All Free Novel
Chapter 100
Chapter 100
The scent of alcohol was heavy in the air of the room, so potent that Rachel had to cover her nose as she stood hesitantly at the doorway. Sanderson, looking at Kermit’s drunken state, snapped, “You damn fool, you think I want to deal with you? If it weren’t for Dad’s sake, I wouldn’t have come back today”
Kermit, bleary–eyed and swaying, waved a hand dismissively. “Then get lost, who the hell asked you to come back? Let me be clear, even if I’m about to hit it big, or if I end up broke begging on the streets, I wouldn’t ask you for a dime. And you don’t even think about getting a cut of my money” With that, he flopped back down.
Turning on his heel, Sanderson made for the exit, but as he reached the door, he saw Steward, supported by a caretaker, looking pale and unsteady.
Sanderson let out a sigh, “Dad, you heard him. I can’t deal with this right now, and I’m heading back.”
Steward seemed to want to say something, his mouth opened, but no words came out.
After Sanderson left without a backward glance, Steward entered the room and struck Kermit with his cane.
Kermit yelped in pain and leaped from the bed. “Dad, what the hell?”
Steward didn’t say a word and kept swinging the cane, “That’s for sleeping, and for what you said to Sanderson. Don’t you get it, Calvert is a scammer, and you’re being lied to.”
Kermit, who had been hopping around in pain, froze when he heard the rest, sobering up instantly, “What did you say?”
The Delaney Manor was in chaos. Rachel and Juliana clung to each other, weeping, while Kermit stood there dazed for a long time before he and Rachel rushed over to the Smith family to figure out what was going on.
The Smith family had it worse. They had invested a whopping $120 million and only made back $10 million in Interest, which meant they had lost $110 million. The entire family was in the living room, crying their eyes
out, bankrupt overnight.
Rachel and Kermit, seeing this, suddenly felt lucky. Luckily they hadn’t had time to liquidate their newly acquired property and company shares to invest more.
The Delaney Manor was shrouded in gloom, but when Sanderson returned to his new home, he found Lorna sitting gracefully in the dining room, softly speaking with Cordelia.
Outside, a cold wind blew among a sea of twinkling lights. Inside, the soft glow of the dining room light bathed. the two most important women in his life. Sanderson couldn’t help but smile, dropping all resentment, and approached cheerfully, “What’s for dinner tonight?”
After a family meal, they all headed upstairs.
Sanderson was about to retreat to his bedroom for a shower when Cordelia called out, “Dad.”
He paused, turned, and she handed him a tie, “For you.”
His eyes
lit up, and his usually composed demeanor couldn’t contain the smile as he took the tie. “Look at you, Lia, all grown up.”
After showering instead of donning pajamas, he slipped on a suit and was preening in front of the mirror when Lorna walked in, “Look, a gift from my dear daughter. Do you have one?”
Lorna chuckled, “No, I don’t.” Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.
Sanderson fought to keep the smile on his face, “Well, no matter. When Lia gets her bonus, she’ll buy you something.”
Come the weekend, he found Lorna and Cordelia in matching outfits, Lorna in a purple dress, and Cordelia in a purple frock. Sanderson couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy, “You said you didn’t have one.”
Lorna’s laughter grew, “I mean I don’t have a tie.”
That night, Sanderson’s joy was a sight to behold, but Cordelia was none the wiser. She carefully packed away the gifts she had prepared for everyone in her backpack, Shopping had taken up more time than expected, so she could only afford two hours of study before bed,
The next morning, Cordelia was the first to rise, learning for half an hour before joining Sanderson and Lorna for breakfast.
As Lorna packed Cordelia’s breakfast, Sanderson mentioned, “Hackett stepped in today, confirming Calvert is just a con artist around 25 or 26 years old. We shouldn’t fall for it again.”
Lorna cut in, “I can’t believe the Smiths fell for it so easily, dropping a whopping hundred million just like that. Were they under some kind of spell or something?”
Sanderson, sipping his milk quickly, added, “These scam rings are experienced. You see, only the Smith family and the Delaney family were targeted by ‘Calvert‘, so he didn’t risk exposing himself too much. But it’s odd, even with the Smiths‘ decline, Jimmy shouldn’t have made such a mistake. It’s strange.”
Nodding, Lorna agreed, “Even if it is really Calvert, it’s not as good as he brags.”
With a pensive frown, Sanderson gulped down his milk, “Hackett’s involvement means it’s not just any scam. No point in searching anymore. Hackett’s birthday is coming up, and we’ll meet whoever it is then,”
As they spoke, Lorna finished packing the breakfast, and as Cordelia left with it, Sanderson called out, adjusting his suit, “The driver’s off today, so, um, I’ll hitch a ride with you. I’ll drop you at school then head to work.”
Cordelia, clueless of any ulterior motives, simply nodded.
In the car, Sanderson’s phone buzzed. It was a message from Lorna, “You know how to drive. You’re not really hitching a ride, but wanting to check out Lia’s boyfriend, aren’t you?”
Feeling a bit guilty, Sanderson sneaked a peek at Cordelia, who was busy memorizing vocabulary, before stealthily replying, “Don’t you want to see what this guy looks like, the one our daughter’s been keeping company with?”
Lorna flashed a playful grin, pressing her phone camera toward the man next to her, “Take a photo, or I spill your secrets,”
Sanderson chuckled, surrendering to her whims, “As you wish, honey.”
In no time, they arrived at the Midnight Scent.
Cordelia stepped out of the car, waving to Sanderson casually, “Dad, I’m heading in.”
Sanderson nodded in acknowledgment.
Once Cordelia disappeared into the store, Sanderson found himself peering through its glass door, curious about Cordelia’s doings inside.
Unfortunately, his view was obstructed by a curtain, and he couldn’t see anything.
Feeling a mix of concern and curiosity, Sanderson coughed lightly and grabbed the English vocabulary book Cordelia had left in the car, tucked away by his sly hand earlier.
“Well,”
he thought, “Just bringing Cordelia her forgotten English vocabulary book, and maybe catching a glimpse of that young Romeo ensnaring her heart. That’s not too much, is it?”
Inside the Midnight Scent.
Unaware of his impending father–in–law’s entrance, Everard slowly stood up. His eyelids drooped lazily, his g lackluster, and his complexion paler than usual, almost luminous, as if he hadn’t slept a wink last night.
The moment Sanderson stepped inside, he spotted three figures seated at a table.
Cordelia and a man clad in black had their backs to him. At the chair of the man opposite him and called out, “Calvert…”
gaze
that moment, the man in black casually nudged