Chapter 224

#224 “A Plan? With Michael? ”

Michael was lounging in Alexander’s chair, the picture of casual confidence, his excitement palpable in the air.

“Before I dive into the plan, there’s something-or rather, someone-I want to loop into our little operation.

How do you feel about getting Caroline involved?” Michael’s voice was light, almost teasing, yet the underlying seriousness of his inquiry was unmistakable.

Alexander’s reaction was instant, his brow furrowed in a mix of skepticism and concern. “My mother?”

he echoed, his voice laced with incredulity. “I’m not comfortable dragging her into this… It’s too risky.

Her life could be on the line,”

Michael couldn’t help but let out a hearty laugh, the sound echoing off the walls of the office. “Calm down, Alexander. What do you take me for? I’m not about to put your mother in harm’s way.” There was a hint of amusement in his voice, yet it was clear he had given this considerable thought.

Alexander, still not entirely convinced, pressed him for details. “Then what exactly do you need her for?”

Leaning forward, Michael laid out the plan with the precision of a chess master positioning his pieces for a checkmate. “It’s quite straightforward. We arrange a meeting-our father, and your mother. As loath as I am to admit it, she remains the great love of his life. Her role? She needs to play the part of the devoted lover, to inflate his already gargantuan ego. With the right words, she can make him spill everything. Meanwhile, we’ll have cameras hidden away to catch every damning word. Once we have his confession on tape, we blast it to the media.”

Alexander took his time, letting the details of the plan sink in. The more he thought about it, the more he realized the brilliance of Michael’s strategy. It was bold and undoubtedly risky, but if executed perfectly, it could work. The mere thought of it sent a thrill through him, a sense of anticipation he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Noticing Alexander’s contemplative silence, Michael offered him a reassuring smile, one that seemed to say everything would turn out fine. ” Come on, bro, trust me on this one. It’ll be alright,” he said, his voice a blend of encouragement and certainty.

Alexander, finally swayed by his brother’s confidence and the sheer ingenuity of the plan, nodded slowly. A newfound determination set in his gaze. Together, they could pull this off. Together, they could finally bring their father to justice.

“Alright, let’s do it,” Alexander finally said, feeling the weight of their plan. ” But man, you gotta get out of here. I need to call Mom and somehow get her to agree to this madness. I’ll call when everything is ready.”

Michael got the hin. “Good. Mind if I bail through the back? I’m not exactly looking to become paparazzi bait. Plus, if our father spots me, he’ll smell something fishy right away.”

“Go for it, the back’s clear,” Alexander replied, trying to hide his stress with a chuckle. He shook his head as he watched his brother prepare to leave, feeling the tension but also a weird kind of excitement for the crazy plan they were cooking up.

Michael vanished into the shadows, leaving Alexander alone with his thoughts. He let out a long sigh, grabbed his phone, and braced himself for the call to his mom. Convincing her to join their caper wasn’t going to be easy.

Caroline’s voice came through, warm and concerned. “Alexander, darling, is everything alright? You rarely call this early.”

“Hey, Mom, yeah, everything’s… Well, it’s complicated,” Alexander started, trying to keep his voice steady. “I need to talk to you about something important. It’s about my father.”

There was a pause, and he could almost feel her tensing up. “What about him now? Did he do something more outrageous this time? ” Caroline’s voice had lost some of its warmth, replaced by caution.

“No, it’s not that. It’s a bit of a situation, and, uh, Michael’s involved too. We have a plan, but we need your help.” Alexander rushed out the words before he could lose his nerve.

“A plan? With Michael? Alexander, have you lost your mind?” Now there was worry in her voice.

“A little. That’s not what’s important now. We think we’ve found a way to expose our father, to really show everyone what he’s been up to. But it’s a bit… unconventional. And risky.” He winced, waiting for her outburst or a barrage of questions.

There was a heavy silence, then a sigh. ” Alexander, you know I’ve always supported you, even when your ideas were a bit out there. But this sounds serious. How risky are we talking?”

“Hopefully not much,” Alexander admitted. “But if it works, it could fix a lot of things. We want to set up a meeting where you’d get Dad to tell us everything he has done. We’ll record it and take it from there.

Michael thinks -and I agree-that you’re the only one who can pull this off.”

“Because he still has feelings for me, you mean.” It wasn’t a question. Caroline’s voice was flat, resigned to the complicated mess her family had become.

“Yeah, exactly. Mom, I wouldn’t ask if there was another way. I know it’s a lot to ask.”

Caroline was silent for a moment longer, then let out a breath Alexander hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Alright, tell me everything. If we’re doing this, we’re doing it right. But Alexander, if anything feels off, I am stopping it. Agreed?”

“Agreed, Mom. Thank you. I’ll explain everything.” Relief washed over him as he began to lay out the details of their plan. Despite the risks, having his mother on board felt like the first solid step towards something like victory. Or at least, that’s what Alexander hoped.