The entire Oscar family waited tensely for Arnold to arrive . Grandfather Maxwell's eyes narrowed, his voice growing more menacing by the second. "Arnold should be here by now. I summoned him fifteen minutes ago!"But Freda, never one to miss an opportunity to taunt Bryan, jumped in before anyone else could speak. "Grandfather, please don't be fooled by this spiteful boy! Bryan's just trying to discredit Arnold because he knows you prefer him over him. He's jealous, plain and simple! We all know Arnold would never do anything to hurt the family, he's a young and respectful boy from a decent family."Grandfather Maxwell's face turned a deep shade of crimson as he turned to Freda, his voice low and even. "Freda, that's enough! I won't have you speaking for Arnold or defending him. I have summoned him, shall speak for himself."Meanwhile, Maxwell himself didn't look convinced, he turned to Bryan and asked, "How can we trust this evidence?!" Bryan's eyes never left Grandfather Maxwell's
The entire room was now filled with angry faces glaring at Arnold. He felt his blood run cold. Desperate, Arnold turned to Grandfather Maxwell, his voice pleading. "They're lying, Grandfather! They're trying to tarnish my reputation, to make me seem like a fraud. But I assure you, I am still the rightful heir of the Mack family and I'm worthy of your daughter."Claire shot him and ugly glare, "I'm still married, remember?” She asked slowly and hissed. But no one paid attention to her. Maxwell looked so disappointed that he began to shake his head in disgust at the man who was still making a fool of himself before the entire family. Arnold was very frantic, he took a deep breath, he was simply blurting words in an attempt to convince the entire family. "I've been living in that small apartment by choice, Grandfather. I wanted to simplify my life, to focus on building new businesses in the city. I didn't want the luxuries of the Mack estate to distract me from my aim."Arnold's eyes d
Bryan took a deep breath and with hard eyes, he turned to Arnold and pointed at him quickly, "Grandfather, the intruder is Arnold." He said. “What?!" Freda and Claire both said in unison, thoroughly shocked. Grandfather Maxwell's face turned beet red with rage, his eyes blazing with fury. He sprang from his chair, his voice thundering, “is this some sort of joke? Arnold?" He asked. "Yes, grandfather, it's all been Arnold's plan,” he replied. "You! You're the one who's been causing us so much trouble?" Grandfather snapped aggressively. Claire's eyes widened in shock, her voice trembling: "I can't believe this, you were the intruder?"Arnold tried to deny it, "No, no, that's not true! I don't know what this fool is talking about!"But Bryan cut him off with a firm voice, "I have proof, Grandfather. I've been investigating, and I have evidence that links Arnold to the break-in."Grandfather Maxwell's face turned even darker, his fists clenched. He still couldn't believe he'd been f
Claire's eyes scanned the photos, her expression growing increasingly outraged. "These are pictures of Arnold with one of the servants," she announced, her voice dripping with disdain. "They were taken on different days, but they're always discussing something in the hidden archway in the garden."The room erupted into a chorus of gasps and murmurs, with all eyes fixed on Arnold. His face turned pale, his eyes wide with shock and fear. "How...how did you get these?" he stuttered, his mind racing.Maryam's eyes blazed with anger, her voice snapping, " How about you tell us who the liar is now, what did you do to Jake? Did you try to shut him up?" she demanded, her tone accusatory. The room fell silent once more as if everyone were awaiting Arnold's response. But he seemed unable to speak, his eyes darting wildly around the room, wishing he had a chance to escape.The evidence was damning, how could he beat that? “I…she is framing me, this is just a harmless picture, it doesn't prove a
Bryan woke up to the gentle rustle of sheets and the very familiar lavender smell of Claire's shampoo. He squinted at the light peeking through the windows. Bryan rubbed his eyes, feeling the fatigue of the long night still lingering. But as he turned to his side, he was greeted by the lovely sight of Claire, sitting beside him with a tray of freshly baked muffins and a bottle of red wine."Good morning," she said, her voice husky but still melodious. "I thought you might need a little something nice after last night."Bryan leaned back against the headboard, taking the tray from her. "Thanks, Claire, breakfast is a good idea," he replied and poured himself a glass of wine, but as he raised it to his lips, he hesitated. Wine would be a good idea but that wasn't what he needed that morning. He needed a clear head, a sharp mind to meet his brother that morning. "You've been working all night," Claire observed, her eyes filled with concern. "You must be exhausted."Bryan set the glass d
Claire's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're really going to bait him with a fake contract? That's risky, Bryan. What if Josiah figures it out?"Bryan's jaw was set in determination. "I have to take that chance, Claire. I need to know what Josiah knows about my past. Something tells me that he's an important factor on what happened to me after the army,” he replied. Claire's expression softened, her eyes filled with concern. "But what if this is all just a wild goose chase? What if Josiah doesn't know anything?"Bryan's eyes locked on hers, his gaze intense. "I have to try, Claire. And um sure that it isn't a wild goose chase. I can bet good money on that. Josiah just wouldn't go into hiding if he had nothing to hide. I also know that uncle Williams wouldn't be hiding him also," he stated. Claire nodded, her arms wrapping around him. "Okay, Bryan. I'll support you. But be careful, please. We don't know what we're dealing with here.” “Thank you, Claire. Josiah knows something, I'm su
Claire extended her hand, and Josiah took it, his grip firm as they shook hands. She was taken aback by the intensity of his gaze, his dark eyes seeming to bore into her soul. He held onto her hand a fraction of a second longer than necessary, and Claire felt a shiver run down her spine as she pulled away. He had a lustful glint in his eyes that almost made her groan. “What was it and men leering at her?" She thought inwardly and for a second regretted wearing the low neck blouse which seemed to catch Josiah's attention. “It's a huge pleasure to finally meet you, we've planned this meeting for so long," he said with a welcoming smile. "The pleasure is all mine," Claire replied and mustered a right smile of her own. Josiah spoke, his voice low and smooth, his smile charming. "You're even more beautiful than I imagined."Claire smiled politely, trying to hide her discomfort. "Thank you, Josiah. I get that compliment a lot," she replied and shrugged. She looked at the man closely. S
Josiah's expression darkened, his lips compressing into a thin line. He seemed to be struggling to maintain his composure, his eyes flashing with irritation. "I see," he said finally, his voice tight. "Well, I suppose that's understandable.""Of course it is, or would you want it any other way?” She asked, her tone almost challenging. He leaned back in his chair, his movements stiff. "Very well, we'll wait for your lawyer to arrive. But in the meantime..." He signaled to the waiter, who was just walking by with a bottle of some whiskey. "Bring us some wine. The best you have."Claire's gaze never left Josiah's face, her expression stiff. "I don't drink," she said flatly, her eyes half closed as she spoke, like she was already bored of his presence. Josiah's eyes narrowed, his face reddening slightly. "Come now, Claire. Just one glass," he coaxed, his tone trying hard to remain sweet. But Claire remained unmoved, her eyes cold and unyielding. "I said no, Josiah. And I mean it."The