“I want you to feel at ease when working with me, so I have prepared some things you can do. Important but far from dangerous.” He passed a schedule book to Aiden.
Aiden opened the leather book to see a list of dates and names interchanging. “Meetings?”
“We change where we host so we look like close family friends having potlucks. We always bring food and our family. The next host is actually your stepmother.”
Aiden stared at her name next on the list.
Mr. Chen tipped his head. “She didn’t tell you?”
Aiden shook his head.
“Ah, well, I have known her even prior to her marrying into your family. She was always insistent on being involved. It doesn’t surprise me that she’s decided to take responsibilities without your knowing. She must be doing what she thinks is best for her children.”
“Of course…” He read the agenda for the meeting. An entire hour was dedicated to the discussion of federal agents busting gambling dens and their obvious attempts to bug buildings.The traitor is still at large,Aiden remembered with a start. He looked up at Mr. Chen. “Do you know who the Guo family is?”
The man stiffened. “How do you know that name?”
“It was on Mr. Zhou’s notes for his security observations. He suspected loiterers were either federal agents or from the Guo family.”
“That man,” Mr. Chen mumbled in Chinese, but the tension disappeared from his shoulders. He shook his head with a sigh. “The Guo family is a disgraced family of Infinite. They used to be part of the innermost circle like Zhou, Yang, Hui, and my family currently are, but they’ve fallen into obscurity since.”
“They…couldn’t be the one leaking information then. Right?”
“No. They are already gone. They were gone before you were even born. I suppose they do have a heavy motive for ruining Infinite and, more specifically, your brother. Your…” Mr. Chen stopped himself, glancing at Aiden. He cleared his throat. “Your family was responsible for their fall from grace, so I can see them attempt to take revenge, but they’ve been thoroughly shut out. They couldn’t be the ones emboldening the government agents.”
Tell me about the Guo family.
Aiden could not understand why the kidnapper believed he knew about a family that left Infinite before he existed, but he forced his face to remain even when he picked his next question carefully. “Have we gotten closer to finding out who killed my brother?”
“Do you know something?” Mr. Chen asked promptly.
He considered mentioning Celia, but at the memory of his stepmother’s annoyance and condescending eyes bearing down on him, he shook his head.
Mr. Chen sighed. “We are all searching. We won’t stop searching until we find the culprit. In the meantime, while I am in my business meetings, I have prepared these folders for you to look through. This will give you a good overview of what businesses I am involved in, alongside which industries I worked with your brother on. I figured none of the other heads even attempted to explain what you will likely be taking over, so I might as well be the first. Take your time. I’ll be back after my meetings.” He patted Aiden on the shoulder and left the entire office to Aiden without even a guard to watch him.
The Chen operated on trust and loyalty. The Zhou operated on stiff hierarchy. The Yang operated on fear and manipulation.How have the families even gotten along for this long for Infinite to continue?Aiden lowered himself into a chair and began reading through the documents.How did my brother fit into the picture?
His hands froze when he repeated Mr. Chen’s conversation in his head.
His stepmother was always involved with Infinite. Aiden thought she held little power or authority in the operations, and from the way his brother spoke, he didn’t believe his brother allowed her to involve herself.How long has she actually been involved with Infinite then?
A shiver ran up his spine. He tried to focus on the documents before him, but new questions drowned him in their depths.
• • •
Be grateful.
His grip tightened around his pencil.
Be dutiful, be obedient, be kind. Thank his good fortunes and acknowledge the struggles the Hui family swam through to climb to their station.
Aiden stood amongst a sea of swirling questions. They washed over him, drowning him in the depths. Choking, he swam against the currents of swirling words. With lungs bursting and light disappearing, he reached forward as if he could grasp the air in his hands. Instead, he grabbed words from the sea of questions, opening his palm to see them arrange themselves.
Had Yin Mei always been this deeply involved with Infinite?
He should be grateful for his stepmother’s involvement. He knew nothing about the business. The will was still missing. If the other families knew, not only were his stepfamily’s lives in danger, but his as well. She managed to lie for him to ensure they suspected nothing. She prevented them from ushering him into a position he was wholly unprepared for. Because of her, all his brother’s hard work didn’t turn into dust like the corpse sealed in a coffin.
Just do what she tells you to do. She clearly knows what she’s doing. Be grateful.
