In an instant, all eyes turned to Jack.
They alternated between staring at him and the television, comparing the picture on the bottom of the screen to a young man walking hurriedly.
At that moment, their anger reached its peak.
"Hey, you shameless young man! How could you think of betraying your wife, the one who has provided you with food and a life all this time?"
A middle-aged woman rose from her chair and pointed at Jack.
"Exactly! Scoundrels like him should be put in jail so he can repent for all his actions!"
Now, a middle-aged man in another corner shouted something similar.
After the two of them, many others were moved to do the same.
They stood up from their seats and cursed at Jack.
This only irritated Jack more.
He wanted to be angry, but the shame and humiliation were too strong.
Then, without paying attention to his steps, his foot hit the shoe of someone who was deliberately trying to hurt him.
His body became slightly unstable and...
Clang!
He dropped his tray.
Not on the floor or anywhere else, but on a table where a tall and fat man in a dark brown suit was enjoying his meal.
Not only that, but some of the food on the tray actually hit the man's body.
"Fool! How dare you soil my clothes!"
The man rose hastily from his chair and grabbed Jack's neck with one hand while clenching the other in preparation for a punch.
Before that could happen, however, the manager quickly approached them.
"Sir, please forgive our employee's foolishness! We will provide you with free lunch today and compensate you!"
The manager, dressed all in white, bowed and begged the man repeatedly.
"Huh, go away! The next time I see your face, I won't hesitate to ruin it!"
The man in the brown shirt then shoved Jack violently.
Jack then looked at the manager.
At that moment, a warm feeling surged through his heart.
For the past three months, the fat man had never smiled at Jack, let alone be kind or defend the young man as he did now.
Jack used to feel hatred towards him, but the man's current attitude changed his mind.
"Boss..." Jack started to explain something.
But the manager quickly raised his hand.
"Get out!"
Jack tried to pick up all the plates on the table and the floor, but the manager stopped him again.
"Enough! Get out now!" he yelled.
Without thinking, Jack walked out the back door.
As he passed the kitchen, the entire staff, including the chef, looked at him with disdain.
"Who told him to betray his wealthy ex-wife after enjoying her wealth so much?" one commented without looking at Jack.
"Karma works really well, doesn't it? Now he has to live a hard and bitter life he probably never imagined before!"
Jack gritted his teeth and held back the emotions that were boiling inside him.
For the past three months, none of these employees had wanted to speak kindly to him, except for yelling and rude remarks.
This time, they were openly mocking him.
But Jack didn't stop, he walked to the back door and left.
"This is because of you, dad! This is your fault!" Jack said, clenching one hand and slapping it against his other palm.
Sitting near a large, tightly closed garbage can, he couldn't contain all the emotions and burdens he was carrying.
"If you hadn't left all your wealth to Cathy, I wouldn't have to live like this! What were you thinking? Making me suffer like this?"
Three and a half years ago, Benjamin Eldrone, Jack's father and a wealthy entrepreneur in the provincial capital of Riverchester, brought Catherine Wilson, a very simple girl, into his large house and introduced her as Jack's future wife.
Although he had no feelings for the girl before, Cathy captured his heart and the hearts of everyone in the house with her gentle manner and words.
In the end, it didn't take long for Jack to fall in love with the girl, a deep feeling he had never experienced with any girl before.
A month before the wedding party, Benjamin died in an accident and left a will stating that all of his wealth was to be inherited by Catherine!
"You don't have to think too much about the will!" Catherine said the day before their wedding.
"To me, what is mine is yours, even my life is yours! If you agree to marry me, I will give you everything! But if not, I will always be by your side, whether as a sister, a friend, or just someone you can confide in!"
These words made Jack fall even more in love with the girl.
He married Catherine without hesitation.
But that's when the disaster began.
The girl's attitude began to change.
She, who used to take care of all Jack's needs, became very indifferent.
A month after their marriage, Catherine didn't even talk to Jack or greet him, let alone eat with him.
She even chose to sleep in a different room from the first day of their marriage.
Because of his great love for the girl, Jack tried to endure all these drastic changes in her attitude, hoping that one day she would be his "Cathy" again.
However, until their first anniversary, the atmosphere in the large house worsened, making Jack feel like he was just a lodger.
Then one night.
"You fool! There are plenty of servants in this house, so why do you still ask me to serve you?" Catherine scolded as Jack invited her to dinner.
"I'm not asking you to serve me! I just want you to eat before you rest!"
"Really?"
Catherine, who was cleaning her face in front of the dressing table, turned her head toward Jack.
"All you can do every day is eat, sleep, and have fun, while I have to get up early every day to take care of the company and other businesses! I've been patient with you long enough. If I didn't have any compassion for you, I would have kicked you out of this house a long time ago!"
"Cathy, ..."
That was the last night he could talk to Catherine.
Because the next day a group of strong men in black shirts took him out of the house by force.
As they threw Jack's body out the gate, the burly man also threw some of the young man's belongings at him.
"Never set foot in this house again, or we will lose patience and kill you on the spot!"
The memories of the days before and after his marriage were something he desperately wanted to forget, even though it was incredibly difficult.
And every time he did, he blamed it on his father.
Since being kicked out of his own home three years ago, he had never known the words "comfort" and "ease" of life as he felt when his father was still alive.
Outside, he had to work hard just to survive, moving from one place to another and from one job to another.
Being a waiter in this restaurant was the longest job he had so far.
"Are you done mourning your fate?"
A heavy voice rang in Jack's ears as he tried to keep the sound of tears from his mouth so it wouldn't be too loud.
After quickly wiping the tears from his eyes, Jack turned to face the voice.
"If you don't know the problem, please don't comment on anything!" Jack never showed himself crying to anyone.
Therefore, the sudden arrival of the person who caught him made him feel very embarrassed.
"I need someone to do a job... a very good job, and I see that you meet all the criteria I need!"
The statement only made Jack turn to look at the mysterious man to see if he knew him.
With a black fedora hat on his head and black sunglasses on his face, this man was wearing a knee-length black coat that covered a black suit underneath.
If he wasn't a director or a lawyer, he looked like a detective or a policeman!
Looking at the man for a moment, Jack had come to a conclusion.
"A stranger who comes out of nowhere and suddenly offers me a good job? Huh, does he think I'm stupid enough to believe what he says?"
After three years of miserable life, Jack had learned a lot about human character. He could no longer trust people blindly.
Especially in a time of financial difficulty like this, there weren't many jobs available.
Let alone a high-paying job, there aren't even many openings for a modest salary, just enough to survive for a month.
"He doesn't know me or my background at all, so how could he offer me a job unless he turns out to be a... fraud!"
Jack stood up without feeling the need to look at the mysterious man. "Sorry, I'm not interested!"
Then he walked away, heading for the back door of the restaurant.
"If you're interested, come to your father's grave!"
The mysterious man said to Jack from behind him, making him even more irritated.
Jack stopped in his tracks.
"You have no right to insult me like that!" he said angrily.
When he turned around, the man had disappeared without a trace, just like when he first arrived.
"Damn!"
Jack hurried to the door.
And before he could reach out to open it, the door had already opened.
"Oh, thank God I found you here!" said the chubby man, who was none other than the manager.
"Boss, I apologize for what happened today! I promise it will never happen again in the future!"
Jack said this because he was sure that the manager was far from being the cruel and heartless man he had thought he was all this time.
He would surely forgive him.
But his answer startled him.
"Go and never come back! You're fired!"
The manager said very coldly as he threw a piece of paper in Jack's face and slammed the door.
When Jack picked up the paper that had fallen to the ground, it contained details of his salary and bonuses for the past three months. However, the last line read, [His reckless behavior makes him no longer entitled to any of this money!]
***
The next morning.
Under a drizzle that wasn't too heavy, Jack visited Benjamin's grave, something he hadn't done in three years.
Ever since he had learned that his father had left all his fortune to Catherine, he had vowed never to return to the place.
"I didn't come to see you, you heartless old man! I just want the job!" he said quietly.
The pain in his heart still lingered.
"You blame others for something that should be your responsibility! Your life is your own, so learn to take responsibility for it!"
Once again, that very disturbing voice rang in his ears.
"Who are you really? Why are you always interfering in my personal affairs? Don't you have anything else to do?"
From the tone of Jack's voice, it seemed that he was angry, sad, frustrated and disappointed all at the same time.
The man didn't say anything, just stood next to Jack, who was still staring at the name engraved on the gravestone.
"Take this," he said, handing over an object in his hand.
"Read all the messages and notes in it and then decide if you want to accept my offer or not!"
When Jack looked at the man's hand, his body instantly tensed.
"This... this is dad's phone!"
On the day of his death, no one knew where Benjamin's phone was, but by that time, both Catherine and her lawyer were desperately looking for it.
Jack immediately turned on the phone and looked at its contents.
He opened the gallery folder and hoped that there was not a single photo of him.
But his thoughts were wrong.
All of Jack's photos from birth to adulthood were neatly stored in folders numbered 1 to 17, according to Jack's age.
At that moment, his tears flowed freely.
He had always known in his heart that his father had always loved him.
He was only angry because of the difficulties he suddenly faced after the old man died.
Jack then looked at the message folder, and at that moment, his eyes widened and his mouth could hardly speak.
"W-what... is this?"
In the message he could read how his father first met Jeremiah Wilson, Catherine's father, who turned out to be a man who only pretended to be good in order to trick Benjamin and gain control of his wealth.
Benjamin did leave a will, but it was different from what his lawyer showed.
The sound of his will as he sent it through a message to his lawyer was: "Give all my wealth to Jack and let him decide his own path in life!"
Jack really didn't expect that the girl he had always thought of as good was nothing but a snake that slowly wound around him before destroying his life.
"Catherine, you are an impostor and a criminal! Just wait, I'm going to take back everything you stole from me!"
Jack said, clenching his hands.
Under the pouring rain, he said to himself, as the mysterious man had instructed him earlier.
"I accept this job! I will do any mission you give me!"
At that moment, a bolt of lightning fell from the sky and landed directly on him.
Zap!
At that moment, the entire world was plunged into darkness.Strangely, Jack felt nothing happening to his body except for a rectangular holographic panel that suddenly appeared in front of him. Before his surprise could fade, the panel displayed a beautiful girl dressed in futuristic clothing."Hello Jack, nice to meet you! I am Quantara, an Ultra AI who will assist you in any mission you undertake in the Kingdom of Eldoria!""Since you've met me now, it means you've activated the contract and bound yourself to the Quantum System designed for the chosen ones, providing instant training and unlimited wealth," the Ultra AI continued."From the hundreds of missions we offer every day, you must choose at least one, and you will receive a bonus depending on the level of difficulty!As a daily reward, you will also receive 100 RG currency each day for free without having to complete any missions.But you cannot miss missions for three days in a row, or you will be docked points!"Quantara t
After enjoying his dinner, Jack quickly got up from the table and went to his room. "Thanks, Mom!" he said and kissed his mother on the cheek. Matilda was stunned for a moment to receive such treatment. There was a warm feeling when Jack kissed her and called her mom. Once she was sure that Jack had entered his room, the woman spoke to herself. "He has been acting very strangely since earlier! Not only is his attitude towards me very warm, but he also calls me Mom!" Murmuring softly, Matilda continued to look at Jack's room with a smile on her lips. "Could it be that he has finally opened his heart and accepted me as his mother?" Matilda is the second wife of Gunnar, Jack Andrews' biological father, who died two years ago. Since the death of his first wife, the old man, a retired military officer, remarried Matilda. Jack Andrews disapproved of the marriage, so he never called the woman "Mom," only by her name. Matilda didn't know that Jack Andrews had also died in the barrac
What?Special Mission, you say?Aren't these missions just ordinary tasks that even someone without basic training can do!"Quantara, please forgive me for this! But it seems I can do all those special missions without any prior training!""Jack, this is standard procedure! I can't give you access to special missions until you've completed simulation training!""Is there no flexibility at all?" Jack asked.He wasn't ready to give up trying to convince the beautiful AI."Fine! If you insist, there is actually a way..."Hearing that, Jack adjusted the position of the pillow that had been supporting his back.He prepared himself for what Quantara would say next."This training is called pre-training, with a much shorter duration and lower difficulty level compared to simulation training! Nevertheless, this training is designed to assess someone's abilities in certain aspects. However, unlike simulation training, you won't receive any rewards after completing it!"The last sentence sounde
"Jack, are you considering suicide with that old woman?"Quantara's voice echoed as the environment around Jack slowly changed.The vast ocean in front of him slowly disappeared, replaced by a holographic screen on which Quantara slowly appeared with her beautiful face."Is she really an AI?" Jack thought. "But why do I feel that she becomes more charming every time I look at her?"The longer he stared at the virtual girl, the more admiration grew in his heart."Jack, are you still with me?"Quantara asked Jack again, waving her hand as if to check if the young man was still conscious or not."Yes... yes... I'm here!""Jack, it's okay if you experience a little disturbance in your cognitive state, because it's a normal thing that happens after a significant event that shocks you!"The AI assumed that Jack's confusion was due to the pre-training mission the young man had just completed."We can discuss this tomorrow morning if you want to rest!"Quantara said again, noticing that Jack
Matilda's voice was soft and slow, like a whisper from behind the door. It made Jack quickly get up from his bed and open the door. "Yes, I'm awake, Mom!" "I'm sorry to disturb you, but this time I bring good news, or maybe very good news!" "Yes? What is it, Mom?" "Do you remember Lily of the Reynolds family?" Matilda looked at Jack with sparkling eyes, hoping that her son would remember the beautiful girl. Jack, of course, knew nothing about Lily or the Reynolds family. But he answered very appropriately. "Mom, I may not remember the girl you mentioned! But you can tell me anything!" That was just the answer Matilda wanted! "All right, if you don't mind! The Reynolds family is going out of town for three days and they have to leave their daughter at home! They asked me to take care of their daughter while they're gone! But I might be too old for that job, so I'm really confused now!" Matilda said with a slightly sad and confused expression on her face. Of course, the woman
Jack approached the back fence and carefully positioned his ears to listen to the activities of the people behind the fence.He knew it was a workday, so most likely everyone was at work.But who knew if there was a maid or a child in one of those houses?So he had to make sure that the house he was going to was really deserted, to avoid trouble later."I don't want to steal or cause any trouble! I just need a way to get to the Reynolds' house! So my actions should still be forgivable, right?" he exclaimed after finding a house where he was sure the occupants were not inside.Then he backed up almost twenty meters, got into position, and prepared to run as fast as he could.Jack then jumped to the fence and, with his body on it, crawled very quickly until he reached the top of the fence.From there, he could see the backyard of this large house - a large swimming pool in the middle, a stone path surrounded by green grass and ornamental trees.After a short observation, Jack was now co
This was indeed Rebecca's voice.But it sounded different than before.When Jack turned his head up, he saw that the woman had changed her clothes.Except for the towel that covered her chest to just below her hips, the girl had no other clothing on her body."What am I seeing here? Is she teasing me on purpose?"At that moment, Jack couldn't take his eyes off the girl.With such an appearance, Rebecca not only looked very beautiful, but she was also very tempting!Especially at her current age, she exuded a mature beauty that would be hard for any man to resist."Jack, come here!" Rebecca asked for the second time.She said this while placing one hand on the railing and leaning her face forward, showing off her sexy chest.She also moved the index finger of her left hand slowly and sensually in an inviting gesture."Come here! Don't make me wait!"Gulp!Jack swallowed his saliva.He was not used to situations like this.Although he was born into one of the wealthiest families in Rive
After Jack walked out the door, he took a few steps toward the gate. From a distance of thirty meters he could see that the gate was an automatic type that could only be opened and closed by remote control. He prepared to put his hands between the iron gates to climb over them. However, after his hands touched it, the door unexpectedly swung open slightly. "Strange! Why didn't she lock it? Is she really going to leave?" But since he had to get to the Reynolds' house as soon as possible, Jack didn't want to think about it. After closing the gate, he ran quickly to the address Matilda had given him. While running at a fast pace, Jack took a moment to observe the houses on both sides. Almost all he saw were luxurious two to three story houses with large yards. The sight reminded him of what Matilda had said earlier. "I know you've never been to Sunflower Residence before! But don't worry, everything will be fine! You'll get used to it slowly." Matilda said that so that Jack wou
Maartje stayed in a different room from the one she usually used before.This time, she was assigned one of the rooms on the third floor whose decoration and furniture had been completely changed. Not only wider than the room she used to occupy on the first floor, this room also looked more luxurious.The girl was sitting on the edge of the bed typing a message on a highly secure phone."I haven't seen my parents yet. Can you do something?"Shortly after, a reply landed on her phone."We're working on it, Lady! We'll check all satellite images and CCTV cameras."Maartje was almost certain that her parents had been moved from the palace. "I've checked every corner of this palace, but they're nowhere to be found!" she muttered.Earlier, before the female soldiers escorted Maartje to her room, the girl asked them to accompany her to explore the palace, which they said was being renovated.Those who had no suspicions about Maartje finally complied with the girl's wishes.However, there wa
In Cornelia's mind, by marrying Maartje, Leon would not only gain a very beautiful girl."Haven't you remained unmarried all this time because you were searching for the most beautiful girl in Crystalbrook?" said the secretary. "That girl is now before you! So what else are you waiting for?""Furthermore, consider one more thing!" Cornelia continued. "Maartje is a symbol of resistance and at the same time a symbol of hope for the people of Crystalbrook. By marrying her, you will not only be able to force those who have opposed you all this time to support you! On the contrary, the possibility of people rebelling will diminish even more!"Upon hearing such considerations, Leon's eyes widened. So did his mouth. How could he miss such a great opportunity?Back to the present."I will not only make you my deputy governor, but you will also be my wife!" Leon said again, walking slowly towards Maartje proudly while holding a glass in one of his hands."Both of us will produce successors who
Feeling disgusted by Leon's gaze towards her, Maartje quickly opened her mouth. "You shouldn't waste my time! I came here to sign the reconciliation letter!"Leon smiled widely. "My dear, why rush? We haven't met in a long time. Wouldn't it be appropriate for us to exchange a word or two first?"The man then ordered the female soldiers to leave."Alright, Duke!" they said and immediately left the room, closing the door behind them.As the female soldiers left, Maartje felt very uncomfortable being alone with Leon. However, she tried to control her feelings."Come, sit here!" Leon gestured for Maartje to sit on the sofa where he had been drinking earlier.Maartje quickly moved to the spot Leon indicated because she didn't want the man to try to touch her again."Here, take this!" Leon handed Maartje a glass of wine."I am good!" Maartje simply said without touching the glass offered to her."Do you know what I dislike most about someone?" Leon asked as he sipped the wine in his hand.M
Thirty minutes later, the long sedan carrying Maartje arrived near the palace. Behind the sedan, a large jeep followed."This is truly terrifying!" One of the female soldiers inside the jeep couldn't contain her feelings upon seeing the sea of people surrounding the palace. "This is far more than what we faced before!" she murmured again.The female soldier used to be one of the Warriors who fought alongside Duke Dujardin to overthrow Leon.Back when they attacked this palace, Leon's forces weren't as numerous. But now, the situation was completely reversed."I really don't understand how Duke Sardou could gather such a massive army!" muttered the other female soldier, still focusing on her driving.The horror they both felt was also felt by Maartje inside the long sedan. "So many soldiers," she murmured. "There's no way I could fight them!"Anyone who saw the large group of blue-uniformed soldiers would shiver immediately.The sedan continued along the straight asphalt road that woul
Since that day, Duke Dujardin secretly helped those who were struggling financially to pay their taxes. "My father secretly doubled the employees' salaries! The aim was for this bonus not to be counted for deduction from their wages! He also provided financial assistance to those in great need, also secretly!" thought Maartje, recalling her father's struggle at that time. As time passed, the number of people receiving assistance from Duke Dujardin grew steadily. And it didn't take long for the duke to gain recognition from the wider community. "Hundreds of Paragons fought on my father's side! They sacrificed their lives so that Leon could be acquitted!" she thought again. The result was ten years ago when the very fierce civil war was finally won by Duke Dujardin. As Maartje reminisced about her father's struggle at that time, a voice inside her seemed to echo in her ears. A voice urging her to keep fighting, no matter how strong the enemy and how impossible victory may seem. T
It's been a common knowledge that although Leon and Duke Dujardin came from the same ancestors, their lines of luck differed. Duke Dujardin inherited thousands of hectares of land from his great-grandfather, a family wealth passed down through generations. It was all productive land cultivated with various vegetables, fruits, and even rare medicinal plants capable of generating billions of RG annually. That was just one aspect of the Dujardin family's wealth. Besides that, they also controlled several mining locations and significant real estate businesses. It could be said that the Dujardin family's hotels were almost scattered throughout the Eldoria kingdom. This was in stark contrast to Leon, or "The Unlucky Duke" as people called him. His grandfather was nearly bankrupt due to debts he couldn't bear. Meanwhile, his father became a fugitive after being found guilty of embezzling state funds. Leon, who was raised in a military education since childhood, lacked sufficient knowl
How dark Duke Dujardin felt hearing their explanations. Especially when they said that hospitals and social houses no longer provided social services. If you're sick or hungry, but you have no money, then the government can't do anything for you. In other words, you have to endure your suffering on your own, and there's no one you can ask for help. "The government argues that it's the people's obligation to pay taxes to them. While they have no obligations to the people!" the supervisor said again. When the tax rules were first implemented, along with the elimination of social security rules, chaos erupted almost throughout the province of Crystalbrook. It could even be said that this province experienced turmoil like never before in its history. "However, the protests we've made never succeeded because anyone who opposes will immediately be shot! If not, they will be arrested and tortured or sent to the mines for forced labor!" Duke Dujardin clenched his mouth tightly while clen
A month after Duke Dujardin lived in his luxurious manor in Emberfield, he was approached by a group of people who worked on his estate. "Duke Dujardin, forgive us!" The group of no more than ten people then immediately fell to their knees before the duke. "The police threatened to take our wages! We beg you, do not give them that money! It's all we have to feed our children and wives! We are even willing to work longer hours every day if you want us to, as long as you don't give that money to them!" They continued to prostrate themselves at Duke Dujardin's feet while pleading with him not to give their wages to the Crystalbrook police officers. Duke Dujardin didn't quite understand what they were saying. Of course, he wouldn't give their money to anyone. "Get up! There's no need to grovel like this!" he said, holding the shoulders of each worker one by one. "Please tell me, what's really going on?" They glanced at each other for a moment before the man at the forefront explaine
"What?" Jack exclaimed. "It seems Leon has been thinking about this for a long time! He realizes that Duke Dujardin has become some sort of symbol of rebellion for the people to oppose him! Therefore, he is convinced that as long as Duke Dujardin is still alive or residing in Crystalbrook, people will still have hope to rebel against him!" "In other words," Jack continued. "If Leon succeeds in marrying Maartje, then it's like destroying the last hope of the people of Crystalbrook to oppose him?" "Exactly! But, of course, that won't solve the problem in Crystalbrook! Mass oppression and exploitation will occur! In the end, it's the people who will suffer!" "You're right!" That's all Jack could say. Now he understood that letting Leon marry Maartje would only make the people even more miserable in the end. He also understood that the most important thing now was to save Maartje and her family first. "Quantara, do you have any ideas?" "Of course! I've been thinking of the most pos