Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 111: Arthur’s Plan?

Chapter 111: Arthur’s Plan?

Lord Wallace knitted his brows and cleared his throat making Lord Reilley reel back.

" Alliance by marriage. If Arthur married one of our daughters, we can explain how he... "

" That’s a good idea. We all know that Brunton girl ran away. So who are you suggesting?"

Lord Lockhart knew this is not something to pacify the common people but to further their agenda. Why would the people care who sits on the council? They stopped caring a long time ago. More like they lost hope on them.

He expected Lord Reilley to suggest Lord Clairmont’s daughter. At least they can manipulate their daughter and fill their pockets once she gets in the family.

" Yeah... How about Lady Sophia Clairmont? "

Lord Reilley said scratching the back of his head. Jordan who was sitting behind Arthur dropped the files he had with him on the floor.

What is going on?

"She will be suitable for him since she is close to his age. Also we all know how much she fancied Arthur and she even quit her private school and went to the public school Arthur went...."

Lord Reilley went on with his babble and Lord Lockhart hid his smile and looked at Arthur.

"It’ll be your decision."

---

Jordan ran behind Arthur who was smelling pungent with cigar scent and running down the stairs.

He just agreed to marry that woman and then disappeared with some of the nobles into another room for an hour, leaving him alone.

Just what is he doing? Wasn’t he in love with Talia Brunton?

"Are you really going to marry Sophia Clairmont?"

Jordan asked finally catching up with him. This man has become more of a beast these days. Look how fast he walks after smoking and drinking for an hour.

" The burgundy file I gave you... Commence the operation," Arthur stopped his stride for a moment before resuming towards the car at the bottom of the stairs.

"You... Wait!" Jordan really couldn’t believe what he was saying.

Does he really want to make trouble with the businesses of those nobles who are extremely loyal to Jerome Brunton? Did he really pretend to care for Talia this long and wanted the fall of Brunton family?

Jordan froze in his spot and Arthur’s retreating back reflected in his eyes grey as his mood was. He could feel his heart beating erratically and his head throbbed with pain.

He stood there, staring unblinking as Arthur got smaller and smaller and then he followed another guy.

Whoa! Where did he go?

When Jordan came to his senses, Arthur was not in his sight. He didn’t feel good at all. He felt sick for some reason he couldn’t pin on.

But he hated everything and he hated Arthur more than anything.

Arthur followed the aide who was sent by his father through the hallways leading to the office of the President.

As he entered the room, Arthur took a step back unconsciously as the place painted white was filled with photographers. Behind the big desk with big flags of their nation displayed in the background was his father, his brother, Sister-in-law and their kids.

His father was sitting with the little girl on his lap with his brother and sister-in - law standing on both side and Carl their son was standing beside his grandfather in front of his father.

Family portrait day? Why wasn’t I informed?

Arthur contemplated and noticing him in the crowd of people, Gregory Sinclair waved his hand with a smile to join him and Arthur passed through the aides and photographers standing behind the cameras, smiling at his father.

It’s been a long time since he met his father and he knew his father is fuming. Smiling eases his mood a little.

But the moment he stepped to the front, he saw his father’s smile vanish and his face hardened to the extent of gritting his teeth. Arthur could see his father was trying to hold back his anger in front of others especially his grandchildren but he couldn’t understand why.

He looked at his brother who was flabbergasted with his jaws open and Roderick rubbed his chest and only then Arthur realised why his father is this angry. If he was alone now, he’d be slapped in the face.

Arthur immediately removed the brooch he pinned on his chest and placed it carefully in his pockets.

"Folks, my younger son won’t be joining us. Let’s take the pictures now," Gregory Sinclair soon regained his composure and the photographers looked at Arthur standing in the way apologetically.

Did the President just snubbed his son from a family picture?

Arthur felt the corners of his lips twitching seeing how his father could hide his rage behind that plastic smile of a politician. Fixing his suit, he moved away from the cameras knowing his father isn’t finished with him.

After the media took enough pictures, they left the room and Arthur’s father stood up and placed a kiss on his granddaughter’s cheek.

"Go ask for your birthday gift from your uncle," Gregory sent little Catherine to Arthur. The shy little girl didn’t want to move forward as she wasn’t accustomed to that uncle of hers.

In fact she didn’t even remember him. She is a child. She cannot be blamed for not remembering an uncle she met six months before.

Only then Arthur realised it was his niece’s birthday and hence the photo-op. And gifts? How will he have gifts? He even forgot her birthday.

Great! Just great! Another reason to make my father mad!

Arthur’s usual stiff face got more stiffer out of fear and the little girl only got more scared to go to him.

"It’s fine Katy! He won’t bite!" Roderick picked her up and walked to Arthur who was now searching his pockets for anything acceptable as a gift.

There was only a cigar and he really cannot give it to a five year old, can he? Five years? Or is she four... Or six? Eh! Whatever!

" Uncle left your gift in the car, I’ll send it to you tomorrow, okay dear?" Arthur got the child from his brother and Catherine really was unwilling but was transfered to Arthur.

What am I supposed to say to a child? Does she even understand me? How does that work? And more importantly, is she going to cry?

"You’re pretty!" Arthur tried to speak with the child who was pouting her lips with her cheeks puffed up.

"Look at that..." he continued speaking in a soft voice. If he makes this little girl cry, his father will whip him with his belt right then and there.

It won’t be a good for a grown man to get beaten by his dad. Not to mention one was a powerful CEO and the other was the President of a nation.

"Nice bow on your head... And wow! A matching necklace! You are pretty like a princess!" Arthur could see the little pout in the little girl’s lips slowly turning to a smile and continued on with his praises.

It seems like those with XX chromosomes liked to hear they are pretty regardless of their age!

"It was a gift," Emily Sinclair, Arthur’s sister-in-law walked to him and Arthur leaned and kissed her cheeks.

"Oh..."

"From Talia Brunton," she added making Arthur’s heart skip a beat and the smile in his face withered.

"Although she didn’t write her official title, the people from Rosandale Embassy delivered it to my office with utmost care..." Roderick spoke in a soft voice but Arthur could discern the blaming tone in his words.

’She considered you a family and sent a gift for your niece’ s birthday which you forgot and you were here doing everything against her!’

There was a deafening silence for sometime but it was broken by Carl’s cry.

"Mum! We took the photograph! You promised me ice cream! I want it now..."

Arthur’ s eyes darted to his father who was sitting with his face back to stiffness.

"Ice cream! Ice cream!" Carl started throwing tantrums stomping on the floor.

"I’ll take my leave then...this guy has started acting up... Arthur," Emily smiled at Arthur and he nodded back.

"Rod..." Emily then signalled her husband, "I have to got to court in an hour..."

"Dad... Then we’ll..." he looked at his father and Gregory stood up to send them off.

"Well what should we..." Rod got Little Kate from Arthur’s hands and walked out with his wife discussing whether they should leave the kids. His wife is a prosecutor and a pretty good one at that.

Arthur stood leaning on the wall watching his father kissing his grandkids goodbye with a doting smile.

His heart started beating in his throat when he heard his father advising his secretary not to let anyone disturb him and close the door. Before he closed the door, an aide ran to him and informed him something in a whisper and Arthur could hear his father’s knuckles crack as he fisted his hand.

"Are you getting engaged with Sophia Clairmont?" Gregory Sinclair asked after taking a deep breath.

"Pa...I..." Arthur couldn’t find his words to explain.

He might be a King in the business world and acted like he never cared about his family,but he is really really scared of his father. Especially when he is in the wrong.

The one day he was holding his chin up high and chest puffed to talk with his father was when he bargained with that incriminating evidence against his brother for his Iris.

But today, he is in the wrong!

"Did you ask the consulate to deny Talia’s entry into Esteria?"

"Pa, it may all seem..."

*Slap*

A loud and hard slap ended up on Arthur’s left cheek and he felt disoriented for a second and felt the world go upside down.

Ha! Oldman still got spice!

"Sit!"

Gregory poured a cup of warm water for Arthur after he sat and poured himself a glass of scotch before taking his seat.

"Your ma..." Gregory took a sip from the glass.

Arthur noticed his father’s sharp green eyes softening a bit talking about his mother. He took a sip of warm water and felt his giddiness get a little better.

"She once told me she helped Jerome Brunton pick a jewellery for his daughter... She told me, during that short encounter, she felt that Jerome didn’t seem like an evil person like your grandfather portrayed him as..." Gregory looked out through the window where the tall birch trees danced at the distance.

" I don’t know Jerome personally either... But he never once hurt me or my kids... Have I ever taught you to hate him? Hate the Brunton Family?" Gregory looked at Arthur and tapped the table to stop Arthur from speaking before he continued with his eyes filled with disappointment.

" I even kept you from your grandfather to not let him poison you with thoughts of revenge like he did with Ray... So why do you have to do this to Jerome and his only living relative, Frederick? That girl... I thought you loved her? I liked her too. Your mother would have loved that girl for you too I can say. Now you want to marry some other girl? When did you meet this other girl?

What made you do this Arthur? You are even forcing the Council to keep her away from Esteria! Wandering around with the Crest of Brunton family... Did you steal it? Is Jerome safe or did you... Despicable! Your mother would be... "

" Pa!" Arthur stood up. He will get any kind of scolding or even beatings from his father but he didn’t like him invoking his mother to say his mother will be disappointed with him.

My mother loved me! I will refuse to accept anything other than that!

" Why don’t you override the Council?" he asked and Gregory with his eyes wide looked at Arthur.

"If you think the Council is being unfair to not let her in, and you want her in, why don’t you override the authority of the Council and grant her visa? You are the President! And the Ministers in the Parliament... Why don’t they draft a legislature to nullify the authority of the Council? Or... Do you have something to fear for with the Council? What does those rotten nobles have against you, pa? "

Arthur placed his hand on the table and asked his father with his eyes fixed on his father.

" Frederick! " Gregory got angry.

What is he babbling now? This is nonsense! Overriding the authority of the Council? Is it easy?

" Pa, forgive me. I know they might know what I did to Ray and it could be the thing they have against you. Or..." Arthur closed his eyes as he felt a splitting headache that made his ear ring, but he tried hard to concentrate.

" Did they know that Ray was responsible for Ms. Langdon’s death all along and you, out of the love for your son, buried it? When I... "

Arthur paused as his father went pale and leaned back on his chair.

It always was like a splinter in his foot whenever Arthur thought about Cyrus. He had always doubted why Cyrus left the proof with him.

But judging by his father’s reaction, it seems like the entire shenanigans surrounding that crime was a cover-up organised by those people with power to save a beast in exchange for future favours with the president’s office!

Cyrus left it with him because, he might have thought he as a just person will try to do something about it. But he was unconcerned and in the end, that beast came for his Iris!

"Pa, I’m glad you speak for Talia. I swear that in this life I will only love her. I love her and I want her back in this nation she loves. But when she returns, she won’t return to the Esteria she left. I’m sorry I cannot explain anything more for now. "

Saying this, Arthur turned and left the room while Gregory leaned back on his chair looking at the ceiling. His eyes dried up as he stated blankly and an unknown fear tested up his heart.

Is he really trying to eliminate the Council? Does he know how dangerous that can get?