Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 124: The Mystery Man

Chapter 124: The Mystery Man

"Sit down..."

"Don’t run..."

"They’ll bring your order soon, don’t cry!"

Arthur felt his energy draining empty hearing the screeching of his niece who for some reason didn’t want her brother to eat his ice cream until her order arrives. Her order arrived too and who asked her to topple that big sundae on the floor?

In the end, He shared his strawberry milkshake his niece ordered for him and that somehow soothed her.

Phew! He sighed in relief. There were already some people taking pictures and some people looking at him pitifully. Some were even angry at him for reasons he couldn’t understand.

These kids are not the only ones acting up!

Yes, he was sitting in an ice cream shop with his nephew and niece after offering to babysit them for a couple of hours. Apparently his brother has some important meeting and his Sister-in-law has an important court case to attend and so his brother asked him to babysit their kids for sometime since their nanny is on sick leave.

He only recently found out that his brother and sister-in-law have moved out from their Sinclair mansion after his brother became a minister and only their father is living in their mansion now with the staff.

Arthur never returned to his home after he left ten years back. It’s not like his father disowned for him for choosing to work for Jerome Brunton like most people believe but he didn’t want to return there. That place where is grandfather lived, that place where his Iris got hurt and that place where he... hurt his brother.

That place is filled with his nightmares.

When his brother called, he wanted to reject him. He was planning to visit the hospital for his headaches. The frequency he gets headaches have increased and over the counter pain meds aren’t effective anymore. But then he remembered his Iris asked pictures of Little Catherine and so he agreed willfully.

But when he asked for pictures, these horrid kids wanted ice cream first and so he had to bring them here. He didn’t know if it is okay to have ice cream in winter and so he texted his sister-in-law and she said it is okay.

He was determined to get pictures of the kids in his phone to show it to Iris later. He wondered what she thought about the news of his first date with Sophia. It’s been two weeks already and he didn’t have a chance to speak with her. He left a lot of clues for her and he just hoped she got it.

As he was in deep thoughts, he was disturbed by another fight between the siblings.

"If you don’t let me share, I won’t marry you!" the girl was livid with her pink lips pouting.

"Who wants to marry you? Also brothers cannot marry sisters!" the boy scooted far from his sister.

"Liar! You lie! Brothers are there for sisters to marry. If not their brothers who will girls marry?.."

"Don’t cry... Share your ice cream. I’ll think about marrying you..."

Arthur’s eyebrows twitched. Is this what kids these days talk about? She is four and he is what, seven? Seriously? Marriage?

Whatever!

He recorded their conversation in his phone for future reference. Maybe he can play it when they get married after they get older and embarrass them in front of their guests.

He couldn’t help but smile imagining how his Iris will laugh watching this video. She would consider this conversation ’cute’.

" You stink! I’ll marry that boy then... He has beautiful blue eyes! "

The conversation continued and Arthur looked at the direction Catherine was pointing and the small smile in his lips froze.

It was Thomas Lockhart entering the shop with Cyril Lockhart. He was meaning to meet Cyril for a long time and he’s been escaping like a slimy fish.

"Cyril Lockhart!" he bellowed with a smile and made sure he didn’t escape this time.

He wanted to know what the investigations about that attempt on Iris’ life has lead to. Everytime he sees Olivia getting propped up by the media here, he wanted to just break her neck and end her life. She cannot be let to escape.

Cyril who entered noticed Arthur and immediately wanted to step out, but he had to join him since he called him by name.

"He is pretty nature for his age," Arthur looked at Cyril who was savouring classic Arctic cake.

Arthur was impressed with Thomas. He didn’t want to meet him till now because he knew his mother tried to kill Iris. He was not impressed with the Lockhart family since they brought that woman to Esteria and even helped her find a job.

But seeing the boy, he could see the semblance between Cyrus and him and understood why Iris wanted to forgive his mother.

Also this is her Cyrus’ blood. There is no way she would want the boy to get hurt or get raised without his mother when she is alive.

Even he wouldn’t want that on this little boy. He knows what it is to grow up without a mother.

Also this boy was too obedient. He really was surprised how Thomas controlled those two little kids calmly, in just moments and those two were behaving so well.

"He’s endured a lot at this tender age," Cyril placed his fork down as his expression turned sombre.

This kid lost his father before he was born, was raised in a distant place by his single mother, had to go through excruciating pain because of his disease and survived in the end. It would be surprising if he is not mature.

Which kid can handle all these and not be strong?

Arthur nodded. He could understand what Cyril meant.

"She sent a gift for him," Cyril didn’t want to engage much with Arthur but felt like saying it. His family is not in terms to make Talia officially the godmother of Thomas considering the fact that she killed his father, but Cyril felt differently.

His opinion was that his brother’s wish should be honoured.

Arthur was surprised. What was his Iris going on doing? She sent gift to Catherine and that surprised him. Now he is learning that she sent gift to Thomas too?

Oh, Iris! You really want to return, don’t you? Don’t worry, everything will be ready for you soon.

After letting the kids to play in a park with enough security, Cyril lead him to his car - a Bentley.

"Why are you laughing?" Cyril asked sitting in the luxurious car.

"Jerome loves Rolls-Royce and so did your father. After the two families broke up, your family starts buying Bentley?" Arthur couldn’t stop his chuckle and Cyril joined too. He didn’t realise it either.

Maybe father thought about it?

"Did you find out about the other person?" Arthur asked in a serious tone. They still haven’t found out about who hired the other mercenaries yet.

Cyril let out a deep breath. " Not yet. He hides well. We found out it was a man and he has close contact with Olivia Graham. We found some blurry pictures and the Rosandale Royals have alerted every nation to report on him. He’s been placed in the international watch list and we will be alerted if he surfaced."

"It won’t work out if he has contact with higher officials of a government, will it?" Arthur rubbed his temples.

If he hides well, he must have contacts in some high places.

"Yes, for now we can only wait and the Royals are keen on moving Talia elsewhere and I’m not sure what they are going to do. I’m thinking they’ll bring her to their nation." Cyril could only speculate.

"She won’t go back to Rosandale for now, " Arthur sighed. She wants to return to Esteria and she won’t seek asylum in Rosandale for now.

But he could say Rosandale would be the safest place for her now. So he can push her there.

"Why don’t we kidnap Olivia and give her some ’preferential treatments’ approved by our military and make her spit the truth?" Arthur asked.

How long will she be able to hold her facade under duress?

"She is under Prince Edward’s protection now and we cannot do anything now. She knows it too. She almost controls everything in the council and she is watching her steps and does so without overstepping. She is smart..." Cyril said.

He couldn’t hack her phone or not even big her residence without alerting that fool of a Prince who thinks his precious woman is under threat by some dangerous force.

She is the danger! And he doesn’t understand it!

Arthur knew they are now in a tricky situation where the enemy is having the advantage and all they could do is mislead him without alerting him.

It seems like he finds Talia as his enemy. Not Jerome, and only Talia. Who knows? He might be the enemy of the Rosandale Royals!

"We can set up a controlled operation using Talia as the bait..." Cyril suggested.

"No!" Arthur immediately refused. It is a good idea, but they cannot take any risks with her.

"How far are you with the investigations about Cyrus’ death?" Arthur asked. He was told that Cyrus knew that woman was pregnant with his child before he died.

Did someone threaten to hurt his woman and so he decided to die?

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