Johan was perceptive enough to know what Jepherson was trying to convey. Nonetheless, he did not bother responding to his remarks.
Otherwise, he would have fallen right into his trap.
Nonetheless, he knew that Jepherson would not leave unless the Moore family came clean about what they had done.
Jepherson then glanced at Santiago and said, “Well, since our visit isn’t welcomed, let me be frank and tell things straight from me then. We’ll leave afterwards.”
The old butler glanced at Johan before directing his gaze at the two siblings. He had a feeling that there was more to what Jepherson said. He had only just scratched the surface.
“Old Master hasn’t been well,” the old butler said. “The doctor has told us that his memory is deteriorating. He would need to rack his brains to recall what has happened.”
The old butler glanced at Johan as he spoke. However, he remained silent.
Jepherson smirked. “Well, so the butler is apparently the one calling the shots in the Moore family’s household.”
Immediately, the old butler said, “It was the doctor. He told us about it. I did not make that up.”
Irritated, Santiago said contemptuously, “What the h*ll are you saying?”
Jepherson did not bother telling Santiago off for being rude. The old butler was silent at that moment. “It’s clear that they’re up to no good,” he thought.
“Yesterday, Santiago told me that he has fallen in love with a girl,” Jepherson said. “I didn’t take his words seriously then. However, he went so far as to assert that he would marry this girl, and only this girl. Well, I was still a little doubtful and decided to shrug him off. This morning, to my surprise, he told me that he wanted to propose to the girl. It was then that I found out that the girl is Cynthia.”
Johan was not provoked. “What’s with a brat audacious enough to want to marry Cynthia?” Johan thought.
“Did he now?” Johan said. Being blunt, he did not bother if he sounded insensitive. He then snorted and gave Jepherson a piercing stare.
“Granted that he’s a little too young for her,” Jepherson said. “But he makes up for it by being honest.”
“Well, all your geese are swans anyway,” Yousif said while he was sniggering. “My daughter’s too good for that son of a b*tch,” he thought. “He’s bloody underage yet he fell for my daughter.”
“Santiago’s a nice guy,” Jepherson said. “It’s just that he has an unconventional approach to life. I’ll bring this up to my Dad. Hopefully, he’ll be able to return home to help out. Anyway, it is my wish that the Moore family would give Santiogo and Cynthia their blessings for this marriage. After all, it is customary for two lovebirds to tie the knot. It is a happy occasion for both families.”
As soon as Jepherson was done talking, the old butler said, “Mr. Jepherson, Miss Cynthia is 23 years old. May I ask, how old is Mr. Santiago?”
Jepherson forced a smile as he looked at the old butler. “I suppose it is none of your business,” Jepherson said. “You aren’t a member of the Moore family, are you?”
The old butler blushed. Then, he said, “I didn’t mean to be meddlesome.”
“Enough said,” Jepherson said. “We don’t want to make a fuss about it. That isn’t the reason we’re here in the first place anyway.”
“Old Master, I don’t think age is a problem,” Jepherson said. “In the meantime, Santiago would mend his ways. If the proposal materializes, then I’m sure that it’ll be great news for Capital City.”
Feeling pleased, Santiago could be seen shaking his legs while Jepherson was talking.
Johan directed his gaze towards Santiago, who was looking smug. Yousif was tempted to give Santiago a hard slap.
Those Richards siblings were such bullies. What was with them coming over and shaming the Moore family? Yousif thought angrily.
“Well, I’ve shared my thoughts on this,” Johan said. “I remember telling you that you aren’t quite a compatible match for Cynthia. However, it surprises me that you remain resolute to this day and even want to propose to her. You have put me in an awkward position.”
“Cynthia’s one haughty girl who would not easily fall for any men. Even if she does, it would be in vain if it does not eventually lead to marriage.”
“Flynt has always enjoyed friendly relations with Cynthia. However, it has come to my knowledge that Flynt isn’t on good terms with you. It will be rather challenging for you to improve your relationship with Flynt. I think you’d better not propose to Cynthia lest you find yourself in dire straits.”
“I take it that you are agreeable to the proposal as long as Cynthia accepts it?” Santiago asked. Johan forced a laugh. It was one cunning chortle.
“The young are generally gung-ho. However, the Moore family aren’t afraid of the young. We appreciate your kindness to have proposed. Anyway, let’s give this a pass and forget about it.” Then, he lay down, pulled the quilt, and said, “I’m an old man. I’ve got to hit the sack now. See the guests off, please.”
“This way please, Mr. Jepherson and Mr. Santiago,” the old butler said. He could not wait to drive them away.
“Let’s go,” Jepherson said. “I’ve told you that he won’t be agreeable to the proposal. ”
“Well, he’s not agreeable to the proposal now,” Santiago said. “But he could change his mind in the days to come. Let’s see if he is agreeable when I father a child.”
Santiago then led the way and walked out of the room. Jepherson trailed along. The old butler was exasperated. “Isn’t he disparaging the Moore family?” he thought.
Nevertheless, he did not dare to rebuke them. After all, Johan did not respond to Santiago’s remarks either.
The old butler then led them out of the house. Worried that they could be lingering around in the vicinity of the house, he waited to make sure that they left. After that, he hurried to go into the house. The moment he walked into Johan’s room, he saw him having an outburst of anger. He had practically smashed all the items in the room.
“Look at this mess,” Johan said. “Take a long hard look at it. You’ve been such a candy-*ss. That’s why the two siblings dare to push me around. Who the h*ll is Hansen? Those two sons of his are nothing but dirt under my feet. How dare they provoke me!”
Johan was so angry that he could barely breathe. Yousif remained motionless. Even though he was injured, he did not dare to say anything, much less walk out of the room.
The old butler went ahead to pacify Johan. It was then that Johan started to quieten down.
“Mr. Yousif, I guess you’d better be making a move,” said the old butler. Yousif then turned around and left. It was at that moment that the old butler looked at the door and whispered to Johan, “Old Master, I think the two siblings have some hidden agendas.”
“Come to think of it, Santiago paid you a visit as soon as he left the hospital. Don’t you think he’s here to denounce us?”
Johan snorted and said, “Well, they have foolishly assumed that I’d accede to their whims and fancies if they were to bait me by using Cynthia. Everyone in Capital City has to bow to me. Just because they have Hansen and Rayan as support, they thought that they could do anything and everything as they pleased. They’re clearly biting off more than they could chew.”
“Old Master, what do you mean?”
“Tell Flynt about this matter and get him to deal with it. He has always been on good terms with Cynthia. It’s about time to test his calibre. Otherwise, outsiders may think that the Moore family are a bunch of weaklings.”
Johan was annoyed. If Jaqueline was around, then there would not be so much drama. It was all Steffan’s fault. “Hmph…”
Johan could not help but to snort the moment he thought of Steffan, who had taken Jaqueline away. “That’s ridiculous,” Johan thought.
“You’ve got to take care of your health,” the old butler said as soon as Johan snapped. “Otherwise, they will gloat at you.” As Johan gradually calmed down, the old butler put his thinking cap on to analyze the matter.