Chapter 247 Punished by Your Own Mother
"What's wrong? Looking so gloomy - did Ms. Smith cause you trouble again?" Angelina had just walked into William's office when she saw him storming out with an irritated expression, and they nearly collided.
"Where are you going? Sign the documents before you leave!"
"Ms. Jolie, stop yelling, it's useless. Mr. Brown's real identity is about to be exposed."
Brian came out of the office and saw Angelina chasing after William, so he kindly gave her a heads up.
"Exposed by whom?"
"Thalia's got Nicholas cornered and is grilling him about Mr. Brown. Nicholas even called for help - he was practically screaming for rescue. If Mr. Brown had been one minute later, Thalia would've discovered his real identity."
With Thalia's personality, she never gives up until she gets what she wants.
If she's got Nicholas trapped, she's definitely going to get something out of him.
Angelina suddenly perked up with interest, her gaze lazily falling on Brian: "What if I want to watch the drama unfold?"
Brian paused, looking at Angelina and shaking his head: "My life matters more."
He had to constantly remember he was just a secretary.
Angelina was the boss - if she upset William, at worst she'd be sent abroad for a while, away from William, out of sight out of mind. But he couldn't afford that - William might just fire him.
In the café, Nicholas was sweating bullets under Thalia's interrogation, beads of nervous sweat rolling down his face.
"Thalia, I really don't know!"
"If you don't know, you don't know - why are you shaking?"
"I'm just upset that I can't help you out!"
"Upset that you can't help me out?" Thalia raised an eyebrow. Why didn't she believe that?
"Absolutely."
"Think carefully before you speak."
Nicholas raised his hand to swear: "I swear, really, if I'm lying even a little bit, may every wife I marry in the future die."
Thalia: ......... Men will be men - even when swearing, they don't dare swear on themselves, only on women.
"Swearing on your future wife means nothing. If you swear on yourself, then I'll believe you."
Nicholas was so scared his forehead was covered in sweat: "What do you want me to swear?"
Thalia casually picked up her cup and took a sip of coffee: "Say this - if you dare lie to me, you'll never be able to get it up when you have sex."
Nicholas: ......... Hell hath no fury like a woman! Hell hath no fury!
To curse him like that - wasn't that basically killing him?
"Thalia, I'm completely sincere with you. Go ask around Emerald City - who else is as loyal to you as I am?"
"You won't find a second person."
Thalia lazily leaned back in her chair and shook her head.
"Nicholas, I saw Chase use this trick on women before I even graduated."
Nicholas: ......... Chase, that bastard.
It was because Thalia's upbringing was so unique - from childhood, she'd witnessed the two most notorious playboys in Emerald City: one was her own father, the other her half-brother. These two were unmatched in Emerald City.
"Talk! While I'm still in a good mood."
"What are you two chatting about?"
The sudden voice from behind made Thalia turn around. William stood there looking travel-worn, watching her.
Seeing his savior arrive, Nicholas immediately got up and left.
"Is Mr. Brown keeping a woman in the capital? Are you rushing over because you're afraid I'll find out something?"
"If I was keeping a woman on the side, would I let you squeeze me dry like this?" William unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down, calling the waiter over for a menu. He'd thought it was a Western restaurant, but it turned out to be just an ordinary café.
William put down the menu and took out his phone to pay.
William stood up and looked at Thalia: "Are you walking out with me, or am I carrying you out?"
Thalia reluctantly rolled her eyes, got up and followed William out of the café. She had to admit, this was the CBD after all, William's territory. Besides the towering skyscrapers in Emerald City's central business district, there were also various private estates hidden in the alleys - push open any door and you'd find a members-only restaurant.
William brought her to a private estate with extremely high privacy. Once the private room door closed, a waiter stood guard outside at all times.
The antique dining table and chairs exuded refinement and elegance everywhere. When Hayden was alive, she'd often gone with him to places like this to eat, but mostly she stayed on the periphery, unable to enter their business circles. Today, William had her seated in the main position, and she felt a bit uncomfortable.
"Mr. Brown has quite a few nice places up his sleeve."
"If you like it, I'll bring you here often," William said, taking the menu from the waiter and handing it to her: "See what you want to eat."
"I've never been here, you order."
The waiters here had an impeccable sense of timing that rivaled corporate professionals. Regular VIP guests were all on file - which company's CEO, who they liked to bring, what flavors they preferred - the staff probably knew better than their own families.
And clearly, from the moment the waiter first saw her, Thalia could tell that William had never brought a woman to this kind of place before.
The waiter withdrew their surprised gaze and left with the menu.
Thalia watched William take off his jacket and casually drape it over the chair back. Once he was seated, she began her interrogation: "Is Mr. Brown rushing over because he's afraid I'll find out something?"
"Not exactly," William poured her coffee, his slender fingers slightly curved, veins bulging on the back of his hand.
Thalia waited for him to continue. William went on: "Just afraid you'd hear a different version from someone else."
She laughed, picking up the coffee cup and spinning it in her hands.
She pondered William's words.
"Ever heard the story about a wealthy family's son who travels thousands of miles abroad to take down the real heir to fight for the inheritance?"
"You're the real heir?" Thalia remembered that William's biological mother was from the capital. After giving birth to him, she divorced Vaughn and returned to the capital. Could it be...
"I wouldn't say I'm the real heir, but I am a threat to certain people. They wanted to kill me, but when they found they couldn't, they came after you instead."
"Am I really that blessed? Just finished dealing with my own father's side and now I'm being targeted by your mother's side?"
William couldn't help but laugh into his cup: "You've always been very blessed."
"So... they want to kill you because you're in their way?"
"Not sure, I'm still investigating."
The waiters brought dishes one after another. Thalia fell silent for a while, then after a long pause, leaned back in her chair and sighed: "You better hurry up and deal with your mother's side! Otherwise I'm done for."
"Disasters live for a thousand years, Mrs. Brown, don't worry, you'll be fine."