Chapter 1135 So That’s Why
Sonia decided to take the door-in-the-face approach. If Tom took it, great, but if he didn’t, then she’d just take it that the two were talking about confidential company stuff and not ask any more questions. So now, it was down to Tom.
Just like that, Sonia said nothing and only looked silently at Tom’s reflection in the rearview mirror.
Maybe because she had been with Toby for some time, some of his commanding aurae rubbed off on her. So much so that chills ran down Tom’s spine, overwhelmed with stress, facing Sonia.
No wonder they’re a couple. The intimidation is practically identical.
At that, he scratched his head and sighed inwardly, ultimately yielding from their stalemate. He looked at Sonia through the rearview mirror and asked, “Did President Fully really behave strangely last night?”
“Why do you think I’d only choose to ask you when he’s not here?” Sonia retorted plainly, making Tom wipe his face and say, “Alright, I won’t hide it from you then.”
A hint of joy flashed across her eyes at that. Looks like I’ve won.
On the surface, she patted her bag lightly and asked plainly, “Alright, tell me then. What exactly happened? I’m sure nothing happened to Fuller Group, or you wouldn’t yield and tell me so easily.”
To that, Tom chuckled wryly and affirmed, “You’re right. We indeed weren’t talking about the company but Salzburg.”
“Connor?” Sonia narrowed her eyes. “He’s still in Seafield and hasn’t returned to Westanshire, isn’t he?”
“Yes.” Tom nodded in affirmation. “You probably don’t know this, Miss Reed, but President Fuller had gone to meet Connor when he went to retrieve the parts for you.”
“What?” Sonia sat upright at once. “He met with Connor himself?”
“That’s right.” Tom decided to just unbuckle his seatbelt and turn around. It was easier to talk to Sonia like that. “The two of them spoke of many things. Apart from talking about the parts, they, of course, didn’t leave out the former generation’s issues, and the president has confirmed that Salzburg’s the one who murdered the late Old Master Fuller.”
“He’s confirmed it?” Sonia’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Yes.” Tom nodded gravely. “Actually, the president had always believed that Salzburg was the one all these years, but he didn’t have the evidence to prove it. Plus, Salzburg doesn’t come to Seafield, and even when President Fuller went to Westsanshire, Salzburg never stepped out of the Salzburg residence. So, all these years, the president can’t even say for sure that he was the murderer until this time. It probably dawned on Salzburg that some things couldn’t be kept a secret forever, so he admitted to it after being pressured by President Fuller. The guy even bragged that the president wouldn’t be able to do anything with him even if he found out the truth.”
“Why is that? Does Connor have some backer supporting him that he can confidently say something like that?” Sonia locked her brows into a tight furrow upon hearing so.
Tom shook his head. “We don’t know the details yet, but that’s likely it. President Fuller has already ordered a covert investigation. Once we know who’s backing Salzburg, we’ll have nothing to fear anymore.”
Sonia nodded slowly. “True. But that’s probably not what you guys talked about last night, right? It happened two days ago, after all. There’s no reason for him to only get upset now.”
“That’s right.” Tom pushed his glasses up. “That’s not what I talked to the president about last night, but it has to do with it. After President Fuller retrieved the parts and confirmed Salzburg’s murder, he gave Salzburg a piece of his mind before coming to you. But before leaving, he said something to President Fuller.”
At that, he looked at Sonia, who pursed her lips in response. “What is it? It has to do with me?”
“Something like that.” Tom sighed. “But it has to do with Anya. The reason Salzburg came to Seafield is to save her. He naturally will have to find another way when he can’t get through to you. So this time, he reached his hands toward President Fuller, threatening him to release Anya or he’d deal with late Madam Valerie’s belongings.”
“Toby’ mother’s belongings?” A hint of shock laced her voice.
Tom lifted his chin at that. “Yes. You know as well that President Fuller’s mother used to date Salzburg. So it’s not surprising that he’d have some of late Madam Valerie’s belongings. But this became a way for him to threaten President Fuller.”
Sonia’s face flushed after she heard him, livid. “That old codger! Just how wicked can he get to threaten people with the dead’s belongings?!”
To that, Tom sneered, “It’s nothing for someone like Salzburg to threaten people with whoever’s belongings as long as he can get whatever he wants, even if those belongings used to belong to someone he loved.”
With that, Sonia looked out the window toward the elevator as pain laced her eyes. “Toby must’ve been really sad at that time, huh?”
“Sad? No.” Tom shook his head. “But anger? Yes. I’m not sure why, either, but I noticed President Fuller no longer reacts as intensely as he used to when someone mentions the late Madam Valerie nowadays. So when Salzburg used the late madam’s belongings to threaten the president, I didn’t see much of any other feelings other than anger in him. Then again, it could also just be me.”
“Maybe it’s not you.” Sonia smiled, causing Tom to widen his eyes slightly. “Do you know something, Miss Reed?”
Sonia rubbed her temples. “I’ve only discovered this lately as well. Toby’ mother purposely molded his personality to Connor’s when he was a child. Toby had no clue about it until I noticed it some time ago and told him. Then, he verified it with his grandmother. So…”
She left her words hanging at that, but it was enough for Tom to get a good picture, and he gasped. “So that’s why. To think there’s that. I didn’t know.”
“Toby didn’t tell you, and with his character lately, he’s not one to talk about this openly.”
Tom nodded in response. “I get it. No wonder President Fuller didn’t feel anything but anger when Salzburg mentioned the late Madam Valerie. So that’s why. But no matter how, she will always be President Fuller’s mother, and she loved him when he was a child at some point. So he’d be angry that Salzburg would use the late madam’s belongings as a threat and also upset for his mother to have fallen in love with someone like him.”
“You’re right.” Sonia put her hand down as she asked, “So did Toby agree to it? To let Anya free.”
At that, Tom hurriedly waved his hands in denial. “Of course not. The president isn’t someone who’d yield to threats so easily. Besides, this has to do with you. Even if he wants to say yes, he’d definitely talk to you first and not call the shots himself.”
“So he said no?” Sonia held her chin.
Tom waved his hand again. “Well, he didn’t do that either. He didn’t even give a d*mn about Salzburg’s threat and just walked away. But I got a call from Salzburg’s assistant yesterday, and they brought it up again, saying if President Fuller turns them down again, they’ll put the late Madam Valerie’s belongings up for auction. They even said surely many people would be interested in whatever late Madam Valerie used when she was still alive. If this isn’t blatant humiliation to President Fuller and the Fuller Family, I don’t know what is!”
“No wonder Toby was acting so…” Sonia bit her lip as pain enveloped her face.
