HEIRESS REBORN: MARRYING HER EX-FIANCÉ-Chapter 100: Estranged mother and son (1)

’’The Kratos family?’’

Ayana instinctively furrowed her eyebrows at the mention of that family name. Why did her uncle meet often with the Kratos family?

Had Arabella requested something....like an engagement from him?

A knot twisted in Ayana’s chest and she shifted uncomfortably, thinking that Arabella had yet to give up on her fiancé.

’’Yes ma’am.’’ Lisa replied. ’’Actually, it’s the Eldest master Clayton that meets with the Eldest master.’’

’Eldest master Clayton?’ Ayana became even more puzzled.

Her uncle wasn’t visiting the Kratos family because of Arabella? And from her assistant’s words, her uncle wasn’t even meeting with the main members of the Kratos family.

Eldest master Clayton was the son-in-law of Old master Kratos’ younger brother. In other words, the son-in-law of her fiancé’s great uncle and a relative.

She hasn’t heard of her uncle being close with the relatives of the Kratos family.

’’How long have they been in touch?’’

’’I believe close to three years now, ma’am.’’

’’...’’

Almost three years?

That was around the time she had been recognized by Tales, and also when uncle had started behaving himself and became quite low-key.

’It’s suspicious...’ Ayana looked deep in thought for a moment. When nothing of sort came to mind, she immediately looked at her assistant.

’’Monitor uncle’s movements closely. Tell Sam to very discreet and let me know at once Uncle seems suspiscious.’’

’’Yes ma’am.’’

’’.....Have the Eldest master Clayton also under surveillance.’’ She added after brief pause. ’’I want to know if there’s anything suspicious about him and the Clayton family.’’

Monitoring the relatives of her fiancé.....

She was the one who distanced herself from him, yet she was having his relatives under her watch, knowing fully well that with her fiancé’s vigilance against them, he would have them under his watch as well.

In other words, she was being meddlesome despite ignoring his calls and messages.

’I’m the worst....’ Ayana chuckled slightly at her terrible character. Though, the amusement did not reach her eyes.

Lisa had a question above her head at her boss’s sudden chuckle, but she didn’t focus on the sight, and brought up the folder in her arms. This was the main reason she came to the President’s office. The result of the actress’s investigation just coincided with her actual intent.

’’Ma’am, I actually came here for a reason.’’ Lisa respectfully placed the folder on the office desk and slid sealed documents towards her boss.

’’Sam has found something suspicious on the late President and Madam’s accident’’

’’...’’

Ayana silently stared at the folder with blank eyes. In the eyes of others, she might seem unresponsive to the clues of her dead parents, but only Ayana knew how less calm she was on the inside.

Her trembling fingers betrayed her composed front on the office desk.

’...Finally.’ She released a small shaky breath, her throat tightening as she tried to steady herself.

She had finally gotten something on the accident of her late parents after nine years of thorough investigation.

The FBI and other government crime agencies had told her there was nothing suspicious about the accident. Even Sam, her personal investigator, had repeatedly shaken his head when she asked for the results.

It was just a normal accident in their eyes, but Ayana’s guts told her the opposite, especially with the cunning and vile human like her uncle.

Now, there was finally something.

’’Hm...’’ Ayana cleared her throat and unsealed the folder. She brought two documented papers and pictures with some hideous, and bloody scenes of the accident.

Even her parents’ corpses were before her gaze. Hazel eyes lingered on the brutal images before moving through papers.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she read the results of the investigation, particularly the autopsy’s results.

’’.....’’

Lisa had been watching her boss’ expression since she started going through the folder.

Is something wrong, ma’am?

She wanted to ask, noticing the scrunch in her eyebrow, but her boss suddenly called out her name.

’’Lisa.’’

’’Yes, ma’am.’’

’’Arrange a meeting with the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.’’ She requested, not looking up from the papers. Her composed expression almost twisted in anger.

Why was Sam’s investigation saying that the corpses of the truck driver and her late parents’ driver were fake?

Hadn’t it be concluded that no one had survived from that accident?

And why had no one ever informed her about this?

Ayana’s heart trembled in anger. If this investigation was indeed the truth, then it seemed she, Sam and perhaps the FBI agents involved years ago, had been thoroughly deceived all these years.

Was this one of her uncle’s schemes?

’’The director...?’’

Lisa blinked, startled by the sudden command. The director of the FBI? Was the result of Sam’s investigation that serious?

’’Yes. Arrange a meeting with him.’’ Ayana’s hazel eyes flashed coldly as she finally lifted her gaze from the papers, her hands crumbling the edge of the papers.

’’He has some explaining to do.’’

***

’Will he come?’

Lucinda, looking all dressed-up in her sophisticated gown and modest make up, slightly fidgeted on her seat. At the moment, she was in a well-known restaurant which she had booked a reservation much earlier to have a meeting with her son.

That’s right.

She wanted to meet with Noah, hers and Mark’s abandoned son.

Her husband had given her until the end of the week to meet their son. Knowing how he would express his anger at her without fault, Lucinda had just steeled her edgy mind and booked a reservation in a VIP room at one of her favorite restaurant.

She has also sent her housekeeper to the Kingston mansion to deliver her invitation. Who knew that Noah would have accepted her invite without denial?

Now, she was here at their meeting spot and bracing for his appearance.

’It’s already past 1 o’clock.’ Lucinda looked at the time on her intricate chain wristwatch. ’When will he arrive?’

That is, if her son had not played her.

She had arrived thirty minutes earlier than her proposed time, probably out of nervousness and anticipation that she was meeting her son. All she had for the time being was a cup of water in the restaurant.

’’Apologies for my tardiness.’’

Fortunately, Lucinda didn’t have to wait that long, as Noah arrived some minutes late after. He sat opposite her on their table, and shrugged off his winter jacket, looking all relaxed and with a faint smile on his lips.

Lucinda momentarily blanked out at his appearance. Unlike her forty-eight birthday banquet, Noah was not in a suit looking all handsome and neat, but dressed more casual, adding a hint of youthfulness on his face.

’’N-No....’’ Lucinda was quick to snap out of her daze and put on a smile on her lips. ’’It’s alright son.’’

Though it came out a bit strained, since she was more nervous than ever.

She released a small shaky breath and steadied herself in a composed and elegant manner. Just like the image she always portrayed in public.

’Be calm and stop shaking...’ She chanted like a mantra in her mind. To think she would be this nervous....was she perhaps feeling more guilty than ever or something?

Especially when they were alone without unnecessary eyes.

’’You did nothing wrong, son.’’ Lucinda spoke, softly without a hint of tremble in her voice. ’’It was selfish of me to arrange this lunch without asking for your opinions and knowing your schedule.’’

Well...She had assumed that he had no job or any career in his life. He must be living off that girl and his shares at the Kingston corporation as the first young master.

Besides, he doesn’t seem to have anything going on with his current outfit. Her housekeeper had stated that she met him reading a book in the parlor, looking relaxed.

In other words, he was idle with no job.

’Then, who lied to Mark?’ Confusion flashed in Lucinda’s eyes as she recalled what her husband wanted to find from their son through this meeting.

No matter how Lucinda thought of his words, she didn’t believe what Mark had found from one of his friends.

’’Selfish?’’ Lucinda snapped out of her thoughts and watched her son leaning back on the seat with folded arms. He looked comfortable and stress-free, as though this restaurant was his own home. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Unlike her, whose feelings were chaotic because of the mere sight of him.

’’I’m glad you know that you’re selfish, mother.’’ His lips went out a full grin with glinted hazel eyes.

Lucinda’s heart skipped a beat, not expecting those words to be the first from him.

’’A very selfish and greedy mother who abandoned her first child for wealth and fame.’’

Silence.

Lucinda had no words to retort. It’s as though her usual smart brain left her at the arrival of her son, leaving behind a dull one that immediately blanked out at his insults.

Selfish.

Greedy.

This was the first time she heard the word ’mother’ from him after a long time, but it was to throw insults at her as a failed one.

Her first child and son was calling her that. She had been called fakes and the likes, courtesy mostly to the troublesome Madam Hitson, but not selfish and greedy.

*Why don’t you love me....*

The background music was the only sound accompanying their inaudible breaths in the VIP room. As if fate and heavens were backing those insults, the song just had to be about a failed and unrequited love.

In her case, she hadn’t loved Noah, her son properly as a mother.

*Pang*

Her heart ached deeply, and her eyes stung with tears brimming around its lids.

She was crying?

Her vision blurred with moist, but Lucinda blinked her eyes repeatedly, not to drop those tears. Her throat bobbed up and down as she used her fingers to wipe the tiny tears underneath her eyelids and her nose sniffled slightly.

She was not one to shed tears. That was one of her motto as a woman.

’’Noah, my son....’’ Her lips quivered, struggling to smile. She wanted to clear the tensed air around them, but it seemed her son came with the intent of not sparing her from harsher words.

’’Why are you crying, mother?’’ He openly sneered, not bothered by the sight of herself, his crying mother. ’’Earlier, you seemed too stunned to speak, but this shouldn’t be the first time you heard those words from me, mother.’’