“I guess no one can accompany Belle tonight,” Jacob stated.
As soon as they got inside Eden, their attention was caught by the woman dancing on the ledge. A woman they are very familiar with.
The clothes she wears are far from skimpy. However, men won’t be able to refuse to look at her as she is dancing seductively. It was Nathalie.
Tristan pressed his temples, as a thought popped into his mind. “Do you think Belle has done something like this before?” he asked out of nowhere. Jacob turned his head ever so slowly. “Let’s go!” Tristan said, walking ahead of him before he could even answer.
‘What was he thinking? Why would Belle do something like that? Jacob could only shake his head. He never thought his boss could think of something as weird as that.
They went straight to the VIP room on the second floor and a waiter quickly followed. He served both men their drinks before leaving them for their business.
“Did you hear everything about Belle’s story earlier?” Tristan asked after drinking from his glass of vodka. Jacob nodded before reaching for his glass.
“If we didn’t know that the eldest Williams daughter died years ago, I would think that Belle and Vernice are sisters, and Lawrence is their father, based on their resemblances alone.”
Jacob looked at Tristan, who was now staring at the glass in his hand. “Do you want me to look into this?”
His boss shook his head slowly, eyes still on his glass of vodka. “I have a strong feeling that those three are actually related to each other,” he sighed.
“Remember the report we got before? It said Lawrence was once married, who is probably Belle’s mother, and Vernice is the current Mrs. Williams’ daughter. So Belle and Vernice are half-sisters. Do you believe that Belle came to Bree for a better job opportunity?” he then looked at his assistant.
“What do you mean?” Jacob asked, creasing his forehead at the man, suspicious of where the topic was going.
“I feel like someone placed Belle close to me on purpose,” Tristan stated, leaning back.
“You think someone’s plotting against you?” Tristan nodded to answer the question. “You don’t trust Belle?” the CEO nodded again.
Tristan let out a long, heavy sigh. “If she’s just looking for a better job here at Bree, why would she choose De Clarion Empire of all places? There’s Williams Corporation. She doesn’t know they’re related based on her stories. Triton International has advanced IT as well. Why De Clarion? Why my company?”
Jacob nodded slowly. He does not agree with Tristan, but he somewhat understands his worries. If one has to look into it, this could be a plot by Williams or someone else who knows that Belle is alive or even someone who has something against Tristan.
“But I think Lawrence is not aware that his daughter is alive. Remember, I told you about his reaction when he saw Belle during our meeting,” he reminded his boss.
“I’m still confused, but I’m perfectly sure that someone around us is trying to play some ugly game here. I don’t know how it will benefit them, or in what way. But I’m certain they’re up to something that’s not good.” Tristan’s statement was with conviction. He is determined to get to the bottom of this.
In Lys the next day, the mother and daughter kissed and hugged each other. They then went inside the café to talk about business.
“So what is this about?” Vernice asked after sipping from her iced coffee.
“Yssabelle is alive,” Esme blurted out. She didn’t even give her daughter any warning as to what she was about to hear.
As a result, Vernice almost spits her coffee in surprise. She was staring at Esme as if she had just told the biggest joke of her life.
“Yssabelle didn’t die when she fell into the sea years ago,” Esme explained further. “She was rescued by a fisherman and was taken to Dale.”
Vernice still can’t take in everything her Mother’s telling her. She was just quietly staring at her, weighing whether she was serious or not.
“Does Dad know?” she asked and Esme shook her head in response.
“Not yet, but your father has seen her. Besides, we attended a banquet last night, hosted by the De Clarions, and I saw that she’s very close to Tristan.”
“You mean she’s in Bree?” Vernice exclaimed and Esme quickly nodded in confirmation. “What are you planning?”
“We need to get rid of her before your father finds out she’s alive!” She said with so much conviction that Vernice couldn’t help but feel shocked. Never in her life did it cross her mind that her mother could actually think of something as cruel as that.
“Get rid of her? You mean killing her?” Esme nodded. “And why do I have to be involved?”
“You really are stupid, aren’t you?” Esme sneered. She’s starting to get frustrated at her daughter’s ignorance. “She’s still your father’s eldest legitimate child. She’s entitled to get the majority of her father’s fortune. Although you’re a Williams, you were born out of infidelity, so we have to strengthen your hold on this family.”
Vernice suddenly felt worried. She agrees that what her mother said is true. If it wasn’t for Rose’s death, his father wouldn’t have married Esme, and she would remain an illegitimate child.
“What do you want me to do?” she then asked, realizing that she needed to help Esme secure her future, their future.
“Make sure that you get married to Tristan! Don’t you dare run away again, understand?” Esme told her straight out and Vernice quickly nodded. “This is the first step for you to get a hold of your father. Use the De Clarions’ money to obtain as many shares as you could in your father’s company. Talk to Hans about this so he won’t cause any trouble. I’ll take care of Yssabelle!”
Vernice nodded her head in agreement. Looking at her mother, it was as if she was seeing devil horns growing from her head bit by bit as she laid out her plans. It gave her chills.
On the other hand, she is also thankful that she has a mother like her. She appreciated how Esme was willing to do anything for her.
After their short but very meaningful conversation, Esme bid her daughter farewell. She reminded Vernice of everything she needed to take care of before hugging her and stepping out of the café.
Esme had to go back to Bree before Lawrence finds out that she went to Lys. She can’t let anyone ruin her plans, more so know about it.
As soon as the plane landed, she took out her phone. “Irwin, I need you to come to Bree,” he told the man on the other line. “We have some unfinished business!”
Esme then ended the call and hailed a cab. She needs to get started with her plans as soon as possible or it will be too late for her and her daughter.