Eyes on Iris

11. Calm After the Storm

HUNTER

Hunter let out a deep breath, looking up at the blue sky as he tightly held the rein of the black stallion he was riding. It was a beautiful sunny morning in Walford but the chilly wind blew mercilessly. He was looking around the vast land of the Kingston Ranch, checking his favorite spots, and visiting the cabin of some workers in the area.

When he rode near the greenhouse, Hunter was surprised to see the blooming roses. They were bright red and crawled over the wall. Those were his mother’s favorite, and his old man hired a horticulturist and an experienced gardener to maintain the place. The sight of it alone was able to uplift his mood.

Indeed, beautiful things tend to improve a person’s spirit!

Three days had already passed since his father’s burial. And Hunter had been doing whatever he thought could kill his time and get his mind off the things that needed his attention.

Truly, he was avoiding a lot of obligations and he was aware he couldn’t keep this up for long. Fortunately, Froy was understanding and patient enough to help him settle things in old Mr Kingston’s company in the meantime.

In fact, ever since he arrived, Hunter has not lifted a finger to meddle with the family business or the estate. Everything was arranged for him – as a young master should have.

Filling his lungs with the cold breeze, he exhaled slowly. He had never felt this calm for a very long time. He finally found the peace he very much needed as he stared at the horizon.

Indeed, there’s no place like home! The air is fresh, the view is good, the birds are loud, and even the mud I stepped on earlier feels nice!

He grinned at the thought. He missed everything about Walford and Kingston Ranch.

New Year’s was just around the corner and most of the workers at the ranch had taken their leave to spend time with their families and relatives. On the other hand, the mansion was quieter than usual as the maids also left for a weekend break.

In light of his father’s death, the annual Kingston New Year Banquet was not going to take place this time. It was a party that old Mr Kingston used to hold for the townsfolk, company, ranch employees, friends, and business associates. It was an extravagant event that would gather hundreds of people, from commoners to big shots and influential household names.

Yet, Hunter had no idea if such an event would continue now that he was the only Kingston left.

Leading the horse to the western area of the land, he watched the empty tree branches sway with the wind. It was not a new sight. But he felt refreshed to see so much of the place he grew up in.

Were three years really that long?

Now that he thought about it, he was resigned to the fact that he had wasted those years with someone as impudent as Cathy.

She was not worth his time and his affection.

It was an eye-opener.

Catherine Miller was not his first girlfriend nor his first love. But she was the first woman he considered spending the rest of his life with. He was willing to put up with all her flaws and their differences as long as they remained steadfast about their relationship.

But Cathy was not as pure and beautiful as he thought she was. It was her façade to get men to surrender and bow down to her whims and he willingly fell for it.

At the end of the day, no matter how smart he was, he was naïve to step into her traps with his eyes wide open. He was not a match for a scheming and poisonous b***h like Catherine at all!

Hunter found it funny. He thought that he would be the laughingstock of all Walford if they learned that he was a cuckold. His departure was the talk of the town, after all.

Oh, well. He did not care much.

Catherine was not a loss.

Maybe he did not possess the same luck his father had when it came to love and women.

Shrugging off the thoughts, Hunter took a few more rounds in the ranch for the next two hours before settling the horse back in its respective shelter. It was almost lunch and he was already famished when he jumped back inside his old truck.

When he started the engine, his phone started ringing. The number was unknown, making him frown. He waited a few more seconds before answering the unregistered call.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Mr Kingston.”

Hunter did not recognize the owner of the voice.

“Speak.”

“I am Daryl Lionel, your father’s lawyer. I am so sorry for your loss and I know that you are still mourning. But Alex told me to meet you exactly three days after his burial.”

Hunter’s brow arched. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he closed his eyes and leaned in his seat. He did not know if he should be shocked or amused at his father’s meticulous arrangements. He felt like the old man was just hiding somewhere, pulling the strings as if he was a puppeteer, controlling everything within his grasp.

“I understand, Mr Lionel. I have all the time in the world today.”

“Great. I will be dropping by at three in the afternoon, then.”

Shaking his head, Hunter tossed his phone to the passenger seat and drove off. A lawyer’s call was within his expectations. But he did not anticipate getting it that early. But then again, Alexander Kingston II was a man who would thoroughly plan his every move.

“Planning sounds simple. But it isn’t. Preparing for everything you want to do takes time and dedication to look at every angle and detail.”

Hunter chuckled as he remembered his father’s words. The man always lectured him about the most trivial things and the younger version of him was an i***t for not heeding them.

Hah! No wonder I was almost broke when I was with that b***h. Everything I did and the decisions I made were impulsive and rash. I wasn’t thinking at all! How dumb was I in your eyes, old man?

When he arrived at the mansion, Doris had already prepared lunch. They enjoyed the meal together as any family would. It was just a pity that he was unable to dine with his father after coming back home.

Indeed, time was everyone’s undefeated rival!

As he waited for the lawyer’s arrival, Hunter mulled over reality. He inwardly admitted that he was not ready to deal with it yet. On the other hand, he knew that there was a reason why his father planned it that way.

It was exactly three o’clock when the doorbell rang.

Hunter was already in his father’s study on the first floor. When he saw Mr Lionel, he thought that the man was around his dad’s age. The man’s familiarity with the place was obvious in his movements as he helped himself to the receiving area of the room.

“Apologies for my intrusion, Mr Kingston.”

Mr Lionel extended his arm for a handshake, which he obliged.

“Please, call me Hunter.”

The lawyer chuckled a little before clearing his throat with a fake cough. Hunter could not help but frown at his awkwardness.

“Very well then, Hunter. Your father and I have known each other for a very long time. But this is the first time we’re finally seeing each other. It is such a shame that it had to be in these circumstances,” Mr Lionel trailed off, looking at him seriously, then added, “Anyway, Alex has entrusted me his will.”

A knock on the door caught their attention before Hunter could respond. With a tray of biscuits and cookies and tea, Doris delivered it to the coffee table and left politely. It did not escape his observation that the old house steward was familiar with the visitor, too.

Opening his attaché case, Mr Lionel pulled out a set of documents.

“I assume that you are already aware that you will inherit everything your father owned.”

Hunter kept mum, received the papers, and flipped through them impassively. A few moments later, he set the files on the table and declared, “I do not want his business.”

That was not his first time uttering those words. So, he thought it was pointless to discuss such a thing. His father was aware that he was content with just having the ranch and the estate to preserve those wonderful memories of his childhood.

Moreover, he had no idea how to run such a big company.

He was not the office kind of guy. He enjoyed riding horses, planting crops, and tending the farm. He could not imagine himself cooped up in an air-conditioned office, regardless of how luxurious it sounded.

He was not the least bit interested.