Chapter 87 – The Why
This time Jonathan did not hesitate.
He went inside and asked the butler to inform his grandmother while he waited in the garden.
Emma Miller-Smith, his grandmother, showed up looking very much fit at the age of 84.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” She said sarcastically.
“I want to ask you something,” He replied just as coldly.
“And I am expected to answer because?” she snickered.
“I am getting a vasectomy tomorrow,” he answered calmly. He knew that was what mattered the most to her. After all, he was the proof himself.
“Don’t you dare!” As expected, she exclaimed.
“Watch me!” He threatened.
“What do you want to know?” She conceded.
“The truth or for every lie I uncover later, I will donate 10% of the Smith Group shares in my hand to charity.” He answered.
“You bastard!” She cried.
“I am not, you made sure of that.” He said mockingly. “It’s about my wife.”Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.
“What about her? She died seven years ago.” She huffed.
“Why did you force me to marry her?” He asked hiding the shock on that information all too well.
“When you were 13, Anne Petrova, came to betrothe her only daughter, her only child to you. There was no reason to refuse. Even after Anne’s father gave the Petrova factory to her husband in dowry, which he renamed as Aprice Group, the Petrovas were richer than all of us by leaps and bounds, not to mention their resources, which is unaccounted for. Furthermore, she said you had stayed with them for a week on a beach when you had run off from home.” She answered succinctly.
That clarified all his doubts. His Lil was his wife all along. He hid his jumbled emotions and continued to stay unaffected.
He frowned, “Lester told me the woman I was to marry was his illegitimate daughter.”
Emma sneered, “That slimy git probably doesn’t even know the extent of Petrova power for it never came to his hands. Besides Leon Petrova, your grandfather-in-law ensured the information about their property and resources were sealed.”
“Lester Aprice married his mistress only a few weeks after his wife died, that was shortly after you two were betrothed. Then, he replaced his biological daughter with his step-daughter thinking he could fool everyone and steal her inheritance.” She said with disdain, “Anne’s girl is royalty, by blood, demeanor, brains, everything, while the other one is a mistress’s daughter from someone else. She is not Lester’s brood, not that it accounts for much.”
Jonathan was surprised. ‘How did Liliana survive her childhood with a father like that?’
‘I am just an unloved motherless daughter.’ Her words when she was retorting to Vivian came back to him. Still, he hid his emotions in front of his grandmother.
She paused and sipped some tea before she resumed, “Moreover, Lester tried to pass off his son with his mistress as Anne’s son. He even named him Petrova. If he thinks he can steal the Petrova property that way he is dreaming. Those of us who knew Leon could tell you even ten Lester won’t be able to defeat one dead Leon.”
Jonathan was stunned at her words.