Chapter 47 - Chapter 47. The williams Family Meeting

The Williams Family Meeting"That's right, Mr. Quinn, after you take this pill, you'll feel much better. The ingredients will help to boost all the effort and supplements that you've already tried," Kevin said reassuringly."That sounds truly amazing!" Quinn said with a laugh.Then he looked at Kevin and said, "Mr. Williams, you're really quite gifted to be able to concoct such a marvelous herbal supplement at such a young age."I appreciate the compliment, but I have a lot more to learn. Just remember that this pill will help you to reach your next goal, but if you're looking for any further improvements, there are other combinations of ingredients that you'll need," Kevin explained."So, do you have better mixtures that you can create?" Quinn asked in surprise."There are some more advanced combinations that I could try, but I need to learn a lot more before I can refine my technique," Kevin replied honestly.What Kevin had learned was that the mixture of herbs he had been giving his friends and customers only worked up to a certain point. He was also finding out that there were a lot of very rich and powerful people who were interested in using these supplements to get an edge, and in a lot of different businesses and fields. Here was a man who actually owned a hospital, but still wanted his help."Mr. Williams, you really are remarkable!" Quinn said in astonishment."Well, let's see how effective it is for you first," Kevin said with a smile. Then he said, "When you take the pill, make sure that you relax, breathe calmly, and give it time to work.""Mr. Williams, aren't you afraid that I won't pay you after I take it?" Quinn joked."I trust you," Kevin said calmly, "and I know you can afford to pay me. Now go ahead and take it. I'll wait around in case you have any questions."You're very straightforward, aren't you?" Quinn said. Then he stopped delaying and took the pill. While he was waiting for it to take effect, he ordered his assistant to transfer the five hundred thousand dollars to Kevin's account.While Quinn was relaxing and waiting for the herbal ingredients to have an effect on him, Kevin took a walk around the room. Quinn seemed to like impressionist art and antique glazed ceramics."Quinn must be loaded," Kevin thought to himself, "I'm certain that's an original Monet, not a reproduction."Then Kevin walked to the foyer to appreciate the ornate front door and the enormous sliding doors leading to the back patio. He frowned slightly. Something didn't look right to him.After a while, Quinn got up and walked over to him, "Mr. Williams, I can already tell that your pill is working. I haven't felt this vibrant in years."I'm very glad to hear that," Kevin said seriously, "but it helps that you've already put so much effort into your health and well-being. Some of these supplements require several doses, but it looks like this one should help you with a single pill."Then Kevin turned around in a circle, starting at the front door and looking at the various wings of the first floor. "How have things been going for you since you moved here?" Kevin asked carefully."Now that you mention it, my business was doing great when I built this place, but lately it's slowed down a little. I thought it was just the economy, so I've been trying to diversify. Why do you ask?" Quinn was wondering what Kevin was getting at."I recently set up a new apartment at Corwin Tower in Chicago. While I was decorating it, a friend of mine gave me a book on feng shui," Kevin explained."I'm not usually superstitious," Quinn replied, "But I am curious to hear what you have to say."I know a thing or two, but not a lot!" Kevin went on, "This is a beautiful mansion, but something's not quite right. If you're into feng shui, of course"Please continue!" Quinn said politely.Kevin pointed at the beautiful oak door and said, "It looks to me like any positive energy comes in the front door and goes straight out the back of the house!"That's very interesting," Quinn said as he looked from the front of the house to the back. "You know my last home was very different. When you walked in, you felt like you wanted to sit down and settle in. When I walk in here, I just want to keep going and head out to the patio," Quinn said in amazement.Kevin looked him in the eyes and said, "Mr. Quinn, you may want to consider getting someone in here to advise you. I'll bet you'll feel productive in no time."Quinn nodded in agreement, "You know, I haven't been getting much done in this home. Maybe there's something to this feng shui stuff. As long as I'm working on improving my body, why not do the same for my home?" He paused for a moment and said, "You've been very helpful, my friend." "It's my pleasure," Kevin said generously, "I'll have a copy of the book sent to you right away. Then you'll know more about the subject than I do!"I'd appreciate that," Quinn smiled. "But now I need to head back to the hospital and visit with my father," Kevin said."Please let me drive you back," Quinn offered. Kevin replied, "No thanks. You need to stay here and rest so you can get the full benefit of the herbal ingredients.""Then I'll have my chauffeur take you back," Quinn said. "It's the least I can do."*When Kevin got back to the hospital, his father had already woken up and was feeling better. His mother was sitting by the bed feeding him some vanilla pudding.Dr. Willow walked in and said to Kevin, "I'm glad you're finally back."How did the operation go? Were there any complications?" Kevin asked."Everything's going as well as can be expected," she answered, "I'm just observing your father's condition. I'm also checking to see if there's anything I can help with." Then she paused awkwardly and added, "I have to go make rounds. Excuse me."Kevin was confused by Dr. Willow's reaction to seeing him. Was he that frightening? Had she actually turned around and left when she saw him?While he was thinking about this, Alan suddenly said, "Kevin, I have something to ask you."Dad, no matter what it is, I'm sure it can wait until you've recovered." Of course, Kevin knew what his father wanted to ask him.But he didn't want to discuss the fight at the Williams family mansion. He didn't feel like being nice to them. What Kevin wanted right now was to teach them a lesson.When his father heard that Kevin didn't want to talk about it, he sighed and went back to sleep.The night passed very quickly. Early the next morning, Dr. Willow had breakfast sent to Alan and Susan, but Kevin had already left by the time it arrived.*When Kevin got to the Williams mansion, his uncle Thomas was sitting in the head chair. The other family members who had shown up were sitting quietly with solemn expressions on their faces. They looked as if they were waiting for something unpleasant to happen.As Kevin slowly walked into the large reception room, his cousin Ethan leapt up from his chair."I can't believe you have the nerve to come back here!" Ethan snarled.The rest of his relatives started to berate him, telling him to get the hell out of the family mansion because he didn't belong there.He just stood there and patiently waited for them to run out of insults. Then he stared at his uncle and said, "It's already been a day since I informed you of my intent. Is the money ready?"The insults started flying again and Kevin just stood there, unemotional. Thomas raised his hands and gestured for everyone to calm down. "Please, let's have some order here. We need to resolve this," he told them.Then he turned to his nephew and said sadly, "Kevin, do you really want to see the entire family go bankrupt?" The three billion dollars that Kevin had invested in the family business had saved them from financial ruin. But returning the money to him now would put them in an even worse position than before."Kevin, aren't you a member of this family!" Thomas asked him glumly."Am I a member of the Williams family?" Kevin said with a sad smile. "You must be joking. You all drove me out of the family three years ago. Who in this room really considers me to be a true Williams?"Thomas didn't know how to answer."When my father collapsed and was taken to the hospital, which of you went to visit him?" Kevin clenched his fists and said, "If that's how you treat family, then I'd like my three billion dollars back!"Monty walked over to Kevin and put his hand on his shoulder. He pleaded with him, "Kevin, you must realize that doing this will drive us to financial ruin?"Mr. Aspinwall…Monty, I hope you can stand by my side like you did three years ago," Kevin said slowly, "I promise I won't let you down."Can't we work this out somehow?" Thomas implored him."What do you think I should do? Continue to let them insult me? Let Laura and Ethan make my father so angry that he has another heart attack? " Kevin retorted.Thomas took a deep breath. He knew that his wife and son had gone too far."Kevin, this concerns the future of our family. It's out of my hands. I've already called your grandfather and he's on his way back to New York. He should be here soon," Kevin's uncle Thomas said quietly, "When he arrives, we can sit down and discuss this further. What do you think? Whether we sell our shares or let the family go bankrupt, I'll leave it up to you."Grandpa Williams?" Kevin was surprised to hear that his grandfather was on the way there. Without even thinking, he agreed, "Alright!"After that, Kevin looked at Monty. When he saw the determination in Monty's eyes, he let out a heavy sigh before he turned around and walked out the door."Don't ever come back here!" Ethan shouted at him.Kevin's other relatives started shouting more insults at him. The message was clear. He and his parents were out of the family. He forced a smile and thought to himself, "It's true. You can choose your friends, but you just can't choose your relatives."Of course Kevin didn't really want the Williams family to go bankrupt. All he wanted was for them to apologize to him and his parents for their behavior.As soon as Kevin got into the car, his phone rang."Kevin, where are you?" It was Lily calling from Chicago."I'm in New York City. But I'm planning to head back very soon!" Kevin said softly."Okay. I'll wait for you to come back. Then you can take me out for a stroll," Lily said with a slight hesitation."Okay! I'll be there in a couple of hours. I just have to get to the airport." After Kevin hung up the phone, he decided to call his parents and let them know that he was heading back to Chicago. He figured that Dr. Willow was keeping a close eye on his father, so he didn't need to worry too much.*When Kevin got back to his apartment at Corwin Tower, Lily and Rachel were waiting for him by the elevator."Honey, I'm home!" Kevin said with a smile."Let's go out for a walk. You can carry my shopping bags today," Lily said happily.Ever since Tyler had transferred the Jones family shares to Lily, her relatives' attitudes had changed completely, pretty much a 180-degree reversal."Okay!" Kevin smiled. Then he reached out to shake Rachel's hand."Hi Boss!" Rachel said nervously.It took them about a half hour to reach a good parking garage off of Michigan Avenue. Kevin followed Lily and Rachel patiently as they wandered aimlessly looking at the store windows.They finally decided to go into a very high-end jewelry store. "Let's see what catches her eye," Kevin thought to himself.