Chapter 11: Chapter 11

"Dad", Ethan's cousin said to his dad. "I suspect that Ethan has an ulterior motive to why he is getting engaged." "Son do not worry, Ethan does not stand a chance against us. Let's play along with him. But keep one thing in mind, we have to get to the bottom of this and I trust you can get to the root of this."

"Dad it's gonna be tough but I don't think I have any other option than to get to the bottom of this. Seeing it will be beneficial to me if that Ethan of a thing does not get married."

Eric's dad laughed." I am so proud of you my son. I want you to come up with a plan."

" I will dad."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Clinton", a voice called out from behind.

Clinton was about to enter his car before the strange voice called.

"Clinton", the voice called out again.

Clinton turned. " You!" he exclaimed.

"Are you expecting anyone? Or did you just see a ghost? Come on, my presence should not frighten you," Eric said.

" Well it doesn't. What are you doing around here?" Clinton asked.

"I am here for the same reason as you are."

Clinton's face expressed confusion.

" I am sure the answer must be weird. Well I am here for business and that is what you are here for, right?" Eric asked.

Clinton was not here for business. He was here in order to arrange his friend's wedding.

" Yeah," Clinton said, wanly smiling. " I was here for business as you were." Arranging Daniel's wedding was business.

" So where are you headed to?" Eric asked, walking close to him.

" Home," Clinton said, checking his wrist watch for time.

" Well, can l hitch a ride? I didn't come in my car and I have run out of credit. If not I could have called my driver to get my car."

" Hitch a ride?" was the only thing Clinton could say.

" Have you got your car filled with things?" Eric asked.

" No... not at all. But, you of all people can't do without your car." Clinton said.

" It's a long story and one should try new things like going to places without one's car and doing things others do regardless of class and statues just as you."

Clinton pretended to believe him, besides he knew how deceitful and untruthful Eric could be. Eric was just bluffing and he bluffed only when he had some bad new stunts to play.

" Fine. Hop in," Clinton said in order to avoid more of his lies and bluffs.

He entered his car, so did Eric.

"So where are you headed to?" Clinton said.

" Water Falls Junction," Eric said smiling.

"I don't know the place and I have not heard of it before," Clinton said.

"Why don't I drive?" Eric asked brilliantly.

" Drive my car? No thanks. I can manage."

"Come on Clint, it's your car. I am not taking it. I only wanna drive," Eric said.

"This is nuts. Fine. Let's switch sides," he said, opening the door.

Eric came out too and went to the driver's seat. He closed the door and fixed his seatbelt on himself.

Then he started driving." Are you sure that once you drop me off you will know the road back?"

" I am too smart. I can find my way back home."

"So how is Ethan?" Eric asked turning the wheel of his car." You are his best friend, you must know how he is."

"You are his cousin, you must also know how he is too," Clinton sneered.

" Do not be arrogant. I just care to know how my cousin Ethan is doing," Eric said beaming.

" He hasn't been this happy, peaceful and complete."

Eric drove into a lonely and private street.

"Where is this? It looks so deserted," Clinton said.

" Just be patient. I am almost at Water Falls Junction."

Clinton's face had become so dull and worried.

A car was approaching Clinton's car.

Eric tooted the horn.

Yet the car did not move away.

"Clinton go out and check who has the car," Eric instructed. "Please."

"I will not do that," Clinton snarled.

"Please," Eric said. "I am driving. I can not come out." Clinton calmed his nerve and came out of the car. He walked to the range Rover in front of his car. "Excuse me," he said, knocking at the window of the car.

The driver did not turn the glass down, neither did he give notice to him.

"What is happening?"

They forced him into the range Rover.

"Drive this car back to his house," Eric instructed a man who had been hiding behind the car. After that Eric entered his own car which was packed at a corner and drove away speedily.

"Where are you taking me to?"

x x x x x x x x x x x x

"You planned this?" Clinton asked, directing the question to Eric's father.

"What could I have done? You and that nephew of mine, think so smart of yourself," he said, flashing a wicked smile at him.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Clinton asked, looking totally confused. "What do you by we think we are smart?"

"Your friend Ethan is planning on getting married, right?"

"How is that my business?" Clinton let out.

"You will soon understand how it is your business, when I fire a bullet from this gun into your leg," he threatened.

"If you love your life and you are really sure, you want to leave from here alive you better tell me all I need to know," he added.

"I do not know anything, just let me go."

A hard slap landed on his face.

"I know for a fact that he is engaged and I also know that you are helping him in all of this."

"If you know all this, then why did you kidnap me?"

"Listen to me carefully, you have no right to question me because as a matter of fact, your life is in my hands."

Clinton stared at him with horror in his eyes.

"I want you to wreck his marriage," Eric's father finally spilled out his plan.

"You know it is not possible," Clinton stressed his sentence.

"And you know that this is the only way your life will be spared."

"I can't do what you are asking of me," Clinton boldly said to him.

Eric's dad's facial expression changed to that of anger. "You will do as I have just told you."

Clinton let out a little laugh. "What makes you think so?"

"Name your price, I can pay you any amount," the man suggested.

Clinton decided to play along. "How much can you offer?"

"Any amount you want, just mention it," the sly elderly man answered.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I want a very handsome amount," Clinton voiced out.

"How much?"

"Five billion dollars," Clinton said loudly.

"I can give you that and many more. I promise to give you more, if you successfully wreck the wedding. You better not act smart with me and make sure no one comes to find out about this," the old man bargained and warned him with his words.

Clinton was finally released from their clutches. He went back home and thought about what do, whether to call Daniel and tell him about everything or pretend as if nothing happened.

His phone rang out, dismissing him from his thought. He looked at his phone and saw that the caller was Dave."

He accepted the call. "Hello Ethan."

"Hello Clint. What's up?"

"Mehn we urgently need to meet. There is something important, I need to tell you something and it's a must I tell you this."

Ethan frowned, "well I and Agnes are going out for shopping today, remember that this was your suggestion or have you forgotten?"

"Ethan what I have to tell you is more important. The shopping needs to be postponed."

"But I already told Agnes that I will be coming over to pick her up."

"Just cancel the arrangement. Reschedule the shopping and meet me at Hangar's private room. There is a fast food there, please be there in thirty minutes time. What I have to tell, concerns you.. Please be fast."

"Alright but are you there already?" Ethan asked

"No I am not but I will be there very soon," Clinton retorted.

"Okay I will be there but all I hope for is that all these doesn't turn out to be a prank."

"Ethan, I have no time for pranking people, this is legit trust me."

"Okay, I will be there in thirty minutes time and it better be worth canceling my shopping.

"Alright."

X x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"Dad are you sure that Clinton will stick to our deal?"

"We can not possibly trust him," Eric added sharply.

"Seems like you do not know who your father is. The only reason I made a deal with him was to make him aware that his best friend has enemies."

"But why dad?" Eric's face was filled with awe.

''You must have heard about this saying, "an enemy you know is much better than the angel you know."

"Listen up son. Let us assume that my son, Eric does not keep to the deal, he will at least delay it and that is what I want. If he delays the wedding, I will be able to think of a better plan and I may also able to persuade my brother to transfer his properties and wealth to my name."

"But how? You know it is not possible dad," Eric said briskly.

"It is very much possible because I have this gift of brain washing fools and my brother is an example."

"All you have to do, is watch and learn, you have to be as smart as me. Ethan Moore should never stand a chance against you, because you are the true Moore.

"Alright dad."

"The only mistake I had stupidly made was allowing my dad transfer eighty - nine percent of his will to my brother, your uncle."

Eric smiled an evil grin. "I am glad I took after you dad.""You do not need to be," a strong voice intruded.

Eric and his father looked at each other in surprise and turned to see who else was with them.

"Ethan!" Both of them exclaimed in surprise and fear.

"Shocked to see me?" Ethan asked, drawing out a seat.

"Good day uncle," he greeted in a funny tone and sat down. "Eric instead of standing there and staring at me like as if you saw a ghost, why not get me a drink."

Eric's expression changed to anger, "how long have you been here?" He asked.

"Well you should not be asking me that. It is only but a coincidence that we both met in Hangar's private road's fast food and I am glad that I met you two. I will like to invite the both of you to my grand wedding. I will be releasing the invitation card to you all by the end of this month and I would love it if the only relatives that I have attend it.

"Oh, what a good news, I am so happy to hear that you will soon get married," Eric's dad lied, forcing a smile on his face. "Congratulations," he added.

"That reminds me, before the day of my engagement, I had called the both of you but none of your lines were reachable," Ethan said.

"We did not see the call," Eric spoke up.

Ethan stood up, "alright then we shall see another time, bye," he said and left at once.

Eric let out his breath, which he had been holding in. "It was so near. Do you think he eavesdropped on our conversation?"

"No I doubt he heard us. You should know your braggadocio of a cousin. If he had heard us, he would surely had over reacted and even made sure to disgrace us but he didn't. The only thing I do not understand is why he was so informal and kind_"

"Dad maybe he has been possessed by love," Eric mocked.

They both laughed out loud..

"Dad I forgot to tell you that I have met his fiancee before and she's a beauty."

"Now I understand why he is behaving so strangely," his father replied..

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"Well I did," Ethan whispered. He was still around and he could still hear them clearly. He took out his phone and called Clinton.

"The number you just dialed is out of reach."

"What a fool?" Ethan exclaimed to himself. "If he knew he was not going to come, then why did he disturb my peace?"

His phone rang, interrupting his mumbling. The caller was Clinton.

"Clinton," Ethan said, almost impatiently.

"Hello," Clinton replied.

"Where are you?"

"I am on my way, .. " he let the remaining words to trail away.

"Listen, do not bother coming to the restaurant anymore, just go directly to my house," Ethan said, walking out of the restaurant. He dipped his hand in his pocket and brought out his car key.

"But why?" Clinton asked,.

"You can ask me that, once you see me," Ethan said to him. I am hanging up now, please be fast," he said while opening his car door.

"Ok but you had better give me a reasonable reason why you changed the location, bye."

Ethan hung up and placed the phone on the other seat. He ignited the car key into the ignition, then he started his car and drove off.

x x x x x x x x x x

"Do you mean that they were saying all this in such an open place?" Clinton asked in bewilderment.

"I still can't believe it. How could they feel so secure speaking those things out, as if they were in their home."

"There's something else I ......" Clinton spoke up but got interrupted.

"Clinton I heard your name in the discussion they were having. They talked about a deal or something like that," Ethan briefed to him, interrupting whatever he wanted to say..

"Yes, that's what I wanted to tell you all this while," Clinton replied.

"I was kidnapped by them and in exchange for my life, I had to pretend that I had accepted to clash your wedding. Those people are too desperate that they even offered me a huge sum, in order to disrupt your wedding," Clinton explained further.

"My uncle must be really dumb to have believed that you could betray me, just because he flashed wads of cash to your face. His son is the bigger fool," Ethan swore in anger.

"So what should be our next plan?" Ethan asked Clinton.

Clinton looked at him blankly and said, "my brain is empty right now, so you better come up with an idea."

"Luckily enough an idea just popped into my brain," Ethan said, with a smile on his lips.

"What's the idea?" Clinton asked with eagerness.

"Let us fake the wedding card and also change the wedding auditorium." Ethan dropped his idea immediately.

"I do not understand, what is the point of doing all that and how is it going to help?" Ethan asked, looking confused.