LM
CHAPTERS 986 - 992
986
“It’s impossible! It’s impossible! You’re lying to me!” Janell Joy Carter spoke up the moment Jason Lesley stopped speaking.
Since the enemy could pretend to be Brother Lucas and sent her the message, it was certain that they would be listening to their conversation too, so she had to continue to act the role.
“Miss Carter, about this…” On the other end of the phone, Jason choked up.
After a long time, she heard his voice again. “Sorry for your loss. The President loved you so much, and surely wouldn’t want to bring you grief.”
“Since you could say that, so how can he abandon me? Mr. Lesley, I beg you. Tell me, he’s absolutely fine okay?” Janell Joy was good at acting. She fooled both Jason and the man sitting next to him.
Hearing Janell Joy’s crying, Nathaniel Cooper could no longer sit still. He suddenly got up and was about to grab the phone in Jason’s hand. Fortunately, Jason reacted quick enough and dodged in time. Then, he told Janell Joy to take care of herself and hung up the phone.
Looking back, Jason’s eyes met Nathaniel’s. Nathaniel looked so angry as if he wanted to eat Jason up. Jason immediately explained, “Mr. President, you can’t be too impulsive. If you do that, we will be exposed.”
Of course, Nathaniel knew that he would expose the truth if he answered the phone. However, when he heard Janell Joy’s heartbroken crying, he couldn’t stay calm. He even wanted to rush to her side to hold her immediately and ask her not to worry. He needed to let her know that he was fine.
“Mr. President, there are still a few hours left, only a few hours left…” Jason reminded Nathaniel earnestly. They were so worried that their President would make a wrong move on an impulse and they will be completely defeated.
“You can go now, go attend to your work.” Nathaniel waved his hand to dismiss Jason, and his expression returned to his usual calmness, no one could see any joy or anger from his facial expression.
“Mr. President.” Jason was still worried that Nathaniel would behave impulsively, so he held Nathaniel’s phone and was unwilling to hand it over to Nathaniel.
“Jason!” Nathaniel said in a deep voice. He raised his head and cast a cold glance at Jason. Now he was getting offended at how Jason perceived him.
“Mr. President, endure it for a while more, then Miss Carter can be by your side publicly in the future. You have to think twice. You must think twice. You must not act on impulse.” It was not because Jason doubted Nathaniel’s ability, but because he knew too well about Nathaniel’s feelings for Janell Joy.
For all these years, their President had been keeping his attention on her, and he had even assigned his people to secretly protect her at all times.
Mr. President attached too much importance to that girl, so much that he would do anything for her. That was why Jason was so worried about him.
Jason still wanted to persuade him, but when he saw how agitated the President looked, he was still afraid. He handed over the phone and left obediently.
Nathaniel took his phone and thought of what Janell Joy said just now. “Janell, I hope you can understand my true intentions.” He said gently in his mind.
Of course, if Jason dared to take the phone from Nathaniel and speak harshly, he must be under Nathaniel’s orders. Otherwise, Jason wouldn’t dare to mess around like that. Nathaniel admitted that Jason was right. He did the right thing.
As long as the night passed, they would be able to find out the enemies hiding behind the scenes. At that time, no one could stop him from being the President anymore. He could finally declare his love for Janell Joy publicly too.
At the same time, Janell Joy also gripped her phone tightly. She believed in her sixth sense and believed that Brother Lionel was still alive. At the same time, she was also waiting for the next day to come quicker. At nine o’clock the next morning. This should be a signal from Jason for her.
They waited for a long time, the night gradually passed and dawn was approaching. Time passed by slowly. It was almost nine o’clock in the morning, so it's getting closer and closer…
After the news spread about the President’s death on the Internet for a few hours, the people were surprisingly calm, or perhaps it was just the calm before the storm.
They were waiting, waiting until nine o’clock in the morning, and waiting for the official news.
There were still many people who hoped that the news of Mr. President’s death was false. They hoped that Mr. President would appear in front of the whole nation’s audience at nine o’clock and greet them.
“Mr. President, everything is going according to plan.” There was still half an hour to nine o’clock, and the other employers of the North Palace, who didn’t know the truth, came to work as usual. Jason came to Nathaniel’s temporary office and reported the situation.
“Okay.” Nathaniel nodded and said nothing more. However, he looked energetic despite a sleepless night. It was impossible to tell that he didn’t rest for a whole night.
“Then I’ll prepare for the final step.” Jason could become Nathaniel’s most competent assistant not only because he was loyal to Nathaniel, but also because he was sensible.
“Wait a minute.” It was Jackie Leves, who had just come back from the lounge and stopped Jason.
Jason looked back and asked respectfully, “Mr. Leves, how can I help?”
Jackie took a few steps forward and said, “Mr. Lesley, Nathaniel hid such an important secret from so many people, but he didn’t hide it from you. Do you know why?”
“I am the head of Mr. President’s secretarial team. I arrange his schedule. I think it is inevitable that I need to know.”
Many years ago, when Nathaniel saved Jason’s life, Jason decided to serve Nathaniel loyally from then on.
Now, at such a critical moment when he needed someone, their President believed in him, and asked him to work with him. Wasn’t that the right thing to do?
Jackie answered with satisfaction, “Well, very good! Nathaniel needs a subordinate like you. With you guys around, we will win this time.”
“Mr. President has a good friend like you by his side, which is the real key to our victory.” Jason was loyal to Nathaniel and was experienced in politics. He knew how to say the right things. He knew Jackie would be happy to hear these words.
When he saw Jackie’s satisfied look, he said, “Mr. Leves, if there’s nothing else, I'll get to work first.”
Jackie waved his hand and said, “Sure.”
Looking at Jason leaving, Jackie looked back at Nathaniel. “Only half an hour left. Are you nervous?”
“I don’t need to worry. I have a good brother like you, and a good subordinate like Jason around." Nathaniel said without raising his head up to look at him.
Jackie walked to his desk and said, “You still have the mood to joke around. It seems that I’m thinking too much.”
987
People would worry about a lot of things because of the uncertainty of the matter itself.
The reason why Nathaniel Cooper was not worried at all was not only the information and clues in his hands, but more importantly, Nathaniel had control over this matter and directed it to his favor.
Everything was under Nathaniel’s control… and it was more accurate to say that everything went his way.
Nathaniel was only worried about Janell Joy Carter. Fortunately, he had the James family by her side. With Victor James by her side, he was much more relieved.
He got up.
Jackie Leves asked in a hurry, “Where are you going?”
Nathaniel said, “Don’t be nervous. I’m just going to wash up and change into my clean clothes.”
Jackie was speechless.
He was indeed nervous.The murderer who killed the Leves family was about to appear. Of course, he was nervous. It was because he had thought of a hundred ways to torture them.
Nathaniel came out of the bathroom and changed into a clean and neat white shirt. He often paired this attire with a black blazer, and he looked smart.
He was tall and his legs were long. He looked elegant with every step he took. He looked very charming.
When Jackie saw him, he couldn’t help whistling, “Mr. President, how is it that I just realized that you are so good looking?”
Nathaniel did not answer Jackie’s question. Neither did he look at Jackie. He went straight to the side, fixed up his tie, and then looked at himself in the mirror.
He seemed to be in good spirits. Maybe it was because he thought he could catch all the enemies at once, so the beast in him was ignited and he was particularly excited.
Fortunately, at this time, the person standing in front of him was Jackie. If Janell Joy Carter was around instead, he would probably be distracted.
Nathaniel raised his wrist and looked at the time. He smiled and said softly, “It’s time.”
Jackie nodded and said, “Serene is ready. I’ll go with her.”
It was not enough to just allow them to release information on the Internet if they wanted to draw the enemy out. They also needed someone from the government to make a public announcement.
As it was, Serene Silas still had the identity as Nathaniel’s official fiance, so it was most appropriate for them to arrange for Serene to speak out at this time.
“I’m a little nervous.” Serene woke up after a short rest. She had been busy reciting the script in the room and worried that she would forget to say something later.
“Don’t worry, I will be here the whole time.” Jackie pushed her hair behind her ear, and couldn’t stop holding her in his arms and kissing her.
“Okay, I know.” Serene nodded vigorously. “I will try my best. I won’t let you guys worry, and I won’t let everyone’s efforts be in vain.”
She played an important role in this plan to help the two most important men in her life. She was very gratified that she could help them catch the murderer of the Leves family as soon as possible.
“Serene..”
Damn it, this woman was too attractive. When he looked at her, Jackie always couldn’t restrain himself.
He just made love to this woman the previous night. But that morning, his mind was filled with lustful images again. He couldn’t wait to take her back to her room and to escape their worries.
“Hmm?” Serene didn’t know what he was going to do.
Jason Lesley interrupted them. “Mr. President, everything is ready. We’re only waiting for Miss Silas to go.”
Just as Jackie was about to kiss Serene, Jason’s voice came from the side, which made him stop abruptly and turn back to glare at him.
Jason felt very unlucky. For him to work for these two men, he felt like he was just walking around minefields all the time.
……………
Nine o’clock
It was time for the nation to pay attention to. Every citizen, young or old, was sitting in front of the TV, waiting for the live broadcast and the official announcement.
Even young children were staring at the TV quietly. No one said a word. Perhaps they were really affected by the tensed atmosphere between the adults.
When the news host announced that Serene, the fiance of Mr. President, would speak on behalf of Mr. President, many members of the audience fell silent.
At such a crucial moment, if the President was fine, as long as he just shows up, he could deny all the rumors going around.
However, he did not.
It was his fiance who came out to speak, which proved that the helicopter crash involving Mr. President from the Misty Mountain disaster area yesterday was true.
The death of the President was real!
It was true!
Then, what should the government do next?
Of course, the people couldn’t make the decision. They had to wait for the government to speak and have them nominate the next best candidate so that the people could have the opportunity to vote.
Therefore, they had to wait for Mr. President’s fiancee to speak and see what she would say.
For the first time, facing hundreds of cameras and microphones alone, Serene was extremely nervous in her heart, but she couldn’t be.
At this moment, she was not herself. She appeared in front of the camera as Nathaniel’s fiance and showed up in front of the whole country, It was opportune that she had suffered too much in these past few years. She had long ago learned to suppress her emotions.
Although she was extremely nervous in her heart, Serene was doing well. Others could not notice her nervousness.
The others couldn’t see through her, but Jackie, who was standing closely behind her could see it. He quietly reached out his hand and patted her back to comfort her.
After receiving Jackie’s hint, Serene quietly sighed. He was there with her, he would support her with everything, what was there for her to worry about?
She said softly, “First of all, I want to thank all members of the media for being here this morning. Secondly, I want to thank the people of our country who are worried about the safety of the President.”
She bent down and bowed to the country in front of the cameras. Then she slowly raised her head and said painfully. “Thank you for your concern for Nathaniel! Thank you so much for caring for him!”
As soon as she said this, Serene gulped and almost shed tears. However, she raised her head slightly and forced back her tears.
After she calmed down a little, she said, “I think that Nathaniel can hear everyone’s concern for him. He will definitely overcome this difficulty and get better. He will definitely lead us so that our country will grow stronger and more prosperous.”
“Miss Silas, the President is the foundation of our country. I think what the country is not the most concerned about the future, but rather, how the President is doing presently?” On one side, a member of the audience couldn’t sit still and stood up to ask.
Serene tilted her head and looked at him. It was a man in a branded suit. He looked gentle and refined, but there was a sinister and cunning look in his eyes.
Serene remembered that she had seen this person before, but she just couldn’t remember who he was. He must be one of the officials in the North Palace.
988
Was this person really concerned about the safety of the President? Or was he an undercover agent from the enemy, sent to dig something out?
Serene Silas had no time to think about all these. The man spoke again, and his words were sharp. “Miss Silas, I’m not the only one curious. I think everyone in the country wants to know if the President is safe and sound.”
His words sounded like he was concerned about the President’s situation, but his expression and tone said otherwise.
Serene guessed that he wasn’t concerned about the President, but he really just wanted to get an answer on Nathaniel’s condition. This person was likely to be an undercover agent sent by the enemy and had been stationed at the North Palace.
Thinking that he was likely an accomplice who killed more than a dozen people of the Leves Family, Serene’s nervous mood was replaced by anger.
She really wanted to capture this person immediately and force him to reveal who the mastermind behind the scenes was. However, she was not that impulsive. She was a rational woman. She knew that this was a crucial time. She could not ruin Jackie and Nathaniel’s big event, so she could only pretend that she knew nothing.
She looked at the man and smiled politely, and she still said gently, “Mr. President is injured and his condition is rather critical now. But with so many people supporting him all over the country and waiting for him, he will definitely wake up.”
This was what they had rehearsed in advance. They asked Serene to say these words because it could serve two purposes. One was to comfort the country, and the other was to make the enemy believe that the President’s life was indeed hanging on a thread.
Previously, the news on the Internet mentioned that the President was killed, but at this moment, the President’s fiance said that he was only seriously injured.
If he was seriously injured, there was still a possibility that he could recover. The people who heard the news in front of the TV quietly breathed sighs of relief.
No citizen would hope for the country to be in an unstable condition. Everyone sincerely hoped that the President would be better.
However, there was also a group of people who were also watching the news, but they did not hope that the President would get better. They were in a spacious, bright, and magnificent building. It was almost comparable to the setting of the North Palace.
Those who came to Country A for the first time would mistakenly believe that it was the North Palace.
This magnificent building was located in the north of the city, at the Manor House Nursing Home. It was also a government building, but it serves a different function than the North Palace. North Palace was the administration center, this was only a health and recreational center.
There were several people sitting in the room, and they were people of all ages. After listening to Serene’s words, they all fell silent.
On the TV, Serene continued to speak on behalf of the President. “The President had something to say. During this period of time, while he’s still recovering from his injuries, every government agency will carry on with their duties. If anyone needs his approval or advice, it can be passed to Jason Lesley, the secretarial team leader. Apart from this, I hope that we will keep any disturbance to his rest and recovery to a minimum. After all, he will only be able to return to work if he makes a full recovery, and we hope to make this as soon as possible.”
“I think this is a tactic from the North Palace people just to delay the matter!” A young man sitting within the group of people spoke aloud. His voice was especially calm.
Just as everyone was looking at him, he continued, “Before the officials at North Palace can find a suitable candidate to be President, they must first conceal the news of Nathaniel Cooper’s death. When they find a candidate for the new President and think of a way to deal with this unexpected incident, they will then announce to the public that the President has died. This way, they can calm the people down temporarily and also make us retreat.”
As soon as the man finished speaking, the rest of the people immediately nodded in agreement. But there were also people who had different opinions. The man looked around and asked slowly. “Is it possible that Nathaniel was just seriously injured?”
Another person answered, “We did tamper with the helicopter’s systems, and our men saw that the helicopter crashed in the valley. In a crash like this, if Nathaniel could survive, he must have had a pair of wings.”
Another person answered, “And in the monitor that we watched all night last night, we really could confirm that Nathaniel was indeed dead.”
The first man to speak knocked on the leather sofa with his fingers and spoke up again. “After Nathaniel’s incident, the little girl of the Carter family called him twice. Jason picked both calls up. The first time, Jason didn’t tell her anything. The second time, Jason told her that Nathaniel had been killed.”
Speaking of this, the man closed his mouth and glanced at all the people present with shrewd eyes. Then he said, “What do you guys think?”
Someone answered, “It’s possible that Nathaniel wants to lure us out and hide it from the little girl of the Carter family as part of the plan.”
Someone said with excitement, “Why don’t we kidnap the girl of the Carter family? As long as we get her, if Nathaniel is still alive, I don’t believe that he can just watch idly and not save her.
“Kidnap her?” The man curled his lips and sneered, “Since the last time you failed to kidnap her, Edwin Carter has asked his men to guard that girl 24 hours a day. Last night, Victor James was also there. I would like to see how you will kidnap her? It’s already difficult enough for us to deal with Nathaniel Cooper. You guys still want to spare strength to deal with Edwin Carter?”
It had taken them too much energy to deal with Nathaniel. They could not afford to draw more strength to deal with Edwin, who was the owner of the invincible business empire, Shengtian.
They fell silent again. They looked at each other. For a while, they didn’t know what to do. They didn’t know whether Nathaniel was still alive or not, but they couldn’t take advantage of Janell Joy, who was his only weakness. This made them walk into a dead end.
“So what if Nathaniel Cooper is not dead?” Just as everyone was silent, a gentle female voice sounded. When they heard the woman’s voice, everyone sitting in the room stood up in unison. They said at the same time, “Hello, madam,”
Everyone in the room addressed her respectfully, despite their age. Even those who were older than the woman used an extremely respectful tone of voice.
She took a few steps forward and stood in front of the crowd. She glanced around and quickly saw everyone’s expression. She said gently, “Even if Nathaniel is not dead, he is still a dying man. We have already reached this point. Are we really going to wait for him to deal with us?”
989
After listening to the woman’s words, the whole room became even quieter. But unlike earlier, at this time, everyone’s eyes looked like they were on fire.
It was the kind of fire that could swallow the enemy alive. Even if there was a bottomless abyss in front of them, they wouldn’t retreat. They had only one purpose, which was to destroy the enemy.
Seeing everybody’s eyes, the woman’s cold look changed a little. She was still satisfied with their performance. She turned to look at the leader in the crowd and said, “Dominic, tell me, do you have any other plan?”
When the woman mentioned his name, the man clenched his fists and said, “We have already cut off all roads of retreat. There is no way out except forward. And I have long yearned to not live with this identity.”
The woman glanced at the crowd once again, and her voice was gentle but with an unquestionable courage. “Then tell me, do you all have any other way?”
The crowd was silent again. After a moment of silence, they said in unison, “We’ll follow you. We’ll do whatever you ask us to do.”
“I’m only one person. I may not be able to think as thoroughly as all of you can."
After the woman addressed everyone’s concern, she changed her domineering attitude again. “If you think you have no problem with my suggestion, then let’s execute it as planned.”
Everyone spoke excitedly, “Yes, we agree to act according to the plan. Since Nathaniel Cooper is still alive, we will find a way to make sure of his death. No one can stop us.”
The woman did not continue on this matter. Instead, she mentioned another person. “After Nathaniel came to see the master the last time, his physical condition has deteriorated. I can only fathom what’s wrong.”
She sighed and gently wiped the tears from her eyes with her thin hands. “It’s getting late. I have to go back and prepare lunch for him. Perhaps he is old and in poor health, besides the food I cook, he doesn’t eat anything else.”
After listening to the woman’s words, someone was so angry that he slammed on the table and said angrily, “Of course it must be the unfilial bastard Nathaniel that made our Master feel poorly.”
The woman wiped her tears again and did not speak. The more the man spoke, the angrier he became, and his eyes turned red. “That dog Nathaniel! He neither cared for his father nor his brothers. In order to be the President, he ruthlessly had his two brothers assassinated. Now, in order to keep his power as the President, it’s not impossible for him to cause his father to die of anger.”
“It’s alright for you to say that in front of me, but you can’t say it in front of the Old Master. He has always cared about the relationship with him and his son. He would never have the heart to kill his own son, so let’s not bother him anymore. We can handle these things on his behalf.” The woman’s voice was gentle, but every word she said was like a poisonous arrow smeared with honey as a disguise. It was an arrow that could kill imperceptibly.
She noticed the hatred towards Nathaniel in everyone’s eyes and concealed the viciousness in her heart. She nodded to everyone and said, “Then I won’t disturb all of you in your preparations.”
She wanted to leave quickly, but some disgruntled voices came from behind her. “Madam Elliot, you are always so kind as to prioritize the Old Master’s interests in everything. But if we don’t make our intentions clear, wouldn’t we have to keep the Old Master in the dark for the rest of our lives?”
Hearing those words, the corners of Hannah Elliot’s lips curved slightly. It was hard to hide the joy in her heart. She was really fond of this group of idiots.
She was a weak woman. It was a great pleasure to her that she could manipulate the people around her,
It had been 30 years. She had been a slave all these years and held back her anger. What was it all for?
She was not that stupid. She would not devote her whole life to a man who loved nothing but power if it weren’t for some other reason. She was just waiting, waiting for an opportunity.
No, no, no!
She was not waiting for an opportunity. She was creating an opportunity.
Now that the opportunity she long created had arrived, she needed those people to take action. After today, she would seek revenge for everything she had paid for and all the pain and exhaustion she had suffered.
She wanted the man to know that she was many times better than that woman in all aspects. The only exception was that she had been born to a lowlier, less noble family.
Not only was she better than that woman, her son was also absolutely better than that woman’s son. She needed her son to end that family’s lineage once and for all.
“Griffin Cooper!” She silently called out this name, but her heart was so excited that she wanted to shout loudly.
Even if victory was in front of her, even if everything was under her control, she would not expose herself. She had always been a very composed person.
She couldn’t cry out, but she was shouting in her heart, “Griffin, you will soon realize that by giving me up and choosing that woman, that was the biggest mistake in your life.”
--------------
Serene Silas was delivering an official speech on behalf of the President. Many people were watching in front of their TVs, including Nathaniel.
Wearing a neat handmade suit, he stood straight in front of the huge TV screen in the office, staring at the first person who appeared on the TV screen attentively.
Except for the subordinates he sent, the other people at the press conference might be enemies, so he would not let go of any suspicious figure. After looking at everyone thoroughly, Nathaniel had already figured it out. His eyes turned cold, and his gaze moved back to Serene’s face.
Serene was answering a difficult question posed by a person with ulterior motives. She did it very calmly yet appropriately. Nathaniel nodded at Serene with appreciation. After all, the Silas family was also a powerful family. During these years, under the influence of the Old Master of the Silas family, Serene had learned so much.
Usually, there was no chance for Serene to make full use of what she had learned in the Silas family. At this moment, when she stepped on the stage, her performance was far beyond Nathaniel’s expectations.
Nathaniel knew the person who asked the question. When Nathaniel first took office, this person was working very hard too.
That man also worked very hard around him, and he never dragged him down. Unexpectedly, he was actually an undercover agent sent by the enemy to spy on him.
Frankly speaking, if it weren’t for the plot to lure their enemies out, Nathaniel wouldn’t have thought that this person would be a spy.
It was so hard to read through a person’s deepest thoughts, just like this man’s. After Serene spoke, she left, escorted heavily by a security team. Jason Lesley stepped up to speak about the President’s present condition
Even if the enemy would not believe it, they had to act thoroughly. They needed to confuse the enemy and make them reveal themselves as soon as possible.
990
Time passed quickly. After Serene Silas spoke on behalf of the President, everything seemed to be calm for the time being. Next, someone else came forward to deliver a speech.
This person was no other than the official spokesperson of the North Palace, Paul Elliot. He stood in front of the camera and said, “I want to announce the bad news to everyone present here.” He was choking on his tears and his nose was runny.
As soon as he said those words, the cameras kept flashing and rolling. He became the focus of everyone’s attention, and everyone was silently waiting for what he was going to say next.
After getting everyone’s attention, Paul said slowly, “Yesterday, there was a disaster in Misty Mountain, and many villages were buried in the heavy snow. Our President rushed to the disaster area as soon as possible to provide mental support to the victims.”
Paul didn’t say a single bad thing about Nathaniel Cooper. Instead, he praised Nathaniel very much. After that, his voice started to break.
After a long while, he calmed down and said, “On the way back from the disaster area, at about 4:20 p.m., Mr. President’s helicopter was on its way out of the Misty Mountain area, and they met some wind turbulence. Unfortunately, the helicopter crashed, Mr. President and three other people in the helicopter were involved in this accident.”
After that, Paul, who had always been known as the spokesperson for North Palace, burst into tears. His crying sounded extremely sad and tormenting, which moved the people.
“Nathaniel, it seems like everyone in North Palace are all highly skilled actors. If we hadn’t checked his background, I think I would have been convinced by his wonderful performance.” Jackie Leves said calmly as he stared at the big TV screen
“I should really hand them a best performance award someday. What do you think about that?” Despite the circumstances, Nathaniel still had the mood to joke with Jackie.
Nathaniel let out a faint smile. He looked calm as if everything was fine.
He was not in a mess because today’s show was in accordance with his plan. He was waiting for the enemies to lose their cool.
In order to completely eliminate them, this time, he had to lure all of them out and not leave any scourge behind.
He was smiling, but upon careful observation, there was a chilling coldness in the depths of his eyes, which could send chills down one’s spine.
Jackie became slightly worried too. He quickly embraced Serene and patted her back comfortingly. “Don’t worry, everything is over.”
“Nathaniel, I’m not worried about what’s happening here. I’m just a little worried about Janell Joy…”
Thinking of the helplessness in Janell Joy Carter's tone when she called yesterday, Serene blamed herself. She felt extremely guilty. That little girl treated Serene as her sister, but Serene could not help her at all.
As she had experienced it before, she knew how painful it was to lose her beloved person. She was afraid that Janell Joy, who was kept in the dark, would collapse from grief.
“She’s fine.” When it came to Janell Joy, Nathaniel would be undoubtedly more worried than Serene, but he hid all his worries in his heart so that others could not see it.
He turned around, glanced at Jackie, and then looked at Serene, “Thank you for your hard work today. Now you two should have a good rest. Don’t think too much about it.”
“Why do you have so much to say?” All because Nathaniel spoke out of concern to Serene, Jackie was upset. He held Serene in his arms as if to assert dominance. “She is my woman. I’ll be the one to care about her. You take care of your own business.”
Men could seem to be broad-minded, but they were actually petty beings especially when it came to their women. If another person gave their woman an extra glance, they would be very jealous. Serene tugged at the corner of his clothes, indicating for Jackie to speak politely.
Unexpectedly, it caused Jackie to be more upset. “Serene, why are you pulling my shirt? Do you think I’m wrong? Or do you think that if more men cared about you, you would seem more valuable?”
Serene was speechless.
Once again, she was sure that she must have been blinded, to have fallen in love with this man so wholeheartedly.
Otherwise, even if she was threatened with death, she would not fall in love with such a petty man who had a bad temper and was always so jealous!
“Serene, what’s that look in your eyes? I’m not complaining about you, why do you look like you’re unhappy with me?”
Jackie spoke loudly now.
Serene reached out and covered her ears, turned around, and left. If she stayed with him, she felt that she might turn into a shrew and start scolding Jackie, so it was better to just walk away.
“Serene, you left..” As soon as Serene left, Jackie immediately stepped forward to catch up with her and held her in his arms again. “Let me tell you, Serene, you can’t escape from me for the rest of your life.”
“Who wants to escape from you?” Although she felt that this man was unreasonable and bossy from time to time, Serene still could see the good in him. This man was not perfect. He had countless shortcomings, but she loved him and was willing to accept all his flaws.
She knew that she was not a perfect woman too, and there was no perfect person in this world. There was no right and wrong in a relationship, but only compatibility.
Listening to the voices of the two people fade away, the coldness in Nathaniel’s eyes disappeared, and a real smile appeared on his face.
When was the last time he had such a carefree life?
Perhaps it was the time when he was with Jackie, and they were struggling in the army. During that time, Jackie loved to bicker and cause trouble similar to the situation earlier. In the past year, the Leves family had been exterminated. At one point, Nathaniel didn’t even know if Jackie was alive. He once thought that Jackie was dead, that he had really died in that big fire.
Later, he saw that Jackie had returned. He noticed that Jackie’s face had changed, and so did his temper. He seemed very gloomy and strange. Nathaniel thought that the real Jackie he knew, would never come back again.
He thought that it was impossible for Jackie to return to his original self, but he had never expected that the former Jackie would come back in such a short time.
In the end, this was probably the power of love.
Love?
When he thought of this word, he thought of a person unconsciously. It was his Janell Joy.
Janell Joy Carter!
Sometimes, she would be very stubborn; sometimes, she was sensible and considerate; sometimes, she would be mature yet adorable. He could see different versions of her every time.
No matter what version she presented, he always wanted to hold her in his arms and dote on her.
He didn’t know when it was when he had fallen in love with her. He only knew that the little girl had really impacted his life profoundly.
“Mr. President, the ‘Big Fish’ has emerged!”
While Nathaniel was lost in thought, Jason Lesley came to report in a hurry.
991
The “Big Fish” was, of course, in reference to the person behind the scenes. The plan was to use their net to catch the largest fish scheming against Nathaniel Cooper.
Now that the Big Fish had finally appeared, Jason Lesley was so excited that he rushed in without knocking on the door. After he spoke, he realized that the President’s expression didn’t look right.
Faced with the cold and serious eyes of the President, Jason finally stopped. He even wanted to leave the office, and knock on the door once again before entering.
“So what if he appeared, just follow the plan! Why are you making such a big fuss?” It could be seen that Nathaniel was in a good mood. Otherwise, he would not have said so much in one breath.
Like Edwin Carter, Nathaniel was also a man of few words. If they spoke a lot, it was very likely that they were in a good mood.
“I’m not making a fuss. I’m just in a good mood." Jason, who had always been known for his prudence, was so bold that he dared to speak against the President this time.
He also saw that the President was in a good mood, that was why he was so bold. After that, he looked at Nathaniel and smiled, probing for praises.
Nathaniel’s face darkened. Before he could speak, Jason said in a hurry, “I’ve said too much. I’ll get back to work now.”
After that, he ran away. He surely understood the President’s temperament. He only dared to speak against him once, and he did not want to go over the line.
The “Big Fish”
Dominic Cooper?
Humph!
Nathaniel looked at the man on the TV. This was someone who he was familiar with, but now it was like a stranger’s face to him.
Speaking of this face, he had been looking at it for 30 years now. In the past, when he saw this face, Nathaniel only felt that Dominic was like a child who had not grown up. No matter what he did, he did not have his own opinions, and he would always ask others for advice.
Many years ago, Dominic liked to follow behind Nathaniel. Wherever Nathaniel went, he would follow and kept calling him “Third Brother.”
Nathaniel was born into the noble Cooper family, a family that focused on power. In their eyes, family affection was never important. They only prioritized their family relations as a symbol of their status.
At that time, Dominic liked to follow Nathaniel around, calling him “Third Brother” affectionately, which made Nathaniel feel a rare sense of kinship.
Now that he thought about it carefully, it was really a joke. It was a big joke. He treated the man as his brother. Perhaps, the man had always regarded him as a thorn in his flesh. Perhaps, this was the price Nathaniel had to pay from growing up in the Cooper family.
Even if they were blood relatives, Nathaniel could not trust them. Those relatives of his were most likely those wicked people who would hide and backstab him. They would kill him, all for the sake of power.
Three years ago, his half-brother wanted to kill him. He managed to fight back and send that man to hell then. Why would he be merciful enough to let Dominic go now?
No, he won’t!
He, Nathaniel Cooper, had never been a merciful person.
He gave a wry smile, but his eyes did not blink at all. He looked like he could murder someone immediately It was time to put an end to those people.
..
Dominic Cooper was Nathaniel Cooper’s cousin. Dominic was the eldest son of the former President’s brother. He did not hold any important position in North Palace, but he had the blood of the Cooper family running in his veins. To have the Cooper in his name was his most important provision. The successor of the President of Country A had to be born in the Cooper family. That was to say, only the men who had the blood of the Cooper family could be qualified to potentially be the President.
However, there were not many males in the several generations of the Cooper family. The former President, Griffin Cooper, only had one younger brother. Therefore, Griffin naturally became the President.
In Nathaniel’s generation, there were more males than the previous generation. Nathaniel had two older half-brothers. There were three males in his family.
There were also several other brothers in Dominic’s family, but the other brothers were much younger than he was, so they were still too young to contend for power.
Nathaniel had two older half- brothers. The oldest brother died three years ago in an “accident” that was especially executed by Nathaniel. Two years ago, his second brother committed a great crime and was exiled from being the successor of the President, and he could never step into Coast City again.
Therefore, during the official election, the only candidate who could compete with Nathaniel was his cousin, Dominic. The other cousins were too young.
At that time, during the Presidential election, the cheering for Nathaniel was the loudest. Many people supported Dominic, but Dominic’s performance had been very modest.
In fact, Dominic did not willingly give up the fight. He noticed that the people were cheering for Nathaniel. Even if he won the election, it would be difficult for him to win the people’s support eventually.
Knowing that he couldn’t compete with Nathaniel, Dominic chose to wait for the appropriate time under a person’s guidance. Before he lost too badly, he resigned as a candidate at the election.
Resigning was far better than being defeated. It could also manipulate Nathaniel to lower his vigilance against Dominic so that it would be convenient for Dominic to do more things behind his back in the future.
Dominic had been waiting and waiting. Finally, the opportunity arrived.
Now that Nathaniel was in trouble, he was the remaining member of the Cooper family who was qualified to succeed the President’s position.
Dominic was dressed neatly in a well-fitted suit. The color, style, and cuff-links on his sleeves were no different from those of Nathaniel’s.
Not only did he wear the same outfit, but his hairstyle was also similar to Nathaniel. At first glance, many people would mistaken him for Nathaniel.
However, Dominic learned to dress like Nathaniel, but there was something about Nathaniel that he could never imitate. He did not have the noble temperament that Nathaniel had.
Nathaniel never did it on purpose, but he would exude an aura of elegance all the time. It was as if he were a work of art, a fine sculpture of perfection. However, Dominic was instead always trying too hard, and he would seem artificial would be ridiculed.
He came out to hold the press conference and had a large crowd watching him. After all, even if he didn’t work in North Palace, he was a member of the Cooper family and carried the family’s bloodline.
He stood in front of the camera and gently waved his hand, indicating for everyone to be quiet. Even these small movements were learned from observing Nathaniel.
Perhaps, deep in his heart, he still had recognition and respect for his Third Brother, Nathaniel, and that he acknowledged Nathaniel as the President.
Otherwise, Dominic would never imitate Nathaniel. He wanted to take over the position of the President with Nathaniel’s prestige. He wanted a better future for himself.
After a long silence, Dominic said slowly, “When the former President heard that Mr. President was in trouble, he was very saddened. Not only because the President was his own son, but also because he was really worried about our country and our people.”
He continued to say, “The Cooper family is determined to govern our country to prosperity. It’s our duty to raise the living standard of our country, and we do not dare to take any credit for it. It’s our fault that the living standard of our country has deteriorated, we dare not deny.”
992
Dominic Cooper was very clever. He didn’t say anything bad about Nathaniel Cooper. He proudly spoke about the hard work and contributions of the Cooper family to the country.
He emphasized on his status as part of the Cooper family with a clear intention. He was trying to give some credit to the Cooper family, and he was also trying to give some credit to himself. He wanted to let the people of the country know that there was a powerful man like him in the Cooper family so that the people could recognize him and let him succeed Nathaniel as the next President.
While speaking, Dominic glanced at the crowd and did not find any objections from the crowd. He nodded with satisfaction and said, “Now, please allow Nathaniel’s predecessor, the former President, to come out and say a few words to everyone.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Griffin Cooper walked out of the side door with Hannah Elliott and another man supporting him.
Perhaps it was really because Nathaniel angered him, or perhaps the weather was too cold, Griffin seemed to be quite ill. Perhaps it was also because Griffin didn’t want the public to know that he pretended to be sick the last time and didn’t want to hand over the baton of authority to Nathaniel himself…
In short, Griffin did not look very good. It seemed that he needed to walk with assistance.
With help from Hannah and the other man, he walked for a long time before he arrived at the center of the podium and came to Dominic’s side.
Just as he walked to the center of the podium, Griffin clutched his chest and started coughing violently. It took him quite a while to stop coughing.
He opened his mouth and wanted to speak, but he didn’t even make a sound. Tears welled up in his eyes again and again, and they didn’t stop for a long time.
Griffin wiped away his tears. The reporters and everyone else under the stage waited quietly. No one urged him. Some people were even moved by his grief and silently wiped their tears too.
After he abdicated as President, he had never appeared in public again. He did not appear even for the inauguration of the new President during which he was expected to appear. He had been announcing to the public that he was in poor health.
Now in the public’s eyes, it seemed really true that he was in poor health. This showed that he did not attend the new President’s inauguration ceremony for proper reasons.
Griffin had three sons. His eldest son died in an accident three years ago. His second son was exiled from Coast City And now, his third son was also killed in an accident.
The pain of the loss of his sons was so cruel to the old man. The circumstances in his family made people sympathize with him. In addition to his poignant performance, it was not surprising that the naive people of the country would be touched by him.
After a very long time, Griffin finally stopped crying. It was close to half an hour, or perhaps longer.
He calmed down, adjusted his voice, and said in a loud and steady voice, “The loss of my children hurts me like a knife cutting through my heart.”
He took a deep breath and paused for a long time before he continued, “But what hurts me more is that we lost a good leader.”
At this moment, he was still thinking about the country and the people… Everyone who heard him speak through his trembling voice would surely be touched.
Nathaniel’s gaze swept across the crowd. While everyone was still immersed in sadness, he continued, “As the saying goes, a country can’t be without its leader. Even if we can’t bear to part with Nathaniel, we have to accept that he has already left us. Therefore, the most important thing for us to do next is to elect a new President.”
He looked at Dominic beside him and asked carefully, “Dominic, if you could take on this immense responsibility, can you continue to fulfill the great dream of making Country A powerful and prosperous on behalf of your dead brothers?”
Dominic was stunned, like he didn’t expect that Griffin would suddenly say something like this. He said in a hurry, “Sir, it’s not that I don’t want to take on the responsibility, but I’m worried that the country will worry that I’m still young and can’t do the job well. I think it’s better for you to choose a successor that everyone is convinced of, to take over the position of the President, and he can lead us to great heights.”
Griffin asked well, and Dominic’s answer was also very pleasant. The two of them were behaving like singers in a harmonious duet. Their actions were complementary and in perfect harmony.
Beneath the stage, a person spoke on behalf of the masses.
“Mr. Dominic Cooper, you are a member of the Cooper family. You carry the blood and genes of the Cooper family, but you are still modest and courteous. And you’ve been in the running of becoming the President before. You were the candidate for President previously. I think no one is more suitable for the position than you are.”
Someone else echoed, “Yes, yes, you are also a person who has been trained to be President before. At that time, you also campaigned against the current President in the election. Because of your modest character, you volunteered to quit the election and relinquished the position of President to your cousin. Now that something has happened to him, it may be his last wish for you to replace him.”
Another representative said, “Mr. Dominic, we believe in you and believe that you can lead our country well.”
Everyone continued speaking. One after another, all of them supported Dominic. Soon, besides the live audience and reporters, the audience in front of the TV all thought that Dominic was a good person too. There was no problem for him to take over as the next President.
Just when Griffin came out, Nathaniel, who witnessed all this in front of the TV, felt chills running down his spine. Even in the warm room, his fingers turned cold. His cold and emotionless eyes stared at the grey-haired old man on the TV. He stared at the old man, as if he wanted to see through the old man.
Was this gray-haired old man really his biological father? Was he really?
If it was so, would he be so eager to help another person fight for his position as the President?
Ugh!
Nathaniel sneered.
He found the entire situation preposterous.
Perhaps that man had never treated him as his son, but at this time, he had another ridiculous idea in his heart.
He hoped that the man really did not get involved in what was happening today, and hoped that the man was just cheated and used by others as a bait.
It was ridiculous.
He was such a cunning old fox, how could he be used by others? Who could plot against him? Who could deceive and use him?
Probably no one.
Nathaniel shook his head and hid the only trace of heartache in his eyes. Soon, his eyes appeared cold again, and he looked both broken and malicious.
“Jason!” Nathaniel called for his secretary.
“Mr. President!” Jason Lesley opened the door quickly and entered the room. He stood respectfully in front of Nathaniel.
“What are you waiting for?” As soon as he finished speaking, Nathaniel strode out. Jason was stunned and followed closely.
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