Despite facing very disturbed Andrian and Vernon, Calix explained nothing further. He didn’t want to bring up his encounter with Nicholas Wu in the hallway where other ears might hear him.
"Dad’s office," Calix gestured in the direction with a slight tilt of his chin, his voice lowered, "I’ll tell you two everything there."
Andrian and Vernon exchanged a grim look. Nodding, they resud their walking, followed by Calix. The occasionally passing maids noticed the lack of hearty mood between the father and sons.
The sa questions lingered in Andrian and Vernon’s minds. They couldn’t believe it when Calix said he had found Nicholas Wu.
Who? How? When?
Yet, Andrian and Vernon suppressed their curiosity. They had to be careful about leaking any information regarding Nicholas. The ladies in their family knew nothing about the man.
Once they arrived at Andrian’s ho office, Calix closed the door as he was the last one. He didn’t forget to lock it as well. A simple click rang faintly in the air.
His father and elder brother occupied the couches at the seating area. Both of their faces showed doubts about what they had just heard from him.
"Calix, how did you find him? What made you think it’s him?"
Andrian threw those questions to Calix even before his younger son took a seat. Vernon said nothing yet, his dark eyes were brimming with similar inquiries.
"Mr. Guan had a photo of him when Nicholas was young. My team managed to create an age-progressed version based on it. I’ve just received it yesterday. What’s surprising was encountering him in real life."
Calix smoothly weaved lies in the first half of his story. He had already inford his security team and Mr. Guan himself to validate his statents if Andrian and Vernon ever questioned them.
Once again, Andrian and Vernon exchanged a dubious look. They found it hard to believe everything because their sides hadn’t procured anything substantial yet.
Still, Andrian and Vernon also knew about Calix approaching Mr. Guan, the forr close-aid of the deceased Old Master Xu. The young man insisted on letting only him communicate with the elderly man himself.
"It’s great that you got his childhood photo. This is a positive lead," Andrian exhaled a sigh. Tapping one finger on the plush armrest, he resud, "But, what do you an by eting him in the flesh?"
Vernon interjected, thinking of another aspect of this issue, "Is the age-progressed photo really accurate for you? We all know the result isn’t always perfect because it only estimates based on aging patterns."
Calix replied to Vernon’s inquiry first. More fabricated truths flowed out of his mouth, no sign of guilt ladening his steady voice.
"It’s roughly 90% for , luckily. I t him the next day I got the image. I didn’t realize who that man was until I rembered that photo."
Before Andrian and Vernon could speak, Calix recounted his eting with Belinda this morning at the hotel. He ntioned how he initially thought it was a coincidence.
"Belinda said she was there with her friend but, I didn’t et him," Calix scrunched up his face, feeling displeased by the mory, "When Leslie and I brought Poppy out of the restaurant, we bumped into him."
Chills ghosted down Andrian’s spine for he didn’t expect Calix and his little family to have a real-life encounter with Nicholas.
Vernon’s countenance darkened more by the minutes, irritated by the fact soone was out there targeting their family.
Tension saturated the air inside the spacious and comfortable ho office. No other sounds, except for their breathing rose above the strain.
Parting his lips, Calix slowly revealed more. He anticipated his father and brother already guessed where this would lead next.
"He was the friend Belinda told before."
"What?"
Gasps of disbelief ca from both Andrian and Vernon. Bewildernt fleeted in their eyes as they stared at Calix before looking at one another.
Despite having the suspicions, this was too shocking!
"...are you serious, Calix?" asked Andrian, his voice shaky, "Wasn’t it a coincidence? That man was really him?"
"I don’t believe it’s a coincidence. So much bullshit," Vernon spat. Veins bulged on his temple, insinuating how aggravated he was, "He planned this."
Calix nodded once before responding firmly, "Yes. It’s too much of a coincidence to see him with Belinda. I think he has approached her with ulterior motives. And, I also believe he isn’t aware of us knowing about his existence yet."
Andrian and Vernon hadn’t interacted with Belinda but, they knew she was the pampered princess of the Qin family. Evelyn was closer to her yet, their relationship was not deeper than an acquaintanceship.
Another silence shrouded the ho office.
Both Andrian and Vernon took so ti to let the facts register in their mind. The latter abruptly stood up. He was too agitated to remain sitting.
Calix didn’t pressure his father and elder brother to speak, understanding how shocking the news he brought to them.
If not for Leslie’s warning, Calix wouldn’t have ever thought the man they t at the hotel was the Nicholas Wu. He was extrely grateful for his lady’s ability to receive the visions.
A dark cloud hovered Andrian’s countenance. Vernon paced back and forth. Both n were disturbed by this further revelation by Calix.
"Calix, Vernon."
Andrian was the one who broke the suffocating stillness. Calix stared quietly at him while Vernon stopped circling the room, looking at the troubled older man.
Their father’s words, spoken dishearteningly, sliced through the silence.
"This ans he’s closer than we initially expected. He knew about your friendship with Xander and our ties with the Qin family."
"Father, most likely he’ll form a relationship with Xander," said Vernon, followed by a heavy sigh, "And, he’ll approach Calix from there. That’s my best guess."
"It can be. After all, I’m not supposed to know who he truly is."
Calix agreed with Vernon’s speculation. It aligned with one of his conjectures.
Frowning, Andrian said nothing but his silence was not empty. His son’s guesses echoed the sentints in his mind.
Without their knowledge, the enemy had stepped into their territory.
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A/N:
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