He took a good look at Steven again. “I didn’t expect you to look so identical to a friend of mine.”
Steven curled up his lip and remembered how Kate used to tell him how Brettley liked to use the ‘old– friend’ tactic to close the gap between him and a stranger. Thus, he smiled. “It’s an honor to share the resemblance.”
After that, he diverted the topic. “Mr. Morrison, you and Mr. Howard come here to talk business with me. Shall we start now? We can be friends later.”
Brettley narrowed his eyes. ‘What does he mean? Does he think I was trying to be on his good side to gain more benefits in the partnership by saying he looks like my old friend? If that’s what it is, then he sees no further than his nose and has too little experience.’
After all, it would not take too much effort for Steven to find out Brettley had been in the business for far too long and that he did not need to pull any strings to be on anyone’s good side.
A businessman would always put benefit and profit as his first priority. If both parties could not agree on the same term, it would not work no matter how close they were. Then again, no one needed to be in the industry for an extended period to know this.
Even Thomas, who had been in the entertainment industry, knew about this theory.
Nonetheless, this man who looked identical to Luke did not know about it. He even thought Brettley was someone who would use connections to get more profit.
From this point, it should be just a coincidence for this man to look identical to Luke. Both men were far different in terms of their behavior.
Brettley was a typical businessman. Since Steven already held a sort of apprehension toward him during their first meeting, it also showed Brettley that Steven was not good with business dealings. After the negotiation, not only did Brettley have what he wanted, he even obtained a huge profit from Steven. In the meantime, Steven did not know he suffered a big loss, even though he was on the winning side.
After the negotiation was completed, Steven wanted to treat Brettley and Thomas to lunch excitedly.
“I don’t think that’s necessary. I’ve another schedule on hand, and Mr. Howard needs to rush to his next appointment.”
Brettley stood up and looked at Steven with a remote expression. His voice sounded very flat as he added, “Wasn’t Mr. Hughes the one who said you didn’t like to make friends?”
Steven looked embarrassed when he heard that. He tried to explain, “Mr. Morrison, I don’t mean that…”
“Nevermind.”
Brettley waved his hand and stopped Steven from explaining. “We’re just business partners. There’s no need for other interaction other than that.”
He looked at Thomas, who was still in shock. “Let’s go.”
Thomas finally regained his senses and followed Brettley to leave the conference room. When they left Hughes Group and entered the car, Thomas gave Brettley a big thumbs up. “You’re amazing!”
Yes, Thomas asked for Brettley’s help, but he never saw what Brettley was like during a business negotiation. He was supposed to attend today’s meeting by himself because the cooperation with Hughes Group was not important in Brettley’s plan.
After Yannie mentioned Denise in the morning, Brettley changed his mind and decided to follow Thomas to the negotiation.
Thomas could only use one word to describe the result of the negotiation–marvelous.
In the past, Thomas had many misunderstandings with Brettley, which included the achievement Brettley had today due to the glory of his family back in the day. It was on this day, after witnessing the negotiation with Steven, that he saw how eloquent and persuasive Brettley was. He believed Brettley had the ability to turn right into wrong and vice versa, which amazed him profoundly, especially after seeing how happy Steven was after Steven suffered a big loss.
He was downright impressed with Brettley.
Brettley closed his eyes and leaned back on the car seat lazily, massaging his temple. “You know Steven before?”
Thomas nodded. “Yes. His father was my old man’s family friend. I saw him a couple of times.”
. Brettley opened his eyes and squinted again. “Is this what he looks like?”
Thomas paused and nodded. “You think he looked identical to Luke, don’t you?”
He changed his seating posture to feel more comfortable. “I also discovered it after I came back here this time. This is what he looks like, but I only saw him a few times and never really made friends with him.
When I was in Merchant City, I thought Luke looked very familiar the first time I saw him, but I can’t remember who he looked like. It was only after I came back here and saw Steven did I remember…that these two look alarmingly similar. “I know Luke is your friend and Gwen’s beloved man, but…”
Thomas paused. “I can testify he’s not Luke. He’s Steven Hughes.”
The assuring tone from Thomas had Brettley furrowed his brow. He massaged his aching temple with frustration. “Are you that sure he’s Steven Hughes and not Luke?”
How could two people look so identical with the same scar on the forehead? It was understandable that they could look similar from their appearances and figure as they came naturally. Nonetheless, it was a whole different story for the scar as it was only formed due to other external factors. Even if it could be at the same place, the shape could not possibly look the same too.
Thomas sighed. “You saw it too, Brettley. The way Steven talks, his temperament, and the way he thinks is far different from Luke’s. Even if your suspicion is correct, then how do Kate and the Hughes family manage to turn Luke into this person in one month and more? That’s impossible!”
He patted Brettley’s shoulder. “I really don’t think Steven is Luke. You shouldn’t think too much. The most important thing for you to do now is let Bethan bring Gwen away. Leave Saigen City as soon as possible.”
Brettley squinted and looked at Thomas coldly.
Thomas continued, “Think about it. Even you started to be dubious when you saw Steven and think that Steven is Luke. What if Gwen saw Steven? She could go crazy. Besides…”
He sighed. “I heard the Hughes and Miller families are in the talks of Steven’s marriage with Kate. Their engagement news will soon be all over the city. Do you think Gwen could accept seeing the wedding photo of Kate and Steven who looks like Luke all over the city?”
Brettley remained silent. After a while, he closed his eyes. “Alright. I know.”
Indeed, the best choice was to let Bethan bring Gwen away from this city. Regardless of whether Steven was Luke or not…they could not let Gwen see Steven. Gwen was still weak. If she saw Steven and Kate’s wedding photo like Thomas suggested, her heart would shatter into pieces.
With that thought in his mind, he picked up his phone and texted Bethan.
(How’s The Spring Resort? Is it fun?)
Bethan replied while having her coffee sitting on the chaise lounge, (Yes. Very fun!) ????l?????.??m
At this moment, Yannie and Gwen went to the sauna. Bethan, never a fan of feeling suffocated because of the heat, did not join them. She picked up her phone and wanted to text Brettley when he texted her first.
She took a sip of her coffee and texted Brettley swiftly.
(We don’t have to hide the secret from Gwen anymore. She confessed to me today that she knew all about it. She knew it when Bonnie and I knew Luke was dead after donating his heart to her. Her emotions have been erratic because she knew all about it.]
After that, she sent a sighing emoji.
(I think Gwen is stronger than we thought.) * Bethan knew how fragile Gwen was in the past. That was why she thought it was right not to tell
Gwen about Luke. Nonetheless, she finally understood Gwen was far stronger than she thought Gwen could be when she told her she knew about everything today.
Maybe Gwen looked weak and was willful because Luke was there to look after her. Since Luke was no longer with her, she started to grow strong.
Or maybe…it was Luke’s heart that made her stronger than before.
On the other side of the phone, Brettley furrowed his brow when he saw the text message. [It’s good that she found out. We don’t have to hide it from her anymore.)
[Yeah!]
Bethan shifted into a more comfortable position as she laid on the chaise lounge. She continued to reply to Brettley’s text message.
[But Gwen said she dreamed of Luke last night. In her dream, Luke nearly hit her with his car and that he brought her into his car afterward. She recalled hugging Luke, crying and laughing as she did, but Luke said he didn’t know her, even saying he has a fiancee. No matter how Gwen cried and begged, he kept on saying he didn’t know her.]
[After that, he even had his driver drive him to his fiancee’s house, and Gwen didn’t remember anything later. She added that since she was found in the dumpster when she woke up, Luke’s fiancee’s house must be in the dumpster in her dream!]
[What do you think? Do you think she has let it go or not after having such a dream?]
Bethan was under the impression that this was all a light texting session with Brettley over the phone. Nonetheless, Brettley entered a moment of deep thought after reading the text messages Bethan sent.
‘The dream Gwen thought she had shouldn’t be a dream. So…’
He narrowed his eyes and called Lucas. “Check the surveillance footage of the road, especially from three to four o’clock in the morning. The roads from Bethan’s hotel to Kate’s house.”
“Yes, sir.”
Brettley squinted after he hung up the phone. He was surprised Kate made the move first before he had the time to settle the score with her.
If Gwen remembered correctly, there was a huge possibility that Steven had brought Gwen to Kate’s house. Then again, why would Gwen end up in the dump station? If Steven had entrusted Kate to look after Gwen, how did Kate let Gwen sleep in the dumpster?
Half an hour later, Brettley and Thomas had just gotten in Thomas’s office when Lucas called.
“Sir, I got the result.”
Lucas’ voice was trembling on the other side of the phone.
“I think… I saw Mr. Jones in the surveillance footage!”
Brettley was not surprised to hear how shocked Lucas was.
“What was he doing?”
Lucas paused.
“Sir, did you not hear what I just said? I said I saw Mr. Jones! Aren’t you a little surprised? You , and I were the ones who pushed him into the operation theater, and we were also the ones who pushed him out! We saw his dead body! How could–“
“I know,”
Brettley cut off Lucas’ astonished comment coldly.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.