Afterlife Department

Chapter 185 – Gerard Jackson

"I cooked some porridge for you before going here." Huo Meiying spoke, her voice unhurried. "I hope you don't mind the taste. As a patient, you can't eat a heavy meal." She explained as she takes the food container from the bodyguard.

It made Huo Jinghua break away from his thoughts. He raised his head and gave her a smile. He felt sweet in his heart. "Thank you, jie." He said. "And, the foods you cook are always delicious." He told her and took the plastic container from her hand and opened it. A fragrant smell wafted as the warm air escaped from the plastic container.

"You flatterer." Huo Meiying helplessly sighed as she sat on the chair beside the bed and watched her youngest brother eat the porridge with gusto.

In front of other people, Huo Jinghua always acts like an adult with no emotions. He can be qualified to apply as a robot with AI installed. The only time he can act spoiled and like a child is when they were alone. Despite his age, but with her, Huo Jinghua can laugh unrestrained, which she never had seen him do before. She never complained, since she empathizes with him as someone who is also unloved by her family. Huo Jinghua is more pitiful than her, for she still has her elder brother – the late king, before who cares for her. However, now he's gone.

She is Huo Jinghua's emotional support, likewise he is her emotional support. Amidst the two boulders of rock – also known as their families, trapping them in between, they only have each other as their source of strength.

"Jie." Huo Jinghua's voice freed her from her thoughts.

"Hm?"

"The matter of xiao Ling…" he carefully said as he slowly and anxiously looked at her. Seeing her blank expression became even more emotionless, he felt his heart ached. "Jie…" he called.

"I won't let them take xiao Ling away." Huo Meiying said in a rare, determined voice. "Xiao Ling's heart is in here, so his soul will remain here." She explained.

Huo Jinghua nodded in agreement. Remembering the obedient and sometimes naïve young man with chocolate brown hair and warm eyes, his heart even ached further. Xiao Ling… I will avenge you! He thought as his left hand underneath the blanket clenched in suppressed anger.

He forced a smile to Huo Meiying to comfort her. "Jie. Now that father has given me his position, I can employ more people to investigate xiao Ling's accident, and find the person responsible for this." He told her.

Huo Meiying's usually dull eyes reddened as they became pools of water. She nodded at Huo Jinghua. Her gaze is full of gratitude. "Thank you." She said in a hoarse voice.

Huo Jinghua spoke more words of comfort. The atmosphere between the siblings is warm, completely unlike what it is at Gerard Jackson's house.

The atmosphere became freezing cold as Gerard Jackson's deep sea-blue eyes glared icily at Lewis Johnson. "What. Did. You. Say?!" he asked through his gritted teeth.

Lewis Johnson lowered his head to hide the gleam in his eyes as he respectfully answered. "The couple said that they need more time for the child to adjust." He said. "The child is spoiled, and too dependent on them, so he will be uncomfortable and will feel unsecured if he'd live in a new environment." He explained.

Gerard Jackson's face is as black as the bottom of a pot. "Which is why the sooner, the better!" he said. He threw the wine glass he was holding on the floor because of anger. "The sooner the child lives with me, the faster he'll adapt!" his veins were popping on his forehead.

Lewis Johnson secretly sneered as he looked at Gerard Jackson with a mocking gaze that was hidden behind the lens of his eyeglasses. "The couple never replied to my messages after, as well as didn't respond to my calls." He said as he pushed up his eyeglasses. "Fret not, sir. The people I sent to watch them are closely monitoring them, so they won't be able to escape." he assured him.

"They'd better be!" Gerard Jackson was seething in anger. It was just this morning he had talked with them, along with interacting with the secret child he had. How can they already change their face after a few hours?!

More than twenty years ago, he married Huo Meiying out of interests. He can have the royal family's connections, as well as Huo Dakuan's. He hit two birds with one stone. Added to the fact that Huo Meiying has a dull temperament so she won't pester him or act spoiled making him accompany her wherever she wanted to go to, it was really convenient for him to marry Huo Meiying.

No feelings were invested on the marriage, only a two-way interest since the royal family and Huo Dakuan can seek connections from his side, too. Thus, it is inevitable for him to have many affairs outside their marriage. The child between him and Huo Meiying was also conceived only through in-vitro fertilization. Although Huo Meiying is beautiful, but her dull attitude turns him off so he always visits brothels and have a sex or two every night, spreading his seeds. However, none of the women bore his child.

Until one day, ten years ago, he met a woman and she became pregnant of his child. He was overjoyed. They came to an agreement where the woman would leave the child to him in exchange for money. She didn't dare play tricks on him since she's afraid of his might as an underworld lord.

Thus, when the child was born, she hurriedly left the hospital and flew abroad. He had Lewis Johnson find an ordinary couple who are childless to take care of his child until the time he takes his child away from them, disregarding whether they have born a child by that time or not.

It seems his fear has come true. The couple still cannot bear a child, so they had his child become dependent on them for him to not leave them. Shall I kill them? He thought as a vicious glint flashed in his eyes.

How can Lewis Johnson, who had been working for him for more than two decades, not know what he is thinking? Lewis Johnson's eyes narrowed as he spoke. "Sir. You have met with the child earlier." He reminded him. "If something to his parents, he would naturally trust them more than you, someone powerful whom he had just met. It is natural for him to associate the couple's 'accident' to you, if you'd make your move." He told him.

Gerard Jackson's face flushed red in anger. "Damn it!" he cursed. He didn't doubt Lewis Johnson's words, since he's the one he trusted the most. Would the relationship forge for two decades amount to just a small doubt? "What should I do?" he asked.

"The child is intelligent, added to the fact he is a teen." Lewis Johnson said as he analyzed. "Teens are emotionally sensitive, and he is more perceptive because of his intelligence. Thus, they have the upper hand." he helplessly sighed as he looked at Gerard Jackson's tight facial muscles because of suppressing his emotions. "We can only do their bidding right now." he told him.

"Damn!" Gerard Jackson cursed as he kicked the vase stand.

The corner of Lewis Johnson's lips curled up when he saw Gerard Jackson's defeat. "As I've said earlier, we don't have anything to worry about." He said. "Our people are closely watching them. They cannot slip through our net." He assured him.

Gerard Jackson's chest heaved up and down as he glared at him. "You wish your words become true. Or else…" he said, a threat in his voice.

Lewis Johnson forced back not to smile and fixed his expression to a solemn one with a hint of 'nervousness'. "Yes, sir." He answered and slightly lowered his head to hide his grin. Calculating it is time for him to exit, he excused himself and walked out of the room. He saw the cleaning auntie and walked towards her. "Aunt, can you clean his room after an hour?" he asked and turned back when they heard the smashing and breaking inside Gerard Jackson's room. It lasts an hour for Gerard Jackson to vent his anger.

The cleaning aunt frowned and looked at Gerard Jackson's room in disdain. However, she nodded. "Sure." She answered before she resumed cleaning the hallway.

Lewis Johnson smiled in satisfaction seeing the cleaning aunt's reaction. He has long brainwashed the people in Gerard Jackson's house. Thus, their reaction when he talked to them about Gerard Jackson, their employer. Naturally, they wouldn't show their disdain towards their employer on the surface. However, gossiping behind his back is another thing.

Lewis Johnson hailed a taxi and had the taxi driver send him to the bar. When he reached the bar and walked inside, the people inside lined up and greeted him.

"Boss." They reverently called, their eyes are filled with naked worship as they stared at him.