2024-04-12 18:00:12The clock had already struck eight when Aland and Shannon descended the stairs. Without further ado, the two of them made their way to the dining table. Ignoring the presence of Jill and Camellia, who were gazing at each other.
"I'll be right back after calling Pete for breakfast."Jill laughed with a grin as she savoured a chicken dish filled with cheese and selected spices. "You're shameless. You guys stay here, linger, but betray my late husband by uniting Reynolds Industries and those cheap JF Groups?"Like a sudden deafness, Aland did not care about his mother-in-law's words. He simply nodded and smiled at Shannon, who was heading to the guest room at the front, close to the living room.Jill threw her knife at Aland, but he managed to dodge it with just a tilt of his head. She laughed, snorted, disdained. "For the first time, I see people who are shameless enough to join us at the dinner table after spitting on me last night! I should have roused James from his
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RISE OF THE HEIRS: Getting Rid of The Traitor 149
Just before crossing the markings at the traffic light, Jill quickly realised that she was out of control. She quickly hit the clutch pedal hard, followed by the brake pedal.In just an instant, Jill's luxury car came to a halt just before all the vehicles from the opposite lane hit the gas. That way, she could avoid a traffic accident.Unfortunately, her car came to a sudden halt, causing her to hit the back of the car. Her head hit the steering wheel and her forehead bled. Slowly but surely, Jill breathed a sigh of relief.Instead of regretting having gone that far, Jill laughed. She laughed out loud when she realised no one could stop her but herself. Not even fate."That's right. Only I will make my destiny change. Only I can decide where my destiny will lead."Elsewhere, Pete and Aland, who had dropped Shannon off, immediately headed to JF Load.Pete, who was now trying to open the JF Load application, tried to prove to Aland how bugs interfere with cust
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"What the fuck with you, Eddie? Have you gone mad? You could have warned me, couldn't you? You could have just told me everything in a message after telling me about the merger! Why did you have to wait for me to break down first to tell me everything, huh?"Eddie was silent. He looked down deeply as he looked the other way. "They threatened me, Mr Fischer. They also kept saying that you weren't really James's son. That's why I had my doubts at first. I—"Eddie had barely finished his sentence when Arthur slapped him with such force that he fell backwards. He looked up at Arthur, who was still staring at him fearfully."You had your doubts, huh? It's obvious I'm James's son and you doubt me? You knew me first, Eddie! Dad even introduced me in public that I was his son! And you're doubting me? Who are you doubting? Me or my dad's statement that you've taken for granted in life, huh?"Eddie was still silent with his cheeks heating up from the powerful slap. He knew som
RISE OF THE HEIRS: Getting Rid of The Traitor 151
Jill walked quickly into the restaurant. Her gaze was sharp as she headed to the VIP room booked for her meeting with Alex Law. With her anger mounting, she really thought she would take it out on the right person. "Damn it! He doesn't even want to talk on the phone. Do I still have to lose again for his carelessness this time? Buying him exclusive food just to ask what the hell is going on? What a greedy man! Doesn't he know who he's dealing with yet?"Jill opened the special room door quickly. She found Alex sipping coffee shakily. The door slammed shut with a loud bang. It was as if she didn't care if there was tremendous damage to be done in the end.Quickly and with a burst of anger, Jill approached and slapped Alex hard. The coffee cup in Alex's hand fell over and shattered into dozens of pieces. Some shards landed on the backs of Jill's legs, leaving scars and blood.Alex immediately looked down, no longer daring to look up. He swallowed hard, as if there was noth
RISE OF THE HEIRS: Getting Rid of The Traitor 152
Arthur was smashing some glasses in the corner of his room when Jill suddenly arrived with the same anger. Instead of sharing her anger, Jill was shocked to see Arthur's workspace filled with broken glasses and pitchers. "What the hell is going on, Arthur? Why did you destroy your room, huh?"Arthur twisted his head, then glanced at Jill, who was already holding an equally large amount of anger. "Then how should I express my disappointment if not like this, Mrs Reynolds? Should I destroy your room? Is that what you want? Or should I destroy Gregory's room? Why do you have to question me about these things?"Jill swallowed irritably. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying not to be triggered by Arthur's shouting. "Can't you speak politely, huh?"Arthur massaged his temples lightly. This time, his nape felt so stiff from being so angry. He approached Jill, who was still clenching her lips tightly. "How much more polite should I treat you, Mrs Reynolds? I've ans
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"I'm sorry, Mrs Fischer."Alex's apology was heard by Shannon, who was sitting in her comfortable chair. She glanced at Alex, who had a bruised look on most of his face. She smiled for a moment, before finally fixing Alex with a glare."You heard it yourself, didn't you?"Shannon's sarcastic question certainly made Alex feel guilty. He looked down even deeper before he could no longer hold back the tears. "I really didn't expect Mrs Reynolds to have such horrible thoughts. She's trying to destroy you, even though she gave Reynolds Industries to you as a wedding gift."Shannon rose from her overstuffed chair and approached Alex, who sat kneeling on the floor, head down and sobbing. She gently grabbed both of Alex's shoulders and asked him to sit in the chair."Stand up, Mr Law. I don't want to look so high when the others are sitting low, despite their guilt."Shannon's statement certainly made Alex sob even more. Just by hearing Shannon's soft voice and the C
RISE OF THE HEIRS: Getting Rid of The Traitor 154
My bad to mishear, Mr Bowen. But could you repeat it again? I think there's a bit of network interference here."Arthur's hesitant request was not without reason. He really didn't expect that Bowen was no longer applying for investment, as Alex had revealed earlier.Jill, who had been smiling as she waited for Bowen's answer, changed her expression. She looked incredulous when she heard Bowen's correct statement."You didn't hear wrong, Fischer. You asked me to be an investor at first, but they refused. So you asked for a company that could keep you respectable in the UK. So I transferred my ownership to you. I also promised a bit of my earnings to give to you, didn't I? Is that still not enough for you, Fischer?"Arthur swallowed hard and blinked rapidly as Jill closed her eyes in disappointment. He cleared his throat briefly before finally nodding in affirmation, as if he saw Bowen's presence right before him. "Ah, you were right, Mr Bowen. I guess I misheard about
RISE OF THE HEIRS: Getting Rid of The Traitor 155
"W-what do you mean, Mrs Reynolds? Engaged?" asked a confused Arthur. His eyes narrowed sharply as he questioned the meaning of Jill's incomprehensible words. "How could you ask me to marry your daughter at a time like this, Mrs Reynolds?"Jill positioned her seat comfortably and leaned towards Arthur across the table so that they could be closer. She glanced around as if she didn't want anyone else listening in. "As I said before, Arthur. We can't do anything now but use Camellia. You can make her a pawn. I mean, we can ask her to help us dig up all the information about Reynolds Industries. That's all we can do for now, right?"Arthur shook his head slowly. His appetite was gone in an instant. "No, Mrs Reynolds. I can't accept this proposal. After all, without marrying her, we can ask her to help. She is still your daughter who will obey all your requests, Mrs Reynolds. Why should I marry her?"Arthur's persistent refusal made Jill frown in surprise. She even shook her
RISE OF THE HEIRS: Getting Rid of The Traitor 156
"Get out of here now!"Jill's expulsion when Aland, Pete, and Shannon arrived at the Reynolds residence with many vases thrown out and broken made the trio no longer surprised by the messy state of the house.The two bodyguards who walked in front of them immediately rushed to Jill's back in an effort to protect their three clients. Assisted by a device connected to the other two bodyguards at the back, they would act as a shield for the vase that might be thrown.As more strangers came to her house, Jill became more furious. She screamed loudly, like she was possessed by a demon. Her eyes widened as she approached Cobb and Shannon, who stood behind the two bodyguards with their backs to her.Just as Jill was about to reach Aland to slap him as hard as she wanted to make him lose money at the restaurant, the two bodyguards who had his back turned around and prevented her from getting any closer. She widened her eyes and wrenched her hands from the powerful grip of th
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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
