Financial Emperor: After I Rose From the Dead
Chapter 28: A Chance Or A Trap [1]

Chapter 28: A Chance Or A Trap [1]

Rino went over to where he had kept his phone on the stool beside his bed, and picked it up with a grunt, rubbing the last remnants of sleep off his eyes.

The screen lit up with the notification of a message from Zaria.

What could it be now?

He thought, and unlocked his phone to view the full message.

"You just left like that? You didn’t even say a word to anyone that you were leaving. I thought we came together, Rino. Was I just meant to disappear on my own?"

Rino stared at the words that made up the message for a moment, his expression unreadable.

"Was I meant to let anyone know I wanted to leave? What does she mean?" he muttered, and with a quiet sigh dropped the phone back onto the stool without replying to the message.

He wasn’t ready for that kind of conversation, not even now. Maybe, just maybe he will reply to it later—that’s if he felt like it.

He went over to his wardrobe and pulled a clean shirt from it, then slipped his body into it without glancing a second time at the dressing mirror beside it.

He raked his fingers through his hair lazily and thought.

I’m at home, no need for extravagant preparation.

"Let’s go and meet Mrs. Rose," he said and left his room.

As he walked the corridor toward her chambers, he moved with the steady confidence of someone who belonged to every hallway he passed.

This way, he hid his worried expression from anybody around.

His composure might tell that he was a free boy who knew nothing he was doing, but within his mind, he was thinking very hard.

What could possibly be her reason for summoning him? First, it was Josh. Now, it is Mrs. Carter.

He smiled and put his head straight up as he walked to her quarters.

When he reached her quarters, the door was already open, as though she had anticipated Rino’s exact moment of arrival.

There at her personal sitting room, she was seated elegantly, taking a regal position like a queen in council.

One thing Rino admired about Mrs. Carter was the fact that even though she nursed a son as old as Josh, she still appeared younger in age.

There, where she was seated, her silk robe shimmered in the neon light that bathed the atmosphere of the room, her hair was perfectly styled. And when she looked at him, her eyelashes blinked hiding the light yellow eyes behind it.

"Rino," she said, surprising Rino with a warm voice and a faint smile that formed on her lips. "Come in. Sit."

Rino entered slowly, alert at the same time as his eyes scanned the room for any unusual energy or presence, whatsoever.

This pleasant tone of Mrs. Carter on its own, was a red flag according to Rino.

But, well, he should honor her invitation.

He nodded, settling on the couch across from where she sat without saying a word.

Instead of going straight forward to why she called, at least that’s what Rino expected of her, an intentional silence took place.

Then, as if tired of the silence, Mrs. Carter stood from where she sat and went straight to the bar-style refrigerator that was nestled by the wall in her room.

She opened it and selected a chilled bottle of juice, collecting alongside it a glass cup as she returned to the table.

Placing a cup before Rino, she poured some juice into them, then poured it into hers and sat down carefully on her positioned seat.

Rino collected the cup of juice from the table and muttered a "Thank you" to her.

"At least, you understand what courtesy demands... unlike your son," Rino added dryly.

It’s through that Rino was still a young man, roughly 18 years old. But, Rose couldn’t help but wonder where he got the guts from which he spoke.

Silently, she wished her son, Josh, behaved exactly like Rino did.

He was a child, but composed and smart. And most importantly, has never been afraid or acted inferior to anyone.

At least, to the much knowledge she knew about him having stayed the long days of his age with him.

This was still, unlike Josh, her biological son.

She heard what Rino said, and so, she narrowed her eyes and leaned forward.

"Unlike my son?" she said with a tilt of her head. "What about my son?"

Rino took a sip from the cup he had collected before carefully dropping it back on the glass table before him. Then, he leaned forward, his eyes locking with hers as he gave out a faint smirk.

"What about him?" he asked, his voice low and teasing.

There was a brief pause and a long stare.

Then, both of them reclaimed their composure.

Mrs. Rose Carter leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs. Suddenly putting on another faint smile.

But behind that smile, Rino saw something else.

Irritation. Caution.

She was bemused, as well as triggered by the audacity Rino had for answering her question with another question.

But, that was not why she called him.

She called him for something more important to her.

"I called you here because I believe we need to talk," she said, trying hard in pretense to hide her tension. "Not about Josh. Let’s talk about you.

"About me?"

"Yes. Let’s talk about what comes next," she replied.

Rino folded his arms and sat straight.

This should be an interesting discussion, he thought.

"What comes next for who? You? Me? Or, I don’t think I get where you are going," Rino asked, with an eyebrow raised.

Rose tapped her fingers lightly on the armrest of the couch she occupied and put on a serious expression.

"Let’s talk about the family, Rino. This house. Your future. All of it," she said. "Things are shifting faster than you realize. And it’s time you stop treating everything like a game."

"A game?" Rino was shocked to hear that from her.

He leaned back now and added. "Coming from you, that’s quite the irony."

"Believe me, I know what I’m talking about," Rose said. "I thought any of you should be making plans for a way to recover the empire but, I’m disappointed to say that you’ve been taking everything unserious in recent times, as usual."

"Look, dear. I know you’ve never wished to involve yourself in any business concerning the family or anything regardless. You’ve always preferred... what do you call it again? Yes, your digital means of making money, right?"

Rino’s gaze darkened slightly. He wanted to understand what she talked about, or, he understood but he wanted her to land.

"That’s why I have preferred something special for you. Something that can instantly generate a lot of capital so you could continue that which you call your career," she added.

Rino now guessed where she was heading at. "So, what is?"

Rose didn’t answer right away. Instead, she reached into a small side drawer and retrieved a black folder.

She dropped it onto the table between them with a dull thud and asked Rino to open it.

"Open it," she said.

Rino hesitated, acting as if he was unsure of what she was hinting at.

He unsealed the folder and pulled out a paper from within.

"What’s this," he asked, not looking at the paper.

"A chance," she said coolly. "A great chance, Rino. All depends on how smart you are."

Rino stared at her for a second longer before locking his eyes on the contents of the paper.

Good enough, you added the word smart to your speech, Rino thought.

"A chance," Rino raised the paper, having glanced through what it contained.

"Exactly."

Or a trap, he smiled.