Black Pearl in Raging Fire

6. Learn about stocks

"You don't want to continue your studies?" Adriel put down the spoon and frowned.

Liam didn't speak.

"You're still young. Your academics are also good. Didn't you major in art because you didn't want to continue the family business and wanted to have your own exhibition?" Adriel said.

"So you know about this too." Liam lowered his head bitterly, not knowing why he's interested in discussing this.

Of course, it's not surprising that the man who likes stalking his room even knows about his dream to make an art exhibition. What did he expect?

The reason Liam didn't want to continue his studies right now isn't because he has buried his dream. But he didn't have much money in his hands at the moment. He had some savings left and didn't want to use them carelessly. There are still welfare homes that need a lot of money to keep going and he is also starting to think about how to turn the money around so he can make more.

Indeed, he believed he would not have to think about tuition fees if he started school again; Adriel will definitely pay for it all.

But he didn't want Adriel to spend money on him.

From the beginning Liam agreed to accept Adriel's help just to revive his family's company. Other things he didn't want Adriel to help him. He didn't want to be controlled by the man because of debt.

"Rather than going back to school, I want to learn about stocks." Liam said after a while.

"Stocks?" Adriel was stunned. "Are you interested in stocks?"

Liam nodded.

Seeing the seriousness in Liam's eyes, Adriel suppressed his dissatisfaction. "You want to make a lot of money? Why don't you ask me? I have a lot of money!"

Thinking that this was the first time Liam had asked him for something, Adriel didn't want to mess it up. He cleared his throat.

"How much money do you have right now?"

Young people have high self-esteem. Of course, Liam is no exception. This young man definitely wouldn't ask for his money even if he died.

"There are stocks that have been doing well recently. You can start there. The level of loss won't hurt you and I can guide you to that." Adriel continued.

Liam saw him grab a napkin and wipe his mouth, then took out his phone. Contact someone.

When talking to on the phone, his face was so serious. Liam didn't know who he was talking to, he only heard that Adriel arranged for other people to work on some things. He didn't really listen as his focus was riveted on the handsome and masculine serious face.

Maybe this is Adriel's true mode of work. He's not a bad guy. He must be the target of many girls out there, right?

Why did he choose to marry him?

"Jonas will help you with some of the latest stock data and I will teach you all about it until you become a stock expert." Adriel spoke to him confidently. "Ah, Jonas is my assistant. In the future you will meet him often."

Liam averted his eyes as Adriel looked at him. Muttered, “Mn.”

He buried himself in the bowl to finish off the leftovers. He didn't raise his head for a while when he realized that the other party's gaze was almost piercing his body with heat.

After a while, Liam finished eating. "You didn't ask me?"

"About what?" Adriel was still staring at him.

When Liam looked back, he noticed that Adriel's eyes were clear and bright and enthusiastic looking at him. He lost his words temporarily and sighed.

"Forget it."

"Do you want me to ask why you don't want to continue your studies and are interested in stocks?" Adriel still didn't let go. "Isn't it because you need money?"

Actually the reason was not that simple.

"I know that you young man have high self-esteem. I offered you my money but you refused and tried to make money yourself. What should I do? I'm honestly so proud of you."

Adriel wasn't bragging. He was truly proud like a father who saw his son's progress in a good direction.

If it was anyone else, they would probably thicken their faces and shamelessly suck their wealth like vampires. Seeing that there were people who had no interest in taking advantage of him, he felt deeply touched.

Although the reason Liam did it was because he didn't want to be indebted to him too much. Adriel didn't care.

Liam is his now. Only his. He would only approve of Liam's decisions up front and protect him behind.

"Are you old?" Liam asked lazily.

Adriel was not prepared for this question and was dazed. "Huh?"

"You're only thirty-two. Is that old?"

Adriel chuckled. His whole body shook slightly. "Compared to you, am I not old?"

Liam was momentarily stunned by the sound of his laughter. He wanted to answer, 'you're not old', but the words didn't come out of his mouth.

Not long after, Jonas came. Jonas is a very competent and dedicated assistant. Not only was he extremely agile, his build was tall and well-trained as if he were a bodyguard instead of a white-collar worker.

All stock material for beginners he prepared neatly and completely. Liam didn't even find a loophole and saw that it was meticulously and professionally made. The growth rate of stocks even written from five to ten years ago, the advantages and disadvantages of each aspect were very clear. This made it easy even without having to get guidance.

Because Liam is very new to stock investing, he leaves the decision to Adriel. In the end they made a partnership with a state-owned banking company and started with small investments.

"Is it profitable?" Liam leaned back on the couch looking at a stock chart.

Adriel heard his question and sat close to him, looking at the tablet. "Can't be seen for now, wait for one year. It is likely to get ten to fourteen percent profit."

Liam counted in his heart and was a bit surprised. Is it really that easy to double money?

Jonas explained that apart from profits, he must be prepared with stop losses. So stockholders have to keep a close eye on the pace of stock development. But he assured him that state companies usually rarely suffer losses.

As he turned to ask about how to avoid losses, his body froze. The tip of his nose was almost touching Adriel's cheek, he realized they were so close. Feeling the warm breath from the man next to him, he quickly backed away.

There was a masculine smell around Adriel which was very pleasant. It smells good, made him want to lean in for a longer sniff.

Liam shook his head as soon as he had that weird thought and ran into the room. Trying to shake his mind from Adriel's fair and beautiful jaws near him just now. He studied stocks until late at night to distract his brain and fell asleep with the tablet on his chest.

When he woke up the next morning, it was almost ten o'clock. He walked down the stairs, saw someone who should have left for work currently sitting on the sofa quietly. His assistant standing beside him looked at Liam as if seeing a savior.

"You're awake, sir. Hurry up and have breakfast." Jonas was excited.

Compared to his well-built and bulky body, Jonas is actually a rather loud and talkative person. Liam learned this yesterday.

Liam wasn't really hungry, seeing Jonas' excited face, he was forced to sit at the dining table. Simultaneously, Adriel put down his tablet and sat across from him.

Liam looked at Adriel out of the corner of his eye. So was he waiting for him to eat together?

Jonas replied to Liam's confusion, "Boss is waiting for you to come downstairs for breakfast together."

Liam was surprised. "You haven't eaten yet?"

"I'm waiting for you, so we can eat together." Adriel grinned in satisfaction, as if he didn't know that he had just sent his assistant into a panic.

Jonas tried not to roll his eyes. "Then you guys eat. I'll be waiting for you in the car, Boss."

"You don't want to have breakfast together?" Adriel asked.

Liam stared at Jonas as Adriel asked this.

Jonas smiled bitterly and tried not to curse. 'If I eat at the table with you, will I still be able to settle down in the office later?'

He said, "I've had breakfast. I'll wait in the car."

After the breakfast prepared by Shari, the two ate without saying much. Liam occasionally glanced at Adriel who was busy with his meat and chewed it slowly. His eyes were quite focused.

As usual, this was Liam's favorite food. This smoked beef was sprinkled with black pepper and gave off a slightly spicy tang, which goes very well with the sharp and strong taste. Really Liam's taste. He swore he could eat all of this until he died.

Apparently after a few days, he was getting used to the signature Shari cooking.

As he looked ahead, he realized that Adriel didn't eat much. Doesn't he like it?

"Next time there's no need to wait for me. If I wake up late, you should eat first."

Liam usually doesn't care about other people. Seeing Adriel specially waiting for him to eat together, he felt a bit guilty. Usually they didn't eat at the same table in this house, before dinner last night, so why did Adriel have to wait for him this morning?

"Eating alone is a bit boring, so I thought I'd wait for you for a while." Adriel looked at him with a grin. "This can change the feelings between us a bit, can't it?"

Liam averted his eyes. "Aren't you in a hurry?"

"It's fine. Don't overthink it."

Liam didn't speak and completely finished the rest of the food on the plate. After he finished, he cleaned up the used plates and glasses.

"You don't have to, Shari will take care of it." Adriel prevented him.

"This is to make it easier for her to wash them. It's just moving dishes to the sink, after all."

"Then I will help you."

Liam didn't refuse and they both cleared the dirty dishes together. This feeling was a bit strange in his heart, to clear the plates together, they seemed to look like a normal newly married couple.

Just then, his thoughts split as he saw Jonas enter through the door and appear to be in a hurry. "Boss, are you done?"

"Soon." Adriel answered nonchalantly.

"Put that down, I can take care of the rest." Liam said.

Adriel did not argue and agreed. Jonas excitedly looked at him with a grateful gaze and took out his phone to call someone. "Yes, Boss just finished. We'll be going to the company soon."

Liam looked at the two people who left strangely. So why wait for him to have breakfast together if you're in a rush?

The next few days, this kind of situation happened again. Liam realized that as long as Adriel is home, he must have breakfast with Liam before going to work.

At the time. Liam finds Adriel very odd. But from then on, no matter what night he slept in, as long as Adriel was home, Liam would wake up in time to have breakfast with him.

Liam also realized that Adriel wasn't bad after all. He has a good temper as long as Liam doesn't get angry with him or insist on challenging his arguments. Only as long as he challenged that man would they fight, more Adriel would be angry. As long as he couldn't deal with his emotions, he would start breaking things and after the mess some people would be called in to clean it up. From the faces of the workers, Liam saw that they were used to all this.

So, what's with this outburst of anger?

Shari told him hesitantly, "Um. Young Master has been like this since he was a teenager. I don't know the details, but that's what my mother told me."

Shari's mother was a maid who served the Adriel extended family for decades. It was from there that Liam learned that Adriel was actually just an adopted child from the family that had raised him until now. It is said that Adriel's relationship with his adoptive family has not been very good in the past ten years. Until finally Adriel left the family ten years ago and raised his own company.

"They even have different last names?" Liam was surprised.

Shari nodded. "Young Master changed his last name ever since he left the house. He used to be the favorite of his adoptive grandfather, Mr. Philip Johnstone. After Mr. Johnstone senior died, the family turned against him as if he was going to rob them of all their wealth."

Now Liam understands why their wedding was not attended by Adriel's extended family. All invited guests were business colleagues and close friends only.

So it's like that ...

The couple who took Adriel from the orphanage actually didn't have any children until they were ten years of marriage. At that time the head of the family, Mr. Johnstone senior decided that his son and daughter-in-law should adopt a child from the orphanage as inducement. It is believed that if a husband and wife cannot have children, by adopting someone else's child, the wife can get pregnant quickly. The myth is proven.

After Mr. Johnstone junior's wife became pregnant at nearly forty years of age, she continued to be pregnant until they had three children.

Adriel, who is only an adopted child, who has been educated to inherit the family business doesn't mind the presence of these three little angels. He was actually happy because it brought good luck to his adoptive's family. Never mind that it would shake his position in the family inheritance.

It's just that everyone doesn't think the same as him. His adoptive father's dissatisfaction after that turned into suffering for Adriel. Right when he was a teenager, his adoptive parents 'thrown' him away, in other words, took away the affection that never existed in the first place, and acted indifferent towards him. Said that he was not fit to inherit the ancestral wealth.

When his adoptive grandfather was still alive, Adriel will still be defended to the death. It was only after the old man died that Adriel was completely banished.

It was the death of Mr. Johnstone senior that triggered Adriel's emotional outburst. Especially after the rumors that the old man died an unnatural death.

He was killed.

Since the death of Mr. Johnstone senior, Adriel was kicked out of the house without taking anything, not even money and clothes.

"Young Master is very smart and capable. But because of his weakness, many people try to take him down." Shari looked down sadly.

Liam frowned, still displeased after hearing this story.

"Sir, please don't hate our young master. Although he is a bit reckless, he isn't actually bad." Shari pleaded with him.

"So you're not afraid of him?" Liam raised one eyebrow.

"I ... I'm scared." Shari looked down again.

Liam sighed. He was moved by this story, but for anything else, it was none of his business. He said, "Relax. He's just messing with me. And I'm just going to accompany him to play. I'm not going to hurt him."

... to be continued ...