Chapter 107: Nuts

Arnold's gaze shifted to me.Sam continued. "Also, Jack was the first to notice that our investments were being targeted by my siblings, and he helped the most in responding to that attack. He saw Doyle's attack as nothing more than a subpar, botched effort."

Arnold scrutinized me more intently than before, as if I were a new investment opportunity.

He then turned back to Sam. "What is your next target, Sam? Are you planning any significant investments?"

"Yes." Sam nodded. "We're looking at an investment of $50 million in Google. Jack will be adding another $50 million of his own funds to the pool. We have a meeting with other Google investors scheduled for Monday." seaʀᴄh thё novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Finally, Arnold briefly glanced to his right, where Doyle sat.

His face fell as if in despair. "Doyle..." he muttered.

Not a word more came out of his mouth...

Looking at Doyle, all I saw was a stone-cold expression. But behind that calm face, there was grief, envy, and at the forefront, there was fear.

"Now..." Arnold drew in a deep breath.

I felt like I was looking at a judge preparing to deliver a verdict.

Then Arnold spoke to the room. "It's time to announce this year's rankings."

Immediately after he finished speaking, people at the other tables starting to turn away, their heads swiveling to face different directions, as if they were trying to distance themselves from the outcome.

"First place, as is customary, goes to Gabriel."

Arnold then turned his steely gaze to Sam. "Second place is awarded to Sam. Your profit might have been larger, but a significant portion of those gains came from our family's resources. However, due to a private arrangement I made with Sam, I will honor my commitment and reward him with an amount equivalent to what he took from you, Evelyn."

Arnold's gaze settled on Evelyn.

Evelyn shifted uncomfortably.

"Third place goes to Evelyn. And the only reason you're not last is because most of the funds you lost stayed within the family."

Evelyn met Arnold's gaze with resignation.

"You've been reckless, Evelyn," Arnold said bluntly, not bothering to hide his displeasure. "You're as foolish as you are incompetent. It seems you're following in the footsteps of those who are, quite frankly, as dumb as they come."

Evelyn's face flushed with humiliation.

Arnold then turned to Doyle, his face hardening. "Doyle, I'm talking about you! For the nth time, you find yourself at the bottom. You know what that means...." He paused. "I thought you might have had a plan to avoid the last place this time, but it appears you had no plan whatsoever—just a reckless attempt to destroy your family."

Arnold's gaze grew colder as he continued, "Pathetic. I couldn't care less about the money. What really infuriates me is that I didn't raise you to be this foolish. You've had every opportunity—high school, university, managing the funds I gave you. You were expected to deliver results. And yet, here you are, failing once again..."

Doyle's facial expressions changed rapidly, his frustration and regret seething.

Then suddenly his face blazed with heat, his breath began to come out in rapid, uneven pants, as if he were struggling to keep control.

A male waiter entered quietly, carrying a small metallic cup with a closed top in one hand and a large bucket of water in the other.

He placed the cup in front of Doyle.

Cold sweat fell down Doyle's brow.

He moved the sleeve of his white shirt up and stretched his right hand out onto the table in front of him.

His hand showed red burn marks.

He uncapped the lid of the cup, revealing boiling water inside.

He grabbed the cap and, gritting his teeth, he poured the scalding liquid over his outstretched hand.

His face contorted in agony as he wailed, making incoherent sounds.

In a frantic motion, he thrust his hand into the bucket of cool water that the waiter held.

As Doyle's cries echoed through the hall, Arnold raised his glass.

"To Doyle," Arnold began. "The black sheep of the family. Even with all his failures, he's still part of this family. Mistakes and struggles can teach us important lessons. We hope he will learn and improve."

Arnold raised his glass higher. "Let's toast to his effort and hope he does better."

Right after the toast, the first course was served—a delicate soup, followed by a perfectly cooked roast with a side of seasonal vegetables.

And we ate...

We just ate as if nothing happened.

But the mood at the table was anything but warm.

...

Golf was the usual post-dinner activity, but tonight Arnold had other plans. He was keen to play chess, a game he relished deeply.

He often played with his accountant, Adam, or with Sam, a tradition that had grown over time.

It was through these games of chess that Arnold developed a genuine fondness for Sam.

Sam had done well in school, but his first efforts to manage the family money were not very successful. Arnold was impressed by Sam's strategic thinking at chess and gave Sam charge of the Orlando branch of Johnson Trading.

As I made my way down the hallway to the bathroom, I nearly collided with Gabriel Johnson.

He was stumbling out of the door, clumsily fastening the belt of his trousers. His hair was even more tousled than before and his face was red. He caught sight of me, and gave me a wink before walking away.

I pushed open the bathroom door, and inside, the maid who had earlier taken my jacket was hastily sliding down the hem of her tight, blue dress.

When she noticed me, she flushed with embarrassment and froze for a moment, wide-eyed, before quickly gathering herself and darting out of the bathroom.

I raised my hands in mock surrender, stepping aside to let her pass.

This truly was a madhouse.

Doyle willingly burned his own hand to stay within the family...

The thing is that Arnold Johnson had five children, not four.