“Youngest Aunt!”
Elena did not expect that their ploy would work! They had successfully lured Sasha out from hiding. However, there was still no movement or response from Francis even after Sasha came out. What happened to him after he slid to the bottom of the slope?
“Francis! How are you? Where are you? Answer me!”
Sasha stood at the edge of the slope and looked down. It was too dark, so she could not see anything.
She sweated anxiously, but there was no way down the slope. Eventually, Sashag thought that she would slide down the hill the same way that Francis did.
“Youngest Aunt! Don’t you want to live anymore?”
Elena hurriedly caught her hand and prevented her rash action.
“We don’t know how deep this slope is. What if it is very deep…”
“If it’s deep, then, wouldn’t my Francis be…”
Sasha was even more flustered at the possibility that her son might be in danger. She pushed Elena’s hand away and was about to go down the slope. Before she could do that, she heard Francis’s clear voice from below.
“Mom, I’m okay. I was just joking with you!”
He held onto the tree vines and hoisted himself up in no time at all.
“Francis! How are you? Are you injured?”
Sasha was almost frightened to her death; she studied and examined him thoroughly and breathed a huge sigh of relief after she was sure that he was fine. Right after that, she seemed to have recalled something and hurriedly turned away as her face changed. Francis was prepared for her sudden reaction and managed to catch her as she spun around.
“Francis, let me go! I don’t want to go home. Your mother is not qualified to go home. I don’t want to face them!”
“But Mom, if you don’t want to go home, don’t you want me anymore?”
“Your grandfather, your brother Joseph and your aunt will take care of you. They will treat you well!”
Had she returned, she would affect Francis’s status in the family. She had made a grave mistake, and her son would also be condemned because he had such a vicious and greedy mother! She could not drag her son down, and she did not want her son to look down on her!
“Mom, how long do you want to hide for? Don’t you want to come back to your son?”
Francis refused to let her go. The weeds around them were taller than people. If she were determined to hide from them, it would be difficult to find her again.
“Mom, let’s go home first. We’ll sort it out at home, okay?”
“No, I don’t know how to face them, nor do I… I don’t want to face your grandfather!”
“Mom, are you upset because you think that Grandfather is not good toward me?”
Francis pulled her back, and his gaze bore into her eyes. He softened his voice.
“Mom, you have misunderstood Grandfather. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to give me a chance. It was because I don’t want to stay in Garcia Corporation.”
“You don’t have to lie to me. I know what’s going on.”
She knew that her son was no match for Joseph. She admitted that her son was not as capable as Joseph in business. However, she believed that her son was also talented. She thought that her son was intelligent, too!
“You don’t know anything, Mom. This time, you really didn’t see it.” Francis clasped her wrists tightly, but his tone was very gentle. “Mom, Grandfather told me that he wanted me to take up the position as the vice CEO of Garcia Corporation. The position is only one level below Brother Joseph.”
“What did you say?” Sasha looked at him sharply; she was shocked. Vice CEO? Was he serious? She had wanted the same position for her son, but she knew that her son was not suitable for it. He was not a good fit for it. Did the old master really offer her son that vital position?
“It’s true, Mom. It happened about two years ago.”
“Impossible!” Two years ago, it sounded even more impossible! Francis was way too young had it been two years ago!
“It was because Brother Joseph had already taken care of Garcia Corporation for a long time, so grandfather wanted to train me too. He had hoped that all the Garcia children would excel in the company.”
“I failed him. I told grandfather that I don’t want to stay in Garcia Corporation.”
“Son…”
“Mom, I didn’t lie to you. I don’t like doing business at all.”
Sasha bit her lips and said nothing. Elena stood at the side and did not interrupt the conversation between them.
Francis continued to say, “I told Grandfather that I like adventures and traveling. I don’t like working in the company at all.”
“But Grandfather told me that I have to consider your feelings as well. If I fail miserably in the future, you would be most disappointed in me.”
“I…” Sasha shut her eyes.
That was correct. She would be disappointed if her son was not successful in his endeavors. She fought for her son because she could not bear to see what he was doing then. She thought that her father had been unfair toward her son, but she was the one who was dissatisfied with her son. Nonetheless, how could she say that aloud to her son? That would break his confidence and spirit.
“But, I’m really not interested in those things. In any case, I just don’t like working in Garcia Corporation, so Grandfather thought of a way out for me…”
“What way?” Sasha interrupted.
Francis smiled and said, “Mom, have you noticed that there is a tourism group in City L that has been developing quite quickly in the past two years?”
“Voyager Group?” As the General Manager of Garcia Corporation, she was well aware of budding new businesses.
“You…” Sasha was wide-eyed, and she could not believe it!
“You mean… You mean, the mysterious boss behind Voyager Group is… is…”
“Yes, it’s me!”
Francis did not expect that he could do well in a different business setting.
“Two years ago, my grandfather lent me two billion, and I used it to start a small company. After that, I have managed to develop it to this stage.”
He had been afraid that he would waste his grandfather’s money! The old man even told him that he would neither offer him help nor advise. It was because of that high degree of freedom that he had put in his all for Voyager in the past two years.
There were no rules and restrictions, just plain wild creativity in the development. That was how Voyager rose to be one of the three major tourism groups in City L in only two years. Francis himself was surprised at the speed of his company’s progress!
“Son, you… Don’t lie to your mom.”
Sasha sobbed; she thought that her son was incapable, but she did not know that he was better than anyone else in a different field! It turned out that her son was very competent, and yet she had always underestimated him.
“Son…”
“Mom, I’ve not been a filial son, and I didn’t grow up to be the person you wanted me to be.” Francis loosened his grip around her wrists and hugged her gently.
“Mom, please, believe me, I’m a dependable person! When you are old, you can rely on me, and you can be proud of me. I can promise you that!”
Sasha nodded and sobbed even more. The Voyager Group had proven to her that her son was someone that she could depend on. She did not need to worry about him anymore, or that anyone would call her son incapable! Her son was the best!
Elena sighed in relief, but she did not expect that things would turn out so well. They could all go home and talk things out.
“Youngest Aunt.” She walked toward them and gently took Sasha’s hand. “Grandfather hasn’t woken up yet. I’m afraid that he would be worried if he doesn’t see us when he wakes up.”
“Yes, Mom. Now that Garcia Corporation is in trouble, we can’t stay out of it.”
Francis also took her hand and firmly said, “We are a family. We have to go back and face it together!”