Chapter 395: Poor Old man!!!
Two days later, Pearl Villa finally began returning to normal.
The constant movement of guests, cars, luggage, conversations, laughter, and late night gatherings had slowly faded.
After breakfast, Gordon, David, and Birdie prepared to leave.
There were hugs.
A few final conversations.
Promises to visit again.
Timothy seemed particularly reluctant to let Gordon leave, but both brothers knew they had their own responsibilities waiting.
Gordon stood near the entrance with his coat over one arm.
"Take your rehabilitation seriously."
Timothy immediately frowned.
"You sound like Maya."
"Then Maya is sensible."
David laughed.
Birdie hugged Elena before leaving.
"Take care, Sister."
Elena smiled.
"Don’t worry."
Gordon looked toward Miles.
"And you."
Miles raised an eyebrow.
"Me?"
"Don’t let your grandfather skip exercises."
Timothy immediately protested.
"I am standing right here."
Everyone laughed.
A little while later, the cars left the villa gates.
And just like that...
Only the main family remained.
...
Timothy’s recovery continued surprisingly well.
Old age had not reduced his stubbornness.
If anything, the years spent unconscious seemed to have made him even more determined to move.
With Maya and the medical staff guiding him, he had already managed to take his first proper steps after the coma.
They were slow.
Unsteady.
But they were his own.
The first time he did it, Elena nearly cried.
Daniel stood nearby smiling proudly.
Hope and Asher reacted as though their grandfather had just won a championship.
"Grandpa walked!"
Asher had shouted through the villa.
Hope had immediately corrected him.
"He only walked three steps."
"Three is still walking."
Timothy had pointed toward Asher proudly.
"This boy understands progress."
After that, the old man became impossible to control.
Every morning he insisted on accompanying Miles for part of his walk.
Not the entire route.
Maya refused that immediately.
But enough to feel the morning air.
Enough to look around the trees.
Enough to remind himself that he was alive.
Sometimes he used a walking stick.
Sometimes he allowed Miles to support him.
And sometimes he stubbornly tried walking alone until Maya shouted at him.
When Hope and Asher returned from school, Timothy became their favorite storyteller.
The twins would sit beside him while he spoke about the old Star Harbor.
About the streets before skyscrapers appeared.
About the port.
About the early Sterling businesses.
About Edward when he was young.
Some stories were serious.
Most were not.
Hope especially loved hearing about Miles’ father doing silly things when he was younger.
Asher mostly cared about whether there were cars, animals, fights, or food involved.
And food had become another major topic.
Timothy could not stop praising Elena’s cooking.
At breakfast.
At lunch.
At dinner.
Sometimes between meals.
"How do Daniel stay thin eating like this?"
Elena laughed.
"He doesn’t eat this much."
Timothy immediately disagreed.
"He absolutely does."
Daniel had also grown much closer to him.
At first, there had been a slight awkwardness.
Daniel was, after all, the man who had married Edward’s wife after his death.
But that discomfort disappeared quickly.
Timothy saw what kind of man Daniel was.
How he treated Elena.
How he raised Hope and Asher.
How he loved Miles as his own son.
And eventually...
The old man stopped seeing him as the man who came after Edward.
He simply saw him as family.
Now the two had already planned a fishing trip for the coming weekend.
Daniel wanted somewhere quiet.
Timothy claimed he knew better fishing locations than anyone in Star Harbor.
Daniel reminded him that Star Harbor had completely changed during his coma.
Timothy refused to accept defeat.
Their argument went on for nearly twenty minutes.
Then there was business.
That was where Timothy became almost impossible.
Whenever Monica was nearby, he questioned her constantly.
Revenue.
Departments.
Current expansion.
Business sectors.
International operations.
Future projects.
He had spent decades building companies.
The businessman inside him had apparently survived the coma perfectly.
...
That evening, Miles was returning from work later than usual.
Today had been exhausting.
But productive.
The Formula One track project had moved forward significantly.
Through the Star Harbor Expansion Program created by the government, Miles had managed to purchase a large deserted region on the eastern side of the city.
The land itself was undeveloped.
Almost empty.
Which was exactly what made it valuable.
Miles drove through the city while thinking about the project.
The price had been reasonable.
Far better than he had initially expected.
And the government had been eager.
For good reason.
A Formula One track would not simply be another private investment.
It could reshape the entire eastern district.
Tourism.
Hotels.
Transportation.
Restaurants.
International sponsorships.
Events.
Foreign capital.
Business partnerships.
And most importantly...
Employment.
Thousands of people could eventually benefit directly or indirectly.
Miles looked toward the lights of Star Harbor while driving.
The city had changed dramatically.
And it was still changing.
In another few years...
Star Harbor could become the true commercial hub of the country.
Maybe even surpass Citadel City.
The thought made Miles smile.
The old Sterling Empire had once defined the city.
Now Sterling Enterprises was slowly expanding into something even larger.
Different industries.
Different markets.
Different countries.
Perhaps one day...
The name Sterling Empire would no longer be something belonging only to the past.
Miles eventually reached Pearl Villa.
Instead of stopping near the front entrance, he drove directly into the underground parking area.
The car came to a stop.
Miles switched off the engine.
He picked up his bag and stepped outside.
As he walked toward the stairs leading into the villa, his phone buzzed.
He checked the screen.
Charles.
Miles answered immediately.
"What are the updates?"
"Boss."
Charles sounded focused.
"We have completed the count inside Horizon Biotech’s New York Headquarters."
Miles slowed his steps.
"How many at night?"
"Roughly half compared to daytime."
Charles paused.
"We counted two hundred and seven people."
Miles frowned.
"Exact?"
"It changes slightly depending on movement. Could be a few more or less."
Miles nodded.
"How many have tattoos?"
Charles answered immediately.
"One hundred and seventy nine."
Miles stopped walking.
"One hundred and seventy nine trained people."
His expression hardened.
"And armed."
"Yes."
Miles rubbed his forehead.
"A direct assault will go sideways."
Charles agreed.
"Definitely."
Miles continued walking slowly.
"We need something that looks natural."
"That’s what we’re working on."
Charles continued.
"We are analyzing the internal infrastructure and building a detailed blueprint."
"Good."
Miles reached the first landing.
"What about Thea?"
Charles sighed.
"She barely stays in the living room now."
Miles frowned.
Charles continued.
"But she has significantly tightened internal security."
"Expected."
"They checked the cameras."
"Software."
"Monitoring systems."
Miles listened carefully.
Charles allowed himself a slight chuckle.
"Fortunately, we modified things at hardware level."
Miles smiled faintly.
"Good."
"We also installed transmitters inside Air Telecom signal antennas on a nearby building."
Miles raised an eyebrow.
"That’s useful."
"Unfortunately..."
Charles paused.
"They don’t use Air Telecom services inside the headquarters."
Miles sighed.
"Of course they don’t."
Charles continued.
"There are also many fresh faces entering the building."
"How many?"
"Enough to notice."
Charles’ tone became serious.
"It looks like they are preparing for something soon."
Miles’ expression hardened again.
"Keep monitoring."
"Understood."
Then Charles paused.
"There is another report."
Miles immediately noticed the change in his tone.
"What?"
"This came from Darius."
Miles stopped again.
"Norway?"
"Yes."
"What did he find?"
Charles began reciting the report.
Miles remained silent.
The more he listened...
The more his expression changed.
Confusion first.
Then surprise.
Then something closer to disbelief.
When Charles finished, Miles stared ahead.
"Seriously?"
"Yes, Boss."
Miles slowly exhaled.
"Do you think Grandmaster was deceived by that person too?"
Charles answered after a moment.
"Unlikely."
"Why?"
"They kept meeting."
Miles frowned.
"Recently?"
"Their last confirmed meeting was last year."
Miles became quiet.
Then slowly...
A smile appeared.
Not amused.
Impressed.
"That old man is very clever."
Charles laughed softly.
"Well..."
"He learned after being deceived once."
Miles nodded.
"Fair point."
He resumed walking.
"Alright."
"Update me immediately if anything important comes up."
"Understood, Boss."
The call ended.
Miles put the phone away.
He stood there for a second.
Thinking.
Lucian.
Thea.
Bjorn.
Norway.
The pieces were moving.
But there were still too many hidden cards.
Miles sighed and continued upstairs.
...
When he entered the living room, he immediately heard voices.
Timothy was sitting comfortably on the couch.
Monica sat across from him.
A tablet rested in her hands.
And judging by Monica’s expression...
The interrogation had been going on for some time.
Timothy pointed toward something displayed on the tablet.
"So this division reports directly to the executive office?"
Monica nodded.
"Yes."
"And international contracts?"
"Handled through separate regional teams."
"What about manufacturing?"
"Different structure."
"And how much..."
Miles finally interrupted.
"You are still awake, Grandpa?"
Timothy immediately looked toward him.
"Oh."
His face brightened.
"You are home."
Miles walked farther inside.
Timothy smiled.
"I was just asking Mona about your business operations."
Monica looked toward Miles as though silently asking for rescue.
Miles laughed.
"Grandpa."
"If you want, I can take you to the office on Monday."
Timothy’s eyes immediately lit up.
"I would love that."
Miles placed his bag beside the couch.
"So?"
He sat down.
"Do you like the business operations?"
Timothy nodded.
"Pretty good."
Then he corrected himself.
"Actually, very good."
Miles smiled.
Timothy continued.
"You expanded into fields we never managed to enter."
He counted slowly.
"Media."
"Arms."
"Franchise."
"Security."
"Hospitality."
"You even revived several old businesses I established."
His expression showed clear pride.
"And apparently..."
He looked amused.
"You even own an ice skating rink."
Miles laughed.
Timothy nodded approvingly.
"Well diversified."
Then he looked at Miles.
"I still can’t believe you established the company this year."
Miles smiled.
But Timothy’s expression slowly became thoughtful.
"However..."
"There is one thing I don’t understand."
Miles raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Monica stood and walked toward the small table.
She poured Miles a glass of water.
Miles accepted it.
"Thanks, Sis."
Monica smiled.
Miles looked back toward Timothy.
"So, Grandpa."
"What is the question?"
Timothy leaned forward.
"When did you obtain our ancestral treasure?"
Miles immediately understood what he meant.
"Many years ago."
Timothy frowned.
"Exactly."
Miles waited.
"Then why didn’t you invest the money?"
Miles blinked.
Timothy continued.
"You kept an enormous amount of liquid capital idle for years."
"As a businessman, that makes no sense."
Miles slowly looked toward Monica.
Timothy didn’t notice.
"You could have invested gradually."
"Purchased companies."
"Built assets."
"Entered markets."
"Even if you wanted to remain hidden, there were ways."
His voice became increasingly serious.
"Keeping capital unused for years is a huge opportunity loss."
Miles almost laughed.
Timothy continued.
"If you had started earlier..."
He gestured around.
"Perhaps you could already have built something comparable to the Reaper Group."
Miles’ expression became strange.
He slowly turned toward Monica.
"Didn’t you tell him?"
Monica looked innocent.
"I thought you would personally tell him."
Timothy immediately looked between them.
"Tell me what?"
Miles started laughing.
"Grandpa."
Timothy frowned.
Miles leaned back.
"Were you seriously expecting a teenager living undercover to start a business empire?"
Timothy looked completely serious.
"Why not?"
Miles stared at him.
Timothy continued.
"You have Sterling blood."
Miles almost choked on his water.
Timothy proudly continued.
"Your father started helping me with business when he was twelve."
Miles blinked.
"Twelve?"
"Yes."
Timothy nodded.
"Small things first."
"Paperwork."
"Observation."
"Learning how departments functioned."
"By the time he graduated high school, Edward understood business better than people twice his age."
A faint sadness passed through his face.
Then he looked back at Miles.
"In your case..."
"You were stronger than him."
"You understood the world earlier."
"You survived things he never had to face."
Timothy shrugged.
"So I thought perhaps you started early too."
Miles slowly nodded.
"Now I understand."
Timothy looked confused.
"What?"
"No wonder you keep interrogating Monica about Sterling Enterprises."
Monica covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Miles continued.
"Grandpa, she doesn’t know every detail of the current Sterling operations."
"She’s busy with her own work."
Timothy looked surprised.
"Her own work?"
"Yes."
Timothy pointed toward Monica.
"Doesn’t she work for Sterling Enterprises?"
Miles looked toward her.
Monica smiled.
Timothy continued.
"I thought she assisted you in the office."
"She calls you Boss."
Miles slowly placed his glass down.
Then looked at his grandfather.
"Grandpa."
"Yes?"
"You have a strong heart, right?"
Timothy frowned.
"What kind of question is that?"
"Just answer."
The old man straightened proudly.
"My heart is perfectly strong."
Miles nodded.
"Good."
Monica was already smiling.
Miles continued.
"Then listen carefully."
Timothy waited.
"Monica calls me Boss..."
Miles pointed toward himself.
"...because I am her boss."
Timothy nodded.
"Obviously."
"But not in Sterling Enterprises."
Timothy froze.
"What?"
Miles smiled.
"She handles operations for the Reaper Group."
Silence.
Timothy stared at Monica.
Then Miles.
Then Monica again.
For several seconds...
Nothing happened.
His brain seemed to stop.
Processing.
Connecting.
Remembering every conversation he had with Gordon.
The Reaper Group.
One of the largest and fastest growing corporate groups in the country.
The organization everyone assumed was controlled by mysterious investors.
The company Timothy himself had casually compared Sterling Enterprises to only moments ago.
Then realization struck.
His eyes widened.
"What?"
Miles started laughing.
Monica finally looked away because she could no longer control her smile.
Timothy simply sat there.
Speechless.
...
The night passed peacefully.
At least for everyone except one particular old man.
Because the next morning...
Timothy failed to wake up for rehabilitation.
Maya stood outside his room with her arms crossed.
Apparently discovering another one of Miles’ secrets had been more exhausting than physical therapy.
Fortunately...
It was Sunday.
...
Inside Miles and Chloe’s room, the morning was much calmer.
Miles stepped out of the bathroom after taking a shower.
A towel rested loosely around his neck.
Water still dripped from his hair.
He had barely taken two steps before he stopped.
Chloe stood directly in front of him.
Arms folded.
Watching him.
Miles blinked.
"What?"
Chloe narrowed her eyes.
"Just like I thought."
Miles looked confused.
"What did you think?"
"You don’t dry your hair properly."
Miles touched his head.
"It’s fine."
"No."
Chloe pointed toward the floor.
"You sprinkle water everywhere."
Miles looked down.
There were indeed several drops around him.
"Huh?"
Chloe sighed.
"Come here."
Before Miles could react, she grabbed his wrist.
"Sit."
"What?"
"Sit."
Miles was pulled toward the couch.
He sat down obediently.
Chloe picked up the towel.
Then stood behind him.
Miles felt the towel settle over his head.
She started rubbing his hair carefully.
Not roughly.
Not hurriedly.
Just enough to remove the moisture properly.
Miles sat quietly.
His expression slowly changed.
It felt strangely nice.
Chloe moved the towel around his head.
"Seriously."
She sighed.
"How did you live alone?"
Miles answered immediately.
"Very successfully."
Chloe pulled the towel harder.
"Ow."
"Successful people know how to dry their hair."
Miles laughed.
After finishing with the towel, Chloe disappeared into the bathroom.
She returned with a hair dryer.
Miles looked over his shoulder.
"You’re serious?"
"Very."
The dryer switched on.
Warm air moved through his hair.
Chloe carefully ran her fingers through it while drying.
Miles closed his eyes.
This felt absurdly luxurious.
Then she picked up a comb.
Miles opened one eye.
"There’s more?"
"Don’t move."
She gently combed his hair.
Adjusted the front.
Smoothed one side.
Then stepped around him.
Chloe studied her work seriously.
Miles looked up.
She smiled proudly.
"Now you look handsome."
Miles smiled.
Chloe tilted her head.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Don’t like it?"
Miles’ smile slowly became mischievous.
He leaned back against the couch.
"Can you do this every day?"
Chloe froze.
Then narrowed her eyes.
"You..."