At the Harris Mansion.
Old Harris gazed at his son, Paul Harris, who sat across from him with a worried expression. The air in the room was thick with silence, each of the Harris waiting for the other to speak.
Though Old Harris could sense the reason for Paul's sudden visit home, he held his tongue, allowing his son to find the courage to speak his truth.
Finally breaking the heavy silence, Paul was the first to speak up. And his tone was one of urgency. "F-Father, the company is in deep trouble. We need your help desperately..." His eyes stared deep at his father.
Old Harris pushed his glasses up, focusing his attention on his son. He sighed deeply, his mind still heavy with the weight of the conversation he had with Old Riley a few days ago about his son's misdeeds at B Island.
"What matter are we talking about?" Old Harris asked, feigning ignorance about what Paul wanted to discuss as he tried to put his anger aside.
Paul's voice was tense with worry as he spoke, "Someone is trying to sabotage our company, and I have reason to suspect it might be the Riley family..."
Paul paused momentarily. His mind raced with memories of his daughter Ella reminding him of the evil plan he had hatched to harm Xander's wife on B Island.
And he also couldn't rule out that today's incident at the R Mall — that Ella told her — was somehow connected to that plan. Now it was starting to strike him that Xander Riley might be behind it all, he's the only one who can do this easily.
"I know it's just an assumption, but I can't shake the feeling that something isn't right," Paul continued. His voice trailed off as he considered the implications of his suspicions.
Old Harris listened intently to Paul's words, his face remaining stoic and composed. "What leads you to believe it was the Riley family?" he asked in a measured tone, devoid of any surprise or annoyance. However, his piercing gaze fixed on Paul.
"This is because..." Paul Harris hesitated, knowing that his father would be furious if he found out about what he did at B Island. He decided not to tell him.
"...Well, I just got the info that has connected the dots. My daughter Ella, somehow, had offended Xander's wife. And before we knew it, all the negative coverage was on the internet and in the news. It was a public relations disaster!"
Paul paused for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. "We tried to contain the situation, but it was too late. The damage had been done. Father, we need your help..."
As Paul spoke, he couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt. He had been the one who had come up with the plan on B Island, and now he started to believe Xander knew he was the mastermind.
Old Harris took a deep breath and listened to his son's explanation. He couldn't believe that his son had lied to him—he knew what was going on.
As Paul finished speaking, there was a moment of silence, and then Old Harris' expression changed. Veins appeared on his forehead, and a glint of fire emanated from his eyes. "You and your daughter are the same!" he pointed at Paul, his anger boiling. "A piece of trash!!"
Paul winced at his father's words. He had never seen his father this angry before, and it was clear that his father was deeply hurt and disappointed in him.
He silently talked to himself, wondering why his father looked so angry, 'Did he know the truth about what had happened? Did he know about the incident on B Island?'
As Paul was about to speak, his father interrupted him sternly. "I can't believe you would stoop so low, Paul. You have disgraced our family name, you kill people to achieve your goals..." Old Harris said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Paul felt his heart sink as he realized his father knew the truth. He had always looked up to his father and had worked hard to earn his respect and approval. But now, he has let him down.
Old Harris raised his brows, waiting for his son to respond, but he kept silent. He continued, "And your daughter, shame on her too! Did you forget what I told you after Walter's birthday dinner?" he asked, his tone stern.
ραпdα nᴏνa| сom Paul nodded slowly, feeling a sense of shame wash over him. "Yes, I remember, Father..." he trailed off, unsure what to say.
"But why do you still let your daughter obsess over Xander?" Old Harris continued, his voice rising with anger. "Is Xander the only man in this world?"
Paul felt a lump in his throat as his father's words hit the spot — his heart. He knew that his daughter was still obsessed with Xander, no, but he was obsessed and wanted a son-in-law as powerful as Xander Riley.
"I'm sorry, Father," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I know I've made a lot of mistakes. But I'll do everything to make things right."
Old Harris snorted in disbelief.
"I will do my best!" Paul said.
"You have a long way to go, son!" Old Harris said. But inwardly he still did not believe in his son; how was he supposed to clean up his mess after Xander attacked him? They would suffer.
Now, Old Harris just hoped they would bounce back in a few years.
"Father," Paul asked, his voice laced with concern, "...do you think Xander knows about the incident on Island B?" He wanted to confirm his suspicion before proceeding with caution.
"I'm afraid so, son," Old Harris replied, his tone grave. "Walter and Xander are both aware of what happened. In fact, Old Riley called me a few days ago and warned me that Xander might seek retribution against Harris because of your actions."
Instantly, Paul's face turned deathly pale as if all the blood had been sucked out of him. He had expected it but was still surprised to hear Xander found out about his plan.
Now Paul realizes why he can't find the killer he paid for — those people must be in Xander's hands. Damn, it!!
