The next morning at New York Airport, William followed behind Ginny and Amanda as they exited the plane. They had flown on a medium-sized private jet, with William settling into a small cabin while Ginny and Amanda stayed in the lounge, as directed by the flight attendants.
From a distance, William saw Brian and his ex-wife, Lenore, along with several other middle-aged men and women waiting at the exit. Ginny and Amanda, delighted to see their parents, rushed over with their luggage, and the group spent a while embracing and crying.
William waved to Brian but didn't approach to meet Brian's friends and relatives. Brian understood William's preference not to engage in such introductions and gave him a thumbs up and a nod.
After passing through security with the captain's assistance, William got into a pre-booked Bentley and headed to Fifth Avenue. He wanted to meet Winston and see what the head of the assassins had to discuss with him.
Arriving at the Continental Hotel, William paid the driver and looked up at the building, which resembled an iron. The hotel's unique design, conceived a century ago, stood 87 meters tall.
Inside, William observed that the hotel's decor seemed outdated, likely untouched for twenty or thirty years. His keen senses picked up the faint scent of blood on most of the people in the lobby, indicating that they were assassins.
William was somewhat shocked by the blatant presence of so many assassins sitting openly in the lobby. Did they not fear exposure, or did they simply not care?
Realizing that modern law enforcement needed evidence to make arrests, and without it, even known assassins couldn't be detained, William understood the Continental Hotel's longstanding survival. With branches across Europe and America, the hotel's influence must be deeply rooted and well-protected.
At the reception desk, a middle-aged Black man with glasses greeted William with a smile, "Good morning, sir. My name is Garon. How may I assist you?"
William smiled back, "Hello, Garon. I'm here to see Winston. Someone told me yesterday that he wanted to meet me. You can tell him my name is Devonshire."
Garon nodded, still smiling, "Please wait a moment, sir. I'll inform Mr. Winston."
After making a call, Garon said, "Please follow me, Mr. Devonshire. Mr. Winston is waiting for you at the top of the building."
Accompanied by Garon, William entered an old-fashioned elevator from the 1940s. William's curiosity was piqued by the vintage decor, which prompted Garon to reassure him, "Mr. Devonshire, while this elevator is over 70 years old, it's been modernized for safety, so there's no need to worry."
William internally dismissed the significance of the elevator's age, given the Devonshire family's millennia-long history.
Reaching the top floor, William was pleasantly surprised to see the rooftop filled with various plants and flowers surrounding a central four-seat table. A middle-aged man with a South American appearance and an elderly man with white hair were sitting and conversing. On the table was an open briefcase filled with what appeared to be around 200 gold coins.
The two men stood up to greet William, with the white-haired man nodding and smiling at him as they parted ways.
The middle-aged man addressed Garon, "Thank you, Garon. You may go now."
Garon nodded and replied, "Yes, sir."
The middle-aged man gestured for William to sit and poured him a cup of tea. "My name is Winston. Based on our family tree, you should call me Uncle. It's been so many years since we last saw each other."
"I remember holding you when you were born. You had black hair, blue eyes, a small nose, and a little mouth. You were quite an ugly baby, to be honest. I can't believe it's been almost 20 years."
Although William had prepared himself mentally, hearing Winston claim to be his uncle still made him choke on his tea. After coughing and regaining his composure, he stared at Winston in disbelief.
Seeing William's skeptical look, Winston explained, "My grandmother and Henry's mother were sisters. One married in England, the other in Argentina, which is why we look different. But we do share one common trait," he said, pointing to his hair and laughing.
William managed a polite smile, though he found nothing humorous about the situation. An unfamiliar man with a South American appearance suddenly claiming to be his uncle and reminiscing about holding him as a baby was hard to accept.
"Alright, I know it's hard to believe, but I have something that can prove I'm telling the truth. Let me show you." Winston made a call, "Bring the password cylinder from the safe."
A few minutes later, a middle-aged woman brought up a small cylindrical device and handed it to Winston before leaving. Winston then passed it to William.
"This was given to me by Henry. Once you open it, you'll understand."
William examined the cylinder, recognizing it as a Devonshire family heirloom. It bore the family crest, markings, and inscriptions that he could decipher. However, he didn't rush to open it.
Instead, he asked Winston, "Why are you giving this to me now?"
Winston smiled, "Henry said that if you didn't fulfill his legacy, you should live an ordinary life, and I might never reveal myself. But seeing how you've not only fulfilled his wishes but exceeded our expectations, it's time. You've done exceptionally well, William. After Henry passed, I've been watching you. When you got into the University of London, I thought you would live a peaceful life. But you've fooled us all. You truly are Henry's successor, and I'm sure he would be proud."
A sudden realization struck William. "So, it was because of your protection that my mother and I lived undisturbed for ten years?"
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