That morning, Louie woke up earlier than usual, eager to set his plans in motion for their return home. Before heading downstairs, he decided to check on his sister. Stepping quietly into her room, he saw her curled up under a blanket, still fast asleep. Not wanting to disturb her, he left without a word.
As he made his way downstairs, one of the household staff greeted him with a polite nod. "Good morning, Sir Louie. What would you like for breakfast?"
"Just coffee," he replied without hesitation. "Bring it to my office. I’ll have breakfast later once Micay wakes up."
The servant acknowledged his request and hurried off. Louie, on the other hand, walked straight to his office, wasting no time. As soon as he sat down, he picked up his phone and dialed a number. The call connected almost instantly.
"Is everything ready?" Louie asked, his voice firm.
"Yes, boss. Everything is in place," came Samuel’s assured response.
"Good. Make sure there are no mistakes this time," Louie warned, his tone leaving no room for error.
"Understood, boss. Everything has been arranged."
Satisfied, Louie ended the call and set his phone down just as the servant returned with his coffee. He took a sip before shifting his focus to the stack of documents on his desk—tasks assigned to him by his uncle, Miguel, which he needed to complete as soon as possible.
Hours passed, and as lunchtime approached, Louie realized he hadn’t seen his sister all morning. He leaned back in his chair, stretching slightly, and muttered to himself, "Looks like she had a good night’s sleep."
Deciding to check on her, he left his office and headed towards her room. However, as he reached the stairs, a maid hurried toward him.
"Sir Louie, Miss Micay isn’t in her room."
Louie stopped in his tracks, frowning. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, sir. She’s not even in the bathroom. I just went in to collect her laundry, and she wasn’t there."
His frown deepened. Without another word, he turned on his heel and strode back to his office, reaching for his phone. He called his sister once, but there was no answer. He called again—still nothing. It wasn’t until his third attempt that she finally picked up.
"Where are you, Michaella?" he demanded, his voice edged with irritation.
"At the mall," she answered casually. "Didn’t I ask for your permission yesterday?"
"You didn’t stop by my office before leaving," he pointed out.
"You were still asleep when I left."
"You should have waited for me—or at least taken some of our men with you," Louie argued, his annoyance growing.
His sister scoffed. "You know how I feel about bodyguards, Louie. I don’t want them following me around like trained dogs."
"They’re there for your protection."
"And what if they mess up? Then I’ll just have to deal with the trouble they cause. It’s easier to be on my own," she countered.
Louie exhaled sharply. "Fine. But don’t take too long—we have a flight to catch tonight."
"Relax, I know. But I’m starving, so I’ll have lunch first before heading back," Michaella said dismissively.
"Alright. Just be careful," he warned before ending the call.
After setting his phone down, Louie headed upstairs to pack the rest of his belongings. Once he was done, he returned to his office. The moment he stepped inside, he noticed the uneasy silence among his men. They stood still, looking almost like obedient sheep. His eyes landed on Hernan, who looked particularly pale, gripping his phone tightly. The man seemed to be listening intently to the person on the other end of the line.
As soon as Hernan noticed Louie’s presence, he hurriedly turned to him. "Sir, it’s Mr. Miguel," he said, handing over the phone.
Louie took it, his brows furrowing slightly. Before he could even greet his uncle, Miguel’s furious voice exploded through the receiver.
"What kind of stupidity did you just pull, Louie Davidson?"
Louie tensed. "Wait, Uncle—"
"Don’t ‘wait’ me! What the hell were you thinking, burning down those plantations and homes?"
Louie’s gaze swept over his men, suspicion creeping in. Someone had betrayed him. There was no other way his uncle would have found out so quickly.
"They refused to sell, so I made sure they couldn’t use the land either," Louie responded calmly.
"Do you even realize what you’ve done? I’ve been waiting years for that land to pass to me!" Miguel fumed.
Louie exhaled sharply. "There are plenty of other properties we can buy, Uncle. Why are you so obsessed with the Arslans’ land?"
Miguel’s voice dropped, but his anger was still palpable. "I’m not after just the land, Louie."
Louie scoffed. "Oh, so there’s something valuable buried there? Gold, perhaps?"
"This isn’t about gold. That land holds something far more important."
Louie clenched his jaw, growing impatient. "There are countless plantations we could acquire. Why this one?"
Miguel’s response sent a chill down his spine.
"Because that land belongs to the Davidsons."
Louie froze. "What?"
"You heard me. That land is part of our family’s legacy. And instead of doing your research, you burned it to the ground!"
Shock settled over Louie like a heavy weight. "If it belonged to our family, how did the Arslans end up with it?" he asked, his voice sharper now. "Don’t tell me Erine was one of my father’s mistresses?"
Miguel sighed, frustration evident in his voice. "No. But the land went to Erine because…" He hesitated before continuing. "Because she had Henry’s son."
Louie’s grip on the phone tightened. "What are you saying?"
"Francis Arslan isn’t just an Arslan. He’s a Davidson," Miguel revealed. "He is Henry’s son. His full name is Francis Louie Davidson."