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2024-10-29 19:42:56Tom walked quickly. His hand clutched a copy of the JF Moulding yearbook that was stuck in the middle of the street. His eyes were red, burning, like an unquenchable flame.
Pete was just coming out of the servants' quarters when he saw Tom coming up the stairs. He knew full well that Arthur's room would be Tom's prime destination now.
Quickly, Pete moved to join Tom on the stairs. His laboured breathing couldn't keep up with Tom's steady pace.
Tom had arrived on the second floor. His hand was about to knock on the door of Arthur's room when Pete greeted him breathlessly. Not to forget, his shoulders were gripped firmly, as if Pete could no longer stand on his aged knees.
Surprised, Tom looked back. He helped Pete to sit up when he saw his dad's confidant looking so tired. The anger in his eyes turned to anxiety. "What's wrong, Pete? What's going on? Are you sick?"
Pete shook his
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RISE OF THE HEIRS: Getting Rid of The Traitor 39
"Shut your mouth, Tom Cobb! You've gone too far in slandering me! After this, what will you do? Spread the rumours? Bring me down and humiliate me in front of everyone?"Tom laughed and stepped to stand closer to Arthur, who was enjoying the last bite. "Do I look like someone who spills the tea in public?"Arthur twisted his head and laughed dismissively. He pushed the empty plate to the centre of the table before finally getting up and moving. He pushed Tom's shoulder away with a fingertip. "You don't look like that, but I'm sure you'll make trouble with this. But this time, I will also prepare myself better, Tom. Luck won't always be on your side. You should know that."Instead of answering and warning Arthur about his recklessness, Tom just nodded as he approached the dining table. His stomach was in knots, and he didn't have time to think. He invited Pete and the maid to join him at the table."D
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"What do you want to talk about, Shannon? Why did we have to meet outside? Couldn't I have met you at home?" asked Arthur curiously. He looked at every table in the restaurant, trying to be aware of someone's arrival.Shannon looked down slowly and picked up an old photograph from an album she had hidden in a cupboard. "Do you remember this moment, Arthur?"Arthur frowned, then sniggered. He took the picture Shannon gave him while nodding firmly. "Of course. We were in my old house at that time. I think you've asked this before. Why are you asking it again?""I'm just curious, Arthur."Shannon's short answer made Arthur clamp his lips tightly together. He knew that something was bothering Shannon about the photo. "Maybe you're confused. That's okay, it's normal. You're just being influenced by what someone said."Arthur took Shannon's hand to hold it, not forgetting to stroking t
RISE OF THE HEIRS: Getting Rid of The Traitor 41
“What the hell is going on?” asked Jill Reynolds. She had just arrived at the storage warehouse of the JF Groups’ service subsidiary. The director’s office, which should have been neat, was in shambles.In the dark, Jill tried to grope around. Luckily, she found a light switch that brightened the room. She looked at Arthur, who was sitting on his haunches with a cigarette in his left hand.Seeing Arthur’s messy condition, Jill guessed right. “Oh, look at this foolish one! Lemme guest. You lost again? I can’t believe it. Yesterday, you rejected me again for the umpteenth time. You spoke with such fiery fervour as if your victory was in sight. But look at you now. Where was the fire in your eyes yesterday, huh? Why are you destroying your own workplace?”“Shannon dumped me.”Jill laughed even more. She approached with cautious steps. She appro
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"We'll see. Who will win this game for now?"Jill pressed the enter button on her laptop, trying to post a clarification about Shannon and Arthur's relationship, not going down the aisle. She smiled, especially when she imagined some of the social sanctions that Tom Cobb would receive after his controversial statement surfaced."Not only will he be sacked from JF Groups. But he will also get the worst attacks from many parties who will try to protect Shannon. Then, JF Groups will be in my hands. And Arthur, I can get rid of him as soon as he is no longer useful in my life."As she continued to smile, Jill closed her eyes tightly. She listened to the music that accompanied the victory that was in sight.Unfortunately, she frowned in surprise when she heard hurried steps coming from outside. Annoyed, he turned up the speakers even more. Once again, she absorbed every note of the victory song that was a
RISE OF THE HEIRS: Getting Rid of The Traitor 43
The frenetic sound of the music that never diminished made Tom shake his head softly. He looked round the bar. Unfortunately, he couldn't find Arthur anywhere.Not at a loss for words. Tom began combing the bars that were open until the early morning. He looked for Arthur in the photo he had seen.Arriving at one table, Tom realised one thing. Arthur was no longer there. The table was cleared of the many bottles of high alcohol that had been the backdrop for the photo that some people had taken and posted.In a hurry, Tom searched the entire bar. He combed every corner of the bar, even though his ears were beginning to feel uncomfortable. The noisy and loud sounds made his ears ring even louder."Are you looking for someone, Mr Fischer?"One of the girls' question made Tom stop and look back. The greenish-coloured eyes Tom quickly recognised. He gripped the girl's arm questioning
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"Enough!" Smith's right hand pounded on the table, while the other hand grabbed the files that should have been handed out in peace. "I didn't come here to see this. Arthur, anyway. Tom and I only met once. He only came to visit me in the hospital. After and before that, we never met in person. But to be honest, even though we've only met, I can already deduce how Tom has been behaving all this time."Arthur got up and laughed. He reached for his file on the table as he showed it to Smith and grinned. "You're good at judging now? Just because he visited you in the hospital doesn't mean you can judge him easily, right?""Never mind, Arthur. Can't you just not make a big deal out of this?"Arthur glanced at Tom, who was trying to keep him calm. But he refused. He ruffled his feathers as he chuckled."Because it's in your favour, isn't it? What if he judges me better than you? We've known each other for
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"What's the rush, Ms Reynolds? Sorry, I didn't mean to reject this plan. It's just that we just met again. What if you feel uncomfortable and not quite right with me? I mean, we can get to know each other better before we decide to take this relationship to engagement, right?"Tom's question was answered with a nod by Shannon. She smiled, then looked at the picture of James Fischer hugging her and Tom as toddlers. "Did you think the same thing when you found out about your dad's unfulfilled wish, Aland?"Tom shook his head, not understanding. He, who was standing by the window, came over and sat down opposite the sofa occupied by the daughter of the late William Reynolds. "What do you say, Ms Reynolds?""Just call me Shannon. After all, I like you. Maybe even since the first time we met again after twenty years."Shannon paused her sentence as she turned to Tom in front of her. Her smile disappeared,
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"Don't mess with me, Shannon! What do you really want? You're unilaterally breaking up with Arthur and suddenly trying to throw your own engagement party with Tom? Stop being a foolish one! He's not the right person for you!"Shannon looked down in silence. She hadn't even eaten half of her dinner when she tried to make a wish.Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, Camellia seemed to be eating quietly. Her eyes glanced sharply at Shannon, who had not reacted to her mum's rejection.Jill threw her fork on the table with a bang. She had lost her appetite. "Haven't I told you over and over again? If not marrying Arthur, you should marry a man who will benefit Reynolds industries. So please don't even think about your own feelings! Think about the feelings of those of us who have encouraged you to do everything on your own to help me take control of your dad's company."Shannon remained silent. She
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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
