Faux Vows, True Desires novel Chapter 356

"Boss, the son-in-law is too sharp. Janice saw through the game." Kent sighed in resignation, "Even when I told the young master that you coughed up blood again, they didn't fall for it."

The fact that Nathan had coughed up blood in the car was true.

But the second time was a lie concocted by Kent.

In Keith's words, the components of that drug were all pretty much the same.

And to quote Stefan, the effects of the drug weren't hard to counter.

Nathan had seen through the ploy early on, and the effect of the poison was only slightly more potent than usual, hence the coughing of blood. But it was not incurable.

He was merely trying to use this opportunity to persuade Janice through their children.

Unfortunately, his plan had failed.

His son had fallen for it. But his wife was not fooled.

And his son-in-law was too astute.

Nathan was somewhat gloomy.

He had always been the wiliest of the bunch, but now there was a sharp son-in-law in the picture.

Even though he was a part of the family, Nathan was somewhat resentful. The reason was simple: the son-in-law saw through his plan and did not assist him in coaxing Janice.

Nathan sighed, "Janice despises me to the core. Naturally, she wouldn't lift a finger to help me in such a situation. As for Stefan, he listens to his wife. I can't say anything about that. His wife is my precious daughter that I've just found."

Kent was at a loss for words.

After a while, Kent suggested, "Boss, the young master has matured a lot. He's started to understand certain things. Why don't you tell him about your predicament? It could at least unite you two."

Nathan smiled bitterly, "Some actions, once done, can't be undone. No matter my reasons, they won't forgive me."

He had not initially intended to act as he had. But he soon realized that the more he cared for his wife and children, the more anxious those around him were to harm them.

They thought that if they could get rid of the people they cared about the most, he would break down, and they would achieve their goal.

He had to change his protective strategy, moving his protectors from the open to the shadows.

He began to neglect his wife, to be harsh with his son, to shout and scold him often as if he wouldn't care for Keith if he had another son.

His adversaries thought they could get what they wanted without resorting to violence, hoping he would abandon Janice and that Keith would become useless.

His neglect of his wife and his indifference to his son lowered their profiles, and the instances of them being in danger steadily decreased.

He used his heartless demeanor to hide his protection, saying that the only reason he hadn't divorced was because Janice's family was almost gone. He had to wait until Hayes grew up and could care for his aunt before they could talk about divorce.

Back then, he was young, and his power was at its zenith.

The hidden enemy didn't dare to confront him directly. He could only test and wait, hoping that Keith would grow up, that Lucinda would be found, and that Janice would wake up.

Unfortunately, because it had taken so long, Nathan's original good intentions were now met with resentment from his wife and children.

"She might not forgive you so easily, but Keith and Lucy are your own flesh and blood. Blood is thicker than water. If they understand your situation, they'll understand."