Chapter 804: My uncle has a brother?

[PRESENT TIME]

"Dad..." Karina held William’s arm, steadying him as they made their way to the car. They would have left earlier than everyone else, but William’s blood pressure had spiked, forcing him to rest for a while.

"Those brats..." William grumbled, only to feel a sharp stiffness in his neck. "Ack—!"

"Dad, can you please calm down?" Karina sighed, carefully supporting him. "The doctors barely managed to lower your blood pressure. Please, don’t think about them right now."

William’s face soured, but seeing the worry etched on his daughter’s face, he let out a begrudging sigh. "Fine, fine," he muttered, allowing her to help him as they walked toward the car.

Just as they reached the vehicle, another car pulled up beside theirs. William stopped in his tracks, prompting Karina to glance at him curiously.

"Dad?" she called, following his gaze toward the other car. Her brows furrowed as a tall, sharp-featured man stepped out of the sleek black sedan. "Dad, who is that?"

She turned back to her father, only to find his face clouded with displeasure. Yet, this time, he remained silent.

"Sweetheart, why don’t you go ahead and get inside?" William said, his eyes fixed on the approaching man. "I just have some business to take care of."

Karina opened her mouth to protest but stopped herself. Instead, she pressed her lips together and nodded quietly.

"All right," she said softly, taking a step back. "I’ll head to my car. My driver’s waiting."

Straightening her posture, Karina turned and walked away. Though she had planned to accompany William home, the presence of the unexpected visitor made it clear he needed privacy.

What was ne?

Thus, she climbed into her car a short distance away, glancing back briefly before the door closed behind her. A few seconds later, her car slowly moved away from there.

William, now alone, redirected his attention to the man walking toward him.

"Why did you even bother coming, Jonathan?" William hissed, his voice laced with irritation. "You better have a damn good explanation. Otherwise, I’m done with you."

Jonathan smiled as he stopped a few steps from William. "I’m sorry, Uncle, but... a few things happened on the way."

"A few things?" William’s scowl deepened.

"For instance, I got stuck in traffic," Jonathan replied, his tone light, though it earned a twitch from William’s face. "Oh, and Zoren Pierson bribed my driver to ensure I wouldn’t make it."

William’s glare sharpened. Getting stuck in traffic and having his driver bribed was predictable. The fact that Jonathan hadn’t anticipated it irritated him even more.

"Uncle, before you start judging me, let me remind you—this was Zoren Pierson’s doing," Jonathan continued, still smiling. "Even if I’d escaped the traffic jam, do you think he’d have stopped there?"

Of course not.

Jonathan had acknowledged the message Zoren left him through his driver:

[You are now on my radar, Brother.]

It was a warning.

Even if Jonathan had done everything in his power to attend the Pierson Family gathering, it would have been futile. All it would do was expose his strategy and the cards up his sleeve — a trap Jonathan suspected Zoren had set deliberately.

"Come on, Uncle. Don’t be mad," Jonathan coaxed. "I know you understand. If it were you, I’m sure you’d have handled it differently. But I wasn’t going to show all my cards to Zoren in one night. That would have been a mistake."

William’s expression remained grim, but his tense shoulders began to relax. "Hmph," he harrumphed. "You, Jonathan Pierson, promised me you had everything under control."

"And I do."

"You do?" William scoffed, massaging his neck. "You got stuck in traffic, your driver was bribed, and you missed a golden opportunity. And now you’re telling me you’ve still got everything under control?"

Jonathan chuckled softly, nodding. "That’s right. Uncle, just because Zoren kept me out tonight doesn’t mean he won. The family gathering might have been a golden opportunity, but it’s not the only one."

"What are you talking about?" William narrowed his eyes.

"Remember the chairwoman?" Jonathan asked, his smirk widening. "It’s only a matter of time before she announces her retirement. And when that happens, the family will gather again."

William straightened his posture, his suspicious gaze unwavering. "You want to make your move then?"

"Don’t you think it’s a better opportunity than tonight?"

"..." William mulled over the idea, his anger finally dissipating.

Jonathan smiled, satisfied. "So, there’s no need to be angry."

"What if Zoren tries the same trick again?"

"He won’t, and he can’t," Jonathan assured him. "Zoren isn’t one to repeat himself. Besides, tonight wasn’t entirely a loss. It gave me a glimpse of how he operates."

Jonathan’s smile grew sharper. "His retaliation was unexpected. That gives me plenty to think about."

"Tsk. Too much talk," William spat, though his tone lacked its earlier edge. "Fine, but maybe it’s better you weren’t here tonight."

"Huh?" Jonathan tilted his head curiously. "Why is that, Uncle?"

William grumbled, recalling the earlier events during the family dinner. "That Zoren Pierson brought his wife with him. She’s the reason my blood pressure nearly hit the roof. The woman nearly gave me a stroke."

"He brought the ever-mysterious Mrs. Pierson tonight?"

"Why do you think I’m this angry?" William snapped. "You’d better tread carefully, boy."

Jonathan blinked, though his smile faltered slightly. "Mrs. Pierson, huh? Interesting. Although I’m surprised that you seem to care for me, Uncle, I’ll be fine. I’m always careful, but thanks."

"I’m not saying this out of concern," William retorted. "I’m warning you because Zoren’s wife is Penelope Bennet. That brat! How infuriating!"

As William launched into a tirade, his voice rising in frustration, he failed to notice Jonathan’s shift in expression. The smile on Jonathan’s face vanished slowly and steadily.

"Penelope Bennet... is my sister-in-law?" Jonathan murmured, more to himself than to William.

"Damn right, she is!" William growled. "So, you’d better not make any more reckless moves. Or you’re on your own!"

William continued ranting, heaping reminders and warnings about Penny and Zoren as if that would etch in Jonathan’s mind. But Jonathan simply grew quiet, ignoring his uncle’s words entirely. What William was saying was not important because he had already said the most important part of tonight’s event.

"Penelope Bennet as Mrs. Pierson, huh?" Jonathan rocked his head. "Interesting."

Unbeknownst to both of them, hidden in the dark corner of the old mansion, Dean was leaning against the wall, listening to this exchange he didn’t mean to stumble upon intently.

Flicking open a silver lighter with his thumb, Dean smirked, a glint flickering in his eyes.

"Sister-in-law?" he muttered, brow arched. "My uncle has a brother?"