2026-03-06 13:54:37Robinson led the way to his office, followed closely by Gilbert and Noah. But when they got to the front of the door, Robinson stepped aside for Noah to enter.
Noah hesitated briefly before he eventually did.
As Robinson closed the door, he hurried to stand in front of Noah, with his back slightly bent. “Is this true?”
Noah regarded him for a moment, with confusion written all over him before he turned to Gilbert. “Is what true?”
Gilbert laughed. “I told him the truth, Noah.”
Robinson smiled. “It's my pleasure to be able to meet Cedric personally. I need to stay this close to you so I don't forget this in a year to come.”
Noah sighed, “Gilbert!”
Gilbert laughed again.
Actually, the two friends were having a discussion when they saw that there was trouble downstairs through the camera. Gilbert saw Noah first and so informed Robinson of who Noah really was.
“Robinson has been my close friend since forever. And he's a true fan of you, just that he has never seen you before.”
“Please, let me bow,” Robinson was saying and before Noah would stop him, he was already on the floor. “Your father saved my mother. The Robinson family will forever be grateful to the Cedric family.”
Noah felt moved. This was the legacy his father had started and he would continue it.
Robinson placed his head on the floor for a moment, before he looked up again. “I, and my family, are ready to serve the new Cedric boss in any way that you need us,” he swore.
Noah gently helped him up. “The first way you can do that is by keeping shut about my real identity for now. “
“Thats the smallest thing I can do, Cedric.”
Noah smiled and patted his back slightly. He actually had loyalists everywhere. It wasn't as bad as he thought.
“And I will definitely reach out to you if I need your help.”
“Thank you so much!” Robinson expressed. He felt honoured that Cedric was even holding him.
“But why did you send everyone out of the bank?”
Robinson smiled, “Noah Cedric is around, why does he have to queue with others when if he wants, he can buy the whole bank? And even buy everyone in it. I just rented the whole space out for you.”
“Good one,” Gilbert commended.
Noah smiled as well. It was kind of surprising that the whole bank stopped working because of him. Robinson really held him in high regard.
“How much do you need to withdraw?”
“Just a million dollars. Put the rest on my account.”
Robinson nodded once. “I will be right back,” he assured and walked to the door but as he opened it, Philip was standing by the door with coffee in hands. “Will you get lost with your uselessness?”
“But you said coffee_”
“Get lost!” Robinson snapped, making Philip jump back in fear. He had no choice but to leave immediately.
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't quite comprehend how Gilbert and Robinson would favour Noah.
Noah turned to Gilbert after he left. “Why is he like that?”
“Well, Alaric is like an emperor around here. Alaric used to control a lot of things but now, Leonardo has taken over. It's very right for him to feel that way. Not everyone was even opportune to meet your father when he was alive. Meeting the next Alaric ruler is a great honour indeed.”
“I was even going to call you. There's something I need to tell you about Jennifer.”
“Is everything alright?” Noah raised a skeptical brow and waited.
“No, Jennifer has refused to answer her phone or do anything since three days ago. Instead, she isolated herself at the Il Leone casino!”
Il Leone's casino?
“Its the casino owned by your father. Though, it's being controlled by the fake cedric currently,” he explained, then calmed down. “Don't worry, I have ordered her assistant to find a way around it so you will be able to see her soon,” he reassured him.
Noah thought about it for a moment. “If Jennifer doesn't want to speak with anyone, her assistant might not even be able to communicate your message to her.”
Gilbert sighed. “It's serious that Jennifer isn't picking my calls. It's so unlike her. I wonder whats happening to her.”
“Alright. If Jennifer won't come here, then I will go and meet her.”
“What!”
“Yes, I will go to Casington to meet her. If she doesn't want to see anybody, that wouldn't include me right?”
Gilbert released a sigh. “That's right. Then, I will book a flight for us.”
“Oh no, it's not compulsory for you to follow me. I will be fine on my own.”
Gilbert hesitated briefly. “Alright, I will book a flight for you so you can move tomorrow morning. How is that?”
Noah smiled. “Perfect.”
Robinson returned with a bag of money. “Cedric, here's your money. The others have been deposited into your account.”
“Thank you so much for this,” Noah said truthfully.
Robinson was all smiles. “This is the best I can do. But if you don't mind, can I treat you to some wine?” he looked up at him, his brows raised anxiously. “Please, it will be my honour to dine with Cedric.”
Noah nodded once. “That's fine. We can have that today. Communicate to Gilbert when you have a location.”
“Thank you so much!” He bowed several times, a wide smile on his face.
.
Gilbert and Noah set out to the bar Robinson chose. It was seven in the evening.
Robinson was already around and waiting for them. The moment they stepped into the bar, Robinson waved at them from where he sat.
He was all smiles as if he just won a lottery. Well, dining with Cedric was far more than winning the lottery.
“Thank you for making it. I've made some orders and I'm sure you are going to love it.”
Gilbert laughed. “I trust you.”
He looked at Noah. “I have something for you, sir,” he muttered and pulled out a box, then he placed it on the table in front of Noah.
It was a phone!
Noah took it and unboxed it. It was the latest iPhone 17 version.
His eyes widened as he looked back at Robinson.
“The stupid boy broke your phone and I could only think of buying you a new one.”
“But he broke a smaller one.”
Robinson laughed. “I mean if Cedric wants, he could buy a hundred of these but I just wanted to do something for you no matter how small.”
Noah smiled. “Thank you so very much.”
“It's nothing for you. And yes, I've added my contact so you can get across to me whenever you need me,” Robinson added quickly.
Noah nodded several times. Life suddenly got better.
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Latest Chapter
83
Victoria didn’t just fall; she collapsed, as if something inside her had finally snapped under the weight of years. Her knees hit the floor first, then her hands, trembling, barely holding her up. Tears streamed down her face in uneven lines, her breathing jagged.“I didn’t mean it…” she whispered, voice breaking apart. “That wasn’t my intention, I swear it wasn’t…”Noah stood over her, unmoved at first. His jaw tightened, his eyes dark with something sharper than anger, more like betrayal, confusion, and disbelief, all tangled together.“Then what was your intention?” he shot back, his voice cutting through her sobs. “To kill him? To destroy everything? Because that’s exactly what you did.”Victoria flinched as the words struck her physically. Her shoulders shook harder.“Yes!” she cried out suddenly, her voice rising in a painful confession. “Yes, it’s my fault Anita died! I know that, I know!” She dragged in a breath that refused to steady. “But it wasn’t how it was supposed to hap
82
Zack didn’t even see it coming.The slap landed across his face with a sharp crack, snapping his head to the side and sending him stumbling backward. He barely caught himself before dropping but the second hit came faster.“Have you lost your mind?!” Victoria’s voice shook with raw fury.Zack’s vision blurred for a second as he steadied himself, one hand pressed to his cheek. “Victoria, I can explain.”“Explain?” she cut in, advancing on him. “Explain how Cedric suddenly knows where we are? Go on. I’m listening.”“I didn’t tell him…”Another slap.This time Zack hit the floor.William shot up immediately. “Mom, stop!”Victoria didn’t even glance at him. She stood over Zack, breathing hard, her anger barely contained. “You think I don’t know how this works? You think men like Cedric just wander around hoping to get lucky?”Zack pushed himself up slightly, wincing. “I didn’t give him this place. I swear. I was trying to throw him off..”“By leading him straight to us?” she snapped.“Tha
81
Morning traffic stretched thin across the road, the city only just beginning to wake. Jennifer’s car cut steadily through it, the low hum of the engine blending with the faint rush of wind outside.Inside, the atmosphere was far from calm.Mike sat behind the wheel, focused, both hands steady as he kept a measured distance behind the two black SUVs ahead. Their tinted windows gave nothing away, but everyone in the car knew exactly who was inside.Cedric’s men.Noah leaned back slightly in the rear seat, his gaze fixed past the windshield, sharp and unreadable. Beside him, Jennifer shifted, her arms folded as she glanced between the road and his face.“You’re very sure about this,” she said finally, breaking the silence.Noah didn’t look at her. “I am.”Jennifer studied him for a second longer. “Because right now, all we’re doing is following a lead that could either save them…” she paused slightly, “…or walk us straight into something worse.”Mike let out a quiet breath. “Wouldn’t be
80
As Kyle pushed his chair back slightly, already signaling the close of the discussion, her voice rose again, controlled, but insistent enough to pull him back.“Father,” she said, drawing his attention once more. “Whatever you decide, don't forget what’s at stake.” Mia reminded.Kyle’s eyes shifted to her slowly.“The dignity of the Giles family,” Mia continued, her tone tightening with each word, “is not something we can afford to gamble with. We don’t even know who took that picture or who sent it out. For all we know, more people have seen it already.”Adrian leaned in slightly, reinforcing her stance without interrupting her rhythm. “And once something like that spreads, it’s difficult to contain. Reputation damage isn’t always immediate, but it’s always costly.”Mia nodded. “Exactly. Which is why the fastest and cleanest solution is obvious.” She held Kyle’s gaze. “We remove the problem before it grows.”A pause.Then, more bluntly. “End things with Noah before he stains this fam
79
Morning came quietly over the Giles estate, sunlight spilling through the tall dining room windows in long, golden streaks. The table was already set with polished cutlery, crystal glasses, and plates arranged with the kind of precision that came from years of routine.Breakfast, as always, was elaborate.Fluffy buttermilk pancakes stacked high with maple syrup dripping down the sides. Crispy bacon and sausage links. Scrambled eggs folded with cheese and herbs. Golden hash browns. Freshly baked biscuits with butter and jam. A bowl of cut fruits which was strawberries, blueberries, melon, sat at the center, alongside a jug of orange juice and a silver pot of coffee still steaming.Their personal chef had outdone himself.Yet the atmosphere didn’t match the warmth of the meal.Kyle sat at the head of the table, his presence steady, commanding even in silence. Beside him, Cynthia maintained her usual composed posture, while Adam leaned back in his chair like he had nowhere better to be a
78: the truth
Amelia got home late, late enough that the house had already slipped into that quiet, settled stillness that comes after dinner has been cleared and conversations have died down. The faint scent of food still lingered in the air, but the dining area was empty, and the lights dimmed.Mia was curled up in the living room, half-watching something on TV. She glanced up as Amelia stepped in.“You’re back,” Mia said casually.Amelia forced a small smile. “Yeah. Long day.”She didn’t stop to say more. Her mind was too full, too loud. She headed straight for Aria’s room.She knocked lightly.No response.Amelia hesitated for a second, then pushed the door open anyway.The room was dim, only the bedside lamp casting a soft glow. The bathroom door clicked open just as she stepped in, and Aria walked out, a towel wrapped securely around her waist, damp hair clinging to her shoulders. She looked tired, but still composed.“Oh you’re back,” Aria said, a faint smile forming. “When did you get in?”
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