Masked In Nobility: Secrets Of Mrs. Chavez Novel by Selina Gorges

Lucas‘ face twisted with a mix of emotions.

He struggled internally, “Zachary is truly nice to me, yet never missed a chance to throw me under the bus. How could I, an ordinary butler, offend the youngest major general of Clusia, especially when he is the future son–in–law of the Chambers family?”

After weighing the pros and cons, Lucas made the toughest decision of his life.

He did not even dare to look Zachary in the eye, instead bowing his head. “Sir, times have changed. Young people nowadays are not like us anymore,” Lucas mumbled, keeping his gaze fixed on the floor.

Zachary sat on the couch, stunned as he watched his once–loyal butler betray him.

He doubted in his heart, ‘Is this really the same faithful butler who would stick by me through thick and thin? The speed of his betrayal seems way too fast, not even giving me a moment to react.‘

Zachary awkwardly put down his coffee cup, planning to sort things out with Lucas after Jeremiah left Jeremiah flashed Lucas a friendly smile, making Lucas beam with joy.

Lucas exclaimed in his heart, “Yvette certainly has an eye for good looks. The future son–in–law of the Chambers family is really handsome. If I were in Yvette’s position, I’d choose Jeremiah too.”

Jeremiah glanced at Zachary, who was quietly sulking, then at Yvette, who was clearly planning to enjoy the show while munching on an apple. Jeremiah pulled a big black envelope out of his briefcase and placed it on the table.

Jeremiah said, “Mr. Chambers, here’s a little gift from me. I hope you like it.”

Feeling stunned, Zachary thought, “So that’s what this guy is waiting for.” Lucas, perceptive as ever, stepped forward, picked up the large envelope, and handed it to Zachary.

Zachary glared at the “traitor” with displeasure and took the envelope. He opened it, and the moment he saw what was inside, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Zachary exclaimed inwardly, “Is this just a gift for the first meeting? A check for thirty million dollars, a deed for a large estate in Mysonna, and a contract for a villa in Betrico? What a generous gift.

“The combined value of these items must be at least a billion dollars.” When Zachary reached the last sheet, he was completely stunned. It was a contract for the transfer of 10% ownership of the Chambers Group.

Zachary could not help but exclaim, “How is this possible? Where did you get 10% of the Chambers Group shares?”

Upon hearing Zachary’s words, Yvette paused and then looked up at Jeremiah. She doubted in her heart, “When did Jeremiah acquire shares in the Chambers Group? It seems like he kept this well–hidden.”

Jeremiah calmly took a sip of water before saying, “I bought them from some small shareholders

Zachary immediately blurted out, “When did you start?”

Lucas curiously looked at Jeremiah and thought, “It’s not easy to collect shares from those minor shareholders. Mr. Chavez is really considerate; these shares will save Yvette a lot of trouble later on for controlling the Chambers Group.”

Zachary had thought of that too. Now he found Jeremiah a bit more pleasing. Jeremiah noticed the change in Zachary’s look and calmly nodded.

Jeremiah said casually, “Ever since your last press conference, I’ve been preparing.”

Zachary gave Jeremiahr an annoyed look. He grumbled inwardly. “This guy claimed it was a gift for me? Isn’t this meant for Yvette?”

Zachary put down the envelope and waved his hand casually. “Your gift doesn’t need to be so extravagant. After all, you and Yvette haven’t been engaged yet. If I took this, it would seem like I’m selling my daughter.”

Zachary did not mince words at all, which made Lucas shake his head. He thought Zachary would be a tough father–in–law for Jeremiah to deal with.

Despite Zachary’s cold remarks, Jeremiah kept up his courteous smile. It seemed Jeremiah used all his smiles for today.

Jeremiah said, “Mr. Chambers, do you really think Yvette is worth only these things? It’s just a gift, and you don’t need to overthink it. To me, Yvette is priceless and cannot be evaluated by these things.”

Zachary’s face fell. He thought, “Damn it. I really encountered a rival today. He’s trying to make me look bad in front of Yvette. This man’s cunning runs deep and he’s not easy to handle.”

Lucas lowered his eyes and thought, “The future son–in–law is truly impressive. Didn’t he notice that Mr. Chamber is so mad so\mad that he’s about to lose his cool?”

Zachary was silent for a few seconds and said, “It’s just a meeting gift, right? Since you have the guts to give it, why wouldn’t I have the guts to accept it?”

Yvette lounged on the couch. She casually opened a bag of chips, cracked open a bottle of soda, and put in a straw. She wiggled her small feet and rested her chin on her hand, her clear eyes watching the exchange between the two.

She thought, “The Eagle King was right; battles between men should be resolved by themselves. If I get involved, I would end them all.” The Eagle King, far away in Mysonna, had no idea that his words were being whimsically twisted and misinterpreted by Yvette.

Jeremiah’s gaze landed on Yvette watching the show. When he noticed her rosy lips, his eyes went deep and dark as his throat moved slightly.

Zachary shifted the topic and then asked, “What do your parents do?”

He thought, “For Jeremiah to achieve the rank of major general at his age, his family must be quite remarkable.” Yet, Jeremiah looked completely calm.

He replied calmly, “Mr. Chambers, in our family, it’s just my grandpa, my parents, and me. My father, Clifford, currently works in diplomacy and is now the director of the Clusia Ministry of Foreign Affairs. My mother runs a company, and my grandpa is about to retire.”

The coffee cup in Zachary’s hand fell directly to the floor and rolled to a stop at Lucas‘ feet. He waited a long time, but unlike usual, Lucas did not pick it up.

Because Lucas too was frozen in place, eyes wide, and filled with disbelief. Yvette looked at them and felt puzzled. She thought, “Is this really that surprising?”

Zachary took a while to regain his composure. He wanted to look causal but his mind was so blank that he did not even know what to say.

He thought, “Clifford is considered a diplomatic legend by people of my time. During an era when Clusia had little international influence, he was already making significant impacts on the global stage.

“Faced with pressure from Mysonna and other nations, it took incredible courage and determination for Clifford to never back down. He’s truly a hero of the peaceful era.

“He’s the prominent figure appearing on daily news broadcasts and at foreign affairs press conferences; but now Jeremiah is saying that’s his father? Could anything be more startling?”

Zachary felt a bit lightheaded now. He thought it was unreal that he was going to become in–laws with Clifford. When he looked at Jeremiah now, he found him to be quite likable.

He thought, “Jeremiah truly has that charming and dignified aura, and he extrudes a refined elegance, much like Mr. Clifford Chavez in his younger days.” Jeremiah could never have guessed that Zachary found him acceptable because of his father.

Lucas was quite baffled. He thought, “The Chambers family is well–established in Seacrity, but hardly recognized in places like Betrico. Yet now, they are about to become in–laws with a director from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?”

Lucas really felt like he had hit the jackpot and he could not stay calm about it. Zachary steadied his slightly trembling left hand.

He was already getting tongue–tied, and to hide his embarrassment, he casually asked a question. But he did not even know what he had asked. “So, how’s your grandpa doing? Why hasn’t he retired at such an old age?”