NOVEL NEXT Chapter 546: Mysterious plans
Lara heard a knock, and then Nate walked in. They were still getting used to one another and would announce their presence when entering their bedroom or the bathroom.
She didn't know whether they would stop doing it with time, but it felt weird to witness Nate knocking at his own bedroom door.
«Hey,» she said, «there are a few things we shall discuss. Right?»
«Sure,» Nate said. «I understand it's related to your parents... I doubted they were behind the leak of information because it wouldn't make sense, but I thought they were somehow related to it. What of it is true?»
«Nothing,» Lara sighed. «Or, better said, they're not exactly involved but they were there when the mishap happened. My uncle sent one of his friends to investigate about my family business because of his revenge. Things got out of control and another reporter who had been involved found my roommate from the time. He chatted with her and followed the clues until he was sure about it.
Then, the picture of Jaden and me was published and he connected the dots.»
«It doesn't sound like it was planned?» Nate said, narrowing his eyes. He closed the door behind his back and walked to the bed to sit next to Lara. Could it be possible? Was it all just an incident?
Not that it changed anything, for him. Unfortunately, the Clayton couple was going to be a problem until the end of time if he didn't put a stop to their greed. It had nothing to do with what Lara did... It was just part of their personality.
«I talked with my uncle, and he said he had never wanted to hurt the children. He said it escaped his control and he found out just like we did, from the press.»
Nate sighed. «Do you believe him?»
«He's telling the truth,» Lara said. «He truly loves them... I remember my uncle from my first years of life. He was the best uncle in the world, to me.»
«It was before he was locked in jail because of your family, Lara. He's not the same person anymore.»
«I know, but he hasn't changed so much. In the end, he's the same just that he's disappointed with his family. But he still loves children and is ruthless to his opponents.»
«Oh, so you know he's ruthless.»
«He was even when I was little. It wasn't so clear to a toddler, but I knew some people thought my dear uncle was cruel. Can you imagine it?»
«I can,» Nate said. Luther wasn't easy to read, and his priorities were well-hidden. It made him even more dangerous.
«There's also something else,» Lara said. «My mother called me.»
«How did she find your number?»
«I don't know,» Lara sighed.
Nate shook his head, confused. How could that woman find Lara's contacts? She had changed her number especially to avoid Grace!
«Tell me one thing,» Nate said, «whose number did you give at the university?»
His eyes were on the forms Lara was filling, opened in the browser of his laptop. He would have offered to buy her a computer, but he knew she would feel uncomfortable. Also, it made him happy that she used his things, and that computer would have become more hers than his with time.
«Mine,» Lara chuckled. «How could I give them yours? And... Why?»
«Have you given it to anyone else?»
«My new friends?» she said. «But they know my mother and I don't communicate anymore. Oh, maybe one of them thought they were doing a good deed, reconnecting us.»
«I don't think so. They would be fools to give your personal information to random people. It's more probable that the university gave your number to Grace because they thought it was all right. Since she's your mother.»
«But... Every magazine wrote about our relationship.»
«Listen, Lara... Would you resist helping a mother who wants to reconnect with her child? Would you?»
«I... I wouldn't if she's truly sorry and wants to reconcile.»
«And how are you going to discern if she's truly sorry or just pretending? Let's suppose she's crying on the phone...»
«Okay, okay!» she exclaimed. «I would have done it as well!» Even though, she wasn't sure about it. She wouldn't have given the number but found another way to help... Especially because she knew how parents could pretend to be sorry.
In private, Grace would call to scold her even when Lara had done nothing as if she had the right to say anything. In public, however, Grace would continue acting as if she was sorry or sad for Lara's absence.
«Well, whatever,» Lara sighed. «What I wanted to tell you is what she said. She asked me to convince you not to continue causing trouble for them.»
«Yeah?» Nate said, holding Lara's hand. «And? Are you going to convince me?» Continue reading at empire
«No. But I'd like to hear what you're doing. I'm curious, and I didn't notice anything.»
«I'm not hiding it... Just, I found no reason to inform you in advance. Maybe I should have done it, but you were so sensitive and they hurt you. I realised they would stay in our way forever if I didn't do something. Just like Polenta: we need to get rid of them if we want to live peacefully, no matter what Grace tells the press.»
«I think... I think you're right about it: they won't leave us alone. Still, I'm not sure whether I want to witness their failure. I don't know, Nate. I don't really care, to be honest.»
«It's better if you don't. I'll just get rid of them in your stead. We'll live our lives happily once they're incapable of hurting us.»
«Okay,» she said. «But how are you going to do it? What will you do once you have bought their adversaries? Strike back with lower prices? Are you going to dump them out of the market?»
«Adversaries?»
«Yes? Grace said you're buying their competition,» Lara said.
«That... I'm not,» Nate said. «I'm not doing that.»
«No? Then, what...Oh, wait, who's is buying them if not you?»
And, most of all, what was Nate doing at all?