Chapter 1712 The Skeleton In The Closet
The Heard family was very influential in Jadeborough back then.
One could even say that they were as powerful as the Jadesons. Had it not been for the scandal, the Heards could have surpassed the Jadesons.
“I remember how your grandfather refused to let me join the army and insisted that I stay at the White House. However, after the Heard family scandal broke out, he had a change of heart. Suddenly, he had no problem with me enlisting,” explained Shin.
Upon hearing that, Sebastian raised an eyebrow curiously and put his teacup down. “What scandal?”
“It was said that Mrs. White got pregnant before marriage, so the Heards moved mountains to cover the story up. However, she did stay out of public eyes for several months after word got out,” answered Shin calmly.
The incident caused quite a stir in Jadeborough back then because of how renowned the Heards were. The fact that it happened just before the election only made the predicament much worse for the family.
Even Jonathan was quite shocked when he heard the rumor.
However, it did not take long for the Heards to turn the story around by convincing the public that Elizabeth had a tumor in her stomach and that she was sent overseas for treatment.
They even hired a foreign doctor to make their story more credible.
Even though the scandal eventually died down, those in the city’s upper class still found the Heards’ explanation hard to believe. As for Jonathan, he decided to let Shin join the army because he knew the Heards would not stand a chance in the coming election, and as expected, they lost.
What Jonathan did not expect, though, was that a young man named Alfred White from Xenhall would ascend to the White House in just a few years. Not only that, but Alfred also married Elizabeth.
It turned out that the Heards were playing the long game.
“That means Eddie was the mastermind behind it all.”
“Correct. Alfred was just Eddie’s puppet. But you already know that, don’t you? On top of that, his sickly son, Baylor, was an assassin of The Coffee Shop,” sighed Shin after nodding at Sebastian, who did not expect to find Eddie behind yet another conspiracy.
If nothing else, Sebastian was impressed by how crafty the old fox was.
“So where’s the child now? Have you found him yet?” continued Shin with his questions.
“No,” replied Sebastian in all honesty.
Shin froze when he heard his son’s response. No? So even Sebastian has bad days, huh?
Because of how capable Sebastian always seemed, Shin found it surprising that his son had no answer to his question.
Suddenly, Sebastian’s face turned grim.
“Is that so hard to believe? I doubt that Eddie got Mrs. White pregnant because he only wanted to be a father. That child’s probably nothing more than a tool to him—a tool he didn’t want anybody else to find.”
Sebastian could not believe that he had to explain something so obvious to the elderly man who was supposed to be wiser than him.
After a few awkward coughs, Shin grabbed the kettle and refilled his son’s teacup. “Here. Have some more tea.”
The father and son then continued with their game until Sasha suddenly drove up to them.
“When are you coming home, Sebby? It’s almost Christmas,” inquired Sasha.
Christmas? The two men in the pavilion were stunned when they heard the word.
Right! It’ll be Christmas Eve in a few days, and after that, Christmas! Shin set his teacup down before smiling brightly at the couple. “She’s right, Sebastian. It’s almost Christmas, so you should go home. Spend some time with your family.”
Sasha shifted her attention to Shin as soon as she heard the elderly man. “Wait a second. Aren’t you coming with us, Master?”
Since she already knew that Shin was family, Sasha thought it would only be right for the elderly man to spend the holiday with them.
However, Shin turned the woman down by shaking his head.
“Thank you for the kind offer, but I’m a monk now. This is where I belong. You two have a safe trip now.”
“But—”
“Go!” interrupted Shin before turning around to leave, refusing to give Sasha a chance to finish her sentence.
Still, Sasha decided that she was not about to stand by while Shin walked away from her, so she raced to the temple door and grabbed the elderly man by the arm.
