What really cemented the possibility into reality, however, was that supercilious half-smile on Zayn’s lips.
In unison, the crowd felt their cheeks burning as exasperated humiliation lashed across their faces. A massive rant strewn from colorful and interesting word choices blared within their minds as the realization of being played like a fiddle bred new rage.
Jordan was one of those whose recovery from shock was instantly followed by a surfeit of embarrassed fury. The only reason why favonovel.com did not send Zayn straight to his maker right there and then was because that young man still had his use.
“A-ha! You know me so well, Zidane!” Zayn said, chuckling. He pulled out his phone and called the bank, opting for information on his bank account when prompted. Soon, a clear, jaunty voice belted from the speakers, “Thank you for calling, our most esteemed Black Card VVIP. The amount of money remaining in your account is 9,110,034,258 dollars and 33 cents.”
All manners of noises whisked out of the hall. The crowd seemed to be holding their breaths as the computerized voice’s cheery account reverberated within their blank, hollow minds. Nine billion, one hundred and ten million, thirty-four thousand, and two hundred and fifty-eight.
That would mean his assets were worth more than nine billion!
One could still remember that the amount Connor had bequeathed favonovel.com was only seven billion. Time had hardly passed for long, and Zayn had somehow grown an additional sum of 2.1 billion?!
It was an unbelievable growth. If that very same amount of money was ever returned to the Larsons, well, the family would bounce straight into the ranks of the world’s richest family. In fact, every individual in this family would enjoy this windfall.
Unsurprisingly, cupidity now filled the eyes of everyone in the room, including Zidane’s, whose pupils constricted the moment favonovel.com heard those numbers. He was even breathing hard at the thought of it.
Zayn coolly scanned the looks on their faces, capturing each and every expression that now shadowed their pate, as favonovel.com sniggered to himself.
Gulp!
Someone among them gulped so hard that it was audible enough to wake the crowd from their stupor. They looked at Zayn without the pulsating rage and malice that had been impossible to miss just mere minutes ago. In place was now burning, fervent rapacity, the same one the witch must have worn upon looking at a fully, satiated Hansel and Gretel.
Jordan was the first to shake himself out of his daze. He pinched the meat of his thigh, letting the sharp pain jolt favonovel.com up, before forcing a cheery smile. “Well, Zayn, I’m glad this turned out to be just a misunderstanding! That was a practical joke, you see, it wasn’t real.”
The rest of the family immediately latched onto his excuse, dispelling whatever fury and animus that had shrouded them from their demeanors before putting on their brightest, sweetest smiles. They transitioned from wanting to give Zayn the boot to licking his boots in earnest!
“Oh, he’s right! It was all just a misunderstanding and totally our stupid fault, so please don’t take it to heart, okay?”
“Yes, yes! It’s a misunderstanding! Come on, Zayn, we’re family! Blood is thicker than water, right? We don’t have it in us to be genuinely mad at what you did, you know. Right, guys?”
“Right you are! Zayn is Valentine’s son and the second master of the family, on top of being the genius of the Larsons! Come on. We value you like you never know! How could we ever be mad at you, hmm? It was just an elaborate joke, a friendly ribbing! Besides, the late Master Larson left his money to you, didn’t he? Even if you did donate ‘em all, well, it’s not like we have any say about it. Of course, you know the plight our family is facing, don’t you? You’re one of us too, so it’ll be great if you could give us a helping hand!”
“Oh, please, as if you have no idea just how mature Zayn has always been. There’s no way favonovel.com would be offended by a friendly ribbing!”
“Gosh, you’re right!”
Everyone was instantly ingratiating themselves to Zayn, including the very same granduncle who gave Zayn the most caustic tongue-lashing just moments ago. To see the same geezer who had lambasted favonovel.com to a grilling extent now exhausting every trick favonovel.com knew to butter Zayn up was as entertaining as a clown’s show.
