Secret Scion

Garrett chuckled. "There's no need for you to deny it when that is exactly what you think. I believe I made myself clear, Rodrick. I came to Rollinsford for two reasons. Getting rid of Asher Crawford is one of them. And the other is to seize control over Rollinsford so that the households here would be of use to me. I hope this is the last time this happens. Do not mess with my plans again."

He hung up the phone without waiting to hear Rodrick's reply.

He did not look pleased as he lit a cigarette and took a drag. Garrett did not expect for Rodrick

to have no confidence in him as he huffed coldly, "Everyone who fucks with my plans is my enemy!"

Ding dong!

That was when the doorbell rang.

"There's someone here to see you, sir." A subordinate's voice rang out. "He says that he's a Steward."

A Steward?

Garrett could not help but frown. Why would a Steward be seeking him out?

He was too ashamed to remain with the Leonards after he had sexually assaulted Mikaela, which was why he was now staying in a nearby hotel.

When he opened the door and saw that it was a strange young man, Garrett approached the sofa and asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm Noelle's cousin, Erick Steward, Mr. Schmidt." It was Erick who came. He nodded. "I heard you were in Rollinsford, hence my visit to extend a welcome."

Garrett casually gestured to the sofa opposite of him. "Sit."

Erick nodded. He then cautiously sat down before hesitating for a few seconds to look at Garrett's subordinates in the room. It was only natural for Garrett to know what Erick wanted. "Leave us."

When his subordinates walked out of the room, Erick started with a smile, "I hear you are here in Rollinsford to get rid of Asher, Mr. Schmidt. To be honest with you, I couldn't stand the likes of him from the very beginning. He may have been part of the Stewards, but no one acknowledged him. Recently his identity has been exposed, and the Stewards are trying to curry favor with him. I, however, am not one to flatter others. I can't stand him. Who cares what sort of man he is?

"I was supposed to be the only candidate for the position of the head in the family, but Asher insisted on Noelle taking my place instead. They may be divorced, but seeing that they were once husband and wife, she would definitely stand on his side. I'm different. I'll definitely be of use to you if I am head of the Stewards, Mr. Schmidt."

Garrett stroked the bridge of his nose and asked indifferently, "You want me to help you take back your rightful place as head?"

Erick nodded hastily. "I'd be grateful if you could do it."

Garrett took another drag of his smoke. "Speak. How can I help you?"

"It's simple, Mr. Schmidt. The reason the Stewards allowed for Noelle to take her place as head is because of Asher. He's helping her because he still cannot let go of her. So, the easiest method is to make Asher lose interest in Noelle."

Erick leaned forward and whispered, "As far as I know, Asher and Noelle have never consummated their marriage despite being married for two years, Mr. Schmidt. I'm not sure if you're aware, but the reason Noelle married Asher was because she didn't want to marry Radley. In other words, they didn't consummate the marriage because she has no interest in him. All we have to do is ruin her reputation and Asher will definitely lose interest in her."

Garrett tapped off the excess ash on his cigarette. "Is this true?" A beautiful face immediately surfaced in his mind.

"Would I dare to lie to you, Mr. Schmidt?" Erick inclined his head. "But Asher is still, after all, a scion from the Capital City. I can't lay a finger on Noelle, which is why I'm here to ask you for your help."

"Asher is no one to be feared. He's a dead man to me. What I want to know is what you mean by ruining Noelle's reputation?" Garrett added after thinking it through. "I've met Noelle once before. She's quite the beauty. Hehe."

Erick pondered on Garrett's words. Was he interested in Noelle?

He answered tentatively, "The easiest way to ruin a woman's reputation is to find a way to get her

in bed. I know my cousin. She had never had a man prior to her marriage to Asher. She's conservative and is nothing like a woman in the modern age. Think about it. If Asher finds out that she was bedded by another man, would he still be dead-set on helping her?"

Hearing his words, the smile on Garrett's face grew more and more intrigued. "I didn't expect her to still be a virgin."

"If you're interested in Noelle, allow me to handle the matter."

"You're a vicious man, Erick. But I like you for it. Haha." Garrett had always been perverse when it came to women, and Noelle was as beautiful as a celestial. He was already intrigued by her from the moment they met. What's more, Noelle was Asher's wife. It would be a great pleasure to cuckold Asher.

Dove Yaeger had not seen Asher since her birthday. It was not because she was aware of the overwhelming odds against her but simply because she had no time to seek him out.

It was rare for her to have time today. After breakfast, Dove dolled herself up and went to look for Asher.

When she left her room and walked to the courtyard, Castor's voice suddenly rang out from behind her. "Are you going out, Dove?"

Dove nodded. "I'm going out for a stroll. Do you want to come along, Cas?"

Castor approached her and regarded his sister as he prodded with a light smile. "You're going to seek Asher out?"

Castor had unexpectedly seen through her. Dove likewise did not deny it. She looked every bit determined. "I'll find a way to get what I want. I'm not giving up even if it gets difficult." Castor did not know whether to encourage her or put a damper on her plans. Anyone could tell that the woman Asher loved was Noelle, but his foolish little sister refused to see reason.

"I'm afraid Noelle wouldn't agree to you trying to pursue Asher's affections. I don't know whether I should be supportive of you or not. However, just one thing, you can compete fairly with Noelle, but you cannot have ill-disposed intentions toward her. Of course, I know you're not that sort of person." Castor was saying this to cautioned Dove. He was afraid that her love would breed hate and she would take revenge on Noelle. Asher would not allow her to walk away scot- free if she did so.

"I understand, Cas. Don't worry. I'm not that foolish." With that, she started up her car. Castor could not help but sigh as he watched the car disappear from sight. She could have fancied literally anyone and yet she chose Asher. Perhaps this was also God's will.

He shook his head helplessly and was about to turn around to go back to his room when he noticed his grandfather approaching. He hurried up to greet him, "Grandpa."

Castor's grandfather could be summed up in one word-accomplished. He was the founder of the Yaeger Corporation who started as a penniless boy who had nothing to his name to a business tycoon. He was nothing short of a legend.

"Has Dove gone out?" Sigmund Yaeger asked. He was rarely out, but he had heard a lot about what was happening. "She's been acting a little different recently. I hear that she's fallen for someone?"

Castor knew this was something he could not hide from his grandfather and could only nod in affirmation. "Dove might just be feeling whimsical."

"Not necessarily." Sigmund pointed to the backyard, approaching it as he spoke. "She has always been a stubborn one. She has to do everything she can to accomplish what she wants. I believe she has truly fallen for him, but I'm afraid he's a tough nut to crack." "You know, Grandpa?"

"Everyone has been hiding the matter from me. I suppose I'm the last person in this household to find out about it, yes?" Sigmund settled his arms behind his back as he ambled about the backyard. "Asher is Solomon's grandson. I met him once when I was out. It would be a good thing if Dove and Asher got together."

Castor then asked, "Grandpa, in your opinion, who do you think will be the one standing after the battle between the Schmidts and the Crawfords?"

Sigmund frowned. "That's hard to say. There are far too many factors involved here. But now that we've cast our lot with the Crawfords, there's no longer a need for us to consider it. Everything will come to light when the time comes."

Dove drove straight to the hotel where Asher was residing at. The doorbell rang for a long time, but there was no sign of life inside. She then asked the staff only to find out that Asher had checked out.

"When did he check out?" Dove asked.

The clerk at the front desk answered, "It was a while ago. Mr. Crawford and a beautiful young woman were here. They left after checking out."

"A beautiful young woman?" Dove hastily demanded, "What did she look like?"

Dove grew even more certain that it was Noelle after listening to the employee's description of

her.