Draco smiled mockingly at the thought. "You mean the Lagdameo heir's woman was the one who was behind the local strawberry fields in Hampshire?" He then turned to Manuel who was quiet at the center whilst reading the papers Franco had gave to them "Seemed that all our problems was because the Lagdameo heir, our dearest nephew fell in love. What can you say about this, President Manuel? I'm all interested to your opinion now suddenly."

Every board member knew of what Darryl had done for the last couple of years. Their nephew had shaken the whole nation by revealing that the Manggan Island had already been invaded by two alumni from Rivendell and even made a huge attempt to make a bridge to cross the par line. At first, they were all thrilled and proud but when the rumors about Darryl being in love with the Rivendell's girl alumni spread like wildfire because of the Montreal's statement, their reactions and opinions were mixed. Most board members thought Darryl was being stupid to follow a girl, as girls were not worthy of any profound devotion.

​​

The elders blamed Manuel for this because he failed to tame his son, as if they had any idea how hard it was for Manuel to raise Darryl who seemed to have grown another passion of his own. But then, as the President of L Empire, who was chosen for the position because of Darryl's existence, he was under obligation to make Darryl what everyone had expected him to be.

"My opinion is that you should not assume things when there were no evidence to support it all," Manuel tried to shutdown Draco's mockery. "The only girl in Rivendell per Darryl's statement previously had gone to Manggan Island for a long time already and thus it was rather impossible for her to maintain a strawberry field in Hampshire. Besides, I expect the only girl of Rivendell to have more higher profile than being a local doctor's granddaughter,"

"You have a point," Dante agreed with his cousin. "If the rumors about Darryl having been in love with the only girl in Rivendell is true then I guess we should be glad about it. Her profile was something we cannot just—"

"I'd rather had the Lagdameo heir marry the CGC heir as it was what all the elders agreed" Samson tried to remined everyone "The goal was not marry off the L Empire's heir to anyone but rather to the CGC heir to eliminate competitors,"

"We cannot dictate—" Dante tried to say some more.

"Say no more Dante," Draco cut him off completely. Dante, unlike all of them present in the board was not business minded. His perspective about life was simply out of this world, at least for the rest of them, that's why they don't always take his words or suggestions in consideration. "Manuel, we had been behind CGC for three months straight now and so what do you propose us to do?"

"It's only for three months, it will not take long," Manuel sighed inwardly as this matter had always been their topic for quite some time now. "We had adopted several actions plans to ensure that this will not happen again"

"We had never been below CGC for straight three months!" Samson intensified the argument. "Why did you had to let Darryl go that f*cking island? Your actions after that—"

"Enough!" Franco shouted to put off the fire of arguments that was starting to burn them all. "We had all agreed previously to help each other on this matter. Now is not the time to play the blame game"

Everyone quieted with Franco's words. They all knew it was rather hard for them to overthrow Manuel as most of the shares were named under the Lagdameo heir's name. Unless their wives and mistresses gave birth to a healthy boy, all their attempts will be useless.

"What do you propose for us to do?" Draco turned to Franco after the tension had mitigated.

It was Manuel who answered for him. "The thing that we had to do was the reason for this meeting. The presenter right in front of us was trying to lay out to us all the variables that was trying to pull us down. Everything. Minor or major ones. And all that you had to do is sit here and help me get through it one by one. However, if you are unwilling and would rather argue about the things that had already been done, then the door is open for anyone to leave"

With Manuel's words, everyone swallowed all their anger and calmed down. They straightened up their seats and turned to the presenter who swallowed a mouthful because everyone's attention was back to him.

"So as what I have tackled earlier, the strawberries in the South can become a problem to us for the next few months," The presenter told once more.

"I suggest we go an offer the local doctor some money. Let's buy the fields," Draco, with his calmed self, suggested right then. "I'm sure they will not refuse it since we are L Empire,"

"We had already done that Mr. D," The presenter told. "That was the first action we did and consistently do since the problem arouse. But then the doctor refused saying the strawberry fields belong to his granddaughter and he seemed not shaken with the fact that we are L Empire"

"How brave of him to refuse us. He is just a local doctor. I wonder what kept him from selling his lands." Samson wondered "How about offering him a life here in the capital? Promised him some positions in one of the big hospitals here and give him some properties. If that wouldn't be enough the I'm sure Franco can do something about this"

Franco laughed at all of this and everyone looked at him with bewilderment. "O my, you haven't figure it out until, now didn't you?"

"Figure out what?" Samson asked confused.

"Why don't you read the girl's information until the end, so you'll see," Franco told them with deep amusement. All of them was busy throwing up blames they failed to see the most interesting part of it all that he had been dying for them to know. He wanted to see the shock that would register to their faces if they'll realize it.

"The doctor won't give in to all what you propose to him," Franco added, the amusement in his face lingered "You all look foolish with everything you proposed to him"

"And why is that?" Dante reached out for the papers once again to read it.

"Because he is Dr. Miles Dugmoch," Franco revealed.

"Dr. Miles who? What's significant about—" Samson said already annoyed but then his annoyance faded out right away when the name hit his ears loud and clear. "You are not referring to Dr. Miles who is the owner of Feather Healthcare Corporation, don't you?"

Franco only laughed at their bewildered faces satisfactrorily.

"Impossible, Dr. Melvin didn't leave an heir. The boy died sick for God's sake!" Dante gasped confused. He knew Melvin well as he was once his comrade way back.

"Probably an adopted," Draco concluded.

"That is not anymore our concern," Franco stopped laughing and turned serious. "Our problem is that the reason why the strawberry problem in the south comes with a minor disadvantage for us is because not everyone knew about it and the fact that Dr. Miles own the fields. Imagine when the media get this information, it would become a big controversy in the future and our competitors will surely use this against us,"

All of the board members turned serious with Franco's words. Indeed, the problem they had with strawberries in the South will become a major talk of the country specially because it included the famous philanthropist Dr. Miles who had been gone for the limelight for long. Knowing that Dr. Miles was everyone's hero, L Empire will sure come out as an evil villains if they would insist on buying his lands or pressure the doctor's strawberry trade.

"This thing we must handle with greatest care," Manuel breathed a heavy sigh when he realized how serious was the treat. He wanted to talk further but then his executive assistant daringly approached him to whisper something important.

"Another problem?" Franco turned to his brother when Manuel immediately rose from his seat to leave.

"No," Manuel's face flushed a complicated expression "My son is back. The Lagdameo heir is back"

Manuel looked every board member's faces with mockery and pride before he head to the door. His ace card was back and so every Lagdameo who had plans of overthrowing him can back off now. They stand no chance at him at all.

The only problem he had left was how to tame his wild son.