Chapter 6. New partners.

In the evening, that same day, Andy and Charlie arrived at the Emerald restaurant, one of the biggest in the city by means of a taxi. He did not want to cause a scene there, so he came in a casual manner.

When they entered the restaurant, Karen was already seated and waved to them the moment she recognized them. It was a first class restaurant, so most of the people there had bodyguards hanging around.

Since it wasn't news to people that the Prime minister's daughter just returned to the country, the people around began to wonder who Andy and Charlie were to be the ones to have a first official meeting with her, adding to the fact that she had returned to the United States to take over the family's business, since her father more focused on politics and his duty as the Prime minister.

The attention on both Andy and Charlie soon shifted to only Andy the moment it was noticed that he was the one Karen was there to meet, because the table was reserved for two and Charlie had to take another table close to theirs.

*I thought I was clear about keeping this meeting quiet?" Andy said the minute he sat down.

He had noticed the many eyes which were fixed on him and didn't like it that way.

"I'm sorry, but this is the best I could come up with, besides no one here would bother to take pictures of us together." Karen explained in the best way she could.

"What about the press outside?" Andy mentioned because they had passed them while coming in and even though they weren't asked any questions, leaving would not be the same.

"Don't worry about them." She said with confidence so as to take away his mind from those things. "I already ordered drinks."

"In that case, let's head down to business. Why am I here and how did you know who I am?"

"You don't expect me to give out my source right?"

She chuckled because she didn't expect such a question from him. but then he wore a serious face, implying that he was serious with that question.

"Well, did you think your identity would be hidden forever? Anyway, you can call it a hunch."

"I'm serious please." Andy insisted on knowing since it would go a long way in making him know how many more persons knew who he was.

"I learnt that the Golden Vultures was handed over to one named Andy and also the lost heir of the Wilkinsons went by that same name. So it wasn't a coincidence that your family was killed after rumors of your being alive were heard in New York, and here you are planning to go home."

"Are you saying you figure it out on your own when I made mention of taking care of some family issues?"

He wanted to be sure of what she was saying, even as he wondered how she knew the reason behind his family's murder.

"Yes, Mr Andy, your words revealed your true identity."

"So what do you want from me?"

"You keep asking funny questions, who wouldn't want to associate with the Great Golden Vultures?"

"Well, we are not so great anymore."

"That's why I'm here to help you rise again, even as you do the same for me. I need the backing of the Golden Vultures to prove myself to my father. Not to mention that the leader is also the heir to the Mighty Coldstars enterprise."

"You have nothing to prove to your father? You are his daughter."

"Of course, I have everything to prove to him. I need to prove to him that I am worthy of running his company and maintaining his legacy."

"If that's the case, then you've got yourself a partner." Andy exchanged a handshake with her.

It was wise of him to align with her, seeing that it would go a long way in ensuring he gets everything on his to-do list done, especially now that the Golden Vultures weren't as great as they used to be.

So they raised their glasses, making a toss to their newly established partnership, as further discussion continued.

At the end of the meeting, Karen left the restaurant first, there by drawing the press who began to throw all manner of questions at her concerning how she felt about being back in the United States, how her meeting went and who the meeting was with.

With the much attention on her, Andy and Charlie sneaked out of the restaurant, since that was their plan on getting away from there without being noticed, but still they were caught on camera, even though questions weren't thrown to them.

*****

Back in Austin, Fred returned from the company looking very angry, as he face was covered with rage, even the greetings from the domestic workers were totally ignored.

As he walked into the sitting room, slamming the door behind, his mother asked, taking notice of his anger.

"What is it again, Fred?"

"Where is grandpa?" Fred didn't answer or greet his mother, instead he asked with a harsh tune as if she was the cause of his anger.

"You will watch it boy?" Penny raised her voice at him for the first time.

Ever since Harvey refused to take his suggestion, he had been acting strange with anger, but that day's own was so much that Penny couldn't help it anymore than to remind him of his place in the family.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Harvey, who had watched Fred coming into the house with so much anger, asked from upstairs as he walked towards the staircase.

"Good evening, grandpa." Fred suppressed his anger and rage, showing maximum respect as always.

"No, I thought you were mad just now." Penny could not believe how he was able to change his mood in the blink of an eye.

"Let's hear him out, Penny." Bobbie calm her down since she was the taking up the anger, even though she understood where she was coming from, because she too was in the sitting room when Fred entered the way he did.

"What's good about the evening when you've chosen to disturb the peace of this house." Harvey finally reached the ground floor where they were.

"Sorry grandpa,"

"Skip the apologies and go straight to the point. I overheard you asking for me." Harvey didn't like the fact that Fred was pretending to be calm when he wasn't.

"I am just coming from Clay's place, and I wasn't allowed into the premises. After keeping to our own end of the bargain, he decided to treat me like trash on my first day going there."

"Is that what this whole noise is about?" Harvey asked, feeling very reluctant as he sat on the couch.

"Are you even listening to your grandson?" Penny asked Harvey.

She didn't understand how he would take such a news so lightly, even as she understood why her son's anger was kindled greatly.

"Of course, I've heard his complaint, but the real question is what was he doing there?"

"Come on Harvey," Bobbie too did not like her husband's reaction. It was so cruel of him to feel very calm after hearing such.

"What would you all have me do?" Harvey asked for their opinion since they appear to be ganging up against him.

"At least, call Mr Clay to find out why he would have his in-law kicked out of his home."

"I will do that after Fred here has told us what he was doing there?"

Seeing that Harvey was hell bent on finding out his purpose of going to the Clay, he had to take his too, as he thought of the perfect lie to tell.

"I am listening."

Harvey figured the reason behind his delay was because he wanted to forge a good story, pleasing to the ears.

"Is it a crime for one to visit his in-law?"

Penny figured that her son was having problems answering Harvey's question, so she decided to cover up for him as always.

"We both know that's not the reason he was there?" Harvey knew what Penny was trying to do, so he looked into Fred's eyes.

"Why are you making this such a big deal? Your grandson was kicked out of Clay's place, and hear you are demanding an explanation for his visit."

Bobbie could not take it anymore, so she picked up her phone to make the call which Harvey refused to make.

Then Rita came running into the sitting room, it could be seen that she had some disturbing news to break, so Bobbie paused with the call.

"Thank goodness you're all here." Rita was happy to have the whole family in one place. "You won't believe who's on the news?"

"Who?"

They chorused, not having the time to waste on some guess game.

But Fred further continued, "Have they revealed the man behind the Golden Vultures?"

"Oh Fred, is that the only thing you keep thinking of?"

Rita was getting sick of his enthusiasm to know the man behind the Golden Vultures. For the past two days, that had been the only thing he kept talking about.

"Well, I just saw Andy on the news."

"Of course you did." Bobbie answered in disappointment.

They all thought she had something very important to say, but hearing it was merely about seeing Andy on the news, they concluded it wasn't anything important, his being on the news would be nothing other than how he had been picked up from the street and taken to some refugee camp or shelter.

"Like, I'm serious."

Rita didn't like the way they took her information, so she brought out her phone and replayed the news, taking it to the point where Andy was caught on camera coming out of the Emerald restaurant.

"We you are…."

Fred didn't finish his statement before he was handed over the phone to take a look for himself, which on seeing Andy made him lose words.

"Let me see?" Penny became curious of what he saw to have made that shock.

As she too saw Andy behind the camera in such a reputable place, she froze too, unable to say another word or even remove her gaze from the paused video.

By the time the phone got to Bobbie who would have passed it on to Harvey, she said. "Come on, this is just Andy's look-a-like, there is no way he is in California, not to talk of being in the same place with the Prime minister's daughter."

Her wolds made sense to them as none could think of it earlier, thereby falling for what they saw.

"Please, Rita, never make our hearts race again like this. Six years you live with that fool and you still can not distinguish between him and his look-alike." Harvey warned after seeing the video, as if he too wouldn't think Andy was the one on the screen if not that Bobbie had made them think otherwise.

"I'm sorry grandpa, I was carried away in shock." Rita felt bad for causing such tension in the family.

"You'd better be. So where were we?" Fred said as he wanted grandma Bobbie to proceed with the call which she was going to make before Rita's interruption.