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But even with all that money, Vernon still disappeared for ten years, refusing to even have a normal talk with Dorothea, his own mother.

He was uncontactable until recently, when he was suddenly willing to come to the Gray Mansion for Dorothea's birthday party.

'He's a handsome man now, bigger than Vincent and Vaughn, but definitely has some of their facial features,' Dorothea thought as she reminisced the moment her second son met her for the first time after ten years. 'But, I don't see Vincent and Vaughn deep inside him. Vernon is like a stranger, even for me, his own mother.'

"I know that he is competent," Dorothea said. "He built his own company from scratch without help from the Gray family. He is talented, just like you and your father. But, is he… trustworthy?"

Vincent frowned, "What do you mean by that, Mom? Do you not believe your own son? Vernon is your son and my little brother."

"I know he is my son. I'm unsure that he is the same Vernon," Dorothea replied.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"I met him during my birthday party before, and my instinct told me that he is not the same Vernon we once knew," Dorothea said, following her instinct to stay away from her own son to save herself.

Vincent started to feel annoyed by his mom's words, "Of course, you don't feel familiar with him. You're absent in his life. Don't you remember that you only hired nannies to take care of him when he was a kid and growing up as a teen?"

"Yeah, that one is my fault," Dorothea sighed. "I was busy dealing with my problems. Just be careful, I'm telling you because you're my son and the one who controls the Gray family. I don't want someone to ruin our big family because I had this dreadful feeling when I met him. He is like the devil that will drag us all down to hell."

"Enough of that, Mom," Vincent got up from the chair, not wanting to have more discussion that slandered his little brother. "You're not close with Vernon because you don't care about him. You let him leave for ten years and never told me his whereabouts. Do you think I have to listen to your accusation about him? He is nothing but a hardworking young man."

Dorothea knew that discussion was out of the picture now. Vincent seemed to be convinced that Vernon could do no wrong.

But it was just her instinct that told her not to believe in her second son…

"Don't give him too big of a project. I don't want to risk anything," Dorothea advised. "You wouldn't know whether Vernon is planning to take us down or not. It's better to be safe than sorry."

"I don't care about your unfounded fear, Mom. If Vernon is competent, then I will give him a bigger project. I'm not a greedy man, it's also his right to get the family wealth, and I will share it with him."

"But you're the head of this family. You don't need to share much."

"No, he is from a Gray family. He is also my little brother. I will leave now. I don't think I want to listen to you anymore," Vincent said.

Vincent opened the door and walked away.

Dorothea stared at her son's back until he slammed the door. She then looked at the tall window that showed the garden below. Despite having this peaceful moment, many bad thoughts were storming into Dorothea's brain.

She lit another cigarette and blew the smoke out of her mouth, "Maybe Vincent is right. It's all just my unfounded fear because I've always been absent in Vernon's life. I've only raised him for the first five years of his life."

"But my instinct won't lie. I get this dreadful feeling inside me as if Vernon wants to ruin us all," Dorothea tapped the tip of the cigarette on the ashtray. She glanced at the family photo hanging on the wall, Vaughn and herself sitting while Vincent and Vernon stood on each side. Vernon was only seven years old in that picture, and even back then, she still felt the same dreadful feeling as Vernon.

That kid was never close to anyone except Vincent and Chloe. No matter what people do to try and impress him, he would throw tantrums or ignore them completely.

He always felt out of place compared to Vincent, who was tactful and intelligent.

Dorothea counted all the possibilities that might happen. When a man who was missing for ten years suddenly returned and became close to his big brother, who happened to be the heir of the Gray family, he must have been into something.

She scoffed mirthlessly;

"I don't care whether he is my son or not, but I won't let anyone destroy everything that I've earned. The Gray family will never fall under my care."

**

Vincent stormed out of the Gray Mansion in a sour mood. He knew that his mother and Vernon weren't really close. In fact, Vernon never liked to have dinner together with his parents. He liked having dinner alone or with Vincent or Chloe.

So, Vincent was surprised that a woman could have his way into Vernon's tightly closed heart, cooking for him and probably living In the same apartment.

Vincent never had a bad memory of Vernon, so he was visibly angry when his mother— who never raised Vernon— suddenly accused his little brother of a terrible scheme.

"Mom never knows how difficult it is to raise Vernon. Yet, she had the gut to demonize him," Vincent grumbled as he walked out of the mansion.

His car was ready right when he left the main door. So Vincent hurriedly entered his car.

"Where are we going next, Sir?"

"Just drive first. I want to wind up," Vincent said but changed his mind a minute later. "Go to the office now. I want to check on something."