This chapter begins right from where we left off last time. So without further ado, please enjoy :)

Per usual, replies from previous comments can be found at the bottom of the page.

Disclaimer: I don't own Candy Candy manga and all the characters in it, but the talented Kyoko Mizuki does. This fic is a product of my own twisted imagination and inspired by Mizuki's masterpiece. If any of the plots, specific scenes, or dialogues appears to be similar to that from another fic or story, it is purely unintentional and coincidental. 'Great minds think alike', after all.

The characterization in the fic is based on the Manga and not the Anime.

Acknowledgement: As always, my heartfelt gratitude goes to my diligent beta readers, who have given invaluable feedback and suggestions. Thank you. :)

And last but not least, I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to read my stories and write a review. Again, thank you for your patience. My sincere appreciation goes to you. :)


Ninety Days

By forever

Day 59: Against All Odds

Part II: Contention

Albert immediately realized that this would take longer than he had anticipated, so he should brace himself for a prolonged discussion with Aunt Elroy that would surely require his wit and patience. He lowered himself onto the chair next to him. "I'm listening, aunt," he gently prodded her.

She kept silent for a few moments as she appraised him. Then, averting her gaze from him, she said in a somber tone, "Neil wishes to marry soon, and he would like to hold the engagement party next month."

He wasn't sure he had heard correctly. "Neil? Does he even have a potential candidate?"

He could almost hear her snort as she replied, "Yes – she is your protégé, Candice White."

"What?!" His hands balled into tight fists and his jaw clenched tightly while he suppressed himself from laughing hysterically.

This had to be the most preposterous practical joke that was being played on him. Either that or he was living in a nightmare right now.

"That was exactly my reaction," she remarked, her tone clipped with sarcasm. "But he is quite adamant about it and has threatened to volunteer to go to war if his request could not be fulfilled." Her face darkened by a grieving scowl, and her voice turned softer. "I really do not want to lose another one of us after we have just lost Alistair only a couple of months ago. So it doesn't look like we have any choice-"

"Absolutely not," he interjected her, dismissing her incredulous glare. "I'm not going to endorse this ridiculous proposition. He can go to war if that's what he wants. Because I highly doubt he would really make do on his threat." He couldn't prevent himself from scoffing as he added, "His cowardice would stop him short."

"But William-"

"That is my final decision, aunt," he stated resolutely, giving her a determined look, as she remained quiet.

Releasing a resigned sigh, she then said, "I would have supported your decision 100% if not for the potential catastrophic outcome."

He had to restrain himself from snickering at her rather unique choice of words. "Catastrophic outcome? I'm sorry aunt – I didn't quite follow you. Are you suggesting that if we didn't grant his wish, Neil would throw a tantrum that might trigger the destruction of this world? Is that what you would define as catastrophic?"

Deliberately ignoring his sarcastic comment, she disclosed, "Sarah is prepared to do anything at all cost to keep her son from leaving the country. Should we deny Neil's request, she would be willing to release her holdings to the public."

"So?" he uttered in an indifferent tone. "Let her do that. I don't see how that could harm us."

"William!" she exclaimed, her hand striking the chair's arm hard, generating a muted thudding sound, in what seemingly to be her method to unleash her frustration. "Do you even know what had occurred last week?" she asked in a tone that sounded like a chastisement. "Where were you on Friday afternoon? I couldn't find either you or George – at least, I knew where George were. But you?"

If she thought she could sow guilt in him, she was absolutely wrong. "That's not important – can we focus on the topic please? Could you please let me know what is the urgent matter?"

At first, he thought she would dispute him, but he had presumed incorrectly. Instead, she conceded without even letting out a single fuss, and in a serious tone, she said, "As of today, Rupert Milton might have owned 25% of the company's shares and with Sarah's 10%-"

"That can't be true!" he abruptly spoke up, forcing her to cease talking as she frowned in discontent at his curtness. "The last time I heard he has only 5% share, which was the number agreed upon by non-family members in the original contract."

Gradually, her countenance softened as a subtle pensive smile began to develop across her face. When she appeared like this, only then he remembered that she was just a frail old lady, who had been lonely most of her life. Her husband had left her years ago, and she never remarried, devoting her life to the family. He quickly refocused his attention to her as he heard her voice tinged with melancholy reverberated around the quiet sitting area.

"You know how it is, William. When your father suddenly passed away, Rupert Milton was the one with the loudest voice opposing to the proposal that I, acting as a temporary surrogate for the rightful successor, you, would run the company. And subsequently, he had done everything in his power to stop that."

She paused briefly to take a breath before continuing, "Fortunately, at that time, James Borden along with a few others, who have always been your father's allies, were completely behind us. They deemed the decision to be most appropriate. Since then, Rupert seemed to have acquiesced, maintaining a low profile in the board, and appeared to have been preoccupied in a huge government sponsored project."

A period of silence fell upon them as she seemed to be pondering about something while he reflected on what she had just said. He hadn't actually crossed paths with Rupert Milton, other than the one occasion during the wake funeral service for his father when he had been just a young boy, but he had learned about the man's abrasive nature that was borderline ruthless through George's verbal report. There were also rumors alluding to the man's connection to the 'underworld.' All in all, Rupert Milton was not someone he would like to be associated with, and the man had been one of the reasons why he had been forced to conceal his identity till this very day.

Perceiving the dreary aura surrounding his aunt, he was uncertain whether she had finished her narrative. From what she had told him so far, he still couldn't draw the conclusion how could Rupert have managed to own 25% shares.

Then, as if she had the ability to read his mind, she suddenly began talking again," It appears that Rupert has been taking his time, moving very patiently, acquiring a small fraction of the stakes at a time using either bogus or tampered individual accounts, and that explains why these transactions fell under the radar – we don't typically monitor transaction below 5%, especially if it is classified under non-institutional trading. In addition, during this time, our intelligence department might have focused their efforts solely on the search of your whereabouts and consequently had to de-prioritize other activities, including surveillance."

He opened his mouth, intending to voice his thought, but Aunt's Elroy brusque hand gesture stopped him short. So he decided to remain quiet for the time being and listened to her.

"James immediately notified me of this new development and called for an urgent meeting that was held last Sunday." A distressed look floated across her face as she paused a moment before continuing, "Unfortunately, after several rounds of discussions, it appears that we cannot deter Rupert from procuring the shares that are available in the open market. Our analyst speculated that, in a worst case scenario, he could have a total of 25% shares in his hand."

She let an ironic chuckle slip out of her throat. "And let me add - this 25% could have easily turned to 35% if Sarah relinquished her shares, which would inevitably give Rupert the supreme power to run the board, " she told him in a quiet voice. "And that, William, is what I believe constitute a catastrophic outcome."

This time he didn't say anything to contradict her words, and after a short pause, she resumed, "I suspect that Rupert has planned his clandestine move from the very beginning, after his attempt to oust us failed, but only more recently has ramped up his activity, most possibly starting from the time at which you had vanished." Sighing loudly, she reclined her back against the chair and clasped her hands together in her lap. Her eyes regarded him in a deceptively calm manner. Only the rhythmic ticking sound from the clock blended with muted chirping of birds from the garden outside could be heard inside the room.

Even though he didn't feel the least bit intimidated by her, some of her words had actually struck him as he grasped the ramifications of what he had done. After a few moments he uttered wryly, "I see… So my disappearance last year had contributed to cause this mess…"

"Now, I hope you understand clearly that we have no choice in the matter," she promptly indicated, "we have to let Neil have his wish."

Without giving him a chance to say anything, she quickly added, "And consequently, due to these unforeseen circumstances, I propose that your formal introduction should be expedited to the last week of May. And tomorrow, we can begin talking about that in great details."

As he comprehended the implication of her words, he brought his eyes to meet hers, looking at her in disbelief. "Hold on - I recalled just minutes ago you said that this has nothing to do with our ninety-day agreement. But now you've implied that I return to my post at once."

"Precisely, that's what I fully expect you do," she affirmed, quirking one corner of her lips in a smirk, while he gave her a defiant look to convey to her that he had no desire to alter his plan whatsoever.

Her eyes widened instantly as she seemed to have finally realized his intention. "I can't believe this," she remarked in indignation, her voice aloud. "Are you still planning to continue with your silly ninety-day-" she whipped her head sideways in aggravation, emitting an indistinct angry growl.

"We have a valid agreement, aunt - you had agreed to my terms," he reminded her in a low voice as he grappled to control his frustration.

"Even in light of this new predicament?" she contended, turning her head back toward him.

His lips arched in a confident smile. "Don't worry – I know what to do with respect to Neil," he assured her, without giving her any more details. "As for Rupert, there is really not much we can do at this point. I need more time to review the matters in details, but obviously, we need to devise a preemptive strategy to ensure that he would not be able to inflict any more damage."

She was mute for a brief moment before a stiff smile adorned her thin lips, "I see. It seems you're still firm on not granting Neil's wish."

"Yes – I don't see any benefit in that," he asserted and then quickly asked, "where is Sarah? Let me speak to her now."

"She's not going to arrive until tomorrow night," she informed.

"Very well. In that case, I shall talk to her tomorrow. Now, I hope you don't mind if I retire to my room." He stood up from his seat and nodded his head slightly in a bow. "Good day, aunt. I will see you at lunch time." Turning on his heel, he made his way toward the door. As he was only a few feet away from the door, Aunt Elroy suddenly spoke up, causing him to halt his steps.

"Tell me something, William. I just don't understand why is it so difficult for you to let Neil marry Candice. Isn't that considered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for someone like her, that she could marry a distinguished young man from a respectable family? I thought you, who has willingly taken the role of her legal guardian, would want the best for her."

Her comment pertaining to Neil grated on his nerves greatly, and as if that hadn't been enough, she had to bring up the adoption issue as well to taunt him. At time like this, he wished he could just tell her the real reason why he would not let Neil marry Candy, aside from the fact that his nephew didn't deserve Candy in the least.

As he was still deliberating on how to respond, he heard her voice asking, "Who is she to you, William? Who is Candice to you?"

Remaining where he was, despite having been completely taken aback by the question, he trained himself to attain calm as he moved his head to the side. Even without facing her directly, he could feel her piercing eyes behind his back. It was true he couldn't tell her the truth just yet, but he could probably drop a hint now since it would not be too long before she would find out about it anyway.

The corners of his lips lifted into a smile as he said in a gentle voice, "She's a very important person." Then, as soon as he had said that, he resumed his steps and exited the room.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Aunt Elroy was staring aghast at the door as the color drained from her face, her trembling hand, with her knuckles turning white, wrung the top part of the chair in a desperate support.

*********ccccccc*********

It was past four o'clock when Candy and Dr. Martin could finally have some quiet moments to themselves inside the clinic. It had been a hectic day with two patients from two major accidents from a nearby construction site. One of which had necessitated an emergency transfer to the city's hospital due to the lack of state-of-the-art medical equipments that were required to treat the serious injury that might turn fatal had it not been treated properly. In addition to that, there had been three cases of children with flu-like symptoms. So overall it had been near pandemonium inside the small clinic for several hours straight. Eventually, after grueling hours of tending, treating, assuring, scrambling, and yelling here and there, the last patient had been sent home with a bandage wrapped tightly over the laceration on her knee. And since then, there hadn't been any other visitor. Before long, to the doctor and his nurse's relief, everything had reverted to normal.

Candy had been busy cleaning the cot, wiping the canvas surface with disinfectant. The event of the day, starting from the impromptu cat and mouse game she had had with a man whom she thought had been a stalker followed by her chance encounter with Neil and Darren combined with the emergency scare at the clinic, had enervated her.

But at the same time, she was somehow thankful as the madness of the day had effectively taken her mind off the one thing that had monopolized her mind since last night. Albert. Just like that, what had transpired between them over the weekend flooded her mind as she felt her cheeks grow warm, a smile ghosting over her lips. As she was about to relive the experience, Dr. Martin's voice jostled her out of her trance.

"Oh… I know that look."

Holding the rag in her hand, she whirled around and noticed the teasing look on Dr. Martin's face." What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on, Candy," he uttered in a slight mocking tone while rolling his eyes. "I was young once too, you know." He pointed his index finger to her and wagged it. "That look - it's a look of someone who just got bitten by a love bug."

She sent him a glare in annoyance and implored, "Stop teasing me, Dr. Martin. I already told you that Darren and I are just friends."

"I wasn't talking about Darren," he merely stated, giving her a knowing smile.

She winced at his utterance and could guess whom Dr. Martin was alluding to, but she quickly concealed her disconcertment with an awkward chortle. "Then you must be imagining things. How can I?" She brushed off his unconvinced look with a titter. "I mean the only men whom I have interacted so far is either you or…"

He finished for her at once, "The handsome man who has been living with you…"

At his insinuation, her heart skipped a beat. "Are you suggesting that I'm harboring feelings for my own brother?" she asked in feigned disbelief while her heart thumping furiously.

"Oh right…" he let out in a sarcastic drawl. "He is your brother." Putting on a thoughtful look, his fingers tapping his chin, he said, "Hmmm… In that case, you wouldn't mind if I tell him about a certain lady from the party-"

"What!"

Her voice was so loud that it filled the whole room, and right at that moment, she realized her mistake and whipped her head sideways, slapping a hand firmly over her mouth while sneaking a glance at her mentor.

Dr. Martin smiled smugly at her. "You can stop lying, Candy. I know that he is not your brother. And from your flabbergasted look right now, you know what I said is true."

It took her a few moments to regain her bearing while questions swirled in her mind. He certainly had stunned her, and now it was futile for her to continue the lie. "How did you know? Did he tell you?" she asked, failing to mask the eager curiosity in her voice, and went back to finish her task of cleaning the cot. She was too flustered to face him.

"Actually, I was the one who asked him," he admitted. "I had some suspicions before, so I asked him point blank and he didn't deny."

"I see…" She hadn't sensed that Dr. Martin had been suspicious at all, and this newfound knowledge evoked a mixture of unpleasant feelings within her. However, she just couldn't stop herself from probing more, "When did you talk to him?"

"It was that time after you had your drunken episode."

Her hand ceased moving instantly, and she spun to face him. "You knew about that too? Did he tell you?"

"No, he didn't," he replied tersely, shaking his head. "You've forgotten that aside from being a recovered alcoholic, I'm a trained physician, Candy. I didn't notice other symptoms, and I sort of recalled that I have given you a bottle of cocktail. So it was rather easy to put two and two together," he explained, giving her a quick look of admonishment to which she felt instantly convicted.

Unable to endure the sudden onslaught of guilt and shame, she moved herself in a swift twirl to face the cot. "Yeah ugh…" she uttered uneasily, and then, before he could make another comment, she steered the topic back. "What else did Albert tell you?"

"You should've seen his panic face at that time as he tried to justify himself," he began with a soft chuckle. "He told me that he just couldn't leave you by yourself but eventually he would have to. Then he made me promise that I'll do my best to ensure that you will be well taken care of."

As she let her mind absorb Dr. Martin's words, she was again reminded of the gut-wrenching fact that Albert's stay was only temporary. She could feel her fragile heart break into tiny pieces all over again as tears began to sting her eyes.

"Candy - are you really going to let him leave you just like that?" Dr. Martin's kind voice propelled her out of her reverie.

She hastily wiped her moist eyes with the back of her hands. "What else can I do?" she whimpered, and then, emitting a snicker, she added, "He has recovered his memory and probably has a family that longs for him to return. I cannot hold him hostage, forcing him to stay with me."

"So I was right after all. He really has fully regained his memory," he said contemplatively, sounding as if he were deliberating with himself. Then, after a brief pause, he asked, "But have you ever thought that the reason why he has lingered this long is because of you?"

"I know it's because of me," she answered in earnest right away, her voice rising. After dropping the rag onto the floor, she slowly turned to face him and continued in a more subdued tone, "I begged him to stay and he took pity on me."

A sympathetic smile materialized across his face. "Hmm… I doubt that. I think he stays because he just can't leave you," he stated in a trenchant tone.

"That doesn't make sense," she argued. "If that's true, then why is he still going to leave?"

"Did he say that?" He set his eyes on hers in a searching manner as she could only lower her gaze to evade him. "Candy - trust me. He will stay if you give him a good enough reason to. You are in love with him, right?"

Her eyelids rose swiftly, and she looked at him, crestfallen. "But he only thinks of me as a friend," she told him dejectedly before she quickly corrected herself, "well, maybe not just a friend but he hasn't said anything that suggests he loves me."

Dr. Martin furrowed his brows at her. "Do you really believe that?" He held their gazes momentarily before continuing, "If you really believe that, then you're either blind or in a total denial." Exhaling out loud, he said, "Think, Candy. Would any man forsake his family and whatever else he might have to live with a woman whom he doesn't really love?"

An incoherent mumble emerged from her mouth as she stared agape at him. All this time, she had thought the reason why Albert had still lived in the same house with her was because she had entreated him to. But Dr. Martin's words had swiftly undermined her inference as she found herself being swept by the rush of realization.

"Candy – you're going to regret it the rest of your life if you let him walk away from you," she heard Dr. Martin continue talking, and she could only look at him as her heartbeat raced. "I don't want you to end up with a life that will offer you nothing but endless misery," he told her in a sorrowful tone, as if he were speaking from his own experience.

"Dr. Martin-"

Rising from his chair, he gave her an encouraging smile. "I believe you know what you're supposed to do now, Candy."

Then, before she could respond, he pivoted on his heel and walked away, leaving the room. She dropped herself onto the cot and sat on it, her hands firmly gripping the rounded edge of the cot.

Albert loves me? She knew that he hadn't acted 'just like a friend' to her, especially last weekend. His words and gestures had been generously sprinkled with tender affection. But did that really mean that he loved her? He hadn't said anything that would clearly indicate one way or the other. However, if there were any truth to what Dr. Martin had said, then it meant that Albert would not just abandon her like she had always dreaded he would. In that case, the odds were not completely against her. Suddenly, she felt her heart swell with so much hope that she just wanted to laugh out loud in absolute glee. Yes, she should definitely ask him to stay. The worst that could happen was that he would say no.

*********ccccccc*********

In the back seat inside of a parked luxurious automobile, Albert sat quietly, peering down at the pocket watch in his hand. The one person he had been waiting to meet since yesterday morning should be here any second now. Shoving his watch back into his trousers pocket, he took a deep breath and glanced to the other side, watching the closed car's door with nervous anticipation. He could feel the quickening of his pulse at each passing second.

He was actually relieved that he hadn't had to do this yesterday, so that had provided him with more time to ruminate over the matters, and he could formulate a plan to tackle them. If he succeeded - no, he had to succeed no matter what! Failing would cause everything to spiral out of control which would throw him into a tight corner - it was the last place he wanted to be as being there would force him to make a very difficult decision. Although he had carried himself with utter confidence when talking to Aunt Elroy yesterday morning, in reality, the whole situation had roused anxiety within him. And he understood perfectly that the problem must be nipped in the bud as soon as possible.

Just then, he heard voices right outside the car, and soon the door was being swung open.

"Ensure that all my luggage are completely secured so that they cannot move around. I don't want any of my dresses to become wrinkle. Do you understand?"

Upon hearing the rather hilarious demand, he couldn't contain a sardonic chuckle from escaping his throat. She hadn't changed even a bit – still the same queen Sarah he had always known.

"Yes, madam. I do understand."

A moment later, he could see her hunched form as she entered the car, dipping her head low. She looked impeccable as she had always been, dressed in the finest of the finest. Her brown hair was neatly gathered in an elegant chignon, not leaving even a single strand to dangle loose.

When she lifted her head, her light brown eyes, gazing right into his, widened in bewilderment.

Wearing a polite smile, he greeted her in a calm voice, "Hello Sarah. I hope you've had a comfortable trip."

"William!" a loud exclaim flew out of her mouth.

She appeared frozen in her spot for a while, staring at him as if he were a ghost. But in just a blink of an eye, her imperious façade slid back as one corner of her lips lifted slightly into a smirk, wiping off any remnant of shock from her face.

With a careful yet graceful move, she lowered herself onto the seat and said, "This is a surprise." She took a momentarily pause as the driver gently pushed the door close to a quiet click before she resumed, "I didn't realize that I'm a guest of honor that the patriarch himself would welcome me." Sarcasm dripped off from each single word being uttered by her.

If she would rather turn this so-called reunion into an uncivilized showdown, he would gladly oblige her. "Oh, you're important all right, Sarah," he told her and noticed that she was busy brushing invisible dusts from her clothes. In the background, the sound of the engine of the car being ignited could be heard as he continued, "But I've just learned that you plan to forsake your important position soon." He shook his head in mock sympathy. "That's just a pity."

Her hands stopped their movement at once, and she swiftly spun on her seat to face him. "What nonsense are you talking about?" Her eyes demanded answer from him.

Their bodies jerked forward slightly as the car accelerated and began moving along the road.

A chuckle emerged from his mouth as he steered his gaze away from her. "I don't have time to play games, Sarah. I'm on a very tight schedule, and I'm sure you do too." He brought his focus back to her and added, "With your plan to forfeit your position as a stakeholder in our company, you must have been so tied up with numerous other projects that you don't have time to be involved in the affair of our family business anymore."

She let out a nearly inaudible sigh, uttering, "I see… So you've heard from Aunt Elroy…" Her head turned slowly toward the front; her gloved fingers furled around the fabric of her coat in a tight grip.

"I just want to say that you are free to do as you wish with your shares – they are yours anyway," he pointed out, maintaining a steady voice. "But you must understand that I would consider your action as a deliberate act of denouncing your affiliation to this family. You know what that means, don't you, Sarah?" He bent sideways toward her.

By this time, her haughty countenance had vanished completely as he saw her become rigid in her seat. Convinced that she would not answer his question, he straightened his back and continued, "As a patriarch, I have no choice but to sever all forms of relationships with you and your kin, including financial support. As a matter of fact, if I remember correctly, your husband is in the process of securing a huge deal."

Her head jerked toward him, and he discerned the undisguised gleams of fear in her eyes as she breathed, "You wouldn't."

"Trust me – I would," he stated. There was an edge of threat in his voice.

"But Neil…" she uttered in a desperate cry; her eyes beseeched him.

Looking at her, he almost felt sorry for her, almost. But when he remembered the foolish things her son had done and how Neil had attempted to use intimidation and deception to achieve his goal so he could get Candy, he felt himself simmer in fury. "I could care less about the brat. If he still insists to volunteer, I would be more than happy to write a personal letter of recommendation for him. You can pass my message to him," he told her, smiling with satisfaction.

An incredulous expression floated across her face. "William – how could you be so cruel to your own family? And this is all because of that filthy orphaned girl?"

He grimaced inwardly upon her referring to Candy in such a contemptuous manner and repelled the desire to give her a firm reproach. "Let me tell you something, Sarah," he began saying through gritted teeth, "I've already given Neil the easy way out, especially after the less than honorable act he had committed."

A frown suddenly appeared across her forehead, marring her immaculate face. "What are you talking about?"

"I would spare you the details – you could ask him yourself if you would like to know more. Let's just say that I have enough evidence to press charges against your son's unlawful conduct," he divulged. The warning tone was clear in his voice.

"Does this have anything to do with that orphaned girl?"

Forcing himself to overlook her crude remark, he told her, "If you're worried about Neil interacting with her, I can propose a solution." He stopped briefly to gauge her reaction. When he detected the glint of interest in her eyes, he continued, "How do you feel about relocating to Florida? The weather is always nice there, and plus our company has a plan to develop a cluster of luxurious resorts in the Key West area. I'm sure your husband would be more than motivated to spearhead the ambitious project."

Her mouth dropped open as she stared at him speechless. Then, she suddenly burst into laughter, shaking her head in a sporadic fashion. "You – I'm impressed, William, very impressed." Another chuckle broke out of her throat before she composed herself and then said, "You've played your role, the shrewd and cunning businessman, to perfection. Your father would be very proud of you."

Her attempt at mockery didn't fazed him, and instead he pressed her, "So what would it be Sarah?" His eyes sought hers, but she quickly evaded his, swiveling her head to the opposite side.

"How could I reject such a lucrative offer?" she muttered against her hand, facing the window.

When she relinquished verbally, granted with great reluctance, he breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and couldn't stop a triumphant smile from surfacing across his lips. "Thank you – I knew you're smart enough not to let such an excellent opportunity go to waste. I'm glad we've finally reached a consensus. There's really no benefit on going forward with your plan to sell your shares anymore – do you agree, Sarah?"

She heaved a long sigh in defeat and pivoted on her seat to face him, her face sullen. "I agree."

Thereafter, during the entire course of the journey from the train station to the Bordens' Mansion, silence reigned upon them. But he had no plan to change that as he was clearly not in the mood to engage in any trivial chitchat with her, and she must have felt the same way. Tranquility was what he really needed the most right now. His conversation with her earlier had sapped nearly all of his energy and left him mentally exhausted.

Fortunately, the ride to the mansion was not a long one. Before long, the car had crossed the gate of the Bordens' Estate, and soon after that, it rolled to a complete stop on the circular driveway right in front of the main entrance. They were greeted by the Bordens' butler and his entourage of attendants and were immediately ushered into the house.

While they traversed the grand foyer, Sarah hurriedly excused herself in a chaste manner and practically dashed out of his sight within seconds, the frantic clicking of her high heels against the marble floor resounding across the large hall, while he could only put a hand over his mouth to cover his chuckle. It didn't seem that he needed to worry about her pestering him for a while. And, soon, that pesky Neil wouldn't be able to harass Candy anymore.

George's phone call last night had perturbed him so much that he had been so tempted to catch the first train to return to Chicago early in the morning today. He couldn't believe to hear that Neil had the gall to approach Candy. Fortunately, Stuart had been there to extricate her. And to guarantee that there would not be a repeat of a similar situation, George had instructed his associate to assign important projects to Neil solely for the purpose of diverting his nephew's attention away from Candy, and George had also commissioned an additional personnel to watch over her. However, all those implemented measures hadn't been enough to alleviate his worry. What he wanted was a permanent fix. Neil had to be moved as far away as possible from Candy. And the Florida Resort development plan had presented the perfect opportunity for that.

He let out a long weary sigh as he replayed his conversation with Sarah earlier.

Despite the cool confidence he had exuded at that time, uncertainty and doubts had managed to percolate his mind. He had no control whatsoever over Sarah's mind and couldn't predict her reaction. Knowing how tenacious she could be at times, he had expected her to lash back at him – and she had done that, but fortunately, he had been able to subdue her.

Sarah had been right, of course. Just like she had said, he had played his role perfectly. Nonetheless, this was one accomplishment he would never truly be proud of. Rather, it frightened him to know that he had the innate ability to easily transform into a manipulative and calculating person when he was provoked.

Since he had become of age, he was well aware of the absolute power that had been bestowed upon him to rule over his family - even Aunt Elroy herself couldn't override his words. Being here made him realize about one aspect of his life that he could not escape from - his destiny. This was what he had been set out to do from the beginning. However, he had never wanted any of these himself. If he could choose, he would rather leave everything behind and lived a simple life, like the one he had with Candy.

This was the other reason why it had been so difficult for him to walk away from her after he had completely recuperated from amnesia. He had kept telling himself that he would leave the next day, but that hadn't happened. And before he knew it, days had turned into months. He probably wouldn't even try to leave if it hadn't been for that one occurrence where he had inadvertently walked in on her heated debate with the land lady. As time went by, he had grown so accustomed to coming home day after day to Candy's beautiful smile and sweet voice that he found himself unable to live without them.

Now that they were separated by hundreds of miles away from each other, he had been downright miserable, yearning to see her radiant smile that could instantly light up his spirit. God, he had missed her so much!

As he became aware of the course of his runaway thoughts, he quickly captured them and purged them out of his mind. Dinner would be served in a matter of minutes, so it would be best if he put a stop to his sulking as it would only spur Aunt Elroy's curiosity more.

*********ccccccc*********

A few hours later, after what could only be described as a dull dinner affair that had been filled with equally trite conversations, which had practically lulled him to sleep, he found himself standing in front of his room. Just as he was about to enter, the sound of footsteps moving closer ceased him. He turned around to find the Bordens' butler approaching him.

"Good evening, Master William," the butler greeted him, extending an envelope to him. "You have a telegram from Mr. Johnson."

As he took the envelope into his hand, a foreboding thought assailed his mind. After dismissing the butler with a cordial smile, he stepped into the room, letting the door swing to a close behind him. His fingers ripped one side of the envelope, and he slid the paper out, unfolding it swiftly with a flick of a finger. Anxiety crashed down upon him at once as he read the words contained in the message.

Grandchester found

Lakewood Friday

He had just vanquished one hindrance, but now another one appeared. What would come next? His execution?

He erupted into a bitter laughter.

When he thought he had grasped happiness firmly in his hands, it felt like sand gradually slipping through his fingers, trickling down onto the ground. With all the odds against him, would he even be able to attain happiness in the end?

To Be Continued

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I would love to know what you think. So, please don't hesitate to send me your feedback. -forever-


Author's Remark:

I hope you don't mind that I included ample business and family politics in this chapter, mixing them with some actual occurrences from the manga. These are another aspects of the story that the manga never truly delves into, but I think it's important since they are essentially parts of Albert's life that show the other side of his personality - the personality that we, as readers, are never really privy to, other than being given a tiny glimpse toward the end of the manga when he spoils Neil's engagement party. Considering the eminent status of his family, I firmly believe that he is a capable leader. However, this doesn't mean that he enjoys taking that role, and the manga hints to this notion quite a lot.

Okay. That's enough rambling from me. The next chapter will be the conclusion of 'Against All Odds.' So stay tuned. -forever-

Replies to comments:

This time I decided to save my replies until the next chapter. But I just would like to thank everyone who have supported my work by reading my fic and writing reviews either here or in my blog. I'm truly grateful for your support. Thank you :)