Chapter 256 Brandon's Compassion and Gentleness
"What?" Candice asked, leaning in as Brandon trailed off.
Brandon held the mystery close, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You'll see when the time comes."
He moved toward her then, closing the small space between them to press a soft kiss against her forehead.
The gesture felt different from any other he had given her; it was tender, suffused with a sense of gentle pity that she couldn't quite place.
A wave of unease washed over her. Something was definitely wrong with him today.
But she knew from the set of his jaw that he wouldn't explain, so she let the question die on her lips.
Soon after, she was on her way back, carrying Cotton in one arm and the bag of cat food in the other.
When she arrived home, Ainsley greeted her with a puzzled look. "I thought you were just getting Cotton. Why the cat food? You know you're not supposed to be lifting anything heavy with that hand."
She hurried over to take the bag from her.
Candice froze for a second before composing herself. "Oh, it's something I ordered online a while ago," she explained. "I just picked it up on the way. It's not heavy."
Ainsley hefted the bag and, seeing that it was indeed light and that Candice's hand seemed fine, let out a breath of relief.
After Candice left, Brandon settled in to wait for news from the Elikin family's side of things.
At that moment, inside the Elikin Manor, a different kind of tension was building.
Jada Brown, a maid, was in Mason's room, ostensibly to clean. In reality, she was there at Echo's behest, searching for the USB drive.
Her heart hammered against her ribs—this was theft, plain and simple. Her hands trembled as she opened the drawer of his desk.
It was the one time of the day she could be sure of being alone; Tamsin and Mason were out for their customary walk.
Jada moved with frantic speed, checking the hiding spot Mason had used before, but her search came up empty.
The small box that held the drive was gone. After a second, more thorough pass yielded nothing, she began to search the rest of the room.
She was so engrossed in her task that she failed to hear the faint sound of footsteps ascending the stairs.
Just as she finally located the familiar box tucked away inside the wardrobe, Mason's figure materialized in the doorway.
"What are you doing?" He demanded.
His eyes fell to the object in Jada's hand, and his expression soured instantly.
The sudden sound startled Jada so badly that her fingers went numb. The box slipped from her grasp, tumbling to the floor and spilling the USB drive onto the carpet.
Pure panic seized her. No excuse, no plausible lie, came to mind.
Mason's gaze fixed on the drive, and a flicker of recognition hardened his features. "Why are you taking that?" He asked, his voice low and accusatory.
A cold sweat broke out across Jada's forehead.
As evening fell, Brandon still hadn't received any word from the manor. He turned to Knox.
"They probably haven't found the right opportunity yet," Knox suggested. "I can check in with Uma."
But just as he spoke, Brandon's phone buzzed. He answered it instinctively, and the voice on the other end caused his eyes to darken. A minute later, he ended the call and took a deep, steadying breath.
"Get the car ready," he commanded Knox. "I have to go out."
"Right away." Seeing the grim set of Brandon's face, Knox didn't dare hesitate and went to prepare the vehicle.
A few minutes later, Brandon's car sped away from the villa, its engine a low roar in the twilight.
Candice remained entirely unaware of the drama unfolding elsewhere. In the days that followed, she didn't see Brandon at all.
It was Elijah who offered an explanation during one of his visits. "Great-Grandma's birthday is coming up," he told her. "A lot of relatives are coming home, and Dad has to deal with them."
"Oh, I see." Candice nodded in understanding. She knew enough about the Obelon family to know that its branches were numerous and widespread. It was only natural for Brandon to be busy, so she thought nothing more of it.
During this time, Ulysses returned from filming the latest episode of his variety show.
The first thing he did upon entering the house was check on Candice.
She looked well—her complexion was rosy and her spirits high—but the white gauze still wrapped around her hand was a stark, infuriating reminder of the incident.
"That man is a complete psycho," he fumed. "I can't believe he hurt you this badly. He better rot in prison for this!"
Candice, knowing his anger came from a place of concern, soothed him gently. "The wound is almost healed. Dad already checked it out and said there was no damage to the tendons or bones. Don't be angry. It's not worth getting worked up over someone like that."
After a good deal of placating, Ulysses's temper finally subsided.
Later that evening, after Candice had gone to bed, Ulysses's anger was still simmering. He was ready to make a move. "The Elikin family has had it too easy for too long if they think they can get away with hurting my sister," he muttered, a dangerous glint in his eye. "This debt will be paid by the entire family."
Kenna, who knew his temperament well, spoke up from nearby. "You don't need to lift a finger. Mr. Caspian Mortimer has already been at work. The Elikins have not been having a good time these past few days."
"Really?" Ulysses paused, surprised. "What's the situation?"
"The Elikin Group's projects have been failing one after another," Kenna reported. "Their most profitable construction project was exposed for cutting corners and withholding wages from workers. The entire crew has gone on strike and is picketing outside the company headquarters demanding payment."
"On top of that, they're defaulting on their bank loans and the creditors are calling. Several of their other pending deals have fallen through."
"The Elikin Group is collapsing, bit by bit. It's almost impossible to salvage at this point, unless someone injects an enormous amount of capital to plug the holes. At this rate, they won't last much longer."
Ulysses listened, a slow, cold smile spreading across his face. He understood. Caspian's usual methods were swift and decisive, but this slow burn—this was a special kind of torture.
"Tell me," he asked Kenna, his voice laced with dark amusement, "what do you think would happen if we gave them a glimmer of hope right now, only to let them fall from an even greater height?"
Kenna saw the look in his eyes and knew exactly what he was planning. She felt little sympathy for the Elikins. "It would certainly be entertaining," she replied.
Ulysses clapped his hands together. "Then it's settled. Make the arrangements."
"I'll see to it," Kenna confirmed with a nod.
Meanwhile, at the Elikin residence, Xander was at his wits' end.
It felt as though a dark cloud of misfortune had settled over his family.
Ever since Vesper's incident, the company's decline had accelerated.
Project failures were mounting, and bank debts were piling up. The Elikin Group's cash flow had completely dried up, forcing Xander to begin liquidating more of their real estate assets.
Gemma was deeply unhappy about this. Their assets were shrinking by the day, and if they kept selling, soon the house they lived in would be all that was left.
For a woman who thrived on vanity and social status, the thought was unbearable. Having grown accustomed to a life of wealth, she couldn't dare to imagine what would happen if the Elikin Group went bankrupt.
Vesper was just as terrified. She had only just begun to enjoy the privileges of being an Elikin heiress.
How could it all be falling apart so quickly? Was she simply not fated to live a life of luxury? A pall of gloom hung over the family all night.
The next morning, Xander was awakened by a call from his assistant, Kai.
"Mr. Elikin, it's incredible news!" Kai's voice was electric with excitement. "The renowned international firm, Luminary Ventures Group, wants to partner with us! You have to come to the office. They're bringing a massive project, and they're willing to provide us with a huge amount of capital!"
A jolt of adrenaline shot through Xander. "Are you talking about the Luminary Ventures Group from Marigoldia?" He asked, his voice trembling.
"Yes! That's the one!" Kai confirmed excitedly.
"Good! Excellent! I'm on my way! I'm on my way right now. Make sure you treat our distinguished guests with the utmost hospitality!" Xander was overjoyed. He hung up the phone without even thinking about breakfast.
Gemma and Vesper, seeing his haste, rushed over. "What is it? Why are you in such a hurry? Is something wrong at the company?"
A wide grin split Xander's face. "Our family's fortune might be about to turn around!"
Gemma's face lit up. "That's wonderful! Go, hurry to the office! We'll wait for your good news at home!"
"Okay," Xander nodded, rushing out the door.
On the other side of town, Ulysses had been dragged to the research institute early that morning by Gabriel. Kenna, unable to reach him by phone, came to find him in person. "I've handled the matter you asked about," she reported.
Gabriel, who was standing nearby, overheard and asked, "What matter?"
Not wanting to reveal his plan before it came to fruition, Ulysses deflected. "Oh, nothing much. Just found something fun to do."
Hearing this, Gabriel's face contorted in disapproval. He smacked Ulysses lightly on the back of the head. "All you ever think about is 'fun.' Why can't you be more like your brothers? If you have nothing better to do, you should be here helping. You're completely idle."
"How am I idle?" Ulysses protested. "Just because I didn't follow your medical footsteps? Is that why you criticize me all the time? Besides, you have Candice now, don't you?"
Gabriel snorted. "If you had followed in my footsteps, Candice wouldn't have to work so hard. She could be at home enjoying a life of leisure."
Ulysses couldn't help but grumble, "Could you be any more biased toward her?"
"That's just how I am," Gabriel retorted coolly. "What are you going to do about it?"
Stunned into silence by his father's blatant favoritism, Ulysses could only mutter dejectedly, "Nothing. You're right about everything."
Kenna watched their bickering, a softamused smile touching her lips.