The Secret Successor

CHAPTER 04

“Pfft,” Russell spilled the water on the table. “I’m sorry. You’re expecting what?” his eyes were filled with infinitely more shock than when a thorn had pierced his palm back in school.

However, the same could be said for Kyra. (He didn’t know?) The frown on her face deepened. She was worried that this might be the case and came here to fully clarify things before proceeding to the next stage, but she didn’t think she would get into this situation, where a man would insensibly look at her like she needed to explain something so private to her. She swallowed all the pain and shame without showing it on her face as much as possible before saying without hesitation, “I’m pregnant, Mr. Russell Bennett.”

Russell’s face looked like a frog that had been electrocuted. What the hell did she mean by she was pregnant? She must be joking to test him or something. Yeah, that must be the case, he thought. “If you’re pregnant, then I’m also pregnant,” he joked.

“What?” Kyra felt more than a little insulted by that. Still, given her situation, she controlled herself and said, “This is the 100th day of my pregnancy.”

Russell’s expression froze. She wasn’t joking?

Kyra didn’t shift her focus from him. “My fiance went paragliding and… passed away. A week ago. My parents want to get me married to someone soon. It seems our fathers met somewhere or knew each other somehow. And that’s how I ended up coming here.”

She made everything sound so simple, but Russell still looked so utterly baffled.

Jennifer bought coffee and biscuits. “It’s an honor to have you here, Kyra. How is your family doing?”

“They are fine, madam,” Kyra sipped the coffee, and it was surprisingly good.

Jeniffer slapped Kyra’s thigh a little. “You can call me Jenny. I’m still in my early forties, so we can be good friends.”

“This tea is delicious,” Kyra wanted to appreciate it openly. “Would you mind if I ask how you made this?”

“Not at all. We buy milk directly from the neighbor. He owns a couple of cows. I bring beans from my hometown and make the coffee powder myself,” Jennifer went on to tell how she made the coffee powder.

Kyra was amazed by how much work and care it needed just to make a cup of coffee. “Every step of the process needs careful consideration.”

“As it is with everything else in life,” Jennifer responded. “I won’t say Russell is the best guy there is, because he’s not. However, he isn’t bad, either. The best part about him is that he’s quite responsible. He takes care of his sick mother and spends time with her every day. He works hard. He’s also a light sleeper. He responds to calls even in the middle of the night.”

As Jennifer kept on telling one good thing after another, Kyra looked slightly surprised. While her first impression on Russell wasn’t great, the way his stepmom kept gassing him made Kyra believe that there might be some truth to Jennifer’s words.

The word ‘responsible’ reached her heart more than anything else. Could Russell be responsible enough to take great care of Kyra’s child even though the biological father wasn’t him?

If Jennifer’s words held even some amount of truth to them, then perhaps, Russell might be a good-enough choice, she thought.

Before she knew it, she finished the coffee.

Russell, however, was yet to touch his cup of coffee. She could totally understand why. His family members hadn’t even told him that she was pregnant, so it would be weird if he wasn’t shocked.

“If you don’t mind…” Kyra picked the second cup of coffee. “I’ll take this.”

“Haha,” Jennifer was overjoyed to see that. “Pregnancy increases hunger, but you don’t need to worry. Russell will make sure you’ll have every healthy food available to you 24/7.”

Kyra finished the second cup of coffee much faster, as it was getting a bit tiring to hear Jennifer unending praises. She gently wiped her mouth with her kerchief and stood.

“You are leaving already?” Jennifer also stood. “Stay a bit longer so I can introduce you to my kids.”

Russell didn’t want to stand, but he had to.

“I have some work, so… I’ll definitely meet everyone in the family the next time I visit,” Kyra assured and looked at Russell, saying one word. “Bye.” She started walking.

“She has such natural elegance even when walking,” Jennifer muttered under her breath, but her expression then hardened as she looked at Russel. She whispered angrily, “See her off.”

Russell was forced to follow Kyra closely until she exited through the main gate. After taking a few steps, she turned back, wanting to say a few words to Russell, but he was already walking back into the building. With a lot of thoughts running in the back of her mind, she entered her all-electric Alfa Wolfe sports car and drove away. Her car passed by a white Porsche.

Inside the Porsche, an old man in a modest blue dress was sitting in the back seat. Russell’s red-haired classmate, Gage, was in the driver’s seat.

“I don’t get it, Sir Regan,” Gage voiced his mind. “Why would Liam Lynn be interested in giving his daughter to Arnold’s son? Does he somehow know that Young Master Russell is your grandson?”

“That’s what bothers me as well,” the old man, Regan, frowned. “Even Arnold doesn’t know it. You aren’t double-dealing, are you, Gage?”

“I-I would never!” Gage was quick to respond.

“Then there’s only one person who knows the answer,” Regan looked at the road ahead. “Let’s pay a visit to my daughter.”

“Sure.” The Porsche started.

As the blue car went past Arnold’s duplex house, Regan’s eyes revealed a hint of sadness, longing to live with his grandson, his only successor.

Meanwhile, Russell entered the hall, and Jennifer had folded her arms and was looking down on him, with contempt very evident in her gaze. “What’s with your attitude?” coldness crept up into her eyes. “You should be smiling in front of Kyra, but you looked like a frog boiling in oil.”

“I’m sorry.” Russell lowered his head but clenched his jaw.

Jennifer could see anger and frustration building in his jaw. “What’s with that pathetic response? Do you have any freaking idea who Kyra is? She’s the daughter of  Liam Lynn, one of the richest men in the country. All the infrastructure in this house from bricks and glasses to sofas and electric wires… everything was bought from the Lynn Group, which owns our city port and many private schools and hospitals. Heck… the credit card Natasha’s father uses is from the Supreme Bank. Guess what? Liam’s wife, Charlotte, is one of the co-founders of that bank. Her net worth alone is over fifty billion dollars. She probably earns more everyday than what your Natasha’s father has earned in his whole life up to this day.”

Russell was left speechless by Jennifer’s words. Shock replaced all the anger in his eyes. He had no idea that Kyra was so rich.

Jennifer came closer and whispered. “If they see you playing around with Natasha, it won’t be hard at all for them to erase both our and Natasha’s entire families. So, don’t even think of running away. There’s no place in the world they won’t be able to reach.”

Russell was sweating before he knew it.

“If you get it now, then shut all your holes and marry Kyra,” Jennifer said and began walking but then stopped. “Oh, and…” she glanced at the biscuits, which Kyra hadn’t tasted. “Don’t waste those biscuits.” Saying that she left.

Russell plopped down on the sofa, feeling strangled as he now realized why his father was so fixed on making him marry Kyra.

“But…” Russell clutched his head. “Why the hell would such a filthy rich family be interested in a poor family like us? This makes no freaking sense! What sort of relationship does Dad have with them?”