shuhaige
Chapter 2126
Back in the day, Jacob was quite the playboy-his stylish clothes and slicked-back hair giving him the look of a real heartbreaker
But now? All that frivolity had vanished from his face. He'd lost weight, sharpening his features and giving him a more serious, edgy presence.
His hair was cut neat and tidy. Gone were the loud shirts; instead, he stood there in a tailored suit, exuding the aura of someone born to lead, a stark contrast to the old Jacob. Sanderson stood up, breaking the silence.
"My parents were driven nearly to the grave. It was high time I shaped up." Jacob's gaze was piercing as he spoke, catching everyone off guard. An eerie silence fell over the boardroom.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
Sanderson was still playing the good guy. "I know you blame me for suggesting we oust your father."d2
Jacob walked straight toward Sanderson, whose bodyguards tensed up, eyes locked on Jacob.
But to everyone's surprise, Jacob bypassed them and took a seat at the head of the table.
"Jacob, you're not chairman yet," one of Sanderson's lackeys spoke up with a frown, as if Jacob had committed a mortal sin.
"Enough!" Sanderson snapped, then turned to Jacob. "The boy's right to sit there."
"Mr. Sanderson is correct," Jacob said, a wry smile playing on his lips.
Jacob had always had a soft spot for Sanderson. His dad, Graham, was strict, and his mom, Lenora, was controlling. But Sanderson? He'd always been gentle and kind. Whenever young Jacob wanted a toy that his parents wouldn't buy, Sanderson would somehow make it appear.
For a long time, Jacob loved Sanderson more than his own parents. That is until his grandmother, heartbroken, revealed the truth about Sanderson's past.
Sanderson was the lovechild of Jacob's grandfather and a woman who died giving birth to him. Raised by his maternal grandparents until he was eight, Sanderson was then taken in by Jacob's family-the Strands they announced he was the orphan of a dear family friend.
But as Sanderson grew, his resemblance to Jacob's grandfather became undeniable. And Jacob's grandmother wasn't fooled. She had a paternity test done in secret-one that only she and, eventually, Jacob had ever seen.
Sanderson was, indeed, his uncle.
Jacob was no fool. Reflecting on all that Sanderson had done for him, and remembering the endless fights between his grandparents over whether to give Sanderson a share of the Strand legacy, Jacob realized the family tension wasn't just about money.
He never found out how that particular argument ended, but a couple of years later, Sanderson mysteriously acquired shares in the Strand Group, no explanation given.
From that moment, Jacob mentally severed ties with Sanderson.
It wasn't just about loyalty to his parents. It was for his grandmother, the legitimate wife.
The existence of a lovechild like Sanderson wasn't a mistake in itself, but compared to his grandmother, Sanderson's presence was an undeniable error.