Everette drove back to the Vale family mansion. He was in an exceptionally good mood after his outing with Mattias at the pier.
He had received a text message from his father, Richard Vale, asking him to come to the family mansion in the afternoon. The text mentioned wanting to talk, but Everette had no idea what he wanted to talk about.
He parked his car then strode through the front doors. He started heading for the living room before he got ambushed by his omega father. "Pa…" he complained, trying to dodge the flurry of kisses.
His omega father, Oliver Vale, was much shorter than Everette, having to stand on his tiptoes to reach Everette's cheeks. He was so proud of his serious and capable son for reaching succes at such a young age, but still missed the time when Everette was young and cute. Hence he liked to spoil Everette whenever he returned home.
Everette sighed and resigned himself to the onslaught of Oliver Vale's affection. "… Are you done yet Pa?"
"Oh stop complaining. If you spent less time working and more time around the family you wouldn't have to suffer like this would you?"
"I can't help it. Work is demanding. That's the price of success. Anyway, where is Father?"
"Your Father's in the study. You should go and see him but don't even think about running off straight after. You're staying for dinner at the very least."
There was no refusing Oliver Vale's demands, so Everette simply agreed.
He made his way upstairs to Richard Vale's study. The door was open, so he walked straight in.
The study walls were lined with antique bookshelves, and a large window along one wall provided an abundance of natural light. Richard Vale wasn't behind the imposing desk, instead seated at a pair of leather armchairs in the corner next to one of the bookshelves.
Everette sat on the chair across from Richard Vale. "So what did you want to talk to me about, Father?"
Richard Vale glanced up at Everette with a troubled look on his face. He started by asking, "what's your opinion on little Mattias Blackhorn?"
Everette paused, unsure how to answer. "He is very passionate about his career," he said vaguely.
"No other opinion?" his father chuckled. "I noticed at the last family gathering you took him out to the west garden pond. Plus Edaline said she saw that you two seemed quite close."
Edaline really loved poking her nose into others' business. "I noticed that Mattias seemed uncomfortable, so I took him to the pond to give him a break," Everette justified his actions.
"That's very thoughtful of you." Richard Vale sighed and squared his shoulders so he was facing Everette head on. "I'll be honest with you. I've been talking with Thomas Blackhorn, and we are quite concerned about little Mattias. The… incident six years ago affected him deeply."
Everette frowned. Six years ago was the time that Mattias had left overseas. He didn't often pay attention to the matters of other families, so he couldn't remember the details of any incident. "What happened six years ago?"
Richard Vale looked uncomfortable. "It's the Blackhorn family's business… but there was an argument between Mattias' parents and his older brother… in short it didn't end well, and affected Mattias' relationship with the family as well."
Richard Vale shook himself and continued, "either way, now that Mattias has finally returned to the country, Thomas and I were hoping to use the opportunity to repair the relationship between Mattias and the Blackhorn family."
Everette considered that for a moment. It was a little strange that they were only going to the effort of repairing relations after six long years. But that was his father's and Thomas Blackhorn's decision to make. Which gave rise to another question, why tell Everette about all this?
"Why are you telling me all this?" Everette asked.
"To enlist your help."
Everette looked at his father in confusion. His father continued, "we'd like you to grow closer with little Mattias. Since he has been arguing with his father, we were hoping you could act as a father figure for him. You're practically his uncle. You two were getting along quite well at the family gathering, and Mattias isn't a person who opens up easily."
Everette felt deeply uncomfortable. "I'm only six years older than Mattias."
Richard shook his head, "you're mature and responsible, and should have no problem acting as a role model or father figure. If our families were related, you would be his uncle."
Everette had always respected his father, for his conduct in both the workplace and at home. He trusted his opinion, and rarely argued against his instructions. Even when Everette went against the family to build Xner, he still had his father's silent approval.
Yet, now he felt a distinct repulsion to his father's instructions. He had no problem in supporting Mattias, but he did not want to be considered as a father figure or uncle.
"But I'm not his actual uncle," Everette said, a little defensively.
Richard furrowed his brows, taken aback by Everette's resistance. "Even if you aren't, I have always encouraged you and your siblings to look upon the Blackhorns as part of our family. He is a junior of the Blackhorn family and deserves your care."
Seeing Everette's continued reluctance, Richard Vale sighed and changed tactics. "In truth, Thomas is not getting any younger. He plans to split his wealth equally between his three children."
"As you know, the first branch of that family is also the most ambitious. We are worried that the first branch will try to take advantage of Mattias, considering that he is the only alpha grandchild in the third branch. He will receive the full portion of the inheritance, while the first branch will split their portion amongst their three alpha children."
Because the first alpha's portion of the inheritance would be split three ways, Mattias would have three times the amount that the alpha grandchildren of the first branch would receive. This would be perceived as outrageously unfair, inciting the first branch to try all sorts of tactics to garner parts of Mattias' inheritance.
Richard shook his head in lament. Money was the surest way to tear a family apart. "We were hoping that, as Mattias' uncle, you could become a support to Mattias, to deter any… unsavoury plans of the first branch of the Blackhorns."
Everette swallowed. This could escalate very quickly. If Mattias was already alienated from the Blackhorn family, he wouldn't be receiving any support from his parents or extended family.
"Okay. I'll look out for Mattias. As his… uncle."