Chapter 158: Announce The Marriage
Richard’s study was quiet. Theo sat silently in his chair while Liam kept his eyes on his phone.
"So, what do you suggest?" Richard finally spoke, breaking the silence.
Theo raised his chin and glanced briefly at Liam, who seemed unconcerned. "Before we decide what to do... Can I ask you something?"
Richard’s brow knitted in confusion; Theo seemed different today. "Go on..."
"Julian..." Theo began, swallowing hard, the name immediately capturing their attention. "Did you really check how he died?"
"What do you mean?" Richard’s frown deepened, "I’ve asked and checked several times Theo... and all the investigation led to him slipping and causing the death..."
Theo’s hands clenched into fists, the anger and frustration barely contained. "But what if it wasn’t just an accident?" His voice was low, deliberate, carrying a weight that made the room fall silent.
Richard’s brow furrowed deeper, leaning back slightly. "What are you implying, Theo?"
"The Old Man Kennedy..." Theo started, shaky, "He hinted that he had something to do with Julian’s death..."
Richard stiffened, his eyes narrowing as he processed the words. "He... he admitted it?"
Theo shook his head quickly, swallowing hard. "Not exactly... but his words... the way he spoke, it wasn’t just idle talk. He wanted me to know like he had something to do with Julian’s death."
Richard’s fists tightened as he paced the room, muttering under his breath. "That man... he’s always three steps ahead. Using my children to get to me... I should’ve seen it!"
Theo’s jaw tightened, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "He’s aiming at me first... but now Daisy’s caught up in it. He knows she’s my weakness."
Liam glanced up from his phone, an edge of amusement in his voice. "Looks like this useless Kingsley will never be the one targeted, huh?"
Theo gave him a sidelong look, his tone flat but weighted. "Don’t be so sure. You never know... so be careful with everything you do."
"Yeah... be careful." Richard’s gaze shifted between his sons, but there was a hollowness in his eyes. His voice cracked as he muttered, "What have I done?"
Theo looked at his father, his expression cold and unreadable. "Everything happens for a reason... and nothing in the past can be changed."
Richard’s face hardened. "Is that really how you see it?"
Theo’s gaze didn’t waver. "That’s how you’ve made me see it for the past ten years."
Richard’s face froze at Theo’s words, his shoulders stiffening. "Theo... you think I blamed you?"
Theo gave a hollow laugh, sharp and bitter. "Think? I know. Every glance, every silence in this house after Julian’s death... it all pointed at me. You didn’t have to say the words. I carried them anyway."
Richard’s jaw clenched, his fists curling at his sides. "That was never what I—"
"But that’s what I lived with," Theo cut in, his tone flat, almost detached. "Ten years of being the shadow of the son you lost. Ten years of trying to prove I wasn’t the mistake that survived."
Liam finally set his phone down, his eyes darting between them, the usual smirk gone. "Well... this again?" He leaned back in his chair, stretching lazily as if the tension in the room had nothing to do with him. "Aren’t we here to discuss how to get your Barbie-in-law’s father back? And now that we already know how Julian died, can we stop with this endless blame game?"
Theo’s jaw tightened, but he stayed quiet, his eyes narrowing at Liam.
Richard exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Julian’s death... Daisy’s father... Owen has been circling us for years, waiting for a crack. Now he’s prying it wide open."
Liam leaned back in his chair, stretching his legs with deliberate nonchalance. "Exactly. So instead of digging through old graves, maybe we focus on the problem breathing down our necks. Kennedy still has Daisy’s dad, and from the way things sound... he’s not planning to let him walk out alive."
Theo’s eyes narrowed, glaring at him.
"What? I’m just stating the fact," Liam said with a shrug. "He never liked that man to begin with. He’s using him to drag Daisy back. But if Daisy refuses to return to Kennedy... what do you think will happen then?"
Both men went quiet, the room shrinking until it felt like only the three of them and the echo of Liam’s question remained.
Richard stared at the table as if the grain might give him an answer. He thought of old meetings, of deals gone sour, of a grudge that had been buried and fed for years. If Daisy refused, Owen wouldn’t need to hide a thing, he’d make the choice visible and brutal.
Liam leaned forward, clasping his hands together, eyes glinting with mischief and calculation. "You know what we could do? Make it public." He let the words hang. "Announce the wedding, broadcast it everywhere. Everyone will know who Daisy really is... her father, her mother, everything. It’ll tip the scales... and Owen won’t be able to move without everyone watching."
Theo’s eyes narrowed sharply, his jaw tightening. "You’re insane," he muttered, voice low but lethal. "You’d drag Daisy into the spotlight like that? Expose her family, her life... everything she’s barely survived?"
Richard ran a hand over his face, silent for a moment, his mind turning over the implications. "It’s... bold. Dangerous. But it might just force his hand. Liam might be right... Owen thrives in shadows. If we shine a light, he loses control."
Theo’s eyes flickered with hesitation, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, torn between protecting Daisy and using her as a tool to save her father.
Liam leaned back in his chair, tilting his head with that usual calm arrogance. "That’s how we can make a better move to save him... no?"
His gaze cut between Theo and Richard, sharp and unwavering. "Expose the marriage, make it public. Show everyone that Daisy isn’t alone. Owen can’t touch her without consequences."