Chapter 119 His Child
Arthur hadn't really paid attention to what Mrs. Bennett was saying at first. It was only because she was so enthusiastic, holding up her phone and leaning in close to him.
Arthur just glanced at her phone casually out of politeness. The moment he saw the photo clearly, he visibly froze. A clear look of shock flashed through his dark eyes, his throat tightened almost imperceptibly, and even his breathing slowed for a beat. "Mrs. Bennett, could I take a look at your phone?"
Arthur didn't even notice the slight tremor in his voice.
Mrs. Bennett caught the change in Arthur's expression and nodded gently. "Of course."
After Arthur took Mrs. Bennett's phone, his facial expression didn't change much, but his knuckles unconsciously tightened. The phone screen grew slightly warm in his grip, and his jawline tensed. The shock in his eyes deepened. This had to be his child.
Because this child didn't just look like him—he looked even more like Aria.
How could there be such a coincidence in the world? This had to be his child!
Arthur felt as if his heart, dormant for years, had come alive again in this moment.
"Mrs. Bennett, could you send me this video?"
"Sure, I'll send it to you right now."
Mrs. Bennett took back her phone and sent both the video and photos to Arthur.
Hearing the notification sound on his phone, Arthur felt his chest burning. "Thank you. Where were you traveling when you met them?"
"A small town in Iceland."
Arthur silently memorized the location Mrs. Bennett mentioned and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
"Please keep this matter confidential, Mrs. Bennett."
Mrs. Bennett was sharp enough to immediately understand what Arthur meant and nodded. "Alright, I'll be going now."
"Okay."
After Mrs. Bennett left, Arthur kept looking at that photo repeatedly, his heart filled with complex emotions.
When Sophie came out after trying on clothes, she saw Arthur staring at his phone in a daze. She found it strange and walked over with a frown. "Arthur, what's wrong? Did something happen?"
Arthur snapped back to reality at her words, turned off his phone screen, then looked at Sophie with calm eyes. "No, just a small work matter. Are you done choosing?"
He hadn't confirmed what this was about yet, so he couldn't let Sophie find out. Otherwise, given what she did five years ago, there would be no peace.
Seeing Arthur like this, Sophie felt some ripples in her heart, but her face remained composed. She nodded gently. "Yes, I'm done. They'll have someone deliver everything to the house. Let's go."
Arthur responded flatly, "Okay."
After the two returned to the villa, Arthur shut himself in his study, watching the video Mrs. Bennett sent over and over again. The more he watched, the more convinced he became that this was his son, the child Aria had been carrying back then.
This thought lingered in his mind, growing unstoppable.
A few days later, Arthur made a decision. He contacted William and had him go to Iceland to investigate.
Originally, Arthur had planned to go himself, but Sophie had been at the company these past few years. If he suddenly traveled abroad, it would definitely make her suspicious, and if something went wrong, it would be troublesome.
So he could only hold back and send William instead.
"You must handle this matter well, understand?"
"Yes!"
After ending the call with Arthur, William began packing up in the assistant's office. Sophie happened to come to the office looking for him and saw him packing, looking puzzled.
"William, where are you going?"
These past few years, Sophie and Arthur had been inseparable. Arthur's attentiveness toward her led everyone to believe Sophie was his true love.
Plus, with that wedding, Sophie's status had been legitimized. In everyone's eyes, she was the rightful Mrs. Grant.
William had been at the company for many years and had watched Sophie push Aria out while Arthur did nothing. He actually thought the same way, so when Sophie asked, thinking Arthur hadn't instructed him to keep it secret, he told Sophie.
"Mr. Grant is sending me to Iceland."
Sophie frowned, somewhat confused. "Iceland? What for? Is our company developing business there?"
She hadn't heard about the company having any business there.
What matter would require sending the CEO's assistant to Iceland?
"No, Mr. Grant wants me to find someone."
Sophie's pupils suddenly contracted. She had a bad feeling, but her face remained composed. "Oh, that matter. Arthur mentioned it to me. I happen to have a friend going there too. Have him go with you. He'll handle finding the person. You just pretend we have business there. Don't worry about anything else, okay?"
William didn't think much of Sophie's words and nodded. "Okay."
Sophie gave instructions calmly. "Good. Later, go over the details Arthur told you with him. I'll have him leave too."
William agreed, "Alright."
Sophie saw that William didn't suspect anything, and her heart relaxed a bit. She said gently, "Continue packing then. I'll go take care of other things."
"Okay."
After Sophie left William's office, the smile faded from her face, and a sinister look flashed in her eyes. Arthur was still trying to find Aria behind her back?
What kind of femme fatale was Aria to make him so obsessed after all these years?
She thought that after all this time, Arthur would have let go, but who knew he still had such thoughts!
No wonder he'd been shutting himself in his study all these days—he was planning this!
In that case, don't blame her! He forced her to do this!
Sophie took a deep breath. After returning to her office, she made a phone call. "Go to Iceland. Before you go, contact someone and go with him. Get everything he knows out of him."
--
After giving her instructions, Sophie still felt uneasy. She had someone contact William first, and after extracting information from him, she realized she'd underestimated the situation.
That bitch Aria—she hadn't gotten rid of the child back then and had actually given birth.
If Aria and her child really came back to the country, all her efforts would be for nothing.
No!
She absolutely couldn't let that happen!
Sophie quickly made a decision and instructed the person on the phone, "This time, make sure Aria doesn't come back to the country, including that bastard child of hers. I don't care what methods you use, understand?"
Arthur, since you're heartless, don't blame me for being ruthless.
Arthur had no idea William had already leaked his task to Sophie, or that Sophie was now plotting against Aria and her child.
Right now, he was full of anticipation, waiting for William to bring back good news...