Chapter 148
Clarence frowned, his face full of confusion.
Raymond's words left him completely thrown off balance.
What did he mean by "the only person who can really run the company will be here soon"?
In the entire Brown family, who else besides him had that capability?
Just as he was about to press for answers, he saw the butler hurrying in through the doorway, his expression both shocked and terrified, as if he'd witnessed something unbelievable. His voice was trembling, making the situation even more puzzling.
"Mr. Raymond Brown, Mr. William Brown—Mr. William Brown is back!"
"What did you say?"
Clarence sprang to his feet, nut shells spilling from his fingers onto the floor.
His eyes went wide, filled with disbelief.
"That's impossible. William died ages ago. How could he come back? Are you sure you saw him right?"
Everyone in the Brown family knew that William had been in an accident a while back, and they'd never even recovered his body.
Everyone had assumed he was dead.
Not only that, they'd already started arranging for someone to take over the company’s affairs.
Under these circumstances, how could William suddenly return?
The butler flinched at his outburst, but he still said firmly, "It's true. It really is Mr. Brown. He's at the entrance right now, and he's brought two children with him."
Clarence's face instantly turned ashen, as if his blood had turned to ice.
His mind went blank, with only "William is back" looping over and over.
Meanwhile, Raymond showed no surprise at the news. Instead, a knowing smile tugged at his mouth.
He rose, leaning on his cane, his voice full of relief.
The relief in his voice was unmistakable.
"It's good he's back. Quick, come with me to greet him."
With that, he headed for the entrance with his cane, his eager manner a far cry from his usual composure.
Clarence stood frozen in place, watching Raymond's retreating figure, his heart sinking heavily.
A bad feeling rose in his gut.
It hit him, he'd been played.
At the entrance, William wore a well-tailored black suit, his posture ramrod straight. His handsome face showed no excess emotion, yet carried an air of natural authority.
Oscar and Nina held their hands, the two children looking like porcelain dolls.
Nina's wide eyes darted around, curiously surveying this grand house.
Seeing Raymond approach, William nodded slightly and called out to him.
"Grandpa."
"My grandson!"
Raymond rushed forward and grasped William's hand, looking him up and down.
Seeing that, aside from looking a little pale, William seemed fine, Raymond felt the weight in his chest finally lifted, and his eyes grew red.
"It's good you're back, so good you're back."
Oscar and Nina looked at the old gentleman before them and blinked up at him.
Nina, quick to charm, was the first to call out softly.
"Hello, Great-grandfather."
Though Oscar was more reserved by nature, he wasn't impolite, and quickly followed suit.
"Hello, Great-grandfather."
The children's voices were sweet and childlike, and they looked like they'd been carved from the same mold as William.
Especially their features, they were practically miniature versions of William.
Raymond looked at the two adorable children, his heart melting.
He scooped Nina up, pinched her soft cheeks, and grinned.
"Good children, such good children."
"Grandpa, this is Oscar, and this is Nina. They're my children."
William spoke at the right moment, his tone flat, yet his words hit like a bomb in Clarence's ears.
That's right, shortly after Raymond came out, Clarence had followed.
He wanted to see what was going on, but as soon as he came out, he heard this bombshell news and froze on the spot.
A flash of surprise crossed Raymond's face. He looked down at Nina in his arms, then at Oscar beside them, but showed no real shock.
Everything turned to joy as he nodded repeatedly, beaming.
"Good, they're all my wonderful great-grandchildren. Wonderful!"
Clarence's attention was ultimately drawn to William.
He stared at William like he'd seen a ghost and blurted out, "William, how are you still alive?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the air fell silent.
Clarence realized he'd said the wrong thing, his face turning awkward as he hastily tried to cover.
"William, that's not what I meant. I'm just so surprised. When I heard you'd been in an accident, I was sick over it, but I never expected you'd return safely. This is really wonderful."
As he spoke, he forced a stiff smile, though his eyes flickered with panic and guilt.
Anyone could see that his "wonderful" wasn't sincere.
His gaze swept over Raymond, and seeing Raymond's face still showing only a smile, without the slightest surprise, Clarence's heart sank.
Only now did he realize that Raymond must have known from the start that William was alive. Otherwise, why would he have been waiting for his return all along?
Perfect. Just perfect.
The grandfather and grandson had set him up, making him look like a complete fool.
He'd been scrambling in front of Raymond all this time, stupidly trying to seize power, ridiculous.
A surge of rage and humiliation rushed to his head, and Clarence's expression twisted.
He didn't bother trying to keep up with William anymore. Gritting his teeth and without even saying goodbye, he turned to leave.
"Clarence, what's your hurry? We haven't seen each other in so long. Why don't you take a walk with me?"
William's voice rang out at just the right moment, carrying unmistakable authority.
His tone was flat, yet it stopped Clarence in his tracks, not daring to disobey.
He could feel the coldness coming off William.
It was the pressure of someone in power, making him feel afraid deep down.
Clarence clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, sending a sharp pain through them, but it didn't dull the panic and anger in his heart.
He slowly turned around, forcing a smile onto his face.
"Fine. Since you want to, I'll take a walk with you. We can have a good chat."
His cheer was obviously forced to anyone watching.
Yet William pretended not to notice his insincerity and said to Raymond.
"Grandpa, Clarence and I are going for a walk. We'll be back soon."
With that, he took the lead, striding into the courtyard, with Clarence following behind, his teeth clenched.
The two walked one after the other to the garden at the back of the courtyard.
It was quiet and deserted here, with only the rustle of wind through leaves.
As soon as they reached an out-of-the-way pavilion, William stopped and slowly turned around.