Is this destiny?

Thomas looked at the contents of the third folder and his whole body shook. "How… where…" he was unable to complete a sentence.

Charlie smiled smugly. "You think that your deals under the table went unnoticed? I wonder, how many family members will support you when they find out that you embezzled millions from Smithsonite corp. in order to finance your salacious behavior?"

"What do you want?" Thomas asked in a shaky voice.

Charlie gestured to the second folder. "Sign it."

"This…" Thomas was not willing. Those shares give him the status and power in this family. Without them, he is just a Smith in name, but no one will care about him. How can he give up on that?

"Your other option is not to sign it." Charlie said when he saw that Thomas is resisting. "Let me tell you what will happen in that case. Your dirty laundry will become public. I will make sure that your bastard-son comes to the family with his mother and that everyone knows who his father is. Aileen will go to jail for plotting against Emma. And you will go to jail for embezzling money, if the Smiths don't kill you first."

"How dare you!" Caroline hissed.

Charlie sneered. "Ah, my dear Aunt. You better keep quiet. I didn't prepare a folder for you, but that does not mean that I don't know about the dirt you are hiding under the rug. If I decide to expose you, not only the Smith family, but the whole society will shun you."

Charlie saw that Caroline is glaring at him defiantly, and he decided to prove that his words are not empty threats.

"It seems you think I'm bluffing. How about I start with the charity you hosted last year? The records are showing more than three million dollars collected, yet less than half a million reached the orphans. Do I need to say more?"

Caroline pressed her lips into a line. This is unexpected.

Charlie turned to Thomas. "As you can see. Your option is to sign it, or all three of you go to jail."

Thomas gritted his teeth. "What happens when I sign it?"

"You will move out of this mansion and because you will not have any stocks of the Smithsonite corp. and I don't want powerless trash here. I expect that you will not step a foot into the company. I will ensure that Aileen's tuition costs are covered so that she can finish her college. You have two vacation houses, you can keep them."

"What about all this… incriminating things?" Thomas asked stiffly while gesturing toward the folders.

"I keep those as insurance that you will not come back." Charlie responded smugly. "Do you need a pen?"

Thomas' expression showed that he is not willing, but he still nodded. "Yes. I do…"

Charlie watched Thomas sign the papers.

"It is nice doing business with you, second Uncle. I expect that the three of you leave this mansion by morning." Charlie said officially and waved toward the door. "You are free to go."

When Thomas, Caroline, and Aileen left the study, Charlie gestured to the bodyguards to leave as well.

Charlie plopped on the sofa. "This was exhausting."

Emma hopped on the sofa next to Charlie. "This was easy."

Charlie frowned. "Easy my foot! You were in danger and I had to control myself not to strangle them. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to stay cool when I know that they made their move, yet I am clueless about what is going on with you?"

Charlie sighed and pulled Emma into his embrace. "Let's not do this again."

Emma hugged Charlie tightly. "I'm OK. Don't think about it. Now that your Uncle Thomas and his family are out, the others will think twice about crossing you."

Charlie agreed. "Yeah, they will think twice. Some of them will give up, but some will be more cautious. And that means more dangerous."

"We will be more cautious also. And smarter. And more powerful." Emma did her best to sound optimistic.

"I want to find more people I can trust." Charlie voiced his thoughts. "I can't run a business and an underground trade while always watching my back."

"Mike is reliable." Emma reminded Charlie about her brother.

Charlie agreed. "I'm thinking of asking him to start as my assistant. It will give him a chance to learn about the business. Do you think that he is a guy who will be OK with the underground part?"

Emma shrugged. "I don't know if he will be willing to participate. But I know that he will not betray you. If he does not want a part of it, he will tell you and you can be assured that he will not talk about it to anyone."

"What about Sean and Ryan?"

Emma smiled helplessly. "They are enjoying their time with Angelo. My silly twin brothers always craved for an adventure and the type of work Angelo does excites them. At this rate, Sean and Ryan will join Nero armi and work with my dad. Who knows? Maybe you can form some trade agreement with my goofy twin brothers? But no matter what, Sean and Ryan will have your back."

Charlie exhaled. "It is regrettable that I can trust your brothers more than my own family."

Emma pinched his arm. "Hey! We are going to get married. And that makes them a part of OUR family, regardless if we share the same blood. And I'm confident that not all Smiths are bad apples. You are proof of that theory."

Charlie rubbed the place Emma pinched and he smiled. "While on the topic of the same blood… I was serious about bringing Thomas' son here and his mother. Based on the files, they didn't have an easy life, and he is good at school and staying out of trouble."

Emma was not sure if that is a good idea, but she will support Charlie. "You can talk to them and see what they want. Maybe they don't want to be a part of this crazy family, but in that case, you can set up some fund for the kid."

"Will you go with me to talk to them?"

"You can count on me." Emma confirmed with a smile. She likes it when Charlie relies on her.

"I will also need your help with figuring out the right way to thank Sarah and Aiden."

"For the files?" Emma guessed.

"Without them giving me all this dirt about Thomas and Caroline, I would not be able to kick them out of the house and snatch these stocks. And it's not only the files. Without them, Zula and Ron would not be here either. What Sarah and Aiden did… for me, it is priceless."

"You are right. It has no value. That is why you should not look for how to repay them. Remember this, and when they need something, be there for them." Emma saw that Charlie nodded in agreement and she checked the time. "The party will be over soon. Let's go and make an appearance…"

"Do you want to redecorate this place?" Charlie asked Emma while they walked down the hallway toward the main hall where the guests are.

Emma made a face. "Do you want us to move here?"

Charlie smiled dotingly. "Only if you want."

"Uhm… I don't know about the future. But for now, I'm happy where we are." Emma saw that Charlie's expression became complex. She reminded herself that Charlie is the head of the family and that this house belongs to the Smith family and she should not dismiss it completely. "You know what? We can have our wedding here."

Charlie was surprised by this suggestion. "Really?"

"The property is huge, the garden is magnificent, and the inside hall is wonderful." Emma explained. "I can see this as a perfect place to hold a wedding. We can invite our friends and family and your business partners, and everyone will fit."

"Don't forget your business partners and important clients." Charlie reminded Emma that she is the director at the LA Medical Center.

Emma laughed. "We can leave the guestlist for later. Now that the venue is selected, I can start with the planning!"

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