Chapter 291: He Set Up Provisions for You

ANDREW'S POV

I checked my watch for the tenth time in five minutes, frustration building as the press conference dragged well past its scheduled end. Another reporter raised her hand, and I suppressed a sigh. Every minute here was a minute I wasn't at Grandma's funeral. The weight of duty versus personal obligation twisted inside me like a knife.

"Mr. Wilson, with your brother's health concerns and the recent volatility in company stock, can investors be confident in the stability of Wilson Group's leadership?"

The question hung in the air like a blade. I maintained my practiced smile.

"Wilson Group has always prioritized succession planning and operational continuity. I'm stepping in to oversee the European division while my brother focuses on his health. Our leadership team remains strong, and our financial outlook is positive. Next question, please."

A reporter from Bloomberg leaned forward. "Sources say several family members are contesting the current leadership structure. Is there truth to rumors of a potential board coup?"

My smile didn't falter, though internally I cursed whoever had leaked that information. The familiar anger stirred - the same anger that had driven me to build my own empire in the shadows. "The Wilson family has always had passionate discussions about our company's future. That's how we've stayed innovative for three generations. But the leadership transition is proceeding according to board-approved plans."

I'd been giving variations of the same answers for the past hour. The truth was messier - David's condition was deteriorating faster than anticipated, and the family was fracturing along predictable fault lines of greed and ambition. Cousins and uncles who hadn't shown interest in the company for years were suddenly concerned about "preserving the Wilson legacy."

Finally, my PR director stepped in. "That's all the time we have today. Thank you for coming."

As the reporters gathered their equipment, I slipped out a side door where my driver was waiting.

"The cemetery, please. And drive as quickly as you can."

In the car, I loosened my tie and checked my emails. The fabric suppliers were threatening to pull out of our sustainability initiative. My staff in Paris needed an immediate decision on the expansion of our atelier. Everything seemed to require my attention at once.

But my thoughts kept drifting to Olivia and Ethan. God, I missed them. The look on her face when Sarah made those accusations at the wedding... I closed my eyes, the pain still fresh. Since that day, our relationship had suffered a devastating blow. Her texts were formal, her calls brief. She was keeping me at arm's length, and it was killing me.

The worst part was not knowing what she truly thought. Did she believe Sarah? Did she think I'd been manipulating her all along? The uncertainty was unbearable. I'd spent years carefully compartmentalizing my life - the legitimate business, the underground network, and my genuine feelings for Olivia and Ethan. Now those walls were crumbling, and I wasn't sure I could rebuild them - or if I even wanted to.

I glanced at the passing scenery. Grandma would have known exactly how to handle this situation. She'd always had an uncanny ability to cut through complications and see the truth of matters. Now she was gone, and the family's center of gravity had disappeared with her.

I opened the file I'd taken from David's office. After his episode at the wedding, I'd gone through his personal documents, looking for anything that might help make sense of his rapid decline. What I found instead was a comprehensive contingency plan - for Olivia and Ethan.

David had been planning for his deterioration for months, arranging trusts, guardianship provisions, educational funds for Ethan, and a separate corporate entity that would ensure Olivia maintained control of her design business regardless of what happened to the Wilson Group.

The car pulled up to the cemetery as the service was concluding. I could see the gathering beneath the old oak trees, the mahogany casket about to be lowered into the ground. I moved quickly across the grass, joining the mourners just in time for the final prayers.

As I took a handful of soil to sprinkle on the casket, I felt a profound sense of finality. Grandma - the family's backbone, the woman who had guided the Wilson empire through multiple crises - was truly gone. Her last words to me echoed in my mind: "You're more like your father than anyone, Andrew. That's not necessarily a good thing."

I scanned the crowd. David stood near the front, supported by a nurse disguised as an assistant. His eyes were vacant, occasionally focusing before drifting away again. The sight of my brother like this sent a sharp pain through my chest. This brilliant man who had once outmaneuvered corporate raiders was now struggling to recognize his own family.

I looked up and saw Olivia across the gathering. She was preparing to leave, her shoulders slumped in her simple black dress, eyes red-rimmed from crying. I made my way toward her, calling her name, but she kept walking as if she hadn't heard me.

"Olivia, wait." I gently caught her arm. "Please, give me a minute."

She turned, and the pain in her eyes cut through me. I noticed her hand trembling slightly in mine. Whatever she believed about me now, the connection between us was still there, raw and undeniable. My heart hammered against my ribs as I fought to maintain composure.

"Not here," I said softly. "Come with me."

I led her to a quiet spot beneath a massive oak tree, away from the other mourners. For a moment, we stood in silence, the weight of everything unsaid hanging between us.

"I found David's files," I finally said. "There's something you need to know."

Her eyes widened slightly, her posture stiffening.

"He's been planning for this - for his condition - for months. He set up provisions for you and Ethan, made arrangements to protect your business, your future."

I watched her face carefully as I continued, fighting the urge to reach for her, to comfort her in ways I no longer had the right to.

"Even after his health began deteriorating, he was thinking ahead, making sure you and your son would be taken care of."

Olivia's face went pale, her composure crumbling as the implications sank in. Tears filled her eyes, and I resisted the overwhelming urge to pull her into my arms.

"He knew," she whispered, her voice breaking. "All this time, he knew."