After a few shooting days, Amelia decided to head back. Samuel was not her only actor; with recent fame due to his casting, many new talents flooded in to join her agency.
She envisioned a win-win situation when she first proposed the idea to Samuel. She was also relieved that he was getting along with the other cast member and the production crew.
" Make sure to call if you ever get into any trouble."
" Aunt, you don't have to worry about that. You have seen how mother has been behaving for the past few days."
" Right, But still remember to update me regularly. I feel responsible as your agent."
" Alright."
These were their parting conversation before Amelia took the flight back to the States.
The following day they were set to head north toward the national park near Leeds. The cast members were appointed to fly to the nearest city before taking the road. The equipment was being transported in huge trucks.
For a few days, Laura had been acting suspiciously around Samuel. Usually, she would be all over him, wanting to discuss his career, but that was not the case.
Samuel didn't have time to dwell on it as he had to find Amelia's replacement. He wanted to avoid calling Marilyn as she was preoccupied with the firm. She had been enjoying her time working under Abigail, which left very few options for him.
He could hire someone new, but he had to explain it to the cast and crew, which was getting redundant. So, he decided to take David.
They had to visit four or five locations around the national park, which would take a few days. He could say that David was his Uncle or something to calm other prying eyes.
In the morning, his mother gave him a cryptic warning.
" I will say this now that I had nothing to do with it. No, I have something to do with it, but it was mostly my mother's idea. Ok?"
" What are you talking about, mother?" He asked.
" Just don't freak out when you land at the airport."
She refused to explain further, but he knew now that it was something to do with Eleanor. He was apprehensive about her last sentence; why would he freak out?
But being a naive kid, he ignored the warning. The first shock came when he reached the airport. He learned that the Director knew about his real identity.
" I am sorry. I knew you wanted to keep it a secret, but President decided to tell me because of the risks involved." Columbus was strangely cordial.
" Please, speak to me like you normally do. I don't want you to act weird about it."
" But-"
" I will feel burdened by it. It may also result in a drop in my performance."
" Ok, I get it. It's shocking to know that you are the heir of the Rothschild family."
Samuel could only laugh awkwardly hearing his comments, but gradually, during flight, they overcame the weird atmosphere. Columbus never felt the need to pander to him, neither now nor in the past; he slowly understood Samuel's character.
But nothing prepared him for what he was about to witness. They landed normally but what awaited them was a behemoth.
"Fuck, what's this? It's blinding my eyes!" He stared at the behemoth in front of him. It was hard to imagine the reach of these people. He could only sigh in his heart.
Columbus and all the crew members also had agape expressions witnessing it.
Emma and Rupert looked foolishly while Samuel patted his forehead. He should have heeded his mother's warning.
Grandmother, you outdid yourself with this one. Samuel looked at the mysterious gift in front of him with emotion.
"I thought I was already awesome, but I was still a child; no, I should be an infant in a small backward country." He thought to himself.
At that precise moment, Samuel's cell phone started ringing. It was Eleanor's call. She must have got the news of his arrival.
" Hello, Have you landed safely?"
" Y-yeah, but I feel like going back!"
" Don't be a child about it. I have gone to great lengths to acquire that present."
" I am a kid. How could I explain it to others!"
"Don't mind. Don't mind. Have you seen the gift I gave you?" Eleanor's proud laugh came through the speaker disguised with more profound meanings 'quickly praise me', ' I am the best', and ' I love you, grandma.'
These were the scenarios Eleanor was hoping for, but Samuel asked an entirely different question.
"Grandma, don't you think giving this thing is a bit exaggerated?" Samuel's tone was helpless. It was high-profile, no, too high-profile!
" How could I resist? I have been meaning to give you something since I learned about the gift that Elizabeth gave you. That old hag is a cunning fox gifting a house to bind you legally."
" Are you talking about the Birch Hall she gifted me for my birthday? That was last year. Are you holding some sort of grudge?"
" Maybe", She answered, which made Samuel speechless. Wealthy people could be petty too!
"Oh, there are not many of these things in the world, and the annual order is only 5 or 6, which is more complicated than buying a plane. So, it outweighs the Airbus that you got from your family.
She was competing with her mother and father too!
"Hey, how did you get it?" Samuel's mind was still processing.
" I got it from some local tyrant in the Middle East. I think he was some prince, but I don't remember much. I knew he had only waited for 2 and a half years from the reservation to the finished product. I guess the early bird didn't get the food this time." She chuckled from the other side.
"Did he give it to you v-voluntarily?"
"Er, for you, I flew to the Middle East especially. There was no way he could refuse, right?"
Samuel laughed awkwardly while imagining the victim's faces. Now, he knew where his mother got all her traits from. No wonder people called her ' Demoness'; I wonder what people called Eleanor?
But he didn't have time to think about it.
"Okay, thank you, grandmother." Now that it was here, He decided to accept it and enjoy it while he could, but first, he had to devise several excuses.