The Hidden Successor In Disguise

Chapter 5

All of the Ledger family was preparing for dinner in the night room. The servants were busy arranging the tableware and various types of food on the table.

Charlotte squealed with delight at the sound of a car engine pulling up in the yard. She ran to the door as the maid opened it to reveal Jake coming into the house.

Charlotte clung to Jake's arm. "Thank you for the wedding dress. It's so luxurious and beautiful. I really like it."

"I'm glad you like it." Jake didn't care who sent the expensive wedding dress.

Jake had come to Ledger's house on purpose just to make an appearance, after getting a thank you message from Charlotte earlier in the day about the wedding dress. Charlotte also included a photo of herself wearing the dress.

Claire smiled kindly. "You're such a nice guy. You know which dress is suitable for my daughter."

Jake grinned at Claire's compliment, proud of himself. He acted like he was the greatest son-in-law in the house. "Yes, my taste is high. I can buy anything. An expensive dress is not that much."

Aldrich, who heard this, snorted in annoyance. "That dress is ugly and cheap. Liars like you will be stomped to death."

Everyone who heard that was shocked. Jake with his temper snatched Aldrich's shirt collar firmly.

"What are you saying? You want to stomp me to death? Before that, I'll finish you off first, damn it!" Jake pushed Aldrich's body against the wall.

Charlotte rubbed Jake's arm. "Don't get your hands dirty, dear. A poor man like that wouldn't know what luxury is."

"That's right. What a fool! I'm the only one who can afford an expensive dress!" Jake bragged about himself with a lie.

Aldrich chuckled. "But that's not the dress you bought!" His voice sounded casual with a flat, expressionless face.

"What an insane person!" Charlotte replied angrily. Her loud voice filled the whole room.

Jake pointed his index finger at Aldrich's face. His other hand grabbed Aldrich by the collar. "What have you got to say to me, huh?"

Berthan came in front of the two young men. Separating them. "Stop it, I don't want any trouble in this house." Aldrich straightened his clothes and Jake snorted in annoyance. 

Aldrich looked at his watch which already showed half past eight in the evening. "I have to go, sir. I have some business to attend to."

Claire, Jake, and Charlotte laughed at Aldrich. "Important business, he said."

Claire grinned. "Important business with a fellow pauper!"

Charlotte waved her hands in the air. "There, just go!"

Aldrich quickly left the house as there was important business that had to be unavoidable. Aldrich got into his father's brown Volvo XC90, which he had left at the Ledger house while he was working there.

Aldrich started the engine and saw Jake's luxury sports car parked in Ledger's yard. The Mercedes Benz Maybach Exelero is the fifth most expensive car in the world with a price tag of eight million dollars.

The luxurious black body of the car has a two-seater capacity. The shiny front is illuminated by the light of the headlights. The four small round wheels are shiny, white and clean, clearly well maintained.

Aldrich grinned as he thought of an idea. He drove his father's volvo deliberately into the luxury sports car quite hard, but the state of Jake's luxury sports car was instantly destroyed.

The shiny luxury body was dented like a squeezed drink can. The glass of the car was scattered on the grass like broken glass.

Aldrich who had gone far away grinned looking back from the rearview mirror. Rhodes' car, famously known as a tank disguised as a car. Even with the hard impact, the front of the old volvo remained smooth without the slightest scratch.

***

The wedding arrangements for Aldrich and Selena were well taken care of by Jose. Starting from the new wedding dress specially prepared by another famous designer, the event organizer, and the papers for the wedding. And Jose had rented a luxury hotel as their wedding venue.

Aldrich took the time to see the hotel by following the route on the map application to the hotel location given by Jose.

Aldrich exited his father's Volvo after arriving at the parking lot. The casual clothes were Rhodes's clothes he met in his father's room. They were still good. Coincidentally, he ran into Charlotte and Jake.

"Wow, who is this? What's a poor guy like you here for? Looking for some extra money for the wedding, huh?" Jake stopped Aldrich in his tracks. He gave Aldrich a contemptuous look.

Charlotte folded her arms arrogantly. "Even to be a toilet cleaner here, you can't do it! Stupid men like you won't be accepted because this hotel has high standards."

Jake chuckled as he spread his arms. "This hotel is a luxury hotel. We're here to rent this hotel as our wedding venue. And you will not be able to!"

Aldrich laughed at Jake's ramblings. That made Jake unhappy. "Are you laughing at me? You're shameless. Who do you think you are, huh?"

Jake threw his hand in front of Aldrich's face, but Aldrich managed to catch the attack. Making Jake even angrier.

Jake was furious. But Aldrich wanted to leave immediately, ignoring them. Jake didn't accept that. "Come here, damn it! I'm not done talking to you, idiot!"

Charlotte hugged Jake. "Never mind, dear. We have little time to deal with that poor, stupid, uneducated, short-sighted man!"

Jake wrapped his arms around Charlotte with a grin. "Yeah, wasting my precious time. Your life is so uninspiring. Shame on you!"

Charlotte grinned. "He must be crying inside because he's jealous of us. A poor, stupid man like him can't afford a nice place for a wedding."

"Whatever," Aldrich responded casually as he walked away from them.

In front of the elevator doors, Jake pulled Aldrich's shoulder so hard that the man took a few steps back.

"Where are you going, stupid? This hotel doesn't deserve you! Just get the hell out of here! You big loser!" Jake and Charlotte got into the elevator with satisfied grins.

Aldrich waited for the other elevator next door. Just as the elevator doors opened, a call came in from Jose. Aldrich picked it up as he entered the elevator.

"Master, where are you? Should I go there to pick you up?" Jose was worried about Aldrich getting lost since Aldrich was not from here and needed to know the way.

"No need. I've already arrived at the hotel." Aldrich exited the elevator door and looked around. "Has the hotel owner been notified?"

Jose nodded his head even though Aldrich was not looking. "I have, Master."

Without saying another word, Aldrich hung up the phone. Aldrich entered the hotel. The hotel lobby was spacious and beautiful, with glossy white tiles.