Her Fake Lover

Chapter 63

It was late afternoon in Elderville-Bryxton. Emmeline Karfis carried out her plan to visit Mr. Piers. Chloe Levine accompanied her.

Emmy had not seen Mr. Piers in a while.

Emmeline paused for a moment, as she reached the old man's house. Emmeline managed her feelings. She knew their meeting this time would be different than usual. She knew a depressing conversation would ensue.

"Emmeline, are you ready?" Chloe stopped Emmeline's musings.

"Um—yes. Let's go into Mr. Piers's house."

Just a few steps Emmeline walked, the door seemed to be opened by someone from inside. Emmeline and Chloe suddenly stopped. It was Mr. Piers, of course, who opened the door. He stopped for a moment when he saw two people he knew very well standing in his yard.

They were silent in their respective places for a moment. Mr. Piers and Emmeline looked at each other. They stood a little apart. It wasn't close enough for Mr. Piers to see that Emmeline was starting to tear up, but Mr. Piers didn't need to know that, because his own eyes were also teary, and a feeling of inexplicable heaviness had strongly affected him.

Mr. Piers slowly walked towards Emmeline. He approached with a look that didn't move from Emmeline's face in the slightest. He walked closer and closer, and a few seconds after they came close to each other, the tears couldn't be hidden anymore. Both from Mr. Piers and Emmeline.

Mr. Piers stroked the fringe of hair on Emmeline's forehead lovingly. "I'm sorry, Dear. I'm sorry for everything."

Emmeline couldn't hold it in anymore. She burst into tears and she rested her head on Mr. Piers's shoulder like she was leaning on her father. Emmeline was crying loudly. "You are outrageous, Mr. Piers. You are outrageous. You have been lying to me for years. You and Vin have lied to me!"

Mr. Piers stroked Emmeline's hair which was still leaning on his shoulder until her crying face could not be seen. "You're right. You're right. I've gone too far. And you have every right to be angry with me."

"You are outrageous. You are outrageous." Emmeline's one hand lightly slapped Mr. Piers' other shoulder, still in tears, and she hadn't even lifted her head.

Mr. Piers looked up and sighed, wishing he had calmed himself down.

He said after that, "Vin wanted it all, and I couldn't refuse his request, Dear. I'm sorry."

Emmeline lifted her head. Her face was completely puffy from crying. "Why?" she asked. "Tell me why!"

Mr. Piers stroked Emmeline's puffy, wet cheek. While Chloe, with a worried face, stroked Emmeline's back to calm her down.

"Come in," said Mr. Piers. "Come into my house first, and I'll explain everything."

Emmeline didn't refuse. Mr. Piers then led her into the house.

Mr. Piers led Emmeline to sit down. When he got up and said, "I'll get you a drink to cool off," Chloe stopped him.

"No need, Mr. Piers. You just sit here. I'll get it for you." Chloe briefly looked at Emmeline who was still silent for the rest of her sobs, and Mr. Piers who understood Chloe's good intentions allowed her, and thanked her.

Emmeline glanced back at Mr. Piers. "Tell me all I need to know, Mr. Piers. No more lies for now."

Mr. Piers nodded his head. "All right," said Mr. Piers, "All right." He sighed. "Today I will confess all my sins. And you will know how much I have cursed myself all this time. Because even though I try not to tell you all the truth, my heart breaks every time I think about it."

Mr. Piers glanced at Emmeline. "Vin had kept his identity a secret, long before he knew you. Only a few people from his first group of friends knew that Vin had family. There were three people that Vin knew when he arrived in France, who later became his close friends. If you had asked them they would have been able to give you the right answer about Vin. But they have now spread out in other cities in France, pursuing their own careers. They all agreed to help keep Vin's identity a secret, ever since Vin entered Silas HA."

Emmeline frowned. Mr. Piers nodded his head steadily, confirming his own words. By then Chloe had returned to them with drinks for them all.

"The climate of competition at Silas HA is fierce, Emmeline. Especially with a boss like Howard. Everyone who knows about this, will warn anyone to be careful when entering Howard's company. But no matter what, Silas HA is like a magnet, that will attract anyone to enter no matter what the stakes. Especially at that time. I saw, Silas HA was at its peak. Especially after Howard found Vin, Howard seemed to have found a valuable asset that was as valuable as treasure. Howard offered Vin the opportunity to make his dream come true, and Vin was thirsty for such an opportunity."

Mr. Piers's gaze seemed to drift off, recalling the memories of the past.

"Howard then took Vin to Silas HA, and well, there was jealousy from an old designer at Silas and that made Vin even more wary. Danger had been around Vin since he walked into Silas HA. Ignore the designer—because he even left Silas HA after Vin delivered great achievements in his freshman year; The designer attempted to cheat Vin, and it cost him his job. But apart from him, there are many things in Silas HA that anyone should be careful about. Howard himself had many enemies. Anyone important to Silas HA could be in danger. In addition to having to be wary of his own boss who can be unpredictable, Vin had to be wary of many people. That's why he intended to protect his family in Italy."

Mr. Piers sighed for a moment. "I'm not exaggerating this story, Dear. You have to know, Howard, is a very unpredictable person. He can do anything to anyone, even to people who seem close to him. Vin is well aware of that. You yourself know and have experienced, what he was trying to do to Karfis & Vin when the business was just starting out." Mr. Piers sighed heavily again.

"But why did Vin keep it a secret from me?" interrupted Emmeline. "He can not tell anyone, but he shouldn't be hiding it from me."

"That's because Howard went even crazier on Vin, without your knowledge, Emmeline," said Mr. Piers. Emmeline frowned at that. "Yes," said Mr. Piers. "Howard had terrorized Vin over and over again since Vin left Silas HA. Howard had become increasingly out of control. But Vin never wanted to tell you, because he didn't want to scare you. Especially because Vin," Mr. Piers looked at Emmeline for a moment, "he has the thought that he would build a business with you, from the moment he met you."

Emmeline and Chloe gaped in surprise. Mr. Piers released his gaze freely again.

"Vin had been planning to build a business since he was with Silas HA. Especially in his later years at the company, when he couldn't stand the sight of Howard's cheating on his rival companies. To anyone he felt stood in his way, Howard has often committed fraud and crime. Howard often brought down his opponent in a cunning and dangerous way. Vin had warned Howard sternly for his actions, but every time Vin did, their conversation always ended in a fight. Vin couldn't take it anymore. He felt guilty at a lot of people, besides he also felt a lot of pressure from Howard. That's why Vin resigned from Silas HA."

Mr. Piers paused for a moment before continuing.

"Vin had been dreaming of starting his own business for a long time. Then when he met you, he felt that his determination was getting stronger and he didn't want to back down. He told me at that time, there was a trust in his heart towards you from the moment he met you, which Vin couldn't explain why."

Mr. Piers smiled for a moment.

"The spirit that Vin saw in you, gave a fresh feeling in his soul which at that time felt tired and confused. You made Vin feel alive again. Vin said, your innocence, your talent, you with all the things that you have, as if it has brought Vin to the same condition when he just arrived in France. Vin saw a bright tomorrow. The world looked colorful again to Vin. He was excited again. He without hesitation left Silas HA, and spent his time with you to train you. He asked me to accompany you. He told me, 'Uncle Piers, you are a jeweler. My field is watches. And I know very little about jewelry. I beg you, please help Emmeline explore her talent so that she can become as great as you are. I want this girl to succeed in all her dreams, Uncle. I have faith in her.'"

Mr. Piers looked back at Emmeline.

"So Vin has deliberately prepared me from the start, so that I am ready to build a business with him?" Emmeline asked. She remembered how Vin accompanied her to various jewelry design competitions. She remembered how Vin made her learn a lot, both from himself and Mr. Piers.

"Yes." Mr. Piers nodded. "His dream had blossomed ever since he met you. He had included you in that dream."

Mr. Piers' gaze was sad for a moment. Then he lowered his head, and closed his eyes.

"Mr. Piers," Emmeline took the old man's hand, who looked sad again.

"I remember the events leading up to the accident, Dear," said Mr. Piers. Emmeline frowned.

"Before the accident?" Emmeline repeated.

Mr. Piers nodded. "I wasn't with him in the accident at the time, but Vin came out of his coma and spoke to me a little, as you know." Mr. Piers swallowed heavily. "But there's something I haven't told you, Dear. Vin, said something about Howard."

Emmeline and Chloe straightened their backs swiftly.

"About Howard?" Emmeline repeated.

***