The emotions that were most clearly visible on Jacob's face were expressions of joy. An expression that had not appeared on his face for a long time.
Jacob looked at Reid as he continued his sentence, “You have the same eye color, almost the same face. I felt like I saw the male version of Claire. It's a shame that your mother is gone..." Jacob's voice turned sad when he said his last sentence, as did his expression.
Reid was silent. He didn't expect that the day would come where he could meet someone who was also sad about his mother's departure. So far, Reid is the only person who is sad about Claire's departure, while the other members of the Cliffton family are grateful.
"Forgive me. My mother died while giving birth to me. It's all my fault," Reid said later, revealing his darkest thoughts so far.
Reid often thought, if he wasn't there, his mother would still be alive. Even though Reid didn't like the idea that his living mother would still live with Daniel as his wife, Reid was sure that his mother could find a much better man than Daniel. Unfortunately none of that would ever happen because his mother had died, and it was Reid's fault.
Jacob shook his head. He tapped Reid on the shoulder with the hand that wasn't holding the wand. “Don't ever say something like that. Not your fault. This is fate."
Jacob took a deep breath and smiled. “Maybe you'll call me conservative for saying that. But I do believe in fate. I also believe that the Arison family will not just be cut off, as proven today. Even though Claire is gone, she left you as the successor of this family," said Jacob. His face was filled with a sad expression. His gaze was fixed on Reid, as if trying to make up for the years where he couldn't see his grandson.
But suddenly Jacob narrowed his eyes, he stared at Reid's cheek. “Why is your cheek bruised? Has anyone bothered you before?” he asked in a displeased tone.
Reid touched his own cheek, wincing when he felt pain on both sides. He just remembered that he had received slaps from his stepmother.
“Did the Cliffton family do it? I've received a report from Charles that the rest of the Cliffton family isn't treating you well. But I didn't expect that they would dare to hit you. They are so impudent. Don't worry, Reid, tonight I will order Charles to teach them a proper lesson," said Jacob with overflowing anger.
Even though he looks old and frail, he can actually look scary when he's angry.
Reid hurriedly said, “Grandfather doesn't need to do that.”
Jacob was surprised by his grandson's answer. “Why are you still defending them? Do you still love the family that often tortures you?"
Reid shook his head. "It is not like that. What I mean is, grandfather doesn't need to tell Charles to do it, let me come up with a plan to repay them for what they did."
Jacob immediately smiled with satisfaction at his grandson's answer. "Good. Don't let people who have bothered you get away with it. They must be given adequate compensation. They have to know the true strength of the Arison family," said Jacob as he patted Reid on the shoulder again.
"I understand, Grandfather," Reid replied. Now Reid was also sure that the old man in front of him was his grandfather. That all of Charles' explanations since he was in the car were not a prank.
There was a feeling of connection that Reid felt for Jacob. Feelings that he believed arose because of family blood ties. Besides, Jacob also has the same ocean blue eyes as Reid and Claire. Even though Jacob's eye color looked faded, it was definitely due to age.
“Good. Now you rest. You've come a long way to get here, you must be exhausted. Let Charles take you to your room. He will also be your personal assistant from now on."
Charles gave a respectful nod to Reid, his new master.
"Tomorrow, there is something important I want to talk to you about regarding the Arison company," added Jacob in a serious tone. Made Reid curious but he chose to nod.
Reid was then escorted to his room on the second floor.
Again Reid had to be amazed at how luxurious his room was. The room is very spacious, with a wide bed, a desk with a laptop and complete electronic equipment, a window with large curtains and a beautiful view from the balcony.
All of this was very different from Reid's room when he was still in his father's family home. There Reid was given a narrow room that was more like a servant's room.
While enjoying the beautiful view of his new room, Reid suddenly heard Charles say, “I apologize for being late picking up Young Master. I should have come sooner so that Young Master would not have to suffer any more torture from the Cliffton family.”
Reid frowned. “How did you know about that?” Reid was curious since his grandfather said he had received a report about this.
"Since we found out about Mrs. Claire's news, we also started to find out all the information about you. And to be more accurate, we put spies to monitor you directly while you are at home and also at the Cliffton office. From there we know everything," Charles answered bluntly.
Reid was quite surprised to hear that he had been spied on for the past few days. Why didn't he notice it at all?
That only means one thing, the spy is very good at his job.
"I was rash, still stalling for time to see the situation of the Cliffton family until I came late to bring you to this house. Please forgive my negligence," said Charles in a formal tone. His head bowed even deeper.
"It doesn't matter,” said Reid.
It was actually a good thing Charles arrived late, because if Charles had arrived just a few hours earlier, Reid was sure that what would have happened would have been much different.
If his true status as heir to the Arison family had been revealed before Reid proposed to Nancy, if Nancy had known earlier who Reid really was, Nancy would definitely not have rejected Reid's proposal. And Reid won't know that Nancy is actually cheating on him with Liam. That the woman Reid loved to death was nothing more than a material woman who was after wealth.
Reid clenched his fists as he recalled the insulting words from Nancy and the Cliffton family.
Previously, Reid had thought about taking revenge by telling Cliffton company employees the truth, that Liam's brilliant achievements at the office were not the result of his own work, but rather Reid's. But after thinking about it again, Liam's previous words were true.
Reid had no proof. Even if he had a copy of all of Liam's work, it wasn't solid evidence. Liam could refute that easily.
The employees definitely trust Liam more, especially with Daniel's support.
Even if the employees believe Reid's words, what happens next? The shameless Liam would definitely still walk around casually at Cliffton's company without caring about the opinions of other employees. And that wasn't the kind of revenge Reid wanted.
Reid wanted to erase the smug look on Liam's face, leaving the man devastated.
It seemed like he had to rework his revenge plans. And with his new status, Reid believes he can achieve revenge that these people never thought possible.
***
The next morning when he woke up, Reid blinked when he saw a ceiling that was very different from the ceiling he had seen for 27 years every time he opened his eyes.
The ceiling he saw this time was much more magnificent with marble and luxurious lamp decoration.
A second later, Reid realized that now he was no longer at his father's house, but at his grandfather's house.
Reid got up slowly from the bed.
"Young Master is awake," said a female voice, startling Reid. He was even more shocked when he saw not just one woman, but six women standing in front of his room door. They wear the same gray clothes.
"Who are you guys?" Reid asked.
“We are servants in this house. Master Jacob ordered us to serve all of Young Master's needs. We have prepared towels and a change of clothes for Young Master, as well as coffee if Young Master likes to start the day by drinking coffee. Young Master's breakfast is also ready on the dining table," said the servant in a respectful tone.
Reid glanced at the change of clothes the maid had prepared. It was clear that they were new clothes, not the clothes from the suitcase he was carrying.
"No need. I can do everything myself," Reid replied, feeling uncomfortable. He wasn't used to being treated like this.
"But Mr. Jacob has—"
“You guys can go. Just call Charles here," said Reid quickly.
The servant seemed to object, but finally said, “Yes, Young Master.”
Reid sighed when the six maids finally came out of his room.
It didn't take long for Charles to come to Reid's room. The man looked neat, wearing a suit and glasses, as if he was ready to work. Remembering what Reid's grandfather said last night, that Charles would be Reid's personal assistant, it meant that the man was currently working.
“In the future, there will be no need for servants to serve me like before. I have hands and feet, I can do everything myself," said Reid.
"That is Mr. Jacob's order to serve the Young Master as well as possible," replied Charles.
“But—” Reid saw Charles' straight, robotic gaze. A gaze that seemed unwavering.
"Okay. Up to you. But I don't want the female servants to come into my room. I can shower myself for God's sake," said Reid holding back annoyance.
“I understand,” Charles replied, nodding.
A few moments later, after Reid had finished showering and changed clothes, Reid had breakfast in the dining room served by several servants. Reid felt uncomfortable being treated like this, but it seemed he had to restrain himself, after all, these servants were only carrying out orders from his grandfather.
Speaking of his grandfather, why didn't he come down to have breakfast with him?
When Reid asked Charles about this, his personal assistant's answer made Reid quite surprised.
“Mr Jacob's condition is not very good. He couldn't eat solid food like this. Mr. Jacob only takes porridge and vitamins from his personal doctor."
Reid didn't expect his grandfather's condition to be that serious.
After finishing breakfast, Charles took Reid to Jacob's room. As Jacob said last night, there was something important he wanted to talk to Reid about.
“I'm really glad Charles managed to find you and bring you to this house. "That means Raynold will no longer be able to do anything in the company because now the legal heir to the Arison family has returned," said Jacob, who was sitting on a single sofa wearing a thick sweater.
"Who is Raynold?" Reid asked curiously.
Jacob took a deep breath before answering. His expression seemed filled with hatred.
“Raynold is my cousin. Since I was often sick 5 years ago, I represented the leadership of the Arison company to him. But it turns out that Raynold turned greedy and wanted to take complete control of the company. He wants to take over the company that I have worked so hard to build from scratch. He was very confident that he could do that because I couldn't go to the office anymore and there was no heir left to replace me. He's increasingly acting in an abusive manner at the company."Jacob paused his sentence for a moment to catch his breath. Anger made it difficult for him to breathe. Indeed, his personal doctor said that Jacob should control his emotions better.“Now that you are back, I hope you can take over the Arison company again. Arison Company must be in the hands of its rightful owner. Are you up to it, Reid?” said Jacob while looking closely at his grandson.Reid didn't answer immediately. His mind was spinning.All this time, he had been silent about receiving unfair tre
Five days had passed since Reid arrived at the Arison family residence. Reid had learned quite a lot about the Arison company. Even an expert in the business world was brought directly to Arison's house to give Reid special lessons about business.Reid may have graduated with a master's degree in Business Management, but Reid's experience in companies is still limited, still far from Raynold or his two sons who have been involved in the corporate world for a long time.That's why Jacob brought in the business expert to be Reid's personal mentor.Reid studied seriously and absorbed everything quickly. Even the mentor praised Reid as a genius—which was true.That evening, when Reid had just finished his dinner, Charles approached his young master to tell him something."Young Master, I just received news from the spy who was sent to spy on Nancy," said Charles.“What did he say?" Reid asked, wiping his lips with a napkin.“Tonight—exactly in an hour—Nancy will have dinner with Liam at a
Liam, who was forced to leave the restaurant, cursed with dirty words. Her white face seemed to be red with anger.“Damn! Fuck! Who the hell is that person? What power does he have to dare offend me? Doesn't he know who he's dealing with? Just watch out, next time we meet, I will teach him a lesson."“Never mind, Babe. Let's just look for another restaurant, okay? There are still many restaurants that are fancier than this restaurant," persuaded Nancy, trying to embrace Liam's arm again, but again Liam pushed her away.“You think I can still eat in this bad mood?” Liam replied in a curt tone."But you said earlier that you've been in a bad mood since you were at the office, and you wanted to see me so I could cheer you up. If you leave now, your mood will definitely get worse," replied Nancy, not giving up.Liam straightened his hair until it was messy, he looked frustrated. “Don't mention the office. My head gets even more stressed when I remember all the damn tasks that have piled u
All the way home from the restaurant, Reid continued to smile. This was the first time he tasted the sweetness of revenge. The dessert he ordered earlier tasted many times more delicious."You don't need to report this matter to Grandpa," Reid said to Charles when they arrived at Arison's residence."Yes, Young Master," answered Charles obediently, even though Reid thought that because Charles had expressed objections to Reid's attitude earlier, Charles would report this to his grandfather and make Reid's movements restricted. But Reid's guess was wrong. Reid became increasingly pleased with his personal assistant's attitude."Sorry if I bothered you earlier," said Reid. So far, Reid has been used to being obedient to all orders from Liam and Abigail. In fact, Reid has no other choice but to obey because he doesn't have any strength.But now that Reid had finally moved into the Arison residence and knew what kind of power he truly had, Reid couldn't help but remain silent. He wanted t
10Reid had never met Brian or the other members of Raynold Clark's family, but Reid had seen photos of each of them. That's why Reid immediately recognized who the figure who had just arrived was.Charles seemed panicked by Brian's arrival. He didn't expect that they would immediately meet Raynold's son before Reid even had a chance to talk to Amanda Waverly.But when Charles saw that his young master remained calm and inconspicuous in his disguise as a bodyguard, Charles' panic faded. He also tried to act calmer.“Wow, look, who's here? Dear Mr. Jacob's accomplice. Why did you come here alone, Charles? Where is your master? Shouldn't dogs walk with their masters? Or perhaps Master Jacob has untied you and let you roam as you please in search of a new master? You can join me and my father if you want," said Brian arrogantly."Sorry, Sir, but I'm not interested," Charles replied.Brian snorted, then he turned to Amanda Waverly. “What about you, Amanda? Will you also remain loyal to Mr
"Are you sure you will discuss this with Mr Jacob?" Charles asked on the way home.Reid, who had been silent all this while looking out the car window, sighed.Compared to what Charles asked, Reid's mind was more focused on other things."Do you know the reason why Amanda is still able to remain in office? Haven't most of Grandfather's trusted people been removed by Raynold?" Reid asked, finally voicing his curiosity.“Because Amanda is very good at her field, young master. Even though she is still quite young, she always has mature calculations and also very extensive connections," answered Charles.“Extensive connections?” Reid repeated.Charles nodded. “The Waverly family is quite an influential family and has extensive connections going back generations. That's why Raynold couldn't—actually didn't want to—just fire Amanda. In fact, as the young master saw earlier, Brian is very enthusiastic about recruiting Amanda to his side," Charles explained at length.No wonder, Reid thought.
Or was what happened that night just a coincidence? It just so happens that members of the Arison family came to this city and chose the same restaurant as Liam?Considering how rich this family is, Liam wouldn't be surprised if the man ordered the entire restaurant for himself.Yes, that's definitely it. Everything is just a coincidence. It was impossible for members of the Arison family to do it on purpose because Liam had never had any dealings with members of the Arison family before, let alone offending them. How could Liam be brave? Liam knows who the Arison family is.This family owns a large company called the Arison company, a company so large that even Liam's father recognizes its greatness - even though Liam rarely sees his father praise other companies.Daniel once took Liam to an office event and there was a representative of the Arison company there. A young man who was probably only a little older than Liam."His name is Brian Clark," said Daniel at that time.“Brian Cl
Three days laterThat morning in a very spacious and luxurious meeting room. There was a long table in the middle of the room with a row of chairs around it. The ceiling was gray with a long rectangular lamp and a projector screen at the end of the table. The walls of the room are made of glass so that it shows the dense and never-ending urban buildings and streets outside.Several people had arrived first and filled the chairs at the meeting table.Today there was an important meeting at the Arison company, and those present this time were a number of company officials and also the highest shareholders.Because the meeting hadn't started yet, they took the time to chat among themselves. Until someone's presence stopped their conversation."Good morning, gentlemen," said a middle-aged man with a sturdy body and a neat navy suit and gray tie. An expensive watch was around his wrist. He walked with confident steps and a firm look. That man was none other than Raynold Clark.Behind Rayno