Chapter 195
The once splendid office was now marred with a gaping hole in the wall. The grand golden wooden
desk worth 600 thousand dollars lay shattered on the floor.
Fabian was utterly at a loss for words. He had just managed to get the desk replaced, and now another
hole needed fixing.
He contemplated asking Oliver about it but found the latter, along with Wayne and Simon, surprisingly
content. Since the trio seemed unperturbed, he decided not to inquire further.
Oliver wasn’t short of money. The office walls were smashed, the desk wrecked, and it wasn’t like
these damages happened when Oliver was away. was obvious that he had done it all himself. Thus,
there was no need to mention it.
As Oliver was about to suggest going out for dinner, his phone rang. It was his mother. While
answering, he wondered if she had cooked and wanted him to return home.
But considering the number of people in the company, it probably wouldn’t be enough to feed them all.
“Oliver, come back quickly. Your… Your Uncle Frederick is here.” Calista’s voice came through the
phone.
Hearing Frederick’s arrival, Oliver hesitated for a moment before thinking of refusing.
“Back when Dad was ill and in the hospital, needing money to save his life, did any of these relatives,
including Uncle Frederick, offer a helping hand?” he thought.
They only appeared when they heard he had become wealthy, expecting a share of his fortune. “Now
they are showing up again? I don’t care about such relatives,” he thought.
However, before he could say anything, Calista continued urgently, “Oliver, Uncle Frederick isn’t here to
borrow money. It’s about Yancy! She’s in trouble!”
“Yancy?”
Oliver was dumbfounded and then remembered Yancy was Frederick’s daughter, a nine-year-old girl.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAlthough he detested Frederick, Yancy, his young cousin, was still
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innocent and cute. “What could have happened to her?” he wondered.
Calista’s voice became even more frantic and scared. “Oliver, Y-Yancy… Just come back quickly. I
can’t explain over the phone. Hurry back!”
“All right, I’m coming back immediately,” Oliver quickly agreed. Turning to Wayne and Simon, he
gestured for them to follow. As they left, he instructed Fabian, “Fabian, take everyone out for dinner.
Choose a good place, and the company will cover the expenses. Don’t worry about saving money.”
Without saying a word, Wayne sprinted ahead to drive the car.
Oliver didn’t talk to Simon and Wayne in the car. He was lost in his thoughts. “Could Uncle Frederick be
trying to pull off some kind of scheme to extort money again?” he thought.
While Oliver was not an easy target, his parents might not be as firm, especially Calista, who had a
strong tendency to yield to her younger brother.
Their family had gone through hard times, but even then, Calista had spent a significant amount of
money on this brother. That had made Frederick complacent and used to free handouts.
In truth, Oliver didn’t demand much from Frederick. If he lacked ability, that was fine. If he couldn’t
make money, that was fine too. Even if he enjoyed spending Calista’s money, Oliver didn’t particularly
mind. However, when Jason, Frederick’s own brother-in-law, fell seriously ill and was hospitalized,
needing money to survive, his uncle’s response was unforgivable. It wasn’t just about the amount of
money one could
provide; it was about willingness and commitment, which were qualities Frederick seemed to lack.
He held a grudge against Frederick for his hurtful behavior. So, no matter what, Oliver didn’t intend to
help him. There was no other reason except for his long-lasting resentment.
“What problem could Yancy have? This has to be one of Uncle Frederick’s tricks,” he thought.
When they got home, Wayne stopped the car in the yard. Oliver stepped out of the car and glanced at
the mansion’s entrance. Calista hurried out upon hearing the car’s arrival.
Frederick and Lillian followed her, but there was no sign of Yancy.
As soon as Calista saw Oliver, she came forward and said, “Oliver, hurry
up…
”
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“What’s the matter, Mom? Where’s Yancy?” Oliver asked, his eyes
searching the surroundings. Calista didn’t pull him inside the house but instead urged him toward the
car.
“We’re going to Uncle Frederick’s house. Get in the car.” Calista dragged Oliver to the car and then
ordered Frederick and Lillian, “Get in that car. Simon, you drive.”
His mom arranged for Simon to drive another car and pulled Oliver into the same car they came back
in, with Wayne driving.
Two cars were necessary to accommodate everyone.
Once they were out of the neighborhood, with Frederick and Lillian absent, Oliver couldn’t hold back his
curiosity any longer. “Mom, what’s really happening? Is Uncle Frederick just using this as an excuse to
ask for money?”
Calista’s face darkened, and she snorted. “Your Uncle Frederick has his issues, but today, they came
for Yancy’s matter. Don’t give me that stern face. I am not blind or stupid. I can see and understand.
We’re going today because of Yancy.”
Oliver forced a smile, nodding. “All right, Mom. If it’s about Yancy, I’ll handle it. But if Uncle Frederick is
playing some sort of game, I’ll come back immediately. I don’t want to spend a penny on him.”
His mother nodded sternly. “I understand. We’ll know once we see her.” Oliver wasn’t sure what was
going on with Yancy, but he didn’t want to press for more information right now. He suspected it might
be another act by Frederick and Lillian. Still, for now, he was going to play along. When they arrived at
Frederick’s house, Oliver was struck by a wave of nostalgia. He had often visited when he was
younger, back when his. grandparents were still alive. The place was still a village back then. His
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmgrandparents had been very kind to him.
Over the years, rapid urbanization had engulfed the once peaceful countryside where his grandparents’
home stood. Their land had been transformed into a residential area.
Despite receiving a few hundred thousand dollars from the developer, Frederick’s reckless gambling
habits had squandered the money. Every penny was poured into the bottomless pit of his addiction.
Frederick’s house had been reduced to a modest hundred-yard
apartment. Wayne and Simon parked the car in the parking space
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downstairs. The sight of a Rolls-Royce, a car worth over 2 million dollars, amazed the neighbors.
They surrounded the car, their eyes wide in awe. Questions buzzed around Frederick. “Hey, Frederick,
you hit the jackpot? This car isn’t cheap! It’s a super luxury vehicle. Is this a friend’s car or a relative’s?”
Frederick glanced at Oliver, feeling somewhat embarrassed, then nodded. “It… It belongs to my
nephew, Calista’s son.”
Seeing Oliver’s reserved expression, Frederick refrained from saying more. Maintaining face was
crucial in this situation. Hastily, he led the way.
Oliver had never visited Frederick’s new home before. In his memories, the area was once fields and
simple brick houses.
Now, they were in an elevator, with Frederick pressing the button for the 19th floor.
In the past, sharp-tongued Lillian had never been one to hold her tongue. She used to berate Calista
and Oliver without any consideration for their feelings, ready to criticize at a moment’s notice.
But Oliver was wealthy now, his riches soaring into billions of dollars. He was no longer the poor boy
they could casually bully. Moreover, Calista, his mother, had gained status through her son’s success.
In the elevator, Frederick wore a lost expression as he spoke to Oliver. “Oliver, I know I’ve messed up,
but… I truly don’t know what to do anymore. Yancy, she’s got this strange illness. We’ve been to
countless hospitals, done all the tests, and they say it’s nerve damage, but… but…”