Chapter 46: The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend

"Though I won't officially acknowledge you as my younger brother, considering this gold pocket watch and Dasha's involvement, I'm giving you this hundred thousand dollars. It should be enough to last you a lifetime," Vincent said playfully.

Watching Dasha and Vincent walk away together, Rick couldn't accept it and asked loudly, "Dasha, are you really going to leave with him?"

Dasha turned back and softly replied, "Of course, I joined you originally for the Astor family's wealth. Since you don't want it anymore, I naturally want to stay with the one who holds the wealth!"

With that said, they left with the bodyguards, leaving Rick standing there alone, dazed. He didn't know how long had passed before he regained his senses. Then, he made a decision and, holding the suitcase Vincent had left, he came to Monet's house.

Seeing the suitcase full of hundred-dollar bills before him, Monet swallowed hard and asked Rick, who was sitting there, "Rick, are you suggesting that I help you defeat Vincent and become the head of the Astor family?"

Rick nodded vigorously and replied, "Exactly! As long as you're willing to help me, all this hundred thousand dollars will be yours!"

"But how can you be so sure that I can help you achieve that? Remember, I'm just a small writer now!" Monet said with a troubled face.

Rick answered with some embarrassment, "Because among the people I know, you're the most capable!"

"Then, aren't you worried that I might agree casually and then take off with this hundred thousand dollars?" Monet asked again.

This time, Rick answered without hesitation, "I trust my judgment. You're definitely not that kind of person!"

Monet couldn't refute this reasoning, but still found the situation very difficult. In fact, Rick's request was quite unreasonable because anyone capable of fulfilling it wouldn't care about a hundred thousand dollars. Those who could be swayed by this sum wouldn't have the ability to accomplish the task in the first place.

After careful analysis, Monet frowned and said, "Rick, I hope you won't take offense, but honestly, I think Mr. Vincent wasn't entirely wrong. Relying solely on a gold pocket watch, even if everyone knows it belonged to your father, can't effectively prove your identity. Think about it, do you have anything else that could validate your identity? Perhaps a document your father wrote, certifying your position, and such!"

Actually, what Monet wanted to suggest was DNA testing, but unfortunately, that technology isn't available yet. Besides, the idea of confirming kinship through a blood test might not be well-received by Americans.

As Monet was lost in thought, Rick shook his head and replied, "Originally, my father planned to reveal my identity once we arrived in New York, so he never thought about writing documents like that."

"Did your father introduce any influential figures from the ship who could vouch for you? We could approach them to testify on your behalf!" Monet inquired further.

Rick continued to shake his head, explaining, "Because of the sensitivity of my identity, my father didn't want newspapers to speculate before the official announcement. Also, he didn't have close friends on the ship that he could introduce to me."

Just as Monet felt disappointed, Rick hesitated and said, "Actually, there is someone who recognizes me. However, I don't really like her, and I don't know if she would be willing to come forward as a witness for me."

"Oh? Who is this person?" Monet asked curiously.

Rick hesitated for a moment and then answered, "It's my father's new wife, Madeleine!"

Monet was taken aback for a moment before realizing why Rick might not like her. If he remembered correctly, this Madeleine was roughly the same age as Rick. Looking at it from another angle, it would indeed be challenging to refer to someone of a similar age as a mother. However, Monet suddenly had an idea and asked, "How is Madeleine's relationship with Vincent?"

"I truly don't know, but it probably isn't great. After all, she's just a year older than Vincent. Who would like such a stepmother?" Rick speculated.

Monet clapped her hands excitedly and said, "This is actually manageable. The enemy of your enemy is your friend. I believe Mrs. Madeleine will definitely support you. But I need to investigate first to verify if our assumptions are correct!"

"But I don't like her either!" Rick frowned.

Monet responded dismissively, "Oh come on, our primary goal now is Vincent. Let's set aside personal preferences for now. Frankly, if your father liked her, you and your siblings should try to accept her. I assume she wouldn't want to be seen as a parent figure to you, considering you're around the same age. As long as you maintain a facade, it should work. No need for extensive personal interactions."

After pondering for a moment, Rick nodded and agreed, "Alright, I'll show her respect in public."

"That's settled then. Wait for my message," Monet said. She hesitated briefly and continued, "Um, because gathering information, contacting people, and convincing Mrs. Madeleine will require some expenses…"

Before Monet could finish, Rick pushed the suitcase towards her and said, "Use this money for now. I'll provide more when I enter the family!"

Monet shook her head repeatedly and said, "We're friends helping each other. How could I take your money? Let's do this: I'll keep ten thousand dollars for operational expenses. You take the rest. After all, in case things don't work out, this money will secure your future!"

"Alright, I'll follow your suggestion!"

After Rick left, Monet discussed the matter with Nicole and proposed, "Doris should be able to help in this situation, right?"

"No problem at all. Although Mrs. Madeleine hasn't been in New York for long, with Doris's connections, we can definitely gather information about her and arrange a meeting between you two!" Nicole assured.

However, she quickly added with a hint of dissatisfaction, "But why did you leave only ten thousand dollars? Even if you left half, Rick probably wouldn't mind."

"That's true, but we shouldn't do that. If this plan succeeds, our gains won't be limited to just fifty thousand dollars!" Monet explained.

"Do you really have that much confidence?" Nicole asked curiously.

"Taking over the Astor family might be a long shot, but getting him into the family should be achievable!" Monet replied confidently.