HIS INTENSE declarations were followed by a massive volume of laughter within the crowd— including the Sandoval family, except for Daphne. August closed his eyes and clenched his fists, trying not to bring their laughter straight into his heart. But it was to no avail. He could feel his heart breaking. One of his hands traveled onto his chest and clutched it while breathing heavily. His chest went up and down as he did that. All of them found August's claims amusing. Nicole even held onto her stomach as she laughed hard with her eyes getting teary, the same as the other people in the place who looked at him like a clown who was giving them entertainment. "He's sick!" "Dream on, dude!" "Your dreams will come true once you die!" Their sarcastic laughter was followed by harsh insults. They were even pointing out at him. Some of them were spitting on the stage, while some were splashing their wines onto him. At that time, he regretted opening his eyes— the same as how he regretted

THE ROOM WENT in silence as August heard what Charles had said. His eyes widened as he forgot to breathe for a second. His hands were about to move to fix his hair but was stopped mid-way because of shock. He wasn’t stupid to understand Charles’ statement. If he wouldn’t pretend to be his son despite inheriting Charles’ wealth, then… ‘Would I be adopted for the second time?’ August couldn’t help but ask at the back of his mind. It was the only way he could be an inheritor without pretending, but at this point, he didn’t know what to feel. The Fordman family treated him properly without any judgments, and he wasn’t sure if he would be able to let go of their surname because of this new opportunity that could help him exact revenge. He remembered his life in the orphanage back when he was a child. The other children didn’t like him— they treated him differently and bullied him. They constantly told him that he didn't belong in the orphanage because he was different, and at that time,

THE SUN already rose, yet August wasn't able to get some sleep. It became hard for him to rest his mind if he wasn't in the right mood. He felt like he was prohibited from doing anything. 'Did I do the right thing?' August couldn’t help but ask that question at the back of his mind. If it wasn't for the revenge he wanted, he would have run away by now and lived the peaceful life he always wanted. He could forget everything. He could forgive them and start a new life like he did in Mrs. Johens' restaurant. But it was different right now. Everything wouldn't be able to be the same again as he also thought about Daphne who crossed the line just to help him. He would show her his gratitude some other time. “Good morning, August," Charles greeted as he entered the room. Charles thought that August would flinch or show a shocked expression because he looked like he was in deep thought when he opened the door, but August just gazed at him with his arms crossed. ‘He was conscious of his

August continued watching Daphne's video on repeat. He clenched his hand as he felt guilty because he was saved at someone's expense. His gaze went darker every second as he gritted his teeth, annoyed. However, at that time, August didn't know which he should be annoyed with if it was the Sandoval family who humiliated him or himself… because he couldn't even defend himself even though everyone had wronged him. And he couldn't protect the first woman in his life who tried to help him. “Let me ask you a question, August." August snapped out of his thoughts when Charles spoke. He had been watching August's reaction— trying to decipher what was on his mind. "What was the reason why you accepted my offer?" Charles asked authoritatively, yet August could hear a hint of curiosity in the tone of his voice. "You were firm in your decision before. You even called me crazy for what I offered." Charles let out a chuckle and smiled as he remembered the time he commanded Maxine to bring Augus

Hello, readers! First of all, I wanted to thank everyone who's reading August's story. This will not only focus on him rising to the top but on the progress and struggles he would need to face before that (and, of course, the revenge! The beloved revenge~). I hope everyone will enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. The schedule of my update would be every 8:00 PM, GMT +8. I would write two chapters a day sometimes, depending on my schedule availability. If it's okay, I would like to ask for feedback about the story in the comments or the review section. It will help me to improve this story (and other stories) in the long run. ^0^ Again, thank you so much for reading this story! You can also follow me for more stories! Have a good day or night, everyone~! - Star