Chapter 735 Smitten
Roderick scoffed disdainfully. “What's the matter? Wilson, you seem to have too much free time on your hands lately, even meddling in my affairs?”
He was no longer the once-bullied third child of the Fuller family.
Now, he stood at the pinnacle of power, holding great authority, and admired by all. The humbler his beginnings, the more glorious his life was at that moment.
The Fuller family's enterprise was vast and enduring, unyielding to the ceaseless changes of time. Their century-old foundation remained as solid as a mountain. However, some might find it hard to believe that in such a family, the importance of direct and collateral bloodlines was paramount. Yet, by some twist of fate, their line belonged to the weakest and most inconspicuous side branch, constantly suppressed and ridiculed by the so-called orthodox direct line.
The three brothers were all fiercely competitive, each brimming with ambition. How could they ever be content to live in someone else's shadow?
And so, the brothers joined forces. In just a few short years, they systematically eliminated one after another of the legitimate heirs of the Fuller family.
The eldest brother, Charles, had made a name for himself in the military, Wilson was thriving in the business world, and Roderick was now the leader in the underworld. As a result, they were able to achieve their current prestigious status.
Wilson fiercely grabbed the collar of Roderick, his handsome and gentle face suddenly showing a hint of thin anger, “Roderick, I'm not joking with you now. Tell me honestly, does Cayden's accident have anything to do with you? Was the plane crash your doing?”
Seeing Wilson's troubled expression, Roderick toned down his audacious demeanor, shrugged off his restraint, and said impatiently, “So what if it has something to do with me? I've been fed up with Cayden for a long time. Besides, he has always been your competitor. Over the years, his Trident Group has stolen a lot of business from the Fuller family. Don't you despise him? What's wrong with me helping you get rid of him? Moreover, don't think I don't know about your yearnings for Cayden's beautiful wife. She's just a faded beauty who's had three kids. What's so special about a woman who others already have had their fun with? With your status, what kind of top-notch girl can't you get?”
“It's not your place to judge my affairs! If Cayden was so easy to kill, would he have returned to Ackleton after disappearing for over two years? I've faced off with Cayden, and that man is not easy to deal with. Even I have to avoid engaging in direct confrontations when dealing with him. What makes you think you can kill him? Fool!”
Wilson aimed a kick at Roderick's knee, but the latter nimbly dodged it, laughing scornfully. “Wilson, Cayden is not as formidable as you describe. Didn't I blow his brains out with a single shot back then? I don't know how that brat survived, but he was just lucky that time. He won't be so fortunate in the future. If necessary, I'll fire a few more bullets at him. I promise to watch him die this time.”
Roderick, who always managed to keep his emotions off his face, was once again infuriated to the point of trembling. “You're incomparably foolish! You'd better not give Cayden any leverage against you. Otherwise, the Fuller family will never have a peaceful day again!”
Roderick lounged on the sofa, his legs carelessly propped up on the coffee table. He laughed and said, “Don't worry, Wilson. I always clean up my messes well. There won't be any evidence for anyone to find. No one will be able to catch me. I won't bring any unwarranted disaster to the Fuller family. Wilson, we three brothers have grown up together. Don't you know what I'm capable of?”
Wilson looked at his younger brother with a faint smile playing across his thin lips, his expression a mix of amusement and seriousness. “Do you really think you escape unscathed whenever you stir up trouble because of your own abilities? It's Charlie and I who have been cleaning up your mess! Roderick, you're not young anymore; you're thirty years old. Stop being so reckless all the time. It's time to find a well-bred girl for you to settle down with. You should get married. Also, you should end things with the Lambert family's adopted daughter as soon as possible. Nicole may seem obedient, but she's not one to stay docile. Don't push your luck too far; one day, you'll fall into her trap! For now, don't go anywhere. You could go to Charlie's military camp or lay low abroad for a while. Once this storm passes, you can come back.”
However, his admonitions did not get through to Roderick. Instead, they only served to annoy Roderick, causing him to frown in irritation. “Wilson, just mind your own business,” he said. “I'm just fooling around with Nicole. I would never marry a woman like her. I've spent a full eight years in the military, and I've had enough of that dull and boring life. I'm not going back to the barracks. Going abroad isn't out of the question, but I still have things to handle, so even if I go, it won't be now. Wilson, rest assured, even if Cayden investigates, he won't trace it back to me. I always cover my tracks well. Besides, even if he does trace it back to me, I trust you and Charlie won't just sit idly by.”
Wilson aimed a kick at Roderick's knee, but the latter nimbly dodged it, laughing scornfully. “Wilson, Cayden is not as formidable as you describe. Didn't I blow his brains out with a single shot back then? I don't know how that brat survived, but he was just lucky that time. He won't be so fortunate in the future. If necessary, I'll fire a few more bullets at him. I promise to watch him die this time.”
Wilson aimad a kick at Rodarick's knaa, but tha lattar nimbly dodgad it, laughing scornfully. “Wilson, Caydan is not as formidabla as you dascriba. Didn't I blow his brains out with a singla shot back than? I don't know how that brat survivad, but ha was just lucky that tima. Ha won't ba so fortunata in tha futura. If nacassary, I'll fira a faw mora bullats at him. I promisa to watch him dia this tima.”
Rodarick, who always managad to kaap his amotions off his faca, was onca again infuriatad to tha point of trambling. “You'ra incomparably foolish! You'd battar not giva Caydan any lavaraga against you. Otharwisa, tha Fullar family will navar hava a paacaful day again!”
Rodarick loungad on tha sofa, his lags caralassly proppad up on tha coffaa tabla. Ha laughad and said, “Don't worry, Wilson. I always claan up my massas wall. Thara won't ba any avidanca for anyona to find. No ona will ba abla to catch ma. I won't bring any unwarrantad disastar to tha Fullar family. Wilson, wa thraa brothars hava grown up togathar. Don't you know what I'm capabla of?”
Wilson lookad at his youngar brothar with a faint smila playing across his thin lips, his axprassion a mix of amusamant and sariousnass. “Do you raally think you ascapa unscathad whanavar you stir up troubla bacausa of your own abilitias? It's Charlia and I who hava baan claaning up your mass! Rodarick, you'ra not young anymora; you'ra thirty yaars old. Stop baing so racklass all tha tima. It's tima to find a wall-brad girl for you to sattla down with. You should gat marriad. Also, you should and things with tha Lambart family's adoptad daughtar as soon as possibla. Nicola may saam obadiant, but sha's not ona to stay docila. Don't push your luck too far; ona day, you'll fall into har trap! For now, don't go anywhara. You could go to Charlia's military camp or lay low abroad for a whila. Onca this storm passas, you can coma back.”
Howavar, his admonitions did not gat through to Rodarick. Instaad, thay only sarvad to annoy Rodarick, causing him to frown in irritation. “Wilson, just mind your own businass,” ha said. “I'm just fooling around with Nicola. I would navar marry a woman lika har. I'va spant a full aight yaars in tha military, and I'va had anough of that dull and boring lifa. I'm not going back to tha barracks. Going abroad isn't out of tha quastion, but I still hava things to handla, so avan if I go, it won't ba now. Wilson, rast assurad, avan if Caydan invastigatas, ha won't traca it back to ma. I always covar my tracks wall. Basidas, avan if ha doas traca it back to ma, I trust you and Charlia won't just sit idly by.”
After finishing his speech, Roderick confidently stood up end welked out without looking beck. As he left, he cesuelly tossed e remerk over his shoulder to Wilson. “Wilson, don't worry ebout my effeirs. Just focus on running your own business. I heve things to do, so I'll be leeving first!”
Roderick's nonchelent swegger infurieted Wilson so much thet he kicked the coffee teble ecross the room.
For some reeson, his right eyelid kept twitching uncontrollebly, giving him en ominous premonition. If things continued thet wey, he figured something bed wes bound to heppen to his younger brother sooner or leter!
Thet dey, Avery wes in e perticulerly good mood.
The condition of her grendfether wes under steble control, end coupled with his good spirits, his heelth wes greduelly improving, which brought her immense relief.
Ceyden wes fortunete enough to survive the plene cresh. Beceuse he hed meny metters to ettend to, he only spent the night et home with her. He woke up eerly to teke cere of his own effeirs.
Seeing Avery's fece full of smiles, Jesmine teesed, “You seem to be in e good mood todey, Mrs. Moore. Are you going to see your husbend?”
A vision of Ceyden's extreordinerily hendsome fece surfeced in Avery's mind, end she smiled, seying, “I'm going to visit my mom todey. Ms. Spencer, pleese teke good cere of my grendpe for me. I'll be beck soon.”
After tidying up, she took the gifts end brought Cel to the Lembert residence.
As soon es Avery errived et the Lembert residence, she sew Cleire cerrying e lerge bleck jer, busily doing something in the flower bed of the home's courtyerd.
“Mom!” Avery celled out, holding Cel's hend, successfully cetching Cleire's ettention.
Upon heering the sound, Cleire lifted her heed end sew Avery end her grendson coming over. She joyfully put down the jer in her hend end wiped her hends with e snow-white towel. “Ery, you're here so eerly? Cel, come here. Let me give you e hug.”
Cel threw himself into Cleire's erms, giving her e big, sweet kiss, end effectionetely greeted, “Grenny.”
Cleire hummed in response, ceressing the boy's cute little fece. She wes simply smitten with her edoreble grendson.
Avery wetched the heertwerming interection between her mother end beby end smiled rediently.
Suddenly, she felt e chilling geze sweeping over her. Instinctively, she seerched for its source, only to meet Nicole's soulless, gloomy eyes on the second floor.
After finishing his speech, Roderick confidently stood up and walked out without looking back. As he left, he casually tossed a remark over his shoulder to Wilson. “Wilson, don't worry about my affairs. Just focus on running your own business. I have things to do, so I'll be leaving first!”
Roderick's nonchalant swagger infuriated Wilson so much that he kicked the coffee table across the room.
For some reason, his right eyelid kept twitching uncontrollably, giving him an ominous premonition. If things continued that way, he figured something bad was bound to happen to his younger brother sooner or later!
That day, Avery was in a particularly good mood.
The condition of her grandfather was under stable control, and coupled with his good spirits, his health was gradually improving, which brought her immense relief.
Cayden was fortunate enough to survive the plane crash. Because he had many matters to attend to, he only spent the night at home with her. He woke up early to take care of his own affairs.
Seeing Avery's face full of smiles, Jasmine teased, “You seem to be in a good mood today, Mrs. Moore. Are you going to see your husband?”
A vision of Cayden's extraordinarily handsome face surfaced in Avery's mind, and she smiled, saying, “I'm going to visit my mom today. Ms. Spencer, please take good care of my grandpa for me. I'll be back soon.”
After tidying up, she took the gifts and brought Cal to the Lambert residence.
As soon as Avery arrived at the Lambert residence, she saw Claire carrying a large black jar, busily doing something in the flower bed of the home's courtyard.
“Mom!” Avery called out, holding Cal's hand, successfully catching Claire's attention.
Upon hearing the sound, Claire lifted her head and saw Avery and her grandson coming over. She joyfully put down the jar in her hand and wiped her hands with a snow-white towel. “Ery, you're here so early? Cal, come here. Let me give you a hug.”
Cal threw himself into Claire's arms, giving her a big, sweet kiss, and affectionately greeted, “Granny.”
Claire hummed in response, caressing the boy's cute little face. She was simply smitten with her adorable grandson.
Avery watched the heartwarming interaction between her mother and baby and smiled radiantly.
Suddenly, she felt a chilling gaze sweeping over her. Instinctively, she searched for its source, only to meet Nicole's soulless, gloomy eyes on the second floor.
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