The Peninsula Hotel
In a private room, the look on Zaijan and Christian cannot paint how deep the frown on their faces is.
Rodney was the only one in the mood for breakfast in front of the dining table while the two businessmen were on the sofa, sitting across from each other like they carried the world on their shoulders.
It was not the first time Rodney saw Zaijan with a solemn expression on his face when he was in deep thought after some things were bothering him, so he didn't bother to ask.
"Hey… What's up?" Matthew Lawrence, who was entering the door, instantly sensed the gloomy atmosphere in the room. "Man! The reason I don't want to be a businessman is to have these kinds of facial expressions. Come on, bro! It's early in the morning. Have you both lost a billion overnight?"
Matt is just joking; they know that very well, as they are already familiar with his character. Even so, Christian and Zaijan flash a dark glare in his direction, bringing a chill down his spine.
"Damn. I think joking about money to businessmen is a bad line," Matt whispered to Rodney, who the guy only shrugged a shoulder.
"Better not make fun of them, though," he told Matt.
Matt twitched his mouth, rolling his eyes at Rodney. He thought, 'Look who's talking now?' As if he didn't know how this guy loved making fun of his cousins.
"So, what do you want to talk to me about?" Pouring some coffee into his mug, Matt asked Rodney about the message he had received from the guy and why he was here early in the morning.
Rodney stood up from the dining chair and invited Matt to the inclusion room to talk privately. Inside the room is a dining table near the floor-ceiling window; a leather sofa is across. Rodney sat down, and Matt followed him.
Once both settled in, Rodney began explaining his concern.
*
A few hours ago…
The sun was not rising in the east, and Rodney had just slept four hours ago. However, the loud ringing on his phone woke him up instantly.
Every time this ringtone played, he would be in deep slumber.
"Aunt Hilda? What's up? What's the matter? Did something happen?"
Rodney promptly asks a series of questions, not waiting for the other line to fret. But after his nervous query, he pulled the phone away from his ear to save his eardrum from getting damaged.
"Your cousin lost his mind! Did you know he resigned from the company last night?"
Rodney felt like he wasn't entirely sober yet, as he could not fully process what his aunt was blabbing about.
"Come again, aunt? I'm still half asleep," he said.
If it was his other cousins, they had already peed their underwear, hearing their Great Aunt Hilda fretting from the other line. But he is baffled if who among his cousins has a reason to resign from the company. They have several companies that they run.
Rodney is trying to determine if Tyler has ever wanted to give up being Director of Lopez Steel Corporation.
Or Rick, who is the President of Lopez Tech Industries. Maybe Ashton Johnson? His cousin who's the CEO of their US-based sister company.
There is more to mention, but he never heard the news that these men had the plan to give up and resign from the companies that they manage.
'So, who is aunt Hilda referring to?'
Hilda, whose blood pressure was rising, kept yelling on her phone.
"It was Vincent! He packed up last night and moved out with his mistress!"
Hilda could still remember her argument with her son, which affected her so much because it was the first time Vincent talked back to her.
"Do you think I would not take back everything I gave you?"
It was her threat to Vincent. After he got married, as promised, she gave all of her assets, shares to the Shen Group, and properties she owned to her only son.
Vincent started his yacht companies with this fortune, financed several real estates, and built skyscrapers throughout the country. She heard that Vincent also has US investments, which made her proud of how her son managed his inheritance.
However, Hilda was shocked that her son had brought a woman to his penthouse and had lived there for weeks now!
Hilda always felt like she would explode every time she remembered it. Hilda took a long breath before she carried on.
"Rodney, since you were in Mainland City. You can ask people to help investigate who this woman is. I can't believe your cousin could do this to his family!"
"Then, Aunt Hilda, you are doomed!" said Rodney, followed by his annoying laugh.
Hilda was on the verge of a heart attack but what she only received from her nephew was his ridicule which irritated her to the extreme.
"Rodney Lopez! How ungracious you are to your elders!" she fretted once again. But she cannot refute what her nephew had said as it was true. Vincent is the only one capable of managing their international construction firm. Then, what will happen now that her son has left?
Rodney, however, only ignored his aunt's scolding. He was sober now and could not stop laughing, though without a sound, as he actually found it amusing that Vincent fearlessly resigned as the CEO of Shen Group.
Vincent would not starve since he owned a yacht company and several commercial buildings and residences. As of this moment, his regard for his cousin has even increased.
They all thought that Vincent was a mama's boy who would only nod at his mom and follow whatever she told him to do.
All of them can say how obedient their cousin is to his mom, to the extent he allows her to arrange his marriage to someone else he considers a nobody.
But today, it proves wrong. Vincent can give up everything, and he could actually go against his mom.
Now he wondered if it was for real or just for a show.
'She was only his contractual mistress, right?' Rodney thought to himself. He is not dumb, though. He could tell about something, but he promised Vincent to seal his mouth.
Rodney snaps himself back to his senses and finishes his explanation to Matt.
"I will email you the only information we have. She is a college student, and this is the information stored in her data at the university."