Invincible Heir
Chapter 14 Unavoidable rivalries

Blushing bright red, Yuri shot a frigid glare at Charles.

At the same time, she felt a surge of curiosity regarding wherever Baron had been, and whatever he had done, for all those years.

No normal person could have sent Connor flying eight meters as Baron had with a single kick, and now this viciously fierce enforcer by the name of Charles just up and popped out of nowhere. 'During those five years he'd disappeared off to goodness-knows-where, he didn't become some kind of underground criminal ringleader, did he?' A sudden notion leapt to the forefront of Yuri's mind.

If Baron could read Yuri's thoughts, he would have been quite amazed with her vivid imagination.

Still holding Lara, Baron passed Charles and murmured, "This isn't the Pola Islands. No killing."

"No worries, Mr. Owen. I'll hold back, " Charles replied.

Yuri overheard their conversation, which just so happened to confirm her theory. Had they really murdered people?

She found herself frightened to the verge of tears. What sort of place was Pola? Who on earth were these people?

As she drove them home, Yuri didn't dare make a noise, for fear that Baron would lose his temper and silence her for good.

In the car, Lara maintained her desperate grip on Baron's neck, afraid her Dad would slip away again.

Twenty minutes later, they finally arrived at the Perry courtyard.

It didn't take one step beyond the threshold before they came across Sherry, whose face changed the instant she saw Yuri hanging from Baron's neck. She closed in, chasing him down as she swatted at him with a broom.

"You bastard, I can't believe you've got the guts to show up here,' she panted, breathless.

After being privy to Baron's "secret", Yuri wasn't about to allow her own mother to provoke him. She grabbed her hand. "Mom, please get a hold of yourself. He's just taking Lara home, and he's leaving right away!"

Lara started wailing. "I don't want to be a wild child without a Dad!"

Hearing all the commotion, Tracy and Terry hurried to the scene as well. "What happened?"

Yuri summarized the events at the kindergarten, and Tracy felt her heart tear itself to ribbons. "From now on, stay here with Lara!" Everyone gave a start, and Sherry objected to Baron's presence immediately. "Are you mad? If he stays, what about you and Joker?"

"Mom, are you just going to keep forcing my hand? If you want him gone, I'm leaving with Lara too,' Tracy said, her voice breaking.

If it hadn't been for her little girl, Tracy would have died rather than keep Baron in the house. All she wanted was a complete family for her daughter.

Baron himself was stunned. He'd never thought that he would be allowed to stay in this household together with Tracy and their daughter, just as he'd always dreamed.

Yuri pitched in to persuade her mother. "Mom, it's for Lara, so just let him live here for now, okay?"

Seeing his daughter's pained expression, Terry heaved a sigh and joined in as well. "If that's what our daughters are saying, then let's have him stay."

Sherry shot her husband a harsh glare. Realising that it was impossible to get rid of Baron at this point, she went on to say, "All right, you can live here. But you're going to pay up five thousand dollars' rent every month. I'll write you up a contract. You can stay if you agree to our terms."

Even if it had been five million instead of five thousand, Baron would have paid it gladly.

And so he quickly agreed, trailing Tracy and Lara up the stairs.

Watching the family of three from behind as they left, complicated emotions swirled about in Yuri's eyes as she sighed and thought, 'If it hadn't been for the events of five years ago, and if the two of you truly loved each other, how much better would things be?'

Soon, Lara's joyous laughter began to emanate from Tracy's room, while Sherry's face showed only displeasure. "Ungrateful louts, all of them!"

"Mom, I'm the furthest thing from ungrateful. Just wait until I marry into the Lewis Clan. Who's going to look down on us then?"

Yuri knew her mother wasn't happy, so she hugged her around the neck and spoke cheerily of her upcoming marriage.

The mere mention of the Lewis Clan lifted Sherry's spirits, and she said brightly, "With that many betrothal gifts sent in by the Lewis family, not to mention getting hired by the Brone Group - it's really you, Yuri, who's taking the load off my shoulders. Your mother's counting on you from now on to live the good life."

At night, a mischievous Lara decided to sleep on the floor with her Dad. Being the first time she was sleeping with her own father, the girl was overjoyed, and didn't fall asleep until it was very late. Looking at his daughter snuggled up against his chest, satisfaction registered across his bearing, but the regret in his heart also dug itself deeper.

Tracy laid in bed tossing and turning, her thoughts too scattered for her to fall asleep.

"Worried about gaining collaboration with the Brone Group?" Baron asked out of the blue.

Tracy's reply was icy. "Quiet. Don't wake Lara."

Baron smiled bitterly and held his tongue. This was going to be a sleepless night.

Early in the morning the following day, Baron had already left by the time Tracy roused herself.

Five years of serving on the border regions had instilled thorough discipline in Baron's routine, and morning training was now an inalienable part of his daily schedule.

Lara opened her eyes, saw that her Dad wasn't there, and started bawling again.

Tracy couldn't do a single thing to calm her down until Baron returned, upon which Lara stopped crying and clung to her Dad, not coming down for anything.

By the time they pampered her enough to drop her off at Blue Sky, she was already late by half an hour.

Samho Group, penthouse floor.

Every seat in the meeting room was taken. After all, today was the day Cona's Johnson and Perry Clans were to sign a contract.

The Johnson family was one of the better second-rate families of the State of Cona, having almost squeezed their way into the plutarchy the year before. Their properties dwarfed those of the Perry Clan by several streets' worth.

"Phillip is truly impressive - he actually secured collaboration with the Johnson family."

"That's nothing. Phillip's even built up connections with the Brone Group. By the time Tracy comes back with her tail between her legs, it won't be long before Phillip makes gains on that front."

"Want to hear something funny? I saw Tracy - that witless trollop - waiting outside the Brone Group doors the entire day yesterday. Didn't set one foot inside the offices. Oh, goodness me, I'm dying, ha!" The rabble in the meeting room surrounded Phillip, their jests as loud as they were irreverent.

"There's just two days left. So long as she fails to hash anything out with the Brone company, it'll be high time for Tracy to hightail it out of the clan. When it's time, I'll bring the lot of you with me to watch the show," Phillip said smugly.

"Hah! I say, this is the first time in my life I've ever wanted the days to go by sooner," someone laughed.

At this moment, footsteps echoed down from the corridor outside, and the carousing ground to an immediate halt.

Henry led in a middle-aged man, making small talk as he escorted him inside the meeting room.

"Allow me to introduce the main heir of the Johnson family, Mr. Connor Johnson. He's here today on behalf of the Johnson Clan to sign a collaboration agreement with the Perry Clan. Everyone - give him a warm welcome!" Henry introduced.

After exchanging more pleasantries, the two parties began the motions of signing the agreement.

Then Tracy and Baron showed up at the office.

"Sorry I'm late, Granddad, we got held up taking Lara to the kindergarten," Tracy apologized the moment she pushed into the meeting room.

Connor, who had just been about to sign, looked up reflexively at the mention of "kindergarten" and immediately saw Baron Owen.

"You!"

He hurled the pen he was to sign with against the desk.

Only now did Baron notice that this was the very same Connor he'd punted across Blue Sky just one day earlier.00☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐

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