Henry hung up the call with Michael after getting the assurance he needed.
’Thank God nothing happened to my mother and Kate. Everything I do will be entirely aningless if they are hurt or... dead,’ Henry thought.
Henry scrolled through his phone and realized he still blocked Kate’s number.
His thumb hovered above the ’unblock’ button on the screen, but he decided not to. He knew that Kate must’ve been sending him so many texts and missed calls it would only lower his resolution and make him want to go back and hug him.
’I have to harden my heart. This is for her, for our baby, and our future,’ Henry thought.
He was waiting until his cousin was done with a morning eting. He was currently in the Secretary’s office.
After an hour of waiting, the secretary walked in. She was a black woman with looks and a figure that belonged on the runway. It was fairly obvious this secretary was a forr model.
Henry saw the ID tag on her chest;
Diamond Johnson.
Diamond stood before Henry and bowed politely, "Sir, Mr. Phoenix Gray has just finished his eting. He told to escort you to his office. Please follow ."
"Hm."
Henry got up and followed the tall secretary to his cousin’s office and opened the door for him.
"Mr. Phoenix Gray has been waiting for you, Sir."
"Thank you."
Henry walked in and saw his cousin, Vernon Phoenix Gray, the powerful CEO of the Golden Star Company who had acquired the Gray company, sitting on the sofa with a table full of homade food in front of him.
Vernon smiled at Henry as he entered the CEO’s office and said, "It’s been a while, Henry."
"Yeah, it’s been a while... Vernon," Henry said while staring at the food on the table.
"Hey, hey, don’t look at the food. This is my wife’s lunch for . I just can’t help it. It’s been a while since my wife cooked. She’s in her late stage of pregnancy right now."
Henry knew the wife that Vernon referred to.
Her na was Chloe Phoenix Gray, and she looked very warm and soft, the complete opposite of Kate, who was domineering and sowhat cold to others.
Henry attended their wedding in the sumr but had no ti to talk with either Vernon or Chloe. He texted Vernon that he was leaving right after the wedding ceremony because he still had a eting.
"I’ve told Diamond to buy you lunch. So wait for a mont, okay? Now, let’s just sit with for now."
Henry nodded.
He sat facing Vernon, who was busy eating all by himself.
Henry observed his cousin.
Vernon was the only cousin he and Jas genuinely befriended outside any big family gathering.
He was the son of Aunt Dorothea, Marlon’s sister.
Vernon and Henry were similar in age, with Henry being two years younger. They also had similar personalities. But what differentiated them the most was how their parents brought them up.
Vernon was abused nonstop by Uncle Vaughn and Aunt Dorothea. While that bastard Vincent Gray was coddled by his parents, Vernon had to suffer ntal and physical abuse from his parents.
So it wasn’t surprising when Vernon decided to leave the family at the young age of fifteen to go to Europe to continue his studies.
anwhile, Henry had been spoiled by Dahlia and Jas since he was young. He had a good childhood despite being a little devil. So, he didn’t have the independence that Vernon had.
After Jas’ sudden passing and Dahlia’s imprisonnt in the ntal hospital, Henry felt that his world had crumbled in front of him, making him vulnerable and lost for a while until he t with Kate and thus found his new guiding light.
Now, at the age of twenty-six, Vernon already had everything. He had a business empire that was much bigger than his late father’s, and he also had a beautiful wife, a daughter, and currently expecting another one.
Vernon had everything now. anwhile, Henry had lost everything.
He lost his real family and his stability, and now he was at risk of losing his woman and baby.
Henry wouldn’t lie that he was slightly envious of Vernon’s achievent. But he knew that everyone started at a different pace in life, and they were living a completely different life anyway.
Henry watched as Vernon ate everything at the table and burped. He drank banana milk as dessert and leaned on the sofa.
"Ah, that’s a good lunch," Vernon said. "Tsk, where is Diamond? I’m telling her to buy you lunch, and she’s not here yet."
"It’s okay, Vernon. I’m not that hungry anyway," Henry replied.
"Huh? Do you think I don’t know how much of a glutton you are?" Vernon frowned.
"I’m not hungry because there’s a more pressing matter right now," Henry said as he went straight to the point. "That’s why I’m here. I need your help."
Vernon’s smile faltered, "I think you need to tell about what truly happened, Henry, especially about Jas’ murder and the circumstances behind it."
Henry took a deep breath and told the truth in front of Vernon, including Marlon and Penny’s involvent in the murder, with Dahlia thrown into the ntal hospital for a ridiculous reason to silence her, and about Kate.
"This is about Katherine..." Henry said. His lips thinned, and his gaze deepened as he thought about his woman again. "Jas was in love with her, and before his death, he announced to everyone in the family that he would never marry unless the bride were Kate. That announcent was the mont when his fate had been sealed," Henry said. "You know how crazy my dad could be. He killed his son because he didn’t want the family reputation tainted."
"Marlon and Penny blad Kate for Jas’ death, saying that Kate had seduced Jas until he forgot his roots," Henry lowered his head, clenching his fist as he felt so guilty.
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