TFA2 25.4 – Claire and Bob
Apartment 2304, Royal Crown Tower
For the whole week, Vex worked from his old working space and everything went smoothly. All shipments to Amstell Continent met no challenge, while the effort to put Major General Randy back into his office required only one little final touch. In a few days, Bob would also return to the State and assisted him like last time.
As for today, Vex held a second meeting with Claire. Actually, he wanted to meet with Claire four days ago, but her tight schedule didn’t allow it. Even now, Claire was still in her business suit after returning from overseas trip.
“I’m sorry to ask you for a meeting this late, but I have to leave tomorrow.”
“No problem.” Claire took a sip of her warm chocolate before continuing, “Let’s start it.”
“First,” Vex calmly said, “Do you have question or input for TF Amethyst’s upgrade?”
“No, I believe on your judgment.”
“Okay.” Vex took a deep breath and then continued, “Can you help me with some personal matter?”
“It’s depends on the personal matter you want me to help you with.”
As he handed over a document to Claire, Vex said, “This is my dead certificate and half of my wealth. Please make an arrangement to deliver it to my ex-wife.”
In an instant Claire dropped her jaw. “Vex, seriously?”
“Seriously,” Vex firmly replied. “If I don’t fake my dead, my ex-wife will not accept the wealth I prepare for Nicole.”
“When you are truly dead, I’m sure your wife will accept everything you left behind for your daughter. As for now, when you are still living and kicking, why do you eliminate your chance to meet with them?”
“Before I came here, I took my time to visit them in Baltimore, covertly of course.” Vex heaving a deep sigh before continuing, “They are very happy even without me. It will not a big deal if I completely disappear from their life.
Meanwhile, in Amstell I knew some kids who maybe will need my attention. I also plan to carry my remaining wealth to Amstell.”
“Do you adopt the kids in Amstell?”
“Maybe, in the future.”
Claire looked at Vex for a while before saying, “Even if you start a new family in Amstell, I don’t think you need to cut contact with your ex and your only daughter.
However, it’s your life and your call, so I will try my best to help you.”
“Thank you,” Vex said sincerely.
“No problem. Uncle O’Neil treats you like a family, so for me you are like my older brother.”
Vex actually felt it’s weird that Clare thought of him as her older siblings, but he didn’t say it and stayed in the main subject. “How deep is your trust on Bob?”
“No offense, but I trust Bob more than I trust you.”
“Good.” Vex smiled before continuing, “In that case, I will introduce Bob to General Randy, and he will take my place as your contact to him.”
Claire nodded. “No one knows that Bob is working for me, and he very good at keep it that way, so that’s a feasible idea.”
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“I see.”
“Well, if we have no other matter to discuss, I will return to my apartment. I need a long and nice sleep.”
“Okay.”
Vex then walked Claire to the door before going to his bed. Tomorrow, he had a trip to Montana so he also needed a good night rest.
---
In west of Montana, stretched a 1250 hectares landscape consisting of hills, valley, woodland, river, and grassland. In this place, people could easily found abundant amount of trout, mallard, peasant, pigeon, rabbit, deer, and other wild games. This natural beauty was called Mount Fairy Farms.
In addition to good spot for hunting, fishing, camping, and horse riding in hilly trail, Mount Fairy Farms was also famous for organic fruits, high quality beef, milk, cheese, and special-breed horses.
From passenger seat of a Black Cherokee Jeep, Bob observed hundreds of Black Angus Cows and special-breed horses that were grazing freely. Twenty full minutes since the Black Cherokee entered Mount Fairy Farms, and he was still in the middle of vast meadow with row of wooden fence in each side of the road.
“This place is huge,” Bob said in amazement.
As he calmly drove the Black Cherokee Vex replied, “It is.”
Bob then turned his gaze to Vex and asked, “Does General Randy own all this land?”
“No, it’s her wife land.”
“I see.” Bob nodded before asking again, “Mr. Vex, may I know why you choose to put General Randy back into his office?”
Vex calmly replied, “When I was in Delta, I took two bullets for him in an escort mission. I hope it will prevent him from betray us for mere profit. Secondly, I want General Randy owe you a big favor.”
“I see.”
After a moment of silence Vex decided to confirm his curiosity. “Bob, how did you meet with our Young Miss?”
“Ummm… My Grandfather was gardener in Webber Mansion. I started living with him when I was nine, right after my father died in a traffic accident and my mother ran away with another man.”
“So, you two are childhood friend.”
“Sort of.” Bob slightly nodded, and then he started telling Vex about his childhood memory with Claire.
Little Claire didn’t go to public school or private school because she had a hard time to socialize with other children. Private teachers would come to Webber Mansion to teach her, but most of the time her Grandfather would teach her personally.
One day, Little Bob saw Little Claire sat in a bench on the side yard. It was the bench where her mother used to sat while enjoying morning sun, before she passed away because of her illness. Seeing Little Claire was silently trying to hold her sob, Little Bob didn’t have heart to just watch and do nothing.
Little Bob then took Little Claire to play at the small garden in the backyard. At first, Little Claire just curiously followed Little Bob. Then, before she was realizing it, she had already following Little Bob chasing butterfly all over the place.
When Little Bob fell she would laughing breathlessly and then helped him to get up to his feet. When she fell, she was also laughing breathlessly while Little Bob helping her to get up to her feet. Three months since he lived in Webber Mansion, and it was the first time Little Bob saw Little Claire had a big happy smile in her face.
The two then played together until almost sunset. And the maids in the mansion could only freaking out when they saw dirt on Claire’s clothes, along with bruises on her knee and elbow.
However, Claire’s Grandfather was not angry or reprimanded the two newborn little rascals. As he cleaned and sterilized bruises on both Little Claire and Little Bob, he proposed a deal that Little Claire could play with Little Bob from 14:30-16:30 every day, as long as she got good score for her study. Without second thought Claire sealed the deal.
Claire’s Grandfather then bought track suits and sneakers for the two little rascals, to be wore when they played in the garden. A week later, Claire’s Grandfather invited Bob to join the study session with Claire.
“My IQ is only 110, not even half of what Miss Claire has. It was very hard to keep up with her.” Bob shyly said, and then a smile bloomed in his lips. “However, Little Miss, her Grandfather, and Young Master O’Neill never gave up on me, and they always treat me as their own.”
‘No wonder she has a deep trust on you. You have already became her backbone since both of you were a little rascals,’ Vex muttered before asking, “Where was Claire’s Father at that time?”
A cold gleam suddenly flashed on Bob’s eyes. “Robert Webber married one of his mistresses not long after Claire’s mother passed away. He then left the mansion and only returned every Christmas with his second wife and their children.”
“Did Robert Webber inherit the wealth of Webber Family?”
“No, Miss Claire’s Grandfather made 85% of his corporation went bankrupt, and then Miss Claire bought it cheaply using various fake identities. As for the remaining corporations, he split it evenly for Miss Claire, General O’Neil, and Robert Webber.”
“I see.”
Vex nodded as the Black Cherokee Jeep entered front yard of an old mansion right in the middle of Mount Fairy Farms.
*****
