Chapter 781: A quadruplet?

[Pierson Family Meeting]

"You seem like you’re looking for someone—or waiting for someone. I assumed it was Dean. Was I wrong?"

Zoren knew exactly who William Pierson was waiting for, and the fact that he casually taunted him with such remarks only signaled that Jonathan wouldn’t make it tonight.

’This smart bastard!’ William’s face twitched, his fist trembling lightly, his eyes fixed on Zoren. ’I knew it! It was suspicious how he welcomed Jonathan into the family so easily.’

This was what William had mentioned to Jonathan earlier: They shouldn’t be complacent just because Zoren hadn’t done or said anything overt. After all, Zoren wasn’t the type to make things public, whether in front of an audience or privately; he operated in the shadows.

Zoren, on the other hand, smirked in satisfaction. His right eyebrow arched when he noticed someone joining the table, sitting just after Chunchun.

"Dean Pierson," he called, earning a glance from Dean as the latter slowed down to take his seat.

"Uncle." Dean smiled subtly, glancing at William. When he saw the color drain from William’s face, his smile grew wider. "I’m sorry I’m late. I had some matters to attend to."

"More important than being here?" Zoren asked.

"Not more important per se... but it did require a bit of my time."

Zoren nodded in understanding. "I see."

"Thank you." Dean maintained his smile, bowing his head politely. His eyes snapped back to William, who cast him a bitter and sour look. "Uncle William, you don’t seem well. Are you okay?"

Did William look okay to him?

William snorted but didn’t say anything. All night, he had placed all his bets on Jonathan, knowing that tonight would focus on Zoren’s half-brother. He had been confident that nothing would go wrong and that their plan was flawless. After all, Jonathan had reassured him earlier.

The reality, however, was different.

So now, William couldn’t afford to speak recklessly when facing both Dean and Zoren.

’That bastard!’William mentally grumbled, thinking about Jonathan and his empty promises. ’He said he would be here, and that once his existence was revealed, the game would change for sure.’

But if Jonathan missed this, he would have missed the biggest opportunity to introduce himself to the family.

’Surely the saying about not putting all your eggs in one basket is true,’ William told himself, watching Dean settle into his seat. His attention shifted to Zoren, and he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. ’And good thing I didn’t put all my eggs in one basket. I would be damned if I did that.’

Although his biggest move regarding Jonathan had been sabotaged, William couldn’t back down. He still had other plans, but he had to be cautious. There were still chances to deal with Zoren. For instance, his eyesight.

"Ahem!" William cleared his throat, forcing a smile. "Well, what else can I say? I’m glad to see you doing great, Zoren."

Zoren nodded slightly as he cast him a sidelong glance. He then scanned the table again and smiled.

"Apologies for the unnecessary chatter," he said politely, but also in a cool manner. "Let’s dig in."

Everyone forced a smile, and some nodded, picking up their cutlery. As Zoren placed a napkin on his lap, he spoke.

"Belle, it’s been a while since you’ve come home," Zoren remarked without looking at Belle. "And I see your belly has grown quite large. How far along are you?"

Belle’s shoulders tensed as she turned to Zoren, trying to ignore the attention she was receiving from the others. "I’m almost in my third trimester."

"A quadruplet?" Zoren asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.

"What?"

"I’m asking if they’re quadruplets."

Everyone, including Belle, furrowed their brows at Zoren’s strange question. At this moment, Zoren should have been asking about the baby’s gender, not how many there were.

"Ahh... no, ha ha," Belle laughed awkwardly. "It’s just... one."

"That’s too bad."

"Huh?"

Zoren offered Belle a smile. "It would’ve been nice if they were at least twins. You wouldn’t have had such a hard time if you did." A meaningful smirk turned up on Zoren’s face as if he won about something, which everyone didn’t know about.

For a moment, everyone was rendered speechless at this odd exchange. How could they not be? Zoren rarely conversed with other family members beyond brief greetings. He usually only spoke with the elders of the family and then Dean.

Zoren had always been like that, even before Belle left the family for a man. He would greet her like he would greet anyone else; sometimes, he wouldn’t bother at all. That added to the awkwardness of the situation.

"Haha." Dean, on the other hand, simply chuckled but didn’t comment further.

As for William, he huffed faintly, narrowing his eyes at Zoren. ’Didn’t they tell me he’s blind?’ he wondered. ’How did he notice Belle from over there?’

Zoren and Belle were seated quite far apart, and considering no one had seen Belle for years, Zoren shouldn’t have recognized her. It was one of the things William had kept in mind when he forced Belle to come back to make his point tonight and gain control of Belle’s shares in the company.

’What’s going on?’William’s thoughts trailed off as soon as he saw Dean looking in his direction. He narrowed his eyes, catching the mischievous smirk on Dean’s face. ’This bastard... It was him, wasn’t it?’

Dean’s eyes glinted, and he shrugged as he began eating his food. William, on the other hand, lowered his head, his eyes dilated with anger.

’He made it up. He forged it,’ William told himself in a panic. ’That medical file I received... it was that brat from the first branch who tipped me off!’

And William had fallen for a fraudulent document!

Slowly, William clenched his teeth, gripping his cutlery as tightly as he could. This wasn’t looking good for him anymore. First, Jonathan was absent, and now one of William’s cards had fallen apart before he could even use it.

There was only one card left.

Zoren’s marriage.