Masked In Nobility: Secrets Of Mrs. Chavez novel Chapter 84

Chapter 84
Zachary, Nellie, and Rebecca all turned to look toward the roadside.
Beside a vintage car stood an elderly man leaning on a walking cane, dressed in a dark suit with intricate embroidery. His gemstone thumb ring was particularly striking. His thin face was wrinkled, and only a few black strands remained in his almost completely white hair. His gray-white eyebrows hovered over eyes that shone with authority, so commanding that no one dared meet his gaze.
Zachary, Nellie, and Rebecca felt their hearts skip a beat at the same time. They thought, ‘Why is the old man here?’
The person coming was Jaiden Lewis, the head of the four major families.
A young reporter at the scene was clueless and tactless, still trying to ask for more photos. A senior reporter immediately snapped at him, telling him to be quiet. The young reportér felt aggrieved but did not dare to say anything.
Zachary was the first to step forward and shake Jaiden’s hand, greeting him, “Mr. Lewis, what brings you here today? This Art Festival is truly honored by your presence!”
Nellie, following Zachary, bowed slightly and greeted Jaiden politely, “Hello, Mr. Lewis.”
Rebecca, realizing she was a step behind, quickly followed the other two with a broad smile and greeted, “Mr. Jaiden Lewis, I’ve wanted to visit you for a long time. Mr. Lionel Lewis told me that you were resting at the old manor, so I didn’t want to disturb you. I never expected to see you here today. How is your health?”
When Zachary noticed Rebecca’s eagerness to ask about Jaiden’s health, he scoffed inwardly, ‘She’s too young and impatient. Everyone knows about Jaiden’s health. In the past few years, he’s been in and out of the hospital seven or eight times for various illnesses. Can he really be healthy? Isn’t it just asking for trouble to ask that now? How could I not realize how clueless Rebecca was before? I’ve overestimated her!
With a walking cane in his hand, Jaiden fiddled with the thumb ring, his eyes filled with depth. He looked at Rebecca before saying, “This body of mine won’t have many years left. I thought I’d make the most of my good days by spending time with my unruly grandson.” Jaiden coughed several times as he spoke, and someone beside him quickly handed him a handkerchief.
Zachary said with concern, “Mr. Lewis, it’s windy outside. Let’s go inside.” Jaiden’s eyes shone with approval at those words. Rebecca felt frustrated, thinking, ‘Zachary got ahead of me again. She still did not realize that it was not just about being ahead. From the beginning, everything she said was always wrong, causing Jaiden’s constant disapproval.
Lionel had originally planned for Ryan and Rebecca to get engaged, but Jaiden’s opposition ruined the plan and ended it before it even began.
After everyone went inside, the young reporter, Mason, was frustrated. He asked George, the senior reporter, “Why didn’t you let me take more pictures?” Since Mason stood at a distance, he did not hear much of the conversation, and he assumed Jaiden was just an ordinary old man.
George pulled him aside, lit a cigarette, and said, “Are you out of your mind? Do you know who he is? That’s Jaiden Lewis, the former head of the Lewis family in Seacrity. He was a big shot long before you were born!”
Mason, feeling arrogant after covering some hot news, muttered, “So what? I’m just taking some pictures. What’s he going to
do about it?”
George let out a puff of smoke and sighed. “You’re still young and don’t know how Jaiden acted back then in Seacrity. All four major families have shady backgrounds. If this were happened in the past, you would probably be thrown into the sea to be fed to the fish,” he said.
George recalled some events from his past. Back then, he had been in his twenties, just starting out in the media industry.
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Chapter 84
always thinking about how to catch explosive news and make a name for himself. There had been a time when an informant had given him a tip about some big news involving Jaiden. Just like Mason, his strong desire for success had pushed him to follow the lead, even though he had known the risks of dealing with Jaiden.
He had finally uncovered some big news, but it had not been about Jaiden. Instead, it had been about a rival company related to him. The company’s factory had severely polluted wastewater, posing a significant environmental threat. He had dedicated an entire page to reporting on the issue, so he had stood out among many other reporters. Later, however, he had stumbled upon something that seemed wrong and had decided to investigate further. Eventually, he had found out that the factory had not been at fault-it had all been a trap set by Jaiden.
Just as he had been about to make the matter public, he had received a package. Inside the package had been photos of his wife and son, 330 thousand dollars in cash, and a “thank you” note that Jaiden had signed. George had been aware that he had already exposed himself, causing him immense pain and conflict inside. In the end, however, he had suppressed his conscience and destroyed the evidence. Later, George had heard that the company’s chairman had gone bankrupt overnight and lost his family. The chairman had been unable to cope with the shock, so he had decided to end his life by jumping off a building.
That incident had become a lifelong nightmare for George, as his conscience had been constantly tormented by guilt. He had realized that he had been used from the beginning. It had all been Jaiden’s plot.
When he looked at Mason, he was reminded of himself back then.
Apart from Arthur Chambers, the former head of the Chambers family, who had passed away from illness, the other three who were still alive were all ruthless individuals. The tactics of those upper-class people were beyond what ordinary folks could imagine.
Meanwhile, the auditorium seats were almost full, with only the two front rows of VIP seats remaining empty. Students of Argrol University knew those seats were reserved for important figures invited to the Art Festival.
On the first day of the arts festival, after the opening ceremony performance, the piano competition immediately followed. Argrol University valued efficiency, so the four competitions had no unnecessary segments. Each event had a main judge.
The contestants took turns performing, and the judges scored them. The highest score determined the champion of each event. Of course, anyone with an objection could voice it under the principles of fairness and transparency. However, it had never happened in recent years, as the judges for each event were authorities in their fields with absolute credibility.
The current Art Festival had just announced the list of judges for the four competitions on the public notice board outside. They were the young pianist Zion Holmes, who judged the piano competition; Alexander Reed, Vice President of the Seacrity Chess Association, who judged the chess competition; Simon Sunderland, President of Argrol University, who judged the calligraphy competition; and Vincent Marsh, Vice President of the Seacrity Painting Association, who judged the oil painting competition.
The significance of those four individuals was undeniable, making the current Art Festival lineup the most prestigious in recent years.
Meanwhile, Ruby stood at the auditorium entrance in her white dress, beaming with confidence. She was certainly not there- to greet the ordinary students attending the event but rather to greet important figures like the Lewis family, Simon, and Zion.
The group was led by Jaiden, followed by Zachary, Nellie, and Rebecca, who were among the first to arrive. The Smith family did not send anyone then, so Nellie represented them.
“Kuby composed herself and stepped forward. “”Hello, I’m Ruby Scott, the organizer of this Art Festival and student council president from the finance department. Please follow me,” she said.”
The group, all prominent figures, nodded in response.
Ruby led the way, introducing herself as they walked, and the group politely complimented her efforts. She was secretly pleased, thinking they were praising her excellent planning. Little did she know, they were just being polite. Those people had seen everything. A hall and stage design like that did not even catch their attention.
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