Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 377: Secrets And Deals

Chapter 377: Secrets And Deals

"Have you gotten any clue about Ralph?" Talia asked Arthur as she tied his tie around his neck. She didn’t know why, these past few days he’s been acting clingy with her. She didn’t know why but he seemed to be in deep contemplation at times and she thought he was hiding something sinister and asked him the reason.

He talked about how much it hurts every time seeing her getting close to death hurts him and Talia was touched and here she is... giving in to his childish demands to dress him up.

"Not yet," he bowed his head as he held her hand and kissed her palm. "You promised you won’t look into it, right? If what Edward said had happened and if Ralph really asked help with- Anyways don’t try to do hacking, Iris. I beg you, please."

He’s been saying this for a while but Talia had searched for Alexandra Belfauger secretly and found that she is struggling with ’depression’ and has committed herself in a rehabilitation facility.

Somehow finding this out made Talia believe Edwards words. She knew Belfauger wouldn’t have publicised his daughter’s depression if she actually had depression. Since her condition is somewhat more critical, he must have tried to reduce the impact her sickness would cause on his stocks.

Also she was told that Edward capturing Natasha at the right moment had saved Talia that day. Natasha was planning to drop the poison in Talia’s drink, but thankfully before she got that chance, Edward brought her out. Otherwise, with Talia drinking like a fish that day, might have been the end of her.

I shouldn’t drink in parties anymore!

"Then tell me who ’Cobra’ is," Talia asked. What kind of guy is he to make even Arthur scared?

"He’s like a... an agent who has connections to various international crime syndicates who’d do anything for a fee... " he let out a sigh. "Don’t worry. He won’t touch you...I won’t let him." Arthur placed a kiss on Talia’s forehead. "Ugh! At times like this I really miss Jordan. He’d make dealings with these shady figures easily."

"If we cut off Ralph’s funding, we can flush him out." Talia suggested.

"Don’t involve yourself, Iris. I mean it. Just lay low for now. Cyril offered help too. So don’t worry."

"I know. I’ll join you for lunch." Talia helped Arthur war his suit jacket and coat. She even walked him to his car and waved him bye.

"You’re being a good mother to your boyfriend." Lambert scoffed from behind her.

"I have a boyfriend! Yay!" Talia waved her hand and did a little dance and Lambert slapped his forehead.

"I’m an idiot!"

"Yes, you are. But I have a boyfriend," Talia spoke in a sing-song manner.

"Come for practice," Lambert said with a frown.

"I need to make a phone call. So wait a while," Talia walked with a skip in her step towards the stairs.

"I can’t wait! You still haven’t mastered your-"

"Lambert... Do you think the Duke of Trenton is well connected?" Talia got down the stairs.

"... He is... "

Lambert got close to her and said as a whisper. "Only after his position is threatened, he started showing his true form. He’s a snake!" Lambert clenched his jaws. "And because of him we’re asked to hide here. I really don’t want to hide from him, but Louis insists."

Lambert’s fair face became red out of anger.

Talia felt like his anger is justified. She has some charities she has to look out for and yet she is stuck here and it made her feel bad.

She brought Lambert to the drawing room to avoid the staff since she wanted to know something. Actually Celine told her about it, but she needed confirmation.

"How did the previous Duke got the Duchy from Gigima’s brother?"

"He killed him with alcohol. Everyone knows it. They were ’friends’? My behind! Friends wouldn’t have endorsed someone to drink to their death!" Lambert rolled his eyes.

"So it is not just a rumour." Talia pressed her lips.

Celine said something like this as she heard from her father that the current Duke’s father took advantage of an alcoholic and played some games to get the Duchy. To be precise, he made her great granduncle sign some documents under influence making him the proxy which enabled him claim the Duchy after her great granduncle’s death.

Apparently after this incident the laws of Rosandale were changed and any will and testament must be notarised with witnesses and should be registered in a government office. Till then any piece of paper with a signature was considered valid. This change in law avoided a lot of property disputes in the court system in the future.

"You think the Duke of Trenton will be used by Ralph?" Lambert asked.

"Yes, or Ralph will be used by the Duke. Or they might work together. I don’t know." Talia sighed.

"For someone with a lot of enemies who despise you, you’re oddly very calm. It is worrying." Lambert shook his head and in his eyes, Talia saw genuine care.

"As I face death each time, I don’t know... I don’t feel as scared as before. Maybe I got immunised to death threats by getting them often or... Maybe I don’t care if I die." Talia shrugged.

She really couldn’t understand why that day she decided to protect Edward before herself. If there really were some aerosolised chemicals or microbes that day, she’d be dead since she fainted before she ran out and would have put Arthur in danger too.

Fred would comeback for me no matter what! I know that, but still I stupidly didn’t get out... Ugh!

"Don’t say that!" Lambert knocked Talia hard in the head. "You may not care, but a lot of people care about you. How can you easily say that you don’t care?"

"It hurts, Lamebird!" Talia stood up to leave rubbing her head. "I’m not planning on dying anytime soon. So don’t worry too much. Already your hairline is receding. You won’t look good with your head bald. Your head has a weird shape," Talia ran out of the room with a booming smile not mining the curses Lambert threw at her.

Good! Now he is mad and won’t disturb me and call me for practice.

Talia went to her room and made a phone call to Cyril. She wanted to have a grasp on what happens around her. With her grandpa still not willing to say what possible vengeance Ralph could hold against her, to Arthur asking her to keep calm and lay low, she felt restricted and she didn’t like the feeling.

"I knew you’d call, Talia." Cyril said as soon as the line connected.

"So, you know why I called." Talia poured herself some tea.

"Ralph didn’t get help from Cobra. In fact it seems like he sent him away refusing to accept his business." Cyril said and Talia rubbed her forehead.

So everyone knows this ’Cobra’ guy? And why does it seem like Cyril is in good terms with Cobra?

"Why did he refuse business?" she asked.

"Because he was friends with Cyrus and he believes Ralph had a hand in Cyrus’ death."

Cyril’s words made Talia’s head spin. "Not this again, Cyril. Didn’t the investigation reveal that it was just Jared Cooper? How come Ralph is involved? Ugh! Let the man rest in peace for heaven’s sake!" she was a little agitated.

"Cobra thinks so..." Cyril said and there was silence at the other end for some time.

Cyril was surprised Talia didn’t know about the journal entry of Cyrus and Ralph’s connection with Ray. He guessed Arthur didn’t tell her and so he decided not to bring that up.

"Friends? Can people in those fields have friends?" Talia asked and Cyril chuckled.

"As I thought you weren’t surprised Cyrus was friends with a shady figure..."

"Did you lie?" Talia couldn’t understand why he was laughing.

"No, but Cyrus was his friend. Plus, he has some incriminating evidences against Cobra and his ilk. In exchange for your protection, he made a deal to keep the evidences. Those are now passed on to me. Arthur is having a deal with Cobra too. You should know, as a Princess, you cannot have any kind of connections with these kinds of guys for claiming plausible deniability in case something goes wrong. So don’t contact him or even if he contacts you, don’t answer him." Cyril explained.

"Ah, so that’s why everyone wants me to stay away! I get it now." Talia only then realised the seriousness of this issue.

How did I turn stupid suddenly? And Fred made a deal too? Interesting...

"By the way, how did Cyrus befriend this guy? And what secret of his do you know?" Talia got curious.

"Cobra is actually a woman. That’s all you need to know." Cyril whispered and Talia was stunned for words.

So Cyrus and Cobra were ’that’ kind of friends? Ugh! How good was Cyrus in that aspect for women to flock to him?

But a female is disguising as a male and running an underworld crime syndicate? How cool is she! Will I be able to meet her?

"Cobra is very dangerous and ruthless. Don’t idolise him." Cyril’s warning tone made Talia come out of her reverie.

"And one more thing... Belfauger is providing funds for Ralph rather unknowingly. What do you want to do about it?"

Cyril’s question made Talia think.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.