“I don’t know much about the past either. However, from what I understand, Dad has his own reasons. Furthermore, despite the passage of time, he has never forgotten your mother.”
Regina was so anxious to explain that she started scratching her head. “Go back with me and everything will be clear.”
“I’m not leaving with you.”
“Don’t you want to know why Dad didn’t return all these years?”
“No. I’m not interested,” Rachel replied firmly.
With her mother’s sufferings fresh in her mind, even speaking with Lionel felt like an insult to her mother.
“It’s late now; you should leave.”
She gestured with her hands, obviously attempting to send Regina off.
However, Regina was stubborn. “I’m not going to leave.”
She remained on the sofa, arms wrapped around herself as she continued, “Since you’re not leaving with me, I’ll follow you everywhere. I’m staying here tonight.”
“As you wish.” Rachel merely uttered these indifferent words and went straight back to her room.
She slammed her door shut with a bang, while Regina was looking displeased at the living room. After taking off her shoes, Regina laid down on the sofa and said to herself, “I’ll sleep here tonight.”
In the meantime, Justin intended to look for Rachel as soon as he left the hotel. However, he suddenly remembered something he needed to deal with.
“Frankie, it’s me.”
“Are you back, President Burton?” Frankie asked in a surprise tone when he heard Justin’s voice.
“Yes.”
“How about Mrs. Burton? Is she back? Are you both alright?”
“We’re all right. Apart from a few minor issues that caused some delay when we stepped off the plane, we’re fine.”
“I wanted to pick you both up from the hotel after dropping Miss Carter and the others off at the airport on the wedding day. But before I could get to the hotel, Mr. Keaton called and told me to return to Riverdale right away.”
Though it was not made clear in that phone call, Frankie did as he was told in light of Mr. Keaton’s assistance while they were in Enistan. Since then, he had been waiting worriedly for Justin and Rachel in Riverdale.
“It’s good to know that the both of you are fine, President Burton.”
Frankie had been feeling uneasy the entire time. “When I returned to Riverdale, I did some investigation and discovered that Julian had arrived in Enistan just minutes after us, but had returned to Riverdale not long after. He keeps his whereabouts very private.”
But regardless of how secretive Julian was, the Burton Group previously belonged to Justin. It wouldn’t take him long with the help of his inside informants to know where Julian was.
“Okay. Got it.”
Justin wasn’t surprised by what he heard. “Let’s go to the Burton Group, Frankie.”
Justin hadn’t dealt with Julian yet for forcibly taking him away after he got off the plane.
Meanwhile in the Burton Group, Robin had spent the entire day trying to find out where Justin and Rachel were but to no avail, let alone who that group of men was.
“You can’t even complete such a simple task?” Julian reprimanded, his face solemn.
Robin, who stood off to one side, was terrified. Just as he was about to say something, the assistant knocked on the door from the outside and said, “President Peters, President Burton is downstairs. He said he’s here to meet you.”
“What? Which President Burton?” Robin reflexively asked.
That startled the assistant. “Justin Burton.”
“I’m looking for him; good that he shows up!”
But Julian poured cold water on him. “What do you want to do?”
“I’ll send my men to apprehend him and bring him to you!”
“You should use your brain, Robin!”
Julian glared at him before continuing, “It is broad daylight now, and we’re at the Burton Group. Who do you want to apprehend?”
Julian then instructed his assistant, “Invite President Burton in.” Truth was, he never had high hopes on Robin’s brain.
“Noted.”
Soon after that, Justin entered.
His strong build made the office appear less empty.
The assistant then tactfully closed the door, leaving only Justin and Julian inside.
“It’s been a while. I thought you’d stay at the northern division and never return, “Julian said, his eyes dimmed as he sat on the leather sofa.
Justin wasn’t in a hurry to get to the point as well. “It’s really been a long time since we last met,” he replied as he swept his gaze across the office. Then, he walked straight to the sofa and sat down before fiddling with the tea set on the coffee table.
But that made Julian uneasy. “I suppose you’re not here just to have some tea with me?”
“Why? Since I’m here, can’t I drink a cup of tea with you?”
“Of course you can.”
“Good to hear that.”
The tea leaves were brewing in hot water.
With a tweezer in his hand, Justin used the first brew to wash the teacups.
While he was doing that, Julian noticed his bandaged left hand, and his gaze tightened slightly. “What happened to your hand?”
“It’s nothing much; just some minor injury.”
“From Enistan?”
“How do you know I went to Enistan?”
Julian’s expression obviously froze when he heard that. However, he quickly regained his composure and responded, “Well, it isn’t very difficult for me to know about it.”
“Why do you want to know about it?”
“The Burton Group in the northern division and Riverdale are competitors; it is, of course, perfectly reasonable for me to be aware of your whereabouts. I’m guessing you have informers on my side as well?”
“Well, you’re right,” Justin replied calmly. He returned his attention to the tea set he was fiddling with.
Within minutes, the fragrance of the tea filled the entire room.
Justin poured two cups of tea before wiping his hands and raising his head.
“Are you used to this office?”
These nonchalant words of his echoed in the room, and Julian became tense upon hearing that. However, he could only suppress his emotions and pretend to be calm. “Yeah.”
“You can replace all these old furniture if they do not appeal to you.”
“That’s not necessary. You know I don’t care about these external things.”
“Are you really unconcerned, or are you just afraid of what people will say and thus act unconcerned?”
Such a sentence plucked at Julian’s nerves, and he instantly clenched his fists tightly.
They were brothers, and some similarities flowed in their blood. Furthermore, they grew up together, and hence Justin was well aware of Julian’s personality.
Since young, Julian has always been concerned about what others thought of him.
He had always wanted to be a perfect man, with the highest moral standards a human being could have.
And that worked. Until now, he had a good reputation in the eyes of the public. The entire Burton Group regarded him as a gentle and considerate superior.
“What exactly do you want to say?”
“Everything here, including where you’re sitting now, was built by me from scratch. You most probably are aware of its strengths, but no one knows its weaknesses better than me,” Justin replied, his expression not as merciless as before, but neither was it kind.
“If I’m unwilling to, you won’t be able to stay here for long.”
“Are you threatening me?” Julian clenched his fists even more tightly when he heard that.
“It’s not a threat. I’m simply stating a fact,” Justin responded as he sat there motionless, but the domineering aura he exuded did not diminish even in the slightest. With a firm and stern gaze, he looked directly into Julian’s eyes and continued, “Rae is my limit.”
