Presently, several members of the Michel family were waiting outside; when Linus had been revealed as Cooper’s long-lost son, the guests at the dinner party had descended into a frenzy, and the frantic discussions that spread through the vicinity had prompted the Michel family to enquire about the situation.
What wonderful news indeed if it was true!
Cooper wiped away his tears before hurriedly calling over those who were waiting outside; he wanted to make it clear to the whole Michel family that Linus was no adopted son, but the biological son of Fass Michel!
…
“Is Linus Michel—the Vice President of the Michel family’s conglomerate—really Cooper’s son?”
“If that’s the case, no… isn’t he actually the Michels’ adopted son?”
“So, if Linus decides to return to his family, won’t he be about to lose his place in the Michel Family and Michel Group?”
“What could that possibly entail?”
“Michel Group will undergo a whole internal restructuring!”
The dinner guests were growing restless as they continued to speculate, but among them, Linus’ current as well as prospective collaborators wore grim expressions as they thought about how this turn of events could affect them.
If the revelation turned out to be true, then it could only wreak havoc.
The Yard twins were seated on the sofa while holding their wine glasses; their movements were synchronized as they whispered to each other.
Meanwhile, the Fletcher children had huddled up and were talking in low voices.
“That son of a b*tch Linus is Uncle Cooper’s son? Are you kidding me? Weren’t they just about to announce their engagement?”
Equally invested in this whole affair were the Winstons, the Edwards, and the Mitchells—the latter group, in particular, was now engaged in a heated discussion.
As wonderful as it would be if Linus really did turn out to be part of the Mitchell family, the real issue here was whether Linus would be willing to return to his roots.
Where the atmosphere had been lively before, it now died down to hushed tones and careful whispers.
No one was more anxious than Sandra Mitchell.
Is Linus really Cooper’s son?
No, how could he be?
Even if he was, I’m sure he won’t acknowledge the Mitchells as his real family.
If he did, he would lose everything he had worked for in Michel Group; he wouldn’t be so stupid to throw it all away like that. I’m sure he would deny all family relations with Cooper and retain his place within the Michel family.
How could a man like Cooper even father someone as clever as Linus?
He doesn’t deserve to have Linus as a son!
The guests were still gossiping in earnest when they saw the Michels—who were noticeably agitated—hastily making their way to the exit. Without stopping, they boarded their cars and left the premises.
The crowd grew louder with speculation.
“Did the Michels seem furious to you?”
“Does this mean something else has happened?”
Before long, the hosts of the dinner party returned to the scene.
Sophia had carefully re-applied the make-up which had been ruined by all the crying, and Cooper had recollected himself from his outburst; there was only joy now where there had, only moments ago, been the bitter aftermath of the painful revelation.
As for Linus, he was beaming as he walked by Cooper’s side.
Just like that, the family had returned.
Everyone was on the edge of their seats as they watched in anticipation at what the Mitchells would do next.
That was because whatever was about to happen next would greatly affect the interests of many.
Cooper was all smiles as he brought his son and daughter to the performance stage; he cleared his throat, and when he spoke into the microphone, his solemn voice was thick with emotion. “I, Cooper Mitchell, would like to make an important announcement today.”
He paused for dramatic effect, then lifted Linus’s arm by the wrist. “After twenty years, my long-lost son has finally been found! My son was Linus all along!” he declared to the audience.
Linus remained composed despite the wave of emotions that crashed over him, but there was no hiding the joy written all over his face.
The guests turned to each other with meaningful looks; none of them could have seen this plot twist coming.
It would only take a couple of days before the vice president of Michel Group would announce his resignation, which would inevitably lead to a massive drop in stock prices.
Michel Group was in charge of many enterprises, but those of which were listed on the stock market—including projects which involved the military, the insolvency department, and the hi-tech development—were all under Linus’ management. Once he left, the stock prices for all those enterprises would undoubtedly fall.
Everyone turned to look at Linus in disbelief and confusion.
Was it all worth it?
As of this moment, the Mitchells were basking in the joy of their reunion; they couldn’t care less about the stock market. The family was all that mattered now.
The Michels had gone in a hurry so that they could get started with rectifying Linus’ name in the registry.
How wonderful!
Linus was actually Fass’ biological son!
They no longer had to fear that Linus would run away!
There had been a time when the Michels had found themselves bottle-necked in their business development, and they watched helplessly as other families, such as the Yards, had begun to overtake them. If the regression had gone on, the Michels would have collapsed, but Cooper’s return had been the curveball that they needed in order to turn the tables around.
Seeing as Linus had been brought up by Cooper, the former had learned everything he needed to know from—and had grown into an even more refined version of—the latter. The Michels had thrived and peaked, but they had constantly been reminded of the fact that Linus was not their own. The Michel family had wanted to keep Linus, but at the same time, they were worried that Linus would leave them if he were to track down his biological father; if he had done that, it would have been a huge loss for both the family and the conglomerate.
But now, everything had turned out for the better!
The dinner party continued in full swing; when the dance segment came up, Cooper took hold of Annabel’s hand and guided her toward the dance floor; Sophia, on the other hand, had ditched her husband, who had rushed back to make it to the dinner party, and was now enthusiastically dancing with Linus.
When Michael had gotten off from his flight, he only had time to change into a new set of clothes before rushing over to the dinner party, and because this trip had been so last-minute, he had left a lot of things unattended. After resolving those at the first chance he could get, Michael had staked out a quiet corner and was now deep in conversation with Justin.
Stanley paced back and forth frantically. “Uncle, what happened?”
“Why did Linus want to marry Sophia all of a sudden?”
“How did Linus suddenly become Sophia’s brother?”
While answering their questions, Michael could not keep his eyes off of Cooper and Annabel.
The more he looked at them, the more acutely he felt the chills running down his spine.
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