[Chapter 747: Inheritance]
Two hours later, Terry Sel arrived in East Hampton, parking his car a mile away from Eric's mansion on a small road. He took out his cellphone and dialed Eric's private number. A soft-spoken woman answered. After a mont, the call was transferred to Eric, and Terry Sel ntioned that he happened to be passing through East Hampton and inquired if he could drop by for a visit.
Eric's tone on the phone was perfectly normal and he enthusiastically agreed.
After hanging up, the driver in the front seat glanced back at Terry Sel. "Mr. Sel, are we going now?"
"No, let's wait ten minutes," Terry Sel replied as he put away his phone. Though they both understood the situation, it was important to maintain appearances; being too eager might put him at a disadvantage.
The driver nodded and smartly turned off the engine to patiently wait.
Terry Sel leaned back in the leather seat, carefully pondering how to phrase his upcoming negotiation. Before he knew it, ten minutes had passed. The driver, seeing Terry deep in thought through the rearview mirror, considered reminding him but decided against it.
A mont later, Terry snapped back to reality and was about to instruct the driver to head out when a police car rolled up, stopping a short distance away. Two officers stepped out, glancing at the black rcedes before walking over and tapping the driver's side window.
The driver, confused, rolled down the window, and the officer outside exclaid, "Tony, is that you?"
"Hey, Rocky," the driver replied, excitent coloring his voice as he turned to Terry Sel. "Sorry, Mr. Sel, just a minute, Rocky is an old buddy of mine from the force."
Terry Sel waved a hand to indicate it was no issue. The driver quickly hopped out of the car.
Considering that his boss was waiting, the driver, Tony, didn't engage in long pleasantries. After a brief conversation, he returned to the driver's seat and started the car to head toward Eric's estate.
"What was that all about?" Terry asked, not forgetting the two officers' unexpected appearance.
Tony pointed out a clearly visible cara on the streetlight outside. "They must've seen us from there. Rocky said Eric Williams donates a hefty sum to the East Hampton Police Departnt every year."
Terry had a glance at the cara and mused about how thoughtful Eric Williams was regarding the safety of his two illegitimate children. Considering the notoriously low efficiency of police work, it was quite sothing that a car parked a little over a mile away from Eric's estate would prompt such inquiries. This was not simply sothing money could achieve.
...
When they arrived outside Eric's mansion, Terry noticed a tall woman dressed in a light gray sweater and white jeans waiting at the door. He dismissed the driver and got out to approach her.
"Mr. Sel, hello," Joanna smiled as she ca forward to shake Terry's hand. "I'm so sorry, Eric is currently in a eting, so you might have to wait a bit."
"Hello, Ms. Pacula," Terry smiled and shook her hand, recognizing her voice from the earlier phone call. "I just decided to drop by on impulse. I hope it's not too abrupt."
Joanna shook her head. "Not at all. Please, follow ."
As Terry followed Joanna into the mansion, he discreetly observed the woman who had shot to fa with Twister only a few years back but had suddenly retreated from the spotlight. His thoughts drifted back to the police officers he had seen earlier. Rembering the two kids, whom he hadn't seen ntioned in the dia lately, he felt as if Eric Williams' attitude toward them was far less secretive than that of other wealthy individuals regarding their illegitimate offspring. These two little ones might even beco heirs to the Williams family legacy one day.
Terry's thoughts turned slightly regretful as he realized that Joanna Pacula's child was a girl. If only it were a boy. As a Jewish woman, by tradition, the child would also be considered Jewish. If it were a boy, the inheritance rights would be significantly increased, leading to greater recognition among Hollywood's Jewish community.
He understood well that his rise to the position of CEO of Ti Warner was closely tied to his Jewish ancestry. Although the position wasn't as easy to hold as it might seem, many shareholders and board mbers supported him not only for his abilities but also because they shared the sa background.
As they entered the mansion, Terry was drawn to a little girl sitting beside the coffee table, flipping through a large book.
Joanna noticed Terry's gaze and led him to sit on the sofa. "Elia, we have a guest. Rember to say hello to Mr. Sel."
The little girl on the stool lifted her head, her eyes as lovely as her mother's -- pure and bright. With soft, blond hair and a slightly chubby face, she resembled a doll.
The girl stared curiously at Terry, taking in his rimless glasses for a mont before saying, "Hello, Mr. Sel."
Terry's attention, however, fell on the thick book in front of Hawaii. Recognizing it as part of the Encyclopedia Britannica, he felt an unexpected surprise. Not wanting to pry, he softened his tone, saying, "Hello, um... Elia."
Joanna chuckled lightly, explaining, "Mr. Sel, this is my daughter, Hawaii Williams. Please sit tight, Eric will be down shortly, and I'll go make so coffee."
Terry thanked her and observed the little girl as she turned pages, intrigued by her intense focus. He felt a peculiar thought cross his mind -- could a child as young as two or three really grasp what the Encyclopedia Britannica had to offer? Was he simply getting older?
...
After a mont, Hawaii quietly turned the page, reading a few sentences. She glanced beside her and noticed her mother was not seated where she should be. Spotting a hefty English dictionary nearby, she reached for it but realized there was an adult beside her. Turning to Terry, she asked without any hint of shyness, "What does 'Emperor' an?"
Terry recognized that Hawaii was looking at the entry for 'Emperor Penguin' in the biology section of the encyclopedia. Understanding that she likely knew what a penguin was but not the aning of 'Emperor,' he smiled gently. "Emperor ans king. You know what a king is, right?"
Hawaii nodded, then pointed at the illustration of the emperor penguin in the book. "Have you seen an emperor penguin?"
"I haven't, no. Emperor penguins live in the very cold Antarctic, where it's hard for humans to survive."
She blinked and inquired, "If humans can't survive in the Antarctic, how do we know that emperor penguins are there?"
Terry's surprise rose another notch. This question had a philosophical ring to it, especially coming from a child who was likely just two or three years old.
Seeing the girl gaze up at him with bright, curious eyes, Terry took a mont to respond. "Even though we can't survive there for long, we can visit for a short ti and discover emperor penguins."
Hawaii pressed on, "If we only go there for a short ti, how do we survive?"
With a smile, Terry replied, "We can make lots of equipnt, like thick clothes and sturdy shelters, to protect ourselves from the cold. With these things, we can survive for a short while."
The little girl nodded and asked, "But why don't emperor penguins need those things?"
"Because they have adapted to the environnt through many years of evolution. Humans can't adapt like that, so we rely on tools."
"Why can't we evolve like emperor penguins?" Hawaii asked, her brow furrowed.
"No, no, little one. You're mistaken. Humans are the most amazing creatures on this planet. The emperor penguins live in a narrow environnt, but we can go anywhere in the world -- even into space. It's because we possess intelligence. By using our intelligence, we accomplish these things, but other creatures cannot."
Hawaii seed to ponder his words vaguely, then rembered sothing. "I saw on TV that lions are smart. They can... work together to hunt."
Terry's gaze softened even further as he looked at the hefty book in front of the little girl. "No, Elia. That's not intelligence. True intelligence is sothing that can be passed down through generations, and lions or tigers can't do that."
"Oh," Hawaii nodded, shifting her attention back to the book.
Terry straightened his posture, sensing Joanna's presence as she approached with coffee. He quickly stood slightly.
Joanna had been quietly standing nearby, not interrupting the conversation until now. She handed Terry the coffee. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Sel. Elia can sotis be a handful."
"Not at all," Terry smiled and shook his head. Just a short exchange with the little girl had eased the agitation he had been feeling due to a series of trivial matters in recent days.
He even felt that if he could have a sowhat personal relationship with Eric, he would shalessly ask Eric to consider Hawaii as his goddaughter. Unfortunately, that thought would remain just a thought; his current position didn't afford him too much interaction with Eric.
As Joanna sat down and chatted idly with Terry, they noticed a man and a woman descending the stairs. The man was clearly Eric, and Terry quickly recognized the woman as Cindy Crawford, host of Arica's Next Top Model.
...
"My apologies, Terry, for keeping you waiting," Eric warmly embraced Terry Sel and introduced the woman. "This is Ms. Cindy Crawford."
"Hello, Cindy," Terry said, shaking her hand. "Your show is fantastic; my daughter loves watching it."
"Thank you," Cindy Crawford smiled and nodded.
Knowing that the group had business to discuss, Joanna stood up, collected the book from Hawaii's lap, and led her toward the backyard. "Alright, Elia, it's ti. We agreed you could only read for two hours each day, and that ti is up."
Hawaii walked reluctantly beside her mother. "Mom, I found a problem. I'm two now, so I can read for two hours. When I'm three, I'll read for three hours, but there are only twenty-four hours in a day. What will I do when I'm twenty-five?"
Joanna spoke gently, "Oh, sweetheart, when you're twenty-five, I won't be keeping tabs on you anymore."
"But Ewa is almost twenty-five, too. Why does Mommy still keep watch over her?"
Joanna chuckled, "Because Ewa is too silly and isn't as smart as you, Elia."
Hearing the mother-daughter exchange, everyone in the living room, including the maid nearby, chuckled softly.
Terry watched Joanna lead Hawaii away and turned to Eric. "That little one is so clever -- perhaps that's the power of inheritance."
"Perhaps," Eric chuckled.
Cindy Crawford, sensing that Joanna was excusing herself, understood that the next topic wasn't one she could join. Not wanting to leave quite yet, she was uncertain about what to do until Eric said, "Cindy, it's ti to start preparing lunch. Everyone should stay for that. Why don't you go discuss with Joan what needs to be prepared?"
"Sure, alright," Cindy sighed in relief. Since Eric hadn't pushed her to leave, she felt good about staying. She had co partly hoping to catch Eric since she heard Virginia was out filming, and Joanna was gentler. As long as Eric didn't make a fuss, no one would turn her away.
Once Cindy was dispatched, the maid in the living room discreetly left as well, allowing Eric and Terry Sel to chat.
*****
/Sayonara816.
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