Chapter 14: Chapter 14
"You could have kept her a secret from us if you just wanted to marry her. But you speak of an Alliance, why Heir Demiliore?" Darius tapped his finger in the armrest and asked.
It was not that Darius did not know the reasons, but he wanted to listen to them from Keith's mouth. He wanted to see if Keith was honest about his motives or not, and more than that, he wanted to understand the confidence reflected in the boy's eyes.
"Your health is deteriorating, Greatfather." Keith lightly smiled. "I am sure your doctors have informed you that you only have a little more than a year of life left in you."
The Old Man did not say anything in reply and just kept looking at him, waiting for him to finish everything he had to say.
"The Falken Family already has plans for the Angelini." Keith gravely said as he remembered clearly what would happen after the passing of Darius Angelini. "And Falken are not alone, they have allied with another major family, the Grayson, and a few minor Families to devour the wealth of Angelini. Your business is already infested with moles, just waiting for the right time. And as soon as you die, it will be the end of your business Empire."
"And you know who they are?" The old man lightly smiled and asked.
Of course, he was not surprised that the enemies had plans for his family. The enemies have always been there, and Angelini Family, in their 267 years of history since their arrival in Sameran City, have always stood tall.
"I have a list of the key culprits." Keith smiled at him confidently. "And as for the reason why I want this Alliance is because the fall of Angelini will embolden the greedy. They will come after the Demiliore next. Our Families survived the worst of the times in the last two centuries because we stood together, but now, we are broken and divided. The list of our enemies is only getting longer, Greatfather. And if we stay divided because of a generation's mistakes, it would be an insult to our ancestors that stayed shoulder to shoulder for centuries." He sighed and took a deep breath. "If you agree to accept Kiara in the Family, give her the inheritance that was meant for her mother, and agree with the marriage, your estranged Grandson and his family are ready to return to the Angelini Estate today. I have already talked with Uncle Damien about it. He is also ready to take on the responsibilities of being the future Master of Angelini Family."
He knew that the greatest worry of the Old Man was his estranged grandson, who left the family after what happened with his sister and did not even show up at the funeral of his parents. Damien and his son were the only males left in the Main Family, the Angelini Family was currently without an Official Heir.
Darius was not willing to hand the Power to a branch family, which would only result in the dissatisfaction of the rest of the branch families, leading to an implosion of the Angelini Empire. It was not wise to do it. And he knew clearly that if Damien does not return, the annihilation of Angelini is inevitable.
He had tried everything in his power to convince Damien to come back, but he always refused.
The low his father had fallen to had sickened Damien, and the injustice that was done to his sister was something he could never forgive. But now that he knew that he had a niece, his sister's blood and flesh, he was willing to do everything in his power to keep her safe. But of course, the premise was that his niece would receive everything that his sister was deprived of.
"Are these your words or Damien's words?" Darius smiled and asked, his grey eyes gleaming in hope.
"It was Uncle Damien that brought up the Inheritance, and the rest was proposed by me and accepted by him." He honestly answered.
Darius stopped tapping his finger on the armrest and straightened a little in his chair.
"What you propose sounds good, but it is clear that your Family gains a lot from this Alliance compared to my Family. After my death, the Angelini Business would take a hit, and by the time my great-grandson is old enough to take the reigns of the business, the Angelini would have most likely become a branch to your Family." He narrowed his eyes at Keith as if trying to search his soul.
"That's still the best option on the table for you," Keith smirked. "But rest assured, Greatfather. I won't allow my mother to devour the Angelini Family or your Business. The hit the Angelini Business will take is inevitable, but the severity can be lessened a lot through the Alliance. Yes, Uncle Damien can not take control of the Business because of his Military Responsibilities, but his wife, Danielle, is a successful businesswoman. She can take care of the Angelini Business with the help of Sol and the other loyal subjects of your Family. She may not be as fierce as my mother, but she is a talented businesswoman."
Darius contemplated over his words and sighed. He knew that Keith was right. Even if the Angelini ended up becoming the branch of Demiliore, it was still a better result than the extermination of the entire family and the efforts of his ancestors.
Things would have been a lot different had Damien not been so stubborn, but years of regret had made Darius realize how his grandson felt about the family, and he could not find it in his heart to blame him for his stand after everything that happened.
He took a deep breath to calm down his nerves when the face of his son appeared in his mind. It would forever remain his greatest regret that he had given the power to a fool like him.
"Your Mother is not a woman who can be controlled, Heir Demiliore. Even if you have no intentions against the Angelini, your Mother won't miss out on the opportunity the Alliance would provide to devour my Family." Darius seriously said.
"Greatfather, I know my mother better than anyone in the world. Yes, you are right. She would have such thoughts, but I am confident enough to promise you that nothing of such sort would happen. She won't do it." He resolutely said, and there was no smile on his face now.
Darius meaningfully looked his in his clear eyes, and then sank back in his chair.
"Have you talked about everything with your Grandparents?"
Keith lightly smiled at Darius' question.
"I did not inform them about my decision, but in the morning, I received a message from grandfather asking me to be safe."
As the Heir of the Family, he did have his freedom, but his Grandfather was still the Master of the Family. Yes, Caesar would never talk about his affairs to anyone, not even to his mother, but he was obliged to inform his Grandfather about his visit to the Angelini Estate. And since his Grandfather had not asked him to reconsider his decision or stop him from coming here, it meant that he had tactfully approved of his decision and given him a free hand.
For Darius, this answer was enough, and he then closed his eyes with a thoughtful expression on his aged face.
Kiara nervously looked at her Greatfather, whom she had met for the first time in her life, and prayed that he would agree to Keith's proposal.
"Tell Damien to come here. Since he is her father, only he can accept your proposal for marriage. As for the Alliance, inform your Grandparents to come to see me." The old man opened his eyes and smiled at Keith. "It's been years since my daughter and son-in-law came to see me. I miss them."
Keith was overjoyed when he heard Darius's words, and his brilliant smile reflected his happiness.
"Thank you, Greatfather!" He gratefully said.
Darius only nodded to him and then turned to look at Kiara. He smiled when he saw the girl not shrinking under his gaze.
"Thank you, Greatfather!" She too conveyed her gratitude, wearing a bright smile on her face, looking straight into his eyes.
Darius' smile widened at her words. She had inborn confidence in her bones, and she was a true Angelini; Brave, Steadfast, but Clever.
"You have not only inherited your mother's eyes, but also her personality." Darius gently spoke, and his voice contained affection for his late granddaughter. "She would have been proud of you."
"I never knew her, but I would love to hear more about her. Would you tell me?" She was not a simple girl, and Darius' words did not bother her or made her emotional over the fact that she never knew her birth mother, rather she honestly conveyed her desire to learn about her mother.
"Of course..." Darius nodded to her. And then he started telling Kiara about how her mother was in her childhood.
Keith excused himself tactfully, letting the Greatfather and the great-daughter have some alone time.
Yingying and Victor were relieved to see him come out of the study with a happy smile on his face. And Sol took a look inside the room before closing the door again.
"At ease." He gave the command to his two bodyguards and then walked a little away to make a call to Damien Angelini.
After the brief call ended, Keith approached Sol.
"Uncle Damien and his family are waiting in the House 97, Boulevard Steet, Greentown Community. Arrange for a team to secretly bring them here. You must make sure that no one gets the gist of their presence in the city. The Demiliore force stationed inside the house will cooperate with you."
"I will make the arrangements." Sol accepted his words and left the lounge to get to work.
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