These senior members had absolute say among the rich and powerful of Worchester City and were conservative, to say the least. News that Thaddeus stirred a huge commotion for a woman did not sit well with them, and Thaddeus would be getting it once he returned. “Sir, you’ll need to go back and have a sit-down with them. They are demanding answers on this. Otherwise, they won’t hesitate to put you before a court martial.”Thaddeus scoffed, not taking the matter seriously. The Fontaines dominated among the four major families in Worchester City, and Thaddeus was the leader of the Fontaine family. Together, the other families carried less than a third of the Fontaines’ esteem. All eyes were on Thaddeus, waiting for the moment he would make a wrong move. Here came their chance. These senile old forks had gathered in the COC meeting room and were all over Master Fontaine from the moment the coast was on lockdown. Apparently, Thaddeus’s order was a huge blow to Worchester City’s sea fr
News of Thaddeus’s return commanded silence in the COC meeting room. Everybody’s eyes fixated on the door. Thaddeus walked in with a chilling presence. His slender figure at the entryway of the meeting room was hard to ignore. With his indifferent gaze sweeping across the room, the man curled his lips and spoke in a soft yet overbearing voice, “What business do you have here today?” These old folks had a lot to say about Thaddeus a minute ago, but not a word was heard from them now that the person in question was on the scene. Despite having years of experience under their belt, these senior citizens did not have the natural bearing of a leader like Thaddeus Master Fuller, who had exchanged words with Master Fontaine earlier, rose to his feet, and went up to Thaddeus as if to show concern. He said with a pretentious smile, “Thaddeus, what took you so long? Do you know how big of an issue you have caused? We hit a snag with Worchester City’s cargos by water.” Thaddeus squint
Mona’s instincts were telling her to check out the COC meeting room in the back garden. So she traversed through the garden and made it to the backyard, knowing she would find the COC meeting room there. The four major families in Worchester City would meet there and discuss the rise of any major issue. Mona continued her journey forward, but before she could get close, she took notice of a row of people sitting inside the meeting room. Her heart sank as a bad feeling overcame her. Marcus happened to walk out of the COC meeting room. Seeing that she was approaching, Marcus immediately drew close to her. He pulled Mona to the side and quietly gave her the heads-up. “You should head back, Ms. Ortega. Mr. Fontaine told me to arrange your transport home once you’re awake. Your kids are missing you, and it’s a bad time for you to be here.” “Why is it a bad time?” Mona could tell from Marcus’s face that he was hiding something from her. She looked past Marcus’s shoulder at the
“That’s not happening. I need to be in the meeting room with you. I have to set the record straight.” “Quit it.” The man raised his hand and stopped Mona by physically blocking her access to the COC meeting room. The sly foxes could be a handful. As a man, Thaddeus could not allow his woman to walk right into danger. “I’m not fooling around.” While no one was looking, Mona bent over, snuck from under Thaddeus’s arm, and bravely moved ahead. For a woman to barge into the meeting room, the room full of oldies was stunned. Their full attention was on Mona. Mona was getting cold feet as she never put herself in such a situation. Drawing a deep breath, she quickly pulled herself together. She glanced at the imposing old folks of the four influential families and calmly uttered, “I am the cause of the coastal lockdown, so I should be here. The responsibility for whatever consequences should not only fall on Thaddeus’s shoulders, but mine as well.” Dumbstruck, the group of old
Once the few elders had their chance in reading the file on the vessel, Thaddeus began to state the facts. “The vessel’s port of origin was Neuffield, and 80% of its personnel on board is local to Neuffield. According to them, the vessel belongs to Oceania Travel Management Ltd. “The travel company is owned by the richest family in Neuffield – the Fosters. “I’m sure everybody is familiar with Neuffield’s Fosters. James Foster built his empire in Neuffield from the ground up. “The vessel’s primary use is to transport passengers to holiday destinations, but on the day of my wife’s abduction, it carried cargo in the opposite direction of its usual route. Instead of setting course for the Atlantic, it headed toward Southeast Asia. “It proves that it was a last-minute change to the vessel’s route, and the motive was an abduction.“The decision-making had to be at the management level of the Foster Group. In other words, someone high up the senior ladder in the Foster Group planne
Victor turned his head to Master Fontaine and said, “Grandpa, as one of the kidnapped victims, I have something to say.” “What’s on your mind? Come and take a seat.” Master Fontaine pulled Victor over and sat him down on his seat. Victor smiled fakely as a ruthless resolution streaked across his pale face. He looked around the room and said, “My honorable elders, you might not know, but there’s more to the kidnapping. As a victim, I have a full picture of what’s going on, and it’s not as simple as my uncle put it out to be.” “Well, don’t keep us guessing, Victor. What’s the story?” Thaddeus curtly interrupted Victor, not believing for a second that the boy was not here to give his testimony. He got the feeling the boy came looking for trouble, and a big one by the looks of it. Victor curled his lips and smirked. “Why are you getting riled up, Uncle? I’m only speaking the truth. Why are you nervous when you’ve done nothing wrong?” Adopting a snippy demeanor, Thaddeus l
There was no longer a solid tenderness in Thaddeus’s eyes. Instead, cautiousness and indistinct concern hid behind those pupils. What was he afraid of? Mona looked into his eyes, getting the sense that he was hiding something from her. He was afraid that what they had would be gone when the truth came out. In other words, there was some truth to Victor’s words.Victor got up from the ground and adjusted his tie. He pointed at Thaddeus and righteously uttered, “He was bitter about his father’s affair, so he tried to get rid of Mona. I would secure holdings in the family business from my marriage alliance with the Grahams and earn a spot on the board of directors, so his concern was that I would be a threat to his standing. That’s the truth behind my uncle’s motives.”Thaddeus narrowed his eyes and scoffed. “That’s absurd. Why would I put the coast on lockdown if I were out to get you? The vessel belongs to the Fosters. I don’t have the right to decide the sailing route. How do y
Victor took the beating from Master Fontaine without protest. Master Fontaine was poor in health, and it would fall on Victor’s shoulders if anything were to happen to the old man due to Victor’s choice of words. He held his tongue and said nothing more. Standing in the middle of the meeting room, Thaddeus narrowed his dashing eyes at the nosy old folks. The tension surrounding Thaddeus seemed to intensify in the air. “Have you seen enough?”Thaddeus’s gaze fleeted across each and every one of the sly old foxes, sending chills down their spine. It was as if a sword was hanging over their heads.Filled with fear, the old folks said their goodbyes and left before Thaddeus unleashed his fury on them. With them gone, the circle was finally over. Nevertheless, Thaddeus and Victor’s relationship had moved in an opposing direction. Things would not be an easy fix. In fact, the situation could not get any more complicated with Mona’s mother now involved. The subject had always