"Matthew, where are you going?" Lenox asked the moment he saw Matthew step out of his room. He stood up quickly and followed.
Matthew glanced at him. "Have you been waiting out here this whole time?" He had just finished bathing after his rather rigorous exercises to test his current strength.
It was already past nine in the morning. Matthew had just finished a new set of exercises—something he'd put together to test his current strength.
"Yes. I wanted to talk to you about—" Lenox started.
"If it's about Catherine again," Matthew cut in. "Don't bother."
He started walking toward the kitchen, but Lenox reached out and grabbed his shoulder.
"Matthew, even if she rejected you, the least you can do is get her back on that list," Lenox said.
"Get her back on that list?" Matthew stopped and looked him in the eye. "Have you ever asked yourself if she deserves to be on that list in the first place?"
Lenox frowned. "She's been on that list for years."
Matthew let out a short breath. "Yeah. Because I asked them to include her. Even though her grades are average at best. Catherine isn't smart enough, and all of the school executives that chose the recipients of the scholarships could attest to that."
Matthew leaned in slightly. "The school doesn't hand out scholarships to students who don't meet the standards, Lenox. I was blind before. I took a spot away from someone who actually earned it."
He stepped back. "That's not happening again."
When Lenox let Matthew's shoulder go, he marched toward the kitchen to have his breakfast. Matthew was currently in an excellent mood, but this had nothing to do with his current strength. It was because he had just received an anonymous message on his burner about an upcoming auction tonight. There would be a gathering, and all VIP clients were invited.
This was Matthew's opportunity to interact with a few people that he knew from the past.
"Young Master, Mr. Lenox asked us to prepare some lunch food that he could take away," Cristoff said. "I believe this might be for Miss Catherine."
Matthew nodded as he continued eating. He didn't respond. He didn't need to, as this one no longer concerned him. Still, it was useful to know what Lenox was doing with Catherine. He had no intention of cutting Lenox off completely. On the contrary, keeping him close meant keeping an eye on his every move.
"You come with me in the car, Cristoff…" Matthew said when he finished his meal. To prepare for the upcoming auction, he had to prepare a few things, one of them being his money.
Cristoff opened the back door of the car as Matthew slid in. Ottep was already in the driver's seat.
"Stay outside for now," Matthew said to him. "Wait until I'm done. I need to talk to Cristoff."
Ottep nodded and left. Seeing this, Matthew immediately gestured for Cristoff to join him inside.
"Sit next to me."
Cristoff climbed in and closed the door behind him.
"I need you to liquidate everything I've got in diamonds," Matthew said, pulling out a small black pouch from his inner jacket pocket. "Quietly. Use our overseas contacts. Discreet brokers only."
Cristoff looked at the pouch. "Diamonds?"
Matthew handed it over without hesitation. "Yes. White, blue, and a few fancy cuts. Use the Geneva contact if they're still reliable. I want cash. Nothing that stays on the books."
Cristoff weighed the pouch in his palm. "Should I ask where this came from?"
Matthew leaned back against the seat. "Do you really want to know?"
Cristoff smirked and shook his head. "No, Young Master."
"Good."
Matthew reached into his folder and handed Cristoff a short printed list. "I also need three new personal accounts opened. Different banks. Different countries. Use aliases if necessary, but make sure I can access them from here without having to fly out. Minimum of five million in each account. I'll wire the rest once the diamonds clear."
Cristoff's brow lifted slightly, but he didn't say anything.
"I don't want activity traced to the family. Keep the names clean."
Matthew paused, then continued. "Also. I want you to look deeper into the kidnapping from when I was twelve. Find the police reports. Talk to whoever handled the case. Check the family staff list from back then. Anyone who's still working for us—dig through their contacts."
"The Old Master already looked into this matter years ago, but we didn't find anything," Cristoff said.
"Then focus on Lenox," Matthew answered. That seemed to have caught Cristoff by surprise.
"Mr. Lenox?" he asked.
"Yes. Focus the investigation on him and his past. His parents. The people who knew him in that… village, or wherever he came from."
Cristoff nodded. "And if I find something?"
"Keep me updated. Don't tell anyone else. Not even the Old Man. This—" Matthew made a deliberate pause. "These are nothing but assumptions."
Cristoff made a few notes in his pocket notebook. "Got it," he uttered.
"And one more thing," Matthew said. "I want someone to follow Lenox. All the time. Switch out the tails every two weeks. Never the same man twice. Don't make contact unless absolutely necessary."
Cristoff tilted his head. "That's doable. Anything else?"
"Yeah. After exams, I want to fly to Cancun," Matthew said. "I need to speak to my father. Personally."
Cristoff glanced up at him.
As if reading his thoughts, Matthew added, "He told me that he will be in Cancun around this time," Matthew lied. His father had not talked to him for months because of their current altercation. He only knew that he was currently in Cancun because of what happened in his previous life. This time, Matthew needed to be there once this thing occurred.
Matthew kept his eyes on the window. His father had always been too busy. In the past, Matthew never questioned the distance. He never cared about the meetings or the late-night phone calls his father used to take. But that was before.
Now he needed answers.
Cristoff looked back down at his notes. "Alright. I'll arrange it."
Matthew gave a slight nod. "Handle it quietly. No mistakes."
Cristoff closed the notebook. "Understood."
Matthew turned toward him again. "Call Ottep. I want to stop by and buy some clothes today. Something decent for tonight."
Cristoff reached for the door but paused.
"What?" Matthew asked. "Is there a problem?"
Cristoff looked at him. "You've changed, Young Master. The Old Master will be pleased." He didn't wait for a response. He stepped out of the car and shut the door behind him.
Matthew looked at Cristoff's back as he chuckled. "Did that surprise you?" he mumbled to himself. "It shouldn't… after all… I am still my father's son."