2024-04-06 18:00:23"Did I not mishear, Mrs Reynolds? Meggie is the owner of the orphanage that raised Aland? What do you mean? Wait! You made her a millionaire overnight? And what about all that money she offered the JF Groups? I mean, is this just their game again?"
Jill paced back and forth in front of her desk restlessly. Her hands wouldn't stop massaging her temples as she didn't expect to see the woman she gave a bag of money to in support of her crimes."I told her to take everyone who could be a witness out of the country! I even gave her a lot of money, Arthur! But she lied to me! Damn it! Now I know where Cobb's scheming comes from. Meggie, she's even more devious than me!"Arthur took a deep breath and leaned back on the sofa. He looked at Jill, who still looked worried. He leaned forward, resting both elbows on each thigh to make his body more comfortable while reassuring the still overly worried Jill."You left before Meggie saw you, Mrs Reynolds. I don't think she'll recog
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RISE OF THE HEIRS: Getting Rid of The Traitor 139
Aland had just got home when lunchtime was over. He immediately went to JF Groups with a messy face. Hearing all the stories that Meggie revealed certainly made him emotional. After all, Meggie and the place where he grew up, even though it was only an orphanage, had been the most important part of his life before he met Pete.Throughout the journey, Meggie's words kept ringing in his ears. The corner of his eyes looked wet as if he was crying, although it's did not wet his entire face."She said you were born with a dangerous virus. That's why we accepted her offer without hesitation. She said she would pay all the hospital and quarantine fees. She also asked me to leave here immediately with all the orphanage members. And she just said she would take you to the same hospital for quarantine. But we didn't hear anything other than the fire that killed you and Steven at the same time."Aland closed his eyes right after his car was parked in the JF Groups' spacious car par
RISE OF THE HEIRS: Getting Rid of The Traitor 140
"What are you waiting for, Shannon?" Jill's question during dinner at home made Shannon, Aland, and Pete frown simultaneously. Without surprise, Jill spluttered and savoured her food while staring at Shannon.Instead of answering, Shannon only turned her head briefly. She smiled, then went back to eating her food wordlessly. Just as they had planned before.Feeling ignored, Jill gave an annoyed glance. She finished off the steak, which was cooked medium rare, just the way she liked it. "It's okay if you're reluctant to talk about this, Shannon. Besides, I know very well that you're having trouble finding investors. What's wrong with accepting the offer to fund your big, fantastic, high-value project? Isn't the sooner it's realised the better for Reynolds Industries?"Shannon let out a long sigh. She glanced at Aland, who seemed to blink faintly as a code to continue with the plan. Then she looked back at Jill equally intently. "I know you care about Reynolds Industries,
RISE OF THE HEIRS: Getting Rid of The Traitor 141
"What exactly are you trying to show me, Lia? I taught you about privacy since you were a kid and you come into my bedroom without permission? Have you lost your mind? Are you really so disturbed in your head that you have to sneak into your mum's room, huh? Answer me, Lia!"Camellia was trembling from hearing Jill's incessant diatribe since dinner was over. Her hands had been clenched even since Aland had told her the truth about what she did when she rushed home, even though it wasn't lunchtime.Jill closed her eyes and took another deep breath. I don't know how many times her anger had been forgotten, but it was still manageable because she felt sorry for the first daughter. Her hands clasped around her waist, finally gave up. He sat back on the sofa as she glanced at the clock that pointed to almost midnight."You're going to keep quiet? Then fine. Whatever you choose, Lia. Just keep quiet. And I can do the same thing. Keep you quiet. You think I won't be able to rep
RISE OF THE HEIRS: Getting Rid of The Traitor 142
The next day."What made you want to see me?" asked Aland, just as Arthur walked into the new room at JF Travel. His hands were clasped together as Arthur responded only with a smile.Without being invited, Arthur sat on the sofa comfortably. He looked at the new interior that was filled with graffiti of prominent landscapes in several countries. "Not bad. Even though it's just a facade and interior paint company, it can actually make the space more lively even without anyone visiting."Aland looked down to hide his faint laughter. He looked at Arthur as he took a pen from his shirt pocket and tapped it on the table as if it were the chiming of a ticking clock. "I don't have much time, Arthur. Just tell me what you want."Arthur raised both eyebrows, then sniggered and patted his hand lightly. “I appreciate people who are direct and straightforward, and don't waste the time.”"So please stop beating around the bush, Arthur.""Okay." Arthur reached into his ba
RISE OF THE HEIRS: Getting Rid of The Traitor 143
Arthur kicked the table violently. He was running out of ideas. Especially when he got insulted by Aland for who knows how many times. He quickly dialled Alex, who was immediately connected, without having to wait any longer."You sure this idea hasn't been heard by anyone, huh?"Alex Law immediately chuckled softly. He sighed before finally bowing in affirmation, as if Arthur was actually in front of him, cursing him disrespectfully as before. "I am absolutely certain, Mr Fischer. How could I possibly lie to you? I just want Mrs Reynolds and you to get back on your feet and be as successful as ever, Mr Fischer. It would be impossible for me to betray Mrs Reynolds. I mean it, Mr Fischer."Arthur sat anxiously as Jill's name continued to be mentioned. He nodded his head slowly before finally leaning back after flopping onto the sofa. "You're right. Let me get this straight. At US Foods, I'm the CEO. So it's me who will succeed, not Mrs Reynolds. She's just a consultant fo
RISE OF THE HEIRS: Getting Rid of The Traitor 144
"Are you getting crazy, Cobb? Marriage isn't something that can make you richer, Cobb! You think you'll get everything after the merger? You thought Shannon would give up Reynolds Industries so easily? A merger is not a decision you can make in a hurry, you idiot! There's so much more to fulfil the merger requirements! Besides, what about the shareholders? Two major industries in the UK are going to merge? What the holy shit with you, huh?"Arthur had not stopped cursing ever since he first came to JF Moulding for a one-on-one talk. Despite the distance, he didn't want to delay time to prevent Aland's plan from being realised. Especially when Jill was still unreachable and unaccounted for.Without ignoring Arthur's presence, Aland continued to pay attention to every detail of the furniture design requested by a customer. "I think you know that all the shareholders have approved it. After all, this has nothing to do with you, right? You have no special contribution to either
RISE OF THE HEIRS: Getting Rid of The Traitor 145
"I was really surprised to see this poster, Nick. You designed it well. Thank you," said Aland after JF Properties' working hours were over. He really appreciated Nick's initiative in promoting JF Travel, like the plan he had revealed to Pete."No, Mr Fischer. It was Sarah's idea directly. She was out on the town when she saw you standing in front of the renovated JF Travel." Nick paused his sentence when he saw Sarah blinking rapidly, trying to stop the statement from being made.Seeing that, Aland turned to Sarah, who was sitting on the opposite sofa. His eyebrows furrowed, as if demanding an answer to Nick's statement. "Why didn't you greet me, Ms O'Dell?"Sarah looked down with a flushed face, while her cloth hands twisted the hem of her shirt in nervousness. "Sorry, Mr Fischer. We are indeed here as superior and subordinate. But when I go to the city, we're not bound by work, are we?"Aland didn't understand. He shook his head and glanced at Nick. "So what is it
RISE OF THE HEIRS: Getting Rid of The Traitor 146
Arthur was getting restless. Twenty-four hours without Jill's presence had left him increasingly unable to function for a moment. In fact, he had more than a few teams to do all the work directly related to US Foods. But Arthur couldn't trust them completely.The clock had already struck nine when Arthur left his room on the top floor. For the first time, he left so late that there was no one left in the US Foods building in the centre of the city.Restlessly, he headed to the hotel where he had bought a large apartment. It only took him a short while to arrive at his luxurious new residence. He threw himself onto the bed, no longer knowing what he could do for the next day.Arthur glanced at his phone again, but none of his messages had arrived. Irritated, he shouted as loud as he could to vent his anger. "Jill is crazy! How could she really disappear without saying anything to me? There's not even anyone who can find her at the ends of the earth?"Unexpectedly, his
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"I do," Arthur said as he took out a red velvet box from beneath his luxurious clothes. He placed a simple ring with a single jewel on Dwyane's finger, which looked beautiful in his eyes.After that, the priest began to lead the prayers. It didn't take long for the two to sign the marriage contract.Although Arthur's second wedding ceremony was only held at the nearest church in the neighbourhood of the hospital, the happiness was evident on his pale face. He had been a wheelchair user for more than two hours, enduring the pain in his solar plexus after his surgery five days ago.There were only seven people in the church to witness Arthur's far from simple wedding. No party, no food. Only Shannon, Aland, Pete, Will Smith, John Benedict, Phil Allen, and Edward Frey, the officer who uncovered Arthur's many hidden cases.The first-born was given to Arthur, even though he was in a wheelchair. Seeing Arthur's weakening condition, the priest rushed the blessing and lighti
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"I'm going to file for a marriage annulment. So, will you be my lover, Dwyane?"Arthur's request just after Camellia disconnected the call made Dwyane melt. She burst into tears as he approached Arthur, who was still lying in the cage."Why just lovers? You can get married after cancelling your previous marriage," Aland said from the sofa.Aland immediately got up and approached with both hands in each of his trouser pockets. He grabbed his laptop before moving on, as he did not even get a response from his brother.Arthur was silent. Not only him, even Dwyane didn't know what to say when he was in the middle of such an awkward situation.As he put his work laptop in his bag, Aland spoke up again to help."I'll talk to Mr Smith right away. He will help you to file for a marriage cancellation as soon as possible. Only then, you guys can get married before you actually return to prison in six days. If you have anything to say, just call Pete--"Aland hadn't
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"Are you sure you're okay?"Camellia asked from a distance. The look of concern was visible, but it was not savoured by Arthur as he had savoured the anxiety on Dwyane's face earlier.The two were now connected through a call Aland had made to Mr Cavill, who was visiting his daughter. Using a phone and a laptop, the two were now face to face, even though it was only through a call connection.Arthur nodded in response to his wife's question at the end of the call. Unfortunately, he could not take his attention away from Dwyane, who was busy writing in the corner of the room."I'm fine, Lia. What about you? Did mum cause trouble again? Did she hurt you?"Although she sounded more concerned than before, Lia knew very well that it was just a pep talk from her husband. She shook her head slowly as she wiped away tears with her sleeve."Listen to me, Arthur. I asked dad to contact Aland so I could connect with you like this for some reason. Although I just found o
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Arthur blinked softly. His eyes squinted as the glare of the lights greeted him as he woke up after being in a state of emergency because of heavy blood loss.Instead of finding Dwyane or Lia, he saw Aland sitting with his head bowed on the edge of the bed. Her eyes closed again to make sure before finally looking back at who was beside him.It was the same man he hated to death before. Aland.Arthur's hand moved towards Aland's closed head, hiding his face, when he suddenly saw movement from the sofa. Quickly, Arthur pretended to close his eyes again, as if he hadn't woken up from a long sleep.Dwyane was shocked to death when he looked at the clock. It was almost night and Arthur had not woken up. This was contrary to the information received from the doctor earlier.Slowly, Dwyane woke up Aland, who had fallen asleep by accident. "Mr Fischer. It's already dark. Shouldn't you be going home?"The surprised Aland got up hurriedly. He looked over to where Arth
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"What else this time, Dwyane?"Arthur's question made Dwyane shake her head slowly. She plugged the flash disc into the laptop she had brought with her. She positioned it so that the screen was facing the direction where Arthur was."I haven't seen it myself, Arthur. You can see for yourself. This was given to me by Aland. He said it was a precious gift for you."Hearing Aland's name, Arthur rose lazily. He shook his head, refusing to see what he really wanted to show."No, Dwyane. That's enough. The other day you brought me the news you secretly heard from him. And it really kept me up all night long. Now what? Are they planning to frustrate me here?"Dwyane shook her head slowly. She was just trying to keep Arthur's attention back on what Aland was about to show him."No, Arthur. The other day, the possibility that I was wrong was quite high. Aland said that sometimes there is some information that is missed and contributes greatly to misunderstandings. Tha
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"Go away, Cobb! Get out of here or I'll kill you right now!"Aland sniggered and moved off, leaving Jill filled with intense guilt."You're just bragging! Arthur is my nephew! He is everything to me! And you can't touch him! He's mine! Don't ever come back or I'll kill you right here!"The clock had already struck three in the afternoon when Aland and Shannon sat across from Dwyane Hills. He knew very well that Dwyane continued to visit Arthur, no matter what. Every day. For more than nine days."I'm sorry if I've upset you, Mr Fischer," Dwyane greeted, having just spoken after ten minutes of apparent silence.Aland cleared his throat, then took a sip of his coffee while shaking his head slowly."What do you have to apologise for? There's nothing wrong with you going there, Ms Hills. I just don't like that you went there with information you shouldn't have given."Suddenly, Dwyane's eyes widened. Her hands immediately folded on the table, and tried to rea
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"Since when did you become so talkative, Cobb?"Jill's counterattack made Aland pause. He looked at Jill, who grabbed a plastic chair to sit across from him."How can I help you with coming all the way out here?"Aland glanced at Shannon for a moment, trying to make sure that his wife was fully prepared. He looked again at his mother-in-law, whose new identity had been stripped away, leaving nothing of her once admired name."There's something I want to do about the key you gave me. Liliana's death."Jill did not seem surprised at how quickly Aland had learnt the truth with just one keyword."You found it?"Aland showed her an old photo of Sophie and Liliana that he had copied from an old file at the orphanage. Even though it wasn't clear, Jill could still recognise who was in the picture."This is you and Liliana. You two are sisters, aren't you?"Seeing that Aland was not surprised by what she had found, Jill got up and approached. Her eyes squi
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"What did you say? Sorry, but can you say it again?"Shannon's request was not without reason. For the first time, she sat in Will Smith's room with Pete and her husband to explain everything.Aland closed his eyes and smiled faintly. His hands were intertwined with each other in a position in the middle of her legs."I'm not misspeaking, Shannon. This is the truth. Until a few moments ago, only Pete and I knew about this."Will Smith didn't understand. He, who had been staring out the window while listening to Aland's explanation, could only turn around and shake his head slowly."If Arthur is not James's son, why does James insist on claiming him?""Because he just lost his son, Mr Smith. Don't you remember that his scandal broke just as he was about to celebrate JF Groups' anniversary? James couldn't just ignore Arthur's arrival with Liliana. He didn't want to act rashly, either. He asked me to keep the fact that Arthur was abandoned by Eugene a secret bec
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"Sophie? You're trying to defame our orphanage just because of Sophie's case? Do you also want to examine all the children in this orphanage so that you can be satisfied with your judgement, Mr Fischer?"Aland turned to Shannon briefly before leaning forward, trying to calm him down. "Listen to me, Mr Flitch. This is not what you think it is. We're not here to make a statement or to judge your orphanage as bad, no. I'm just here because there's something wrong. I'm only here because there's something I wanna to know. About Sophie. That's all. We will never tell anyone that Sophie is from here. After all, the whole of the UK knows that Sophie's dangerous behaviour is not the result of someone's upbringing, but her disposition, which may never change even twenty years later. We're just looking into her bloodline. That's all."Dom Flitch squinted with an angry gaze. His previously cupped hands immediately came closer, watching Aland and Shannon's movements that seemed so d
