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
After a prolonged silence, Abigail took the phone from Xia. "I will just return his calls." She dialed the number and inhaled deeply."Hello?" Rhino, the mysterious caller, answered the call promptly."Ah, why the heck do you keep bothering me, Uncle Rhino?!" Abigail's tone was sharp and irritated, catching Karla off guard.Karla's brows lifted, puzzled, as she whispered to herself, "It's her uncle?"Rhino's voice came through the phone, calm but insistent, "You know why I'm doing that, Abigail. You promised to help me out with some…""Oh yeah, I know! I've not forgotten," Abigail interrupted, her frustration evident. "But it's been a couple of days now.""No. We met earlier yesterday, forgotten?! And you almost ruined my day. Lucky for you, no one saw you to have you seized by the police," Abigail spat the words with a sharp edge. Karla's lips slightly parted in realization, "So she lied about meeting a business partner yesterday at the bar. It turns out it's her uncle." She nodde
Zinnia's smile vanished abruptly as Duncan walked into her office unexpectedly, forcing her to quickly put the call on hold. She shouted at him, irritated by the intrusion. "What are you doing here?" Zinnia snapped. Duncan, maintaining composure, replied, "I lost my ID card here earlier." Suspicion etched on her face, Zinnia doubted his excuse until she noticed the ID card under her desk. She picked it up and wordlessly handed it to him. Finishing the call, Zinnia hung up, a sly smirk forming on her face. As she thought about the unfolding plan, she relished in the satisfaction of how well everything seemed to be falling into place. Her gaze locked onto Duncan, and she warned with a hint of menace, "Watch yourself, Duncan. Things are about to change around here." Duncan, seemingly oblivious, nodded and left her office. Unbeknownst to him, the gears of Zinnia's vindictive scheme continued to turn, setting the stage for a series of events that would alter the course of their
They settled at the dining table, Lady Zelda attempting to brighten her expression despite the lingering discomfort. Sir Logan, perceptive of her unease, inquired, “What's wrong, Zelda? You look worried.” Karla, through subtle eye contact, tried to signal Lady Zelda not to reveal her concerns. However, dropping her spoon, Lady Zelda sighed and shook her head. “I'm sorry, Zinnia, but I still don't feel right.” Sir Logan, narrowing his eyes, sought an explanation. “What happened, dear?” “Father, I feel uncomfortable, truly. I think something wrong is happening or has happened to my son, Duncan.” Concern etched Sir Logan's face. “Is everything okay?” Karla reassured, “Yes, sir. Aunt Zelda just saw a vase break, and I'm sure that triggered something in her, causing her to start panicking.” “I can't help it, Karla. I'm so worried,” Lady Zelda muttered. “It's okay, Zelda. You don't need to worry much.” “Exactly. I spoke to Duncan earlier, and he was fine too. Please, cheer up, A