The soft spring breeze blew as the sun disappeared behind the hills.
On a tennis court at a private club, Nathan and Donald were playing a match. Soaked in sweat, Donald looked tired and was breathing heavily. However, Nathan seemed completely relaxed. After a few rounds, it was clear that Donald was struggling to keep up. He raised his hand, asking for a break. "Let's take a breather and continue later."
Nathan stopped playing and walked casually to the bench. He grabbed two bottles of water and handed one to Donald.
Gasping for air, Donald said, "I can't keep pace with you youngsters anymore. I'm getting old, and my stamina's fading."
Nathan smirked, taking a sip of water without saying anything flattering.
"What's up with the tension between you and Lillian lately?" Nathan asked bluntly.
Donald's face tightened. "Since when did you start prying into my family business? That's not like you."
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"I'm not interested in your family drama. It's about her husband, Yale," Nathan clarified.
Donald slumped onto the bench, wiping sweat off his face with a towel. "What about Yale?"
Nathan's expression turned serious as he sat beside Donald. "I suspect there's something off about Yale's identity. I need your help to get his DNA."
Donald looked surprised. "Is he skind of criminal?"
"We don't have proof yet. I don't want to accuse him without evidence," Nathan explained.
Donald smiled thinly. "Why involvefor something so small? Just arrest him and do the tests!"
"He's extremely cautious, and we can't afford to alert him." Nathan reasoned.
Donald took a sip of water and said, "Listen, when Lillian married him, I investigated him. He's clean and hasn't done anything shady. So, stop fixating on Yale."
Nathan looked at him, puzzled. He couldn't believe what Donald was saying.
With a sigh, Donald looked ahead and mumbled, "General Morrison, I'm not like you. The president's job in Norvania changes every few years, while you can stick around as defense general until you retire.
"Even though it might seem like I
have a higher rank, I don't have much real power. Every decision I make has to go through red tape. Unlike you, who commands several military groups and runs Norvania's biggest military base. S
"I've got three months until retirement. Please, don't stir up trouble for me. Letretire peacefully, and when the new president takes over, you can scrutinize them all you want."
Nathan may not have agreed, but he grasped Donald's motive: self-preservation and a peaceful retirement.
He realized that if there were any significant problems with Yale, Donald would likely be affected as well.
Knowing this, Nathan foresaw how former political adversaries could exploit the situation to undermine Donald and make his remaining tunbearable.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmAfter a brief pause, Nathan cautiously asked, "Your tension with Lillian-it's because of Yale, right?"
Donald remained silent.
Recognizing Donald's reluctance to delve deeper, Nathan chose not to push the matter further. He had hoped to glean more insight by mentioning Lillian, but now he saw it was a dead end.
"Ready for another game?" Nathan stood up and asked.
Donald grinned. "Nah, let's stop for now. I'm feeling the strain on these old bones."
"Sure thing. I'll head out," Nathan said politely, bidding farewell.
Donald waved gloomily as Nathan left.
Nathan went to the men's locker room to freshen up and change. Then, he got into Cole's car and drove off. During the ride, Nathan attended to swork matters.
As they neared the entrance of Hoffis Manor, Cole abruptly halted the car and announced, "General Morrison, it's Fenna."
Nathan peered out the window and spotted Fenna holding the court summons while blocking their path.
Setting aside his papers, Nathan opened the door and exited the car
Fenna stormed over and waved the summons furiously. "Nate, what's this all about? You're demanding ten million? Has Wanda lost her mind over money?"