Abigail wasn't really happy to see her uncle, Rhino, whom she doesn't know much about his illegal activities. But he was happy to see her. Taking his seat, he noticed her demeanor which wasn't favorable to him, still, he managed to compliment her.“Abigail, my dear niece, I'm glad you waited for me. You're looking as charming as ever.’ Abigail, with an evident reluctance in her reply, replied straightforwardly,” Uncle Rhino. What do you want?”Rhino, feigning innocence, answered, “Can't a doting uncle visit his lovely niece without being interrogated?”Abigail, cutting through the charade, mumbled,” Cut the act, please. Why did you want to meet?” Rhino, leaning back with a sly grin, said, “Always direct, just like your old man. Well, let's say I have a proposition that might interest you.”Abigail was skeptical. “Proposition? I do not deal with your kind of propositions.”Rhino, unfazed, nodded. “Hear me out, Abigail. It's an opportunity that could benefit both of us. Abigail cr
As Rhino hurriedly left, Abigail arose from her seat, her mind swirling with a mix of emotions. Unaware of Karla's watchful eyes, she paid the waiter and descended the stairs, determined to confront whatever awaited her downstairs. Abigail gracefully descended the stairs, her composed demeanor the tumult of thoughts within. As she reached the lower level, Karla's eyes met hers, and Karla warmly waved at her. Duncan, sitting beside Karla, turned to Abigail with a friendly smile. “Hey, Abigail! When did you get here?" "Not too long ago, Duncan. Just joined the crowd." Karla, curious, chimed in. "Are you here for business, Abigail?" Abigail, maintaining her composure, nodded. "Yes, Karla. Business as usual." Karla's gaze lingered for a moment, a glint of curiosity still present. "Anything exciting, or the usual hustle?" Abigail, choosing her words carefully, replied, "The usual hustle, you know how it goes." Duncan, always eager for a good story, grinned. "You've always got somet
Days passed, and the tension within the Lennart mansion lingered. One evening, Lisa, determined to confront Duncan once more, sought him out in Zinnia's room after he returned to the house. "We need to talk, Duncan."Duncan, casually flipping through a magazine, glanced up without much interest. "What now, Lisa?"Lisa, her resolve strengthened, confronted him. "You can't keep treating me like this. I won't stand for it."Duncan, smirking, replied, "Stand for what, Lisa? You're the one who let it all happen."Lisa, suppressing her frustration, retorted, "I won't let you make me feel worthless. I deserve respect."Duncan, dismissive as ever, scoffed, "Respect? You're a pawn in this game, Lisa. Nothing more."Lisa, refusing to back down, said, "I won't be your pawn any longer. I won't let you use me."Duncan, with a cold chuckle, remarked, "You are still under the illusion that you have a choice. You are talking as if you can get over me."Lisa, tired of his arrogance, shot back, "I m
Some days later, Ma'am Luna summoned Laila, urging her to call Gregg so they could discuss the progress—or lack thereof—in finding Archi's elusive son.“What's going on, Laila? I've not heard from you people regarding finding Archi's bastard son,” Gregg's hoarse voice resonated through the room as he answered the call. The conversation was on loudspeaker so Ma'am Luna could also hear him.“Hey, Gregg. We've been futile in our search for him,” Ma'am Luna informed him.“That's impossible. I'm sure you've got good underground men to help you find him quickly. What's with the delay?” Gregg retorted.“The sketch of the person you gave us seems to be out of this city and even the country as a whole,” Laila explained. “That's why we've not been able to find him.”Gregg, incredulous, questioned, “Are you sure the artist who did this sketch did a good job?”“Or did you maybe give him a wrong description of Archie’s son?” Laila added, her suspicion apparent. Archie, growing impatient, inter
Zinnia, grappling with the sudden revelation, continued to stare at Gregg, her mind racing to process the shocking information. “I'm the daughter of a criminal?”Gregg, with an unsettling grin, responded callously, “Welcome to the real world, Zinnia. Your dear mother and grandmother tried to shield you, but the truth has a way of catching up.”Laila, defensive and angry, intervened, “Zinnia, don't believe everything he says. He's always been manipulative.”Ma'am Luna, equally disturbed, added, “We never wanted you to be a part of his world. We were trying to protect you.”Zinnia, overwhelmed by conflicting emotions, demanded, “Is everything he said true, Mom?”Laila hesitated, her eyes avoiding Zinnia's gaze, “Zinnia, we need to talk about this, but not here.”Gregg, seizing the opportunity, sneered, “Oh, the mother-daughter duo finally facing the truth. How heartwarming.”Zinnia, torn between anger and confusion, turned to Gregg, “Why now? Why reveal this now?”Gregg, with a self
Laila's gaze lingered on the sketch, her eyes widening in realization. “It looks like…” Ma'am Luna cut in, completing the thought. “Duncan?” They exchanged puzzled and disturbed glances. Laila, attempting to process the information, voiced her confusion. “Mother, this is…weird. Why does this sketch look very much like that useless man?” Ma'am Luna, maintaining her composure, reminded Zinnia sternly. “He's your son-in-law.” Zinnia, dismissing the connection with disdain, retorted.“Whatever. I feel humiliated when I'm merely reminded about that. Anyways, could this portrait be fake like the other one we first got?” Ma'am Luna shook her head with certainty. “Gregg handed this portrait to us himself, forgotten?” Laila, connecting the dots, posed a shocking question.”So…does this mean Archi's son is…Duncan?” Ma'am Luna hesitated, carefully choosing her words. “Well…” Laila, finding the notion absurd, burst into laughter. “Ah ah, no. It can't ever be true. There's an issue here.”
Duncan, seething with frustration, stormed into the room, casting his jacket aside with a frustrated toss."How the hell did they manage to get the real sketch of me? I've been meticulous, making sure it doesn't happen!"His muttering echoed in the room, a testament to the unraveling of his carefully crafted plans. The realization that his efforts to conceal his identity had faltered fueled his anger. "Damn it! I can't believe this is happening." His mind raced, contemplating the potential repercussions of this revelation. The threat of exposure loomed larger than ever, and the unexpected turn of events left Duncan grappling with the consequences of his secrets being laid bare. Duncan, in the midst of his pacing, suddenly halted and let out a heavy sigh. "How stupid of me not to consider that Zinnia's grandmother isn't oblivious. They must have botched the search, prompting them to encounter Gregg. He handed them the accurate sketch, and now Zinnia knows about her real father.
After a brief silence, Gregg's words hung in the air, leaving them to ponder the gravity of his claim. Sensing the need for clarity, Gregg decided to explain further, “Only I can tell if Duncan is Archi's son.” Laila, with a hesitant sigh, unveiled a startling revelation, "There are no strings attaching him to Archi. Duncan is a lowlife whose mother we picked from the gutters and employed her to work for us. Her husband is dead. Actually, she gave birth to Duncan out of wedlock."Gregg chuckled in disbelief, "Such a person you made our daughter get married to?"Laila, her voice tinged with defensiveness, clarified, "I didn't do that. It was all my late father's doing and…" Her words halted abruptly as her mother's stern gaze silenced her. Attempting to navigate a solution, Ma'am Luna interjected, “Look, I can't assure you that I will get him for you in 48 hours.” Gregg's frustration erupted into a yell over the phone, "What's hard in getting your grandson-in-law here?!" Laila