After dinner, the group went and sat in the living room, where the butler and servants set dessert and fruit on the tea table.
This time, Linus actively talked about Robert over how business was going, and the Powell and Simpson enterprises.
But even that sounded like chatting, about future prospects and investments.
The Powell family and the Simpson family had some overlapping properties, but the two didn't have holdings in the same continents.
There was overlap but no competition.
Still, with globalization, that wasn't a guarantee.
As they chatted, Linus didn't aske Georgia about the SY Group's situation.
Georgia found it strange, then felt a surge of cold.
She was the CEO in name of the SY Group, but she left day to day operations to others, and she mainly just signed contracts.
Because Wilson was better at this aspect of things and she trusted him, she didn't get too involved and didn't try to understand the projects anything beyond generally.
But Linus seemed to actually know what her position was like in the SY Group, and had decided outright not to ask about it.
Georgia couldn't help but wonder if it was because Linus had investigated her, or it was because he felt she really didn't get this sort of thing and didn't broach it at all.
Georgia felt that the former possibility was greater, though, and that Linus probably had investigated her and Robert thoroughly.
Now that he was asking them over as guests and so polite and nice to boot, he seemed to want to make the two families intimate relatives.
She couldn't help but wonder what the other side was up to.
"Grandpa, there's something I want to talk with you about alone. Can we get a space where we won't be disturbed?"
After Linus had chatted for almost half an hour with Robert, Georgia felt like the two hadn't talked about anything important.
It was almost nine.
If this dragged on, they'd probably have to leave, so Georgia interrupted actively.
Linus shot Georgia a curious glance, then nodded lightly.
"Follow me."
Georgia had Robert stay by the two kids, then followed old man Powell to the stairs.
Finally, she ended up in an office with Linus.
The office was lavish as well, with several towering shelves holding at least several thousand books.
There was a giant desk at the front, made of expensive wood.
Old man Powell's office room.
"Sit. What did you want to discuss alone?"
Linus sat, and Georgia took a seat opposite him.
She faced the old man before her and spoke.
"I've met Uncle Carr and Aunt Laurie. Do you know about this, Grandpa?"
"I do. They went back to the country and you hadn't come yet, so I know about you meeting."
"Have the two of them over spoken about Lucas?"
Georgia cut straight to the chase.
"Why bring up Lucas? He's gone missing for a year, but you've only just gone back to the Powell family. Do you two have something to do with each other? Our family's still searching for the child, but there has been no news. What is it, do you have information?"
Linus' face was suspicious and he didn't seem to know that Lucas and Wesley could be the same person.
Georgia didn't know if he was an incredible actor or that he really didn't know.
She switched her line of questioning.
"I've got someone I suspect might be Lucas, but before that, I'd like to ask who Lucas really is. Is he part of the Powell family? Who is his mother?"
At Georgia's chain of questions, Linus' eyes turned shadowed.
He looked at Georgia, seemingly considering something.
"When I was young, I had a first love, and she gave birth to a daughter for me. The daughter that I hadn't seen got married later on and gave birth to a daughter as well. I didn't know about that, and I remained ignorant of this even when she passed. When I got to know about her news again, my granddaughter had come around, and given me her last wish, entrusting me with her son and hoping I would raise him. Lucas is that child."
"Which is to say, like, me, Lucas' mother is your granddaughter, right?"
Linus nodded.
"She had breast cancer then, just like her grandmother. So she found me and hoped I could raise the boy. I took Lucas in, but I didn't take good enough care of him. Since last year, he's gone missing for a whole year. If you have someone you suspect to be him, Georgia, please give me the clues. I promised her. I promised to raise Lucas well. Please tell me who you it is. If he really is Lucas, I'll take him back to the family and raise him well."
The old man's tones were desperate and concerned. It seemed like he really cared about Lucas' tracks.
Georgia didn't know whether to reveal Wesley's situation, thought about it, and moved on to something else.
"Can you tell me about Lucas' mother? I want to know who she is."
"Why do you want to know about her? She's been dead for years and the friends and family who knew her have already visited her grave. Did you know her? But you just asked me who she was. Why do you want to meet a stranger?"
Georgia was struck temporarily speechless and couldn't think of a proper reason.
She felt like even if she lied and made up an excuse, the old man's eyes could tell if she wasn't speaking the truth.
But Lucas' mother had a lot to do with Robert. They'd known each other.
She wanted to know who it was, thought about it, and spoke out about Wesley.
"... you've seen the child too. He doesn't look like Lucas, but we checked him and found that the skeleton of his face had been altered in deliberate plastic surgery. And the time he appeared close to Sierra was about the same as when he disappeared from the Powell family. His memory has had issues too. All these coincidences made us think that Wesley could be Lucas. But Wesley is Robert's son. Robert and I have tested this, and it's true without a doubt.
"So Robert and I want to know – who is Lucas' mother? Robert doesn't have his past memories right now, Grandpa. Please tell me who Lucas' mother is. It's important to Robert and me."