TF Amethyst

Apartment 2304, Royal Crown Tower

For the whole weeks, Vex worked from his old working space and everything went smoothly. All shipments to Amstell Continent met no challenge, while the effort to put Major General Randy back into his office required only one little final touch. In a few days, Bob would also return to the State and assisted him like last time.

As for today, Vex held a second meeting with Claire. Actually, he wanted to meet with Claire four days ago, but her tight schedule didn’t allow it. Even now, Claire was still wearing her business suit after returning from overseas business trip.

“I’m sorry to ask you for a meeting this late, but I have to leave tomorrow.”

“No problem.” Claire took a sip of her warm chocolate before continued, “Let’s start it.”

“First,” Vex calmly said, “Do you have question or input for TF Amethyst’s upgrade?”

“No, I believed on your judgment.”

“Okay.” Vex took a deep breath before continued, “Can you help me with some personal matter?”

“It’s depends on what kind of personal matter you want me to help with.”

As he handed over a document Vex said, “This is my dead certificate and half of my wealth. Please make an arrangement to deliver it to my ex-wife.”

In an instant Claire dropped her jaw. “Vex, seriously?”

“Seriously,” Vex firmly replied. “If I don’t fake my dead, my ex-wife would not accept the wealth I prepared for Nicole.”

“When you are truly dead, I’m sure your wife will accept whatever you left behind for your daughter. As for now, when you are still living and kicking, why do you eliminate your chance to meet with them?”

“Before I came here, I took my time to visit them in Baltimore, covertly of course.” Vex heaving a deep sigh before continuing, “They are very happy as ever, even without me. It will not a big deal if I completely disappear from their life.

Meanwhile, in Amstell I knew some kids who maybe, they will need my attention. I also plan to carry my remaining wealth to Amstell.”

“Did you adopt them?”

“No, but like I said, maybe they will need my attention.”

Claire looked at Vex for a while before heaving a deep sigh. “Even if you start a new family in Amstell, I don’t think you need to cut every contact with your ex and your only daughter.

However, it’s your life and your call. I can only try my best to help you.”

“Thank you,” Vex said sincerely. 

“No problem. Uncle O’Neil treats you like a family, so for me you are like my older brother.”

Vex actually felt it’s weird that Clare thought of him as her older siblings, but he didn’t say it and stayed in main subject. “How deep is your trust on Bob?”

“No offense, but I trust Bob more than I trust you.”

“Good.” Vex smiled before continuing, “In that case, I will introduce Bob to General Randy, and he will take my place as your contact.”

Claire nodded. “No one knows Bob is working for me, and he very good at keep it that way. So that’s a feasible idea.”

“I see.”

“Well, if we have no other matter to discuss, I will return to my apartment. I need a long and nice sleep.”

“Okay.”

Vex then escorted Claire to the door before going to his bed. Tomorrow, he had a trip to Montana so he also needed a good rest for the whole night.

--- 

In west of Montana, stretched a 1250 hectares landscape consisting of hills, valley, woodland, river, and grassland. In this place, people could easily found abundant amount of trout, mallard, peasant, pigeon, rabbit, deer, and other wild games. Local people called this natural beauty as Mount Fairy Farms.

In addition as good spot for hunting, fishing, camping, and horse riding in hilly trail, Mount Fairy Farms was also famous for organic fruits, high quality beef, milk, cheese, and special-breed horses.

From the passenger seat of a Black Cherokee Jeep, Bob observed hundreds of Black Angus Cows and special-breed horses that grazing freely. Twenty full minutes since he entered Mount Fairy Farms, and he was still in the middle of vast meadow with row of wooden fence in each side of the road.

“This place is huge,” Bob said in amazement.

As he calmly drove the Black Cherokee Jeep Vex replied, “Yes, it is.”

Bob turned his gaze towards Vex and asked, “Is this land all belong to General Randy?”

“No, it belongs to his wife.”

“I see.” Bob nodded before asking again, “Mr. Vex, may I know why you choose to put General Randy back into his office?”

Vex calmly replied, “When I was in Delta, I took two bullets for him in an escort mission. I hope it will prevent him from betray us for mere profit. Secondly, I want General Randy owe you a big favor.”

“I see.”

After a moment of silence Vex decided to confirm his curiosity. “Bob, how did you meet with our Young Miss?”

“Ummm… My Grandfather was gardener in Webber Mansion. I started living with him when I was nine, right after my father died in a traffic accident and my mother ran with another man.”

“So, you two are childhood friend.”

“Sort of.” Bob slightly nodded, and then he started telling Vex about his childhood memory with Claire.

Little Claire didn’t go to public school or private school because she had a hard time to socialize with other children. Private teachers would come to Webber Mansion to teach her, but most of the time her Grandfather would teach her personally.

One day, Little Bob saw Little Claire sat in a bench on the side yard. It was the bench where her mother used to sat while enjoying morning sun, before she passed away because her illness. Seeing Little Claire was silently trying to hold her sob, Little Bob didn’t have heart to just watch and do nothing.

Little Bob then took Little Claire to play at the small garden in the backyard. At first, Little Claire just curiously followed Little Bob. Then, before she was realizing it, she had already following Little Bob chasing butterfly all over the place. 

When Little Bob fell she would laughing breathlessly while helping him got up to his feet. When she fell, she was also laughing breathlessly while Little Bob helping her got up to her feet. Three months since he lived in Webber Mansion, and it was the first time Little Bob saw Little Claire was so happy. 

The two then played together until almost sunset. And the maids in the mansion could only freaking out when they saw dirt on Claire’s clothes, along with bruises on her knee and elbow.

However, Claire’s Grandfather was not angry or reprimanded the two newborn little rascals. As he cleaned and sterilized bruises on both Little Claire and Little Bob, he proposed a deal that Little Claire could play with Little Bob from 14:30-16:30 every day, as long she got good score for her study. Without second thought Claire sealed the deal. 

Claire’s Grandfather then bought track suits and sneakers for the two little rascals, to be wore when they played in the garden. A week later, Claire’s Grandfather invited Bob to join the study session with Claire.

“My IQ is only 110, not even half of what Miss Claire has. It was very hard to keep up her.” Bob shyly said, before a smile bloomed in his lips. “However, Little Miss, her Grandfather, and Young Master O’Neill never gave up on me, and they always treat me as a member of their small family.”

‘No wonder she had a deep trust on you. You had already become her backbone since both of you were a little rascals,’ Vex muttered before asking, “Where was Claire’s Father at that time?”

A cold gleam suddenly flashed on Bob’s eyes. “Robert Webber married one of his mistresses not long after Claire’s mother passed away. He then left the mansion and only returned every Christmas with his second wife and their children.”

“Did Robert Webber inherit the wealth of Webber Family?”

“No, Miss Claire’s Grandfather made 85% of his corporation went bankrupt, and then Miss Claire bought it cheaply using various fake identities. As for the remaining corporations, he split it evenly for Miss Claire, General O’Neil, and Robert Webber.”

“I see.”

Vex nodded as the Black Cherokee Jeep entered the front yard of an old mansion right in the middle of Mount Fairy Farms.

*****