Chapter 721: Acquaintance

Ethan Hawthorne smiled faintly, though it didn’t reach his eyes. He picked up a piece of mutton with his chopsticks and ate it, then took a sip of his drink before saying, "Let’s talk about it later. Eat up."

’Make up with those assholes?’

’Not a chance.’

If it weren’t for those assholes, he wouldn’t have spent all these years in hiding, too afraid to even acknowledge his own wife and son. He was terrified they’d find his family and use them as leverage against him. For the sake of the Hawthorne family fortune, those people had abandoned all familial bonds. All that was left was greed.

More than half of the Hawthorne family’s assets were still out of his reach. He had to keep biding his time, but he would never, ever reconcile with those assholes.

"Ethan..." His friend, who was trying to act as a mediator, wasn’t ready to give up. He’d taken a payment from the others to persuade Ethan Hawthorne on their behalf, and he had agreed to do so.

"Old Zhang, what did you find out about that Thorne fellow I asked you to look into?"

Ethan Hawthorne changed the subject, not wanting to hear any more unpleasantness. The man he called Zhang paused for a moment, then quickly said, "I found him. He’s from Vessaria, name’s Goldie Thorne. He’s young, only about twenty-five or twenty-six."

"Goldie Thorne?" Ethan Hawthorne’s expression shifted. The name sounded familiar, and it brought back a flood of memories.

’Could it be the same person?’

The name and age both matched. Ethan Hawthorne suddenly had a very bad feeling.

"That’s right. You know him, Ethan?" Zhang asked, surprised.

Ethan Hawthorne didn’t answer, asking instead, "This Goldie Thorne, where in Vessaria is he from exactly?"

"Actually, I do know that. The guy, Goldie Thorne, is a total braggart. He’s always boasting to everyone that his hometown is some place called Millstone Peak. The name sounds like it’s straight out of the sticks, but the kid acts so proud of it. He goes on and on about how amazing his hometown is, how the *feng shui* is so incredible that it was the only way it could produce a ’genius’ like him. Hmph! If that kid didn’t have a good supplier, there’s no way he could have stolen our clients with what little talent he actually has."

Zhang was clearly resentful. He’d met Goldie Thorne before, and frankly, he wasn’t impressed. He saw him as a young, unreliable blowhard, a king of tall tales who could talk a big game but had mediocre skills at best. Losing to a country bumpkin like that really got under Zhang’s skin; it was a huge loss of face.

Ethan Hawthorne’s heart pounded in his chest. Millstone Peak... He knew that place all too well.

There was no doubt about it. This had to be the same Goldie Thorne he knew. The lazy, good-for-nothing punk from back in the day was now his competitor—and one who was forcing him back on his heels, no less. How completely unexpected!

"Goldie Thorne can’t be the real boss. Zhang, I need you to dig deeper. Find out who’s backing him."

Ethan Hawthorne hadn’t had many dealings with Goldie Thorne personally, but he had done his research in Millstone Peak. It was only after long and careful consideration that he had chosen the Thorne family, so naturally, he had investigated them all thoroughly.

The eldest, Felix Thorne, was overbearing but fiercely loyal. The second son, Frederick Thorne, was steady and capable, and he and his wife were the kindest of the lot. The third, Goldie Thorne, was a good-for-nothing loafer—unreliable, but not a bad person at heart. The reason he chose the Thorne family was precisely because of the kindness they hid beneath their rough exteriors.

But Ethan Hawthorne knew he was taking a gamble. People are unpredictable, and he couldn’t be certain that Byron Thorne would be able to protect his wife and son. At the time, however, he’d had no other choice. He had to take a leap of faith.

For the past four years, he hadn’t dared to contact Rosalind and their son, afraid his cousins would discover their location and go after them. Ethan Hawthorne couldn’t allow anything to disrupt his plans. He had to get his hands on every last cent of the Hawthorne family fortune. It was all rightfully his, and he would not let it fall into anyone else’s hands.

"Zhang, set up a meeting with Goldie Thorne," Ethan Hawthorne ordered. "Tell him I want to see him."