Chapter 676: Do you happen to know anyone by that name?

When Dean walked out of the conference room, his brows rose as he turned his head. His eyes landed on Zoren’s back, watching as Benjamin and Hugo waited for Zoren to reach them before walking away with him.

"Hah." Dean let out a shallow breath, rocking his head. His eyes shifted to Hugo, who, for the first time, had come into the building in a suit. "I was expecting her to do a job well done, but to send her own brother? Something’s up."

"Sir." At the same time, Dean’s secretary approached him from the side.

Dean glanced at her but didn’t walk away as he looked in Zoren’s direction one last time. He didn’t say anything and just stared at his uncle before he turned and walked in the opposite direction. As he walked away, his secretary followed closely behind him.

"William Pierson didn’t do anything today," he said quietly, his eyes sharp. "Find out what else he is planning for the family meeting."

The secretary lowered her head and replied in a stern voice, "Yes, sir."

*******

Meanwhile...

"Sir, that’s amazing!" Benjamin’s eyes twinkled, his excitement evident at his quick pace. "Today’s board meeting went smoothly. Did everyone give up already? Well, if I were them, I would’ve given up long ago too!"

Hugo glanced at Benjamin. From what he heard, the board meeting went without a hitch. Hugo wasn’t inside to hear everything, and even if he had been there, he probably wouldn’t have understood it all. But from a bystander’s point of view, it did seem like everything went surprisingly well.

But then again, even if Hugo didn’t understand the depths of the business, he understood one thing:

When something went smoothly when it normally shouldn’t, it was mostly because the storm hadn’t come yet.

Casting a sidelong glance at Zoren, whose neutral expression confirmed Hugo’s theory, he realized that Zoren’s plain demeanor had different layers. After spending quite some time with him, Hugo grasped that Zoren’s expression could mask complex emotions.

"I’m sure Old Mrs. Pierson would be happy to hear that—"

"Ben, arrange the car. I’m heading to the Old Residence," Zoren cut Benjamin off mid-sentence, causing the latter’s brow to rise. "And don’t celebrate just yet. Today, nothing happened, but I’m sure something will happen before or during the family meeting."

"Ah?"

"Go."

Benjamin blinked repeatedly, his mouth curving down. He knew there was still the family meeting to consider. However, today was still worth celebrating.

"Yes, sir," he grumpily remarked, dragging his feet and parting ways with them when they reached a turn.

As Benjamin walked away, Hugo and Zoren slowed down until they stopped. The two of them stared in Benjamin’s direction, with Hugo shaking his head mildly.

"I kind of feel bad for him," murmured Hugo. "You didn’t have to ruin his mood like that."

Zoren didn’t respond immediately, keeping his gaze on Benjamin. "Second Brother, can you do me a favor?"

"Hmm?" Hugo arched a brow, shifting his eyes to Zoren. He watched as his brother-in-law slowly looked back at him.

*

*

*

[Old Pierson Residence]

"Renren." Old Mrs. Pierson smiled as she looked at her grandson on the sofa. "I heard about the board meeting. I’m glad that you’re safe."

Zoren smiled subtly, nodding. "It’s all thanks to Penny."

"She’s handling your security... my little Penny is surely reliable," Old Mrs. Pierson sighed heavily. "Renren, it seems that our debt to your wife and her family is getting deeper and bigger. You have to work hard to repay them."

"Do not worry about that." Zoren nodded reassuringly. "I have everything under control."

Old Mrs. Pierson nodded in satisfaction, smiling at her grandson. Normally, the board meeting was a source of anxiety for her. But today, thanks to Slater, she was distracted enough to stay at home and not rush to the company.

After all, days before or early on the day of the board meeting, Zoren would have to dodge death multiple times. There were instances when he would get caught in a trap, but even so, Zoren always managed to turn up and get the job done.

"Though, Grandma, I have to be honest with you," Zoren expressed after a minute of silence. "I didn’t come here because I wanted to talk about the board meeting."

Old Mrs. Pierson’s brows rose in confusion. "If not that, why did you come here? Were you worried about the family meeting?"

"It troubles me, but it’s not something new. So, I’m sure that night will still end in my favor," he replied, exuding confidence. "The reason I came here is that I have a few questions, and I’m hoping you’d answer them."

"Is there anything I haven’t answered or given you as long as it’s within my power?"

"That’s right." He smiled subtly. "Then, is there a family member I do not know of?"

This time, Old Mrs. Pierson’s wrinkled forehead creased even more. "A family member you do not know of?"

"An illegitimate child or a long-lost relative," he clarified. "There’s a situation... and according to the reports, the person behind it was called Jonathan Pierson. Do you happen to know anyone by that name?"

Old Mrs. Pierson’s face grew solemn as she lowered her gaze, as if mulling it over. When she lifted her eyes to Zoren, she sighed and shook her head.

"Even at this old age, I have not gotten asinine to not know the names in this family," she explained. "There are illegitimate children of the Pierson family, and I’m certain you know them all."

That was right.

With a family as big and powerful as the Pierson family, having illegitimate children was no surprise. After all, carrying the Pierson name was enough to attract people—women, especially—to crawl the bed of a member of the Pierson family.

Mistresses, trophy wives, and the like were not news in the family. There was even a cousin of his who had his wife and mistress living in the same home. Such matters were beyond Zoren’s and even Old Mrs. Pierson’s control.

To put it simply, Zoren wasn’t mistaken about the family registry.

"It’s probably an alias," said Old Mrs. Pierson. "Renren, at this point, you should be used to people pretending to be part of the Pierson family. After all, even if someone lived carelessly and resorted to using our family name, it would go unnoticed if they were careful enough. This would not be the first time someone claimed to be a Pierson."

The side of her mouth hooked up. "Whoever this is, if he managed to get on your radar, take care of him. It’s rare for someone who uses our family name to reach you."

"I will." Zoren nodded, holding off some details, knowing he had no choice.

This person, Jonathan Pierson, was someone who bothered his wife. Therefore, even if no one told him, Zoren would search every nook and cranny to find him.

"Thank you, Grandma," Zoren expressed politely. "Though please let me know if you hear anything about it."

"Is it important?"

"Yes."

"Then I’ll ask someone to look into it." Old Mrs. Pierson offered him a reassuring smile. "I’ll see if anyone in the family is hiding a child."