Filed To Story: Finding the Secret Daddy for My Baby Novel
Hearing Martha’s voice, Arthur immediately sensed that something was wrong. After darting a look at the bodyguard who left in a hurry, he went to the garden.
Martha’s eyes were blazing with fury as she sat on the sofa in the garden’s glass house while watching Arthur coming in. Not only that, but she had a serious expression that he had rarely seen on her face.
“Grandma.” Arthur sat down across from her while waiting for her to question him.
“Where is the family heirloom your mom gave you? Where is it now?” Martha asked straightforwardly.
Arthur instantly realized what this was about. But how did Grandma learn about the loss of the family heirloom? “Grandma, you know all about it?” Not knowing how much Martha knew about it, he had no choice but to sound her out first.
“Why did you privately give our family heirloom to a young lady without consulting us first? Not only that, but you even let her lose it carelessly!” Martha questioned angrily.
Arthur’s pupils dilated in shock. Did the bodyguard betray me and tell her about Sophia? He could only take the blame by lying first, saying, “Grandma, I’m the one who lost it, not her.”
Martha was dumbfounded. Artie’s trying to protect that girl! Why? Have I underestimated his feelings for her? This immediately put her on the alert. “Artie, let me say this first. You’ve got to recover our family heirloom and stay away from that Miss Goodwin,” she said while looking at Arthur.
Just then, Emily’s figure showed up nearby in the garden. Shifting her gaze toward her, Martha added, “In what way is Emily incomparable with that Miss Goodwin? She grew up near our place and is a better match for you than Sophia Goodwin in terms of family background.”
“Grandma, I can do whatever you say, but I can’t obey you when it comes to my choice of lover. Sorry about that,” Arthur retorted in a deep voice.
“I don’t mean to impose myself on you, but you’ve got to think about our family. And besides, is it really good for someone as naive as Miss Goodwin to live in our family?” Martha argued calmly. “Our family has a complicated background and an extensive network of influence. If you let a lady who knows nothing be the lady of the house, she’ll panic!”
“You’re overthinking it, Grandma. She and I have yet to reach that point in our relationship,” Arthur said, comforting her. “I’ve got something else to deal with, so I gotta go.”
After leaving through the door, Arthur crooked his finger at the bodyguard from earlier, who immediately came over with his head down, saying, “Young Master Weiss.”
Arthur’s good-looking face clouded over instantly. “Who allowed you to betray me?!”
“I’m sorry, Young Master Weiss, but I didn’t betray you. I saw someone when I came out of your study.”
“Who is it?”
“Miss Jennings has eavesdropped on our conversation.” The bodyguard wouldn’t take the blame in place of someone else either.
Arthur trusted his bodyguard, so he turned to walk toward the garden, where Emily was sitting by the swimming pool and chatting with a friend over the phone. Hearing the footsteps behind her, she looked back and hung up the phone before walking up to him happily. “Artie.”
“Did you tell my grandma about Sophia losing my family heirloom?” Arthur asked in a calm voice.
Emily’s face instantly turned crimson. Biting her lower lip, she said, “Sorry, Artie, but it’s such a big deal that I had to tell Grandma about it.”
Arthur’s eyes turned frosty in an instant. He warned, “There will be no next time.”
Emily’s heart clenched for an instant. Only then did she realize the gravity of the situation. “Sorry, Artie. I’m really sorry, but Sophia Goodwin is the most doggone person for losing such a valuable thing of yours! She’s got no idea how valuable the family heirloom is.”
“Don’t let me hear you vilify Sophia ever again, or get out of my home,” Arthur said before turning around to leave.
Emily held onto his arm in panic. “Forgive me, Artie! Forgive me, please, okay?”
Arthur pulled his arm out of her grasp in disgust. “Don’t touch me.”
Emily looked at his ruthless figure from behind in disbelief before a surge of resentment swept over her. What has Sophia done to cause my relationship with Artie to become like this?
Sophia gave a loud sneeze in the office. Startled, she mumbled, “Who’s swearing at me?”
Just then, her cell phone rang, and she picked it up. Seeing that it was an incoming call from an unfamiliar number, she answered it, saying, “Hello. May I ask who this is?”
“Sophia, I’m Emily Jennings. Let’s meet up!” Emily’s voice sounded.
Sophia was stunned for a moment. Then, she replied politely, “I’m sorry, Miss Jennings, but I’m working.”
“Did you lose the Weiss Family’s heirloom? Sophia Goodwin, you have no idea how important the heirloom is to Artie. It’s been passed down in their family for 200 years; it’s even more important than your life!” Emily’s furious voice sounded on the other end of the line. “Sophia, do you know that the family heirloom is mine? It’s what I’m supposed to pass down to Artie and my children! Get it back for me—now!”
Sophia was stunned by Emily’s shrill and deafening voice.
“If you can’t find it, then stay away and stop latching onto my Artie. You’re not qualified to marry him. He’s out of your league!” Emily said before hanging up.
Sophia inhaled softly. Little did she think she had lost something so valuable that belonged to Arthur. Although she didn’t mean it, she was now overwhelmed with a strong sense of self-reproach.
Just then, Grace knocked on the door and came in to bring her a cup of coffee. “Sophia, the funeral will be held tomorrow. Dress in black. We’ll see Old Madam Presgrave off for one last time with President Tillman.”
“Okay!” Sophia nodded.
Candles were lit in the Presgrave Residence’s living room, where a photo of Harriet was placed on the altar for the visitors to pay their last respects. The candlelight illuminated her smile and her benign features. The arrangements had been made so that she would be escorted to her final resting place tomorrow.
It was early morning, and the sky had just cleared for a while before becoming overcast, immediately after which it began to drizzle. Today was the day Harriet would be laid to rest. At about 9:00 AM, everyone who came to see her off on her last journey arrived at the cemetery on time.
Anastasia was wearing a black dress with a white flower on her chest. With a dignified and graceful expression, she stood next to Elliot, whereas her two assistants stood one meter behind her. Sophia and Grace were both dressed in black while standing and holding umbrellas.
The Presgraves came one after another. The first ones to arrive were Liam and Kendra, who came with their daughter Lorelai and their son Lewis. As the husband and wife spoke a few words to Elliot with profound grief, Lorelai turned her gaze to the latter with sympathy. Seems like the past few days have been tough on him, she thought.
Elliot’s expression had a hint of grief and unconcealed weariness to it.
Inwardly, Lorelai still loved him. After studying his face for quite a while, she sensed a gaze upon her, which alerted her at once. It was Anastasia, though she looked amicable without warning her too much. “Thank you for coming, Lorelai,” she said to her.
Lorelai nodded before walking toward Liam. Soon after that, another faction in the Presgrave Family arrived as well. Coming with their two sons—Jacob, their eldest son, and their ten-year-old youngest son—Nolan and his wife were followed by his supporters, who were all branch members of the family.
“Sorry for your loss, Elliot.”
“Thank you, Uncle Nolan.” Elliot nodded.
Seeing Sophia at a glance with his sharp eyes, Jacob was astounded for a few seconds; he never expected to see the woman he liked at the funeral.
Sophia saw him, too, and she gave him a look out of courtesy as their eyes met briefly.
Jacob didn’t like the funeral at first, but he suddenly found it interesting after seeing that Sophia was present. Little did he think he would meet this pretty and adorable junior again.
The next ones to arrive were Harriet’s friends, all four of whom were old and had to sit on wheelchairs and be wheeled here by their families. Elliot and Anastasia voluntarily came up to them and chatted with them.
Just then, a black SUV stopped by the side of the road nearby, upon which a man holding a black umbrella stepped out of the vehicle with a bouquet of white flowers in his arms. He looked lean and slender in the drizzling rain. Then, his umbrella was raised slightly, revealing his young and handsome features. It was Arthur.
Elliot came up to Arthur and greeted him before the two buddies gave each other a wordless hug.
Sophia seemed both surprised and unsurprised to see Arthur here.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.