Free Web NovelChapter 108: Power (2)
Victor helped his mother up to her bedroom. As long as he could get her to nap, she should calm down and no longer be upset with his father. It was always how he could get himself out of this mess. His mother taking a nap and his father somewhere having a drink. Then later the two would act like the argument never happened.
Layla leaned close to Victor as he walked with her to the bed. "Where were you today, Victor? It is not like you to be leaving so often."
"I went to see a friend," Victor replied honestly.
"Don’t lie to me, son. I know that you have been trying to meet with Ian. I have warned you against it but you have chosen not to listen," said Layla.
"I did not go to see him today," Victor answered, his words truthful as it was the day before he had seen Ian. She didn’t need to know about that time.
"So you have seen him at some point. When will you understand that being near him will only ruin what you have? You shouldn’t see him as your brother. He is your competition because your foolish father thinks you are too sick to take after him. Stay away from Ian," Layla said, hoping this would be the time that Victor finally listened.
Victor helped his mother up onto her bed and then stepped away from her. "I will do as I please."
Layla turned to the stranger standing beside her. "What did you say?" freewebnoveℓ.com
Victor took a deep breath, gathering courage as he did so. "I will meet with Ian if I want to. He is my brother and I do not care if he is competition."
"You are all losing your minds," Layla muttered. First Hank and now Victor were trying to drive her crazy. "You will not meet with him," Layla said, not worried as she could make it happen. "Be a dear and find a maid to bring me some water."
"I am going to start looking for a wife," Victor revealed.
Layla was ecstatic to have Victor finally interested in getting married. With this, he would be many steps ahead of Ian. Hank could not ignore if Victor gave him a grandson, a future heir to all of this. "That is wonderful. I have a few young women in mind for you to choose."
"No mother," Victor replied, turning down the offer. "I will pick who I want as my wife."
Victor did not want to end up in the same position as his parents. Getting married, he would pick a woman with whom he could see himself settling down with for the rest of his life. "When I get married, I won’t come to live here. I will no longer be your concern so please, find something else to do with your time-"
"Victor, do not upset me more than I already am with you leaving to see that boy. You need my help to find a wife who will benefit you in the long run. This talk is over with," Layla said.
What did Victor know about the woman he must marry? She was the one who attended parties so she knew which young woman would suit Victor.
"She’s divorced and they say she cannot have a child but her wealth is not to be ignored. You are well suited for Scarlet," Layla decided.
"You only wish for me to court her because you want to take her from Ian. I will not join you in doing so. Unless you want to lose me as your son, I ask that you stop meddling in my relationship with Ian. We share the same father so you cannot go on to deny that he is my brother," said Victor.
Victor was proud of himself for finally standing up to her and not saying what she wanted to hear to keep her happy. He had been the son she wanted for all his life to calm her anger. It was time that he got to do as he wanted without her intervening.
"I will always love you," Victor added.
Layla didn’t believe his words just as she didn’t believe Hanks. They truly were father and son with the way that they lied. "I have done everything to put you in the position where you would inherit everything yet you are never grateful. I see what you cannot. How Ian will look to steal all that belongs to you."
"There was never a need for you to have to compete with anyone. You are the only legitimate son. Do you not for a second think that he will look to kill you so he can have what he has returned to this town for? You can’t trust people like him. Come here," Layla said, raising her hand to invite Victor to bed.
Victor only needed to listen to her. She knew what was best for him and by following her lead, he would take everything—leaving not even a flower in Ian’s name.
Layla already put together the plans to have the cottage destroyed once and for all so Victor wouldn’t go stooping around there. There was a need to go digging up the past.
Victor stared at his mother’s hand. That was the trap for pulling him in and filling his head with stories to get him to forget what he wanted to do or know. "No," he declined the offer. "You must listen to me. All my life I have followed your lead and now it must stop. I will marry and have a family. I cannot be a man when I am to move only when you say so."
Layla raked her fingers through her hair, not in the mood for this. Victor wouldn’t succeed by himself and she wasn’t willing to let him fail to figure it out. "Victor, you are just confused right now and should also have a rest. Then we can speak again when you have some sense. Go rest."
"What I speak now is what I shall do. It has always been tiring to have to keep you from being angry. Having to be good at things I disliked just so you can speak about me being better than Ian. I want to do as I want now. If you do not let me, then I shall leave," Victor said, knowing she would hate the threat.
Layla smiled as her anger went away. While it wasn’t good for Victor to be this way, she liked how he sounded right now. It was just how he needed to be around his peers. He just needed to watch how he misbehaved around her.
"Your father mentioned something about power. How I didn’t have any to stop Ian’s mother from going away. I am certain that there is power that I have and there is none that you hold because you fail to listen to me at times. Victor dear, if you misbehave once more, I will kill that boy," said Layla.
She already planned to kill Ian but now she had all the more reason to do it.
"Now, will you continue to go against me or can I rest knowing we will have a good talk when I wake?" Layla asked, leaning back on her pillow as she spoke.
Victor lowered his head. "Have a good rest, mother."
"And you, my sweet boy."
