After the call ended Bruce smiled. He has orders and will follow them exactly. This meeting that Liam called for will happen sooner than he realized.
Back inside Liam found his wife sitting at a table and he joined her. The evening was pretty uneventful from that point on. That was until a few hours later when Liam got one more phone call. When he answered it, he was shocked to hear that the medical bills for his mother was completely paid.
No sooner did he hung up did the doors to the banquet hall open up and several men in black suits entered. Then a man in a custom tailored suit walked in. This man had a commanding aura about him. He was none other than Bruce.
"Fuck me." Liam muttered.
Claire look puzzled at Liam's response.
"You know that man?"
Liam nodded.
"That is Bruce. My family's right hand man."
Claire looked confused. What did he mean his family's right hand man? Then she thought of his last name.
She thought to herself, "There's plenty of families with the last name of Hartman. And they aren't all related either. So there's no way that Liam was a member of the famous Hartman family, was there?"
Almost as to answer her thoughts, Bruce walked up to Liam and bowed and said, "Master Liam, your grandfather sent me. He wanted me to give you this card."
As he held out his hand it was a black card. Everyone was in shock. There is no way that Liam could have a black card. Black cards for legendary. Only the top of the top who were members of the top Banks would have one. They had almost an unlimited spending limit. On the front of the card in silver letters was spelled Liam Hartman.
Liam frown but he took the card anyways. As soon as he grabbed the card Bruce motion for someone to enter the room. In walked a man in a black suit carrying a gift.
"Miss White, on behalf of my master here, I would like to present you with this gift. It's not much. But I hope you like it."
As soon as Bruce said this to Claire's grandmother, the gift was opened and a beautiful diamond necklace was inside. This necklace had to have been worth at least 300 million dollars. And Bruce said that this was not much of a gift? What kind of a man was Bruce but more importantly what kind of man was Liam?
"It's beautiful thank you."
Claire's grandmother didn't waste a beat. She accepted the necklace in a heartbeat. Liam just slapped his forehead. He's going to have a lot of questions to answer when he gets home.
Sure enough when him and Claire got home she began the questions.
"Okay spill it. And don't lie to me you know I'll know if you're lying. I know your tales."
This was exactly what Liam wanted to avoid. His parents was kicked out of the Hartman family when he was too young to remember. They struggle to make ends meet and he never forgave his grandfather and the Hartman family for this.
He just wish a whole would open up and swallow him. It'd be much more preferable than having to admit the truth. To admit that he held back his true identity from his wife and her family.
"My grandfather's name is Harry Hartman. When I was too young to remember anything he kicked me and my parents out of the family. I still don't even know why he did it or what happened. All I remember is my parents telling me that it was a power play from other members of the family. They made me swear not to reveal who I truly was."
Claire was in shock. All this time her entire family thought that her grandfather had found this useless bum and forced her to marry him. She thought that her grandfather was being kind and maybe paying back a favor. No one thought that Liam was an heir to the Hartman family.
Thinking back it makes sense though. Her grandfather always told her that one day she would think him for finding this man to be her husband. Her grandfather always referred to Lynn as a diamond that was lost.
I lost heir someone kicked out of a family as powerful as the Hartman family could definitely be described as a diamond in the rough or a lost diamond.
"Okay, that explains who you are but not what just happened."
Now this was the tricky part. This was the part that would be difficult to explain and Liam knew it.
"Well I ummm....."
Liam paused looking for the words to say.
"You see dear, Mr Bruce may have called me earlier when I had stepped out to cool off a bit. He had informed me that my grandfather wanted to make things up and I told him that I wasn't interested. My father is dead and my mother is dying and the Hartman family could have prevented my father's death and could have helped my mother but they chose not to. Now all of the sudden they want to call me and expect everything will be all right?"
Claire crossed her arms before saying, "You said your grandfather wanted to make things right? What exactly do you mean? This is a little too vague."
Liam didn't want to elaborate. He knew if he told Claire she would encourage him to make amends. But if he didn't answer her she might get pissed. So reluctantly he answered her.
"My grandfather had Bruce call me to tell me he was sorry and felt bad and wanted to make amends. The problem is why didn't my grandfather call when my father was dieing in the hospital? I don't think I could ever forgive him for that."
Claire mouth was wide open.
"So let me get this straight, my family puts you down and ridicules you at every chance and you're willing to forgive them? Even though they really aren't related to you? But you're grandfather makes a mistake that hurt you and you don't want anything to do with him?"
Now that Claire put it like that, Liam cannot deny this all sounds ridiculous. However, the pain is so deep, Liam may never forgive the old man. His in-laws are just that, in-laws. But his grandfather is flesh and blood so his betrayal is worse in a way.