beside him towards the GMC-Hummer MV that was waiting for them with its doors open. 

"Young master, who exactly spoiled second young master if not you? He is always your baby, isn't he?" Michael asked and Richard scoffed. 

They had just landed in Washington DC Airport and we're on their way to the mansion. 

Asher and Richard hadn't seen each other for almost six years and it felt like forever. 

Their parents didn't have many children. It was just them two. Thus, Richard spoilt his younger brother a lot. 

Although Ash was a genius when it came to computers and business, Richard still felt that he was his little brother always. 

Thus, their relationship was very good. Richard did all the dirty work for the Dragon Empire to shield his brother from the harsh realities of the underworld and left his brother to deal with logistics and public relations. 

When Ash heard that Richard was on his way, he could not contain himself. He was beyond himself when he heard that Richard was coming back with his daughter. 

Though Asher was the one being used by their father to track Richard and make sure that he was okay, he was still worried. He knew the relationship between his brother and Cassie but Ash would pretend that he wasn't involved because the last thing he needed was anger his favourite brother; wait,  it was not like he had any other. 

They boarded the vehicle and Michael and the body guards boarded others. One rode in front of them and the other rode behind them. 

"Brother, I bought this car for you. What do you think? You like heavy machines to be able to traverse rough terrain don't you?" Ash said and Richard gave him the eye. 

"If she wakes up because of you I will kill you," Richard said and that shut up his brother. 

But if there was one wrong thing with Asher it was that he couldn't keep his mouth shut to save his life. 

"Bother, why didn't you come with a nurse to take care of Melvin?" He asked and Richard sighed for the umpteenth time since he met with Ash. 

"I can perfectly take care of my daughter," Richard said as a matter of fact because he had been doing it since she was in diapers anyway. 

"I will help you brother. I will take care of my lovely niece. She looks so much like me. Look at her nose brother. Look," Ash continued and Richard sighed again and held his glabella because he could feel a mild stress headache coming on. 

"Brother, you sigh a lot. I wonder how you still have air left in you," Ash said again and Melvin stirred in his arms. 

Since the operation, she was responding well to the marrow transplant and Richard could not be more grateful. 

If she had died, he would have wrecked havoc in Los Angeles. He wouldn't have let the Parker family and the Williams live one more day. 

The two families should thank Melvin for it, because of her that they were still walking and intact.. Richard wanted to take care of his daughter first and make sure that she was okay before he dealt with them.

But one thing was inevitable, he was going to deal with them. 

Every time Richard remembered his daughter crying because of how Cassy treated her, he felt like dying. He couldn't imagine how she suffered. 

"Casandra Parker, I will be  back," Richard thought as the almost ten miles journey from the airport to the Armstrong Manor came to an end. 

The vehicles were parked and guards ran out to open doors for the two young masters. 

"I want to go to my quarters first. I want to make sure that Melvin is comfortable before seeing father. Go tell him that I will have dinner with him this evening," Richard told his brother who was glad to comply. 

"Okay. Take care of my niece and I will see you once I tell father," Ash said as he handed the child to Richard and ran towards the main house. 

"Your residence is still in the West Wing young master. It has been renovated to add room and things for little young miss," Michael said to Richard who was already walking towards the small vehicle that was on the side with a guard already inside. 

The small vehicle looked like those used in golf courses. 

They were for easier movement in the manor because it sat on a ten thousand square acres land. This manor was in the suburbs of Washington DC, around twenty miles from the bustling city. 

It was like a small town by itself because it had everything one could think of. From gyms to a cinema, warm pool, cold pool,  a golf course, a basketball court, a mini forest, a spa and many more. 

Now that Melvin was coming to live here, a small children's play park had been built in the grounds. 

Old man Drake didn't want his grandchild to lack anything. This was the first grandchild in the Armstrong family in his generation. 

Though he never liked her mother, he loved the baby. He couldn't wait to meet her though he hadn't talked to his son. An old mafia lord had to keep his cool. 

Richard and Melvin were driven to their residence and Melvin stired in her sleep and opened her eyes as they were getting off the small vehicle. 

"You are awake baby?" Richard asked soothingly in a voice that had the guard driving them take a second look. 

This was the man who was respected all over by those who knew him. This guard had never seen Richard smile and he had been with the Armstrong family for more than ten years. 

And now, he had heard him speak softly to his daughter. 

"Truly, fatherhood could change someone," the guard thought as he opened the door for the duo and took the small briefcase inside. 

Richard didn't bring a lot of things with him. All he caried were the few toys his daughter owned, a few of her best clothes and that was all. 

He knew that since he was coming back home, everything would be prepared by his busy body of a brother. 

"Daddy? Where are we?" Melvin asked weakly as she saw they were in unfamiliar territory. 

"We are home baby. This is where daddy comes from. I will take you on a tour once you eat and take your medicine. Are you hungry?" Richard asked her as he put her on the couch. 

"Yes. I am hungry," she said as she looked around. 

"What do you want to eat?" Her father asked and she returned her attention to him and seemed to think. 

"Spaghetti and meatballs," she said her favourite and smiled. 

"Spaghetti and meatballs coming right up. Want to help daddy cook?" Richard asked his daughter and it was at that time there was a knock on the door. 

Five people came in among them Ash. 

"Hey baby? You are awake?" Ash said excitedly as he ran to pick Melvin up. 

Melvin didn't know who he was and she thus stood up quickly and grabbed her father's leg. 

Richard looked at his brother with a gaze that could kill and Ash froze on his heels. 

"Sorry baby," he said as Richard bent and picked her up. 

"Sweetie, this is your uncle Ash. He is very nosy and noisy but he is a very good person. Do you want to say hi?" Richard introduced and looked at his daughter who seemed to contemplate for a while and then nodded. 

"Hello uncle Ash?" She said in that sweet baby voice and Ash melted. 

"Oh my God. Did you all hear that? She called me uncle," he said excitedly as he moved towards them. 

"Hello baby? Can I hold you?" He asked as he took her from her father. 

"Can I take you for a tour of the house?" He asked and Richard knew what he was doing. 

"You can't. She has to eat and I was on my way to prepare her food. And you can't take her to father without me. So, no," Richard said as a matter of fact and Ash frowned foe he knew his brother, like always, could see through him. 

"Okay. These are the new workers that have been assigned to the West Wing and to help take care of Melvin. 

This is nurse Lin who will be a full time caregiver to our little angel, this is the cook, Henry and these two are Butler Alex and the groundslady Cathy," Ash introduced and the four bowed to their new boss. 

"I have given them the rules and have already signed what needs to be signed. You don't need to worry, they have worked for the Dragon Empire for years and they know what's best for them," Ash added when his brother looked at him. 

"You four, make yourselves at home and we will call you when we need you. Nurse Lin, prepare the nursery and you come with us," Ash said as he indicated to Henry the cook. 

"Alex, show them the way around," Ash added as he and his brother, niece and the cook went towards the kitchen. 

"I'm so happy you are back," Ash said to his brother and Richard frowned. 

"I am not. I would prefer a quiet life with Mel," he said as he adorned an apron to prepare a quick meal for his daughter.