535 Inceptive

Damien received a glass of champagne from his cousin, William, and the two headed towards Frederick Park by the stage. They nodded and gave brief greetings to some people they passed by, and then Damien asked in a low tone, "How are things on your side going?"

William's eyes were vigilant, making sure that no one was around them who could eavesdrop before he answered, "I still need more time. My father has several loyal supporters on the board. His roots are quite thick—I would need more time to uproot him completely."

"Do you need my help?"

"Nah… I'll manage. You just do what you have to do."

Before reaching Frederick Park, Damien slowed down his pace and said, "A word of advice… If uprooting isn't possible, sometimes you just have to cut the roots completely. Sever ties with an ax—a chainsaw if you must."

When William met his gaze, he concluded in a low and cold tone, "You aren't saving a tree. You are to kill it so it can't revive."

Damien didn't care that he was talking about his uncle—William's father. If his cousin couldn't handle being ruthless, then he would have to step in. However, much to his surprise, William responded resolutely, "I'll take care of it."

"Damien," Frederick called when he spotted the two. "Come. I'd like you to meet some associates." 

He introduced the guests to Damien first, before he did the same to his son. If the guests didn't notice the difference, that's because Frederick did it so naturally. But between Damien and William, they knew the vast difference between how they were introduced and how fond Frederick was towards his nephew rather than his son. He talked about Damien with so much pride that William got bored—but this wasn't new to him anymore. Over the years, he had learned to let the words go through his left ear and out of the right. 

The conversation went on for a few more minutes. They talked about their latest projects—something that Damien thought was already routine that it didn't interest him that much anymore.

When the conversation had slowly died down, they turned their attention to the activity on stage where a famous singer performed live. To accumulate more funds where proceeds would go to a few charities that the Parks have pre-selected, they organized events for tonight's gala—the staple: live auction and a raffle draw. The guests bought mandatory tickets as their entry at the registration that cost $200 per person, and once they entered the hall, they could buy as many tickets as they wanted which would then be raffled before the party ends.

First prize was a trip for two to the Maldives for four days and three nights—all expenses paid inclusive of airfare, while the second and third prizes were a weekend getaway in any Crown Resorts international and national chains respectively, sponsored by Damien Park.

"How generous of you to give paid vacations to your lovely resorts. You must have a lot of free time on your hands to be able to organize this," William muttered under his breath, but enough for Damien and his father to hear. 

Damien's brows knitted at the lame opening and gave his cousin an eye. Was that really all he could do? Being an actor once crossed William's mind when they were younger. He oughtta do better than this if, for some reason, he would change his career. Damien shook his head and let out a small sigh. "Not really. I still have a lot on my plate, but Katherine's been teaching me how to delegate some tasks to my people."

"Ahh… Interesting... the former secretary is now teaching her boss. What a lucky man." William raised his glass and winked at Damien.

Although he was annoyed by his cousin's remark, Damien could only clink his glass with the other. His upper lip twitched at the other's words, but he ignored it as he said, "She's actually very smart and a fast learner. For a short time that she worked with me, she already knew who among the staff in my team was capable of certain skills. In fact, last week, she helped me reorganize my workload. I trust her judgment, so now I have lesser things to handle in the office."

"Looks like I need to get to know more about my future cousin-in-law," William commented, earning another glare from Damien—in which he ignored and brushed off as he asked, "You've always preferred a busy schedule. Why did you want to shift it around? Are you working on a new project?"

Although their conversation seemed very casual just now, Damien could tell that his uncle, Frederick, was paying attention. From Damien's periphery, he could see his uncle's subtle movements—like shifting of weight towards him, or the tilting of his head to listen more.

Damien took a sip from his champagne and lowered his voice as he answered, "Not a new project. It's an investigation."

William slightly turned his head towards Damien, and he saw that his father did the same. "An investigation?" he asked.

"I'm opening a case for my father's death. I want to know what really happened and how he died." Damien kept his eyes on stage, though his senses were clearly focused on his uncle's reaction.

"What do you mean you're opening a case?" Frederick Park turned to face Damien, his face full of surprise.

"I hired someone excellent in his field. It happened a long time ago, so I wouldn't be able to do it myself," Damien answered casually, and then took another sip of his drink.

"Why now? Did something happen? What made you decide to open a case that happened years ago so suddenly?"

He glanced at his uncle's expression, and he saw the quick change from what he thought could be a panicked expression to just plain curiosity. Frederick had always been good at masking himself, but Damien was determined that if his uncle was hiding something, he wouldn't stop until he would get to the bottom of it. Especially if it has something to do with his father's death.

Placing the empty flute onto the tray of a passing waiter, Damien dug his hands into his pockets and responded, "I received an anonymous tip, telling me that my father's death isn't as simple as a car accident… that it deliberate—"

"And you believed it without knowing where it came from? Couldn't it be just a… distraction or a stunt?"

His uncle's words pissed him off for some reason. But Damien kept his cool under control, and his voice normal. "It certainly got my attention. After all, as you said, Uncle… It's been so many years. So why would it be brought up now if it was just a stunt? For what purpose?"

Frederick Park straightened his back and kept his hands behind him in a casual manner. He looked as though he was trying to weigh things in his mind. And then he nodded, "Well… You know how it is in business. Competitors like to do unimaginable things just to put others out of their A-game. You know what happened with Chen Enterprise when they did the same to us a few years ago, remember? They sent us on a wild goose chase, only to take advantage of us getting distracted for a short period."

Damien hated to admit that his uncle was right about that part. An incident happened a few years back involving Park Group's biggest competitor, Chen Enterprise. But that didn't have anything to do with what's going on at the moment. And he knew that for a fact because there was no "anonymous tipper". He clenched his jaw before he firmly said, "You're right. That could be possible. But I won't take any chances. Even if this investigation turns out to be a waste of time, I want to see it through until the end. He's my father, after all."

"You really think someone harmed your father?"

"I don't want to believe it. But I have to know the truth."

Frederick nodded in agreement and didn't say anything else.

Noticing his uncle's silence, Damien turned towards the older man and slightly bowed in respect. "Uncle, the investigation has started. You, along with the others, might receive a visit as part of the process. I apologize in advance for the interruption that it may cause you."

Frederick planted his hand onto Damien's shoulder, squeezing it as he replied, "I would do anything to help with the investigation. Lawrence is my brother, and you are my nephew. Family comes first."

"Thank you."

"Now, if you'll excuse me, boys…" Frederick left with his assistant. 

Damien watched his uncle head towards the backstage and disappeared from his sight. "Can I trust that you keep an eye on him?" he probed in a calm yet icy tone.

A sly smile split William's face as he downed the rest of his drink and answered, "With absolute pleasure."