Victor Donovan looked at the police chief with disgust as he groveled in fear and desperation, asking for forgiveness.
He gestured for Matthew to step forward, and he did the same, ignoring the pathetic cries of the corrupt chief.
The doctor escorted Matthew out with respect, his respectful demeanor seemed very odd to Matthew, especially after the hostile environment they were leaving behind.
They collected Mathew’s belongings: a mobile phone and a watch.
Matthew looked down at his car washing uniform with complicated emotions before picking up his old watch and mobile phone. He had been fired from his job, and had barely $50 in his account…
What was he going to do now? Where was he even going to go? And how was he going to pay this lawyer's f*e?!
Matthew stepped outside the police station, but before he could ask anything, Mr. Donovan led him towards a sleek, luxury car.
"Please, get in." Victor Donovan opened the door for Matthew.
He settled into the plush seat, the unfamiliar luxury making him feel uncomfortable and extremely out of place. Victor Donovan himself took the driver's seat as Matthew looked around the car, his gaze stopping at the high-tech dashboard in front of him.
All this was so far from the life he knew, where he didn't even get to wash such limited edition luxury vehicles at the car wash!
With this realization, everything about his bail procedure started to seem even more bizarre, and Matthew couldn't control his curiosity any longer.
"Who are you, and why are you helping me?" Matthew asked, breaking the silence as they turned on the highway. "Is this some sort of charity or—"
Donovan shook his head, cutting him off.
"Mr. Houston, the Houston family of the Willow Manor is the most influential and wealthiest family in the world. They own a number of multinational enterprises covering energy, finance, technology, real estate, and other fields. Their power is unmatched," Donovan explained, glancing at Matthew to gauge his reaction.
Matthew seemed confused, what did this have to do with him apart from the strange coincidence that his last name was also Houston?
Other than this, there were no similarities between him and this family the lawyer was talking about.
But he didn't say anything, while Victor continued, his eyes fixed on the road.
“The head of the Houston family is an old lady, almost 70 years old. The reason she is still managing everything in her advanced age is because her direct heir died in a car accident, long ago. And shortly after that, the heir's son disappeared.”
Matthew was listening politely, just because he couldn't bring himself to interrupt Victor Donovan and ask why he was telling him all this in the first place!
Victor fell silent for a moment, taking a pause before speaking slowly and deliberately, emphasizing every single word.
“The family has been searching for that missing young master for over twenty years. Mr. Matthew, you are the missing young master that the Houston family has been looking for."
The words hung in the air, and Matthew's head started to spin.
“Are you saying what I think you are saying!"
Donovan continued to drive, allowing Matthew a moment to absorb the revelation.
"Yes, Mr. Matthew. Your grandmother, the Lady of the Houston family, has never given up hope. She has been tirelessly searching for you for two decades, and now… they have finally found you."
Matthew wanted to pinch himself to make sure it wasn't a dream, but the wounds on his body were already hurting badly enough.
Still, his mind was racing to understand the implications of what the hell this meant.
So… he hadn't been abandoned at birth, like he had believed all his life?
For years, Matthew had believed that he was unwanted by his parents, left to face the world alone. But to hear that he had a family who had been searching for him… he felt a mixture of disbelief and shock, and a tiny flicker of happiness.
The feeling was really surreal…
By the time Victor finished his story, the car pulled up to a huge manor in the suburbs. The sheer size of the estate took Matthew's breath away.
Towering iron gates, painted black, opened to reveal vast manicured lawns, with a long, tree-lined driveway leading up to the grand entrance of the manor, which was spread over thousands of acres and stretched to at least three storeys.
“Welcome to Willow Manor, Mr. Houston!"
As they got out of the car, Matthew's sense of awe only grew. Mr. Donovan led him to a vast, luxurious hall, with high, dome shaped ceilings and heavy chandeliers that sparkled, even in the daylight.
The walls were decorated with intricate moldings and expensive artwork. Soft carpets covered the floor, and elegant furniture was tastefully arranged throughout the space. A large, marble fireplace stood at one end of the room.
Victor led Matthew to a seating area in the middle of the hall.
"We will wait here for a while," Victor said, gesturing to the armchair beside him. "This is the reception hall."
The reception hall! This was just the reception hall, and it was already large enough to fit his entire house, and two additional buses after that.
On the outside, Matthew just nodded silently, taking a seat. But on the inside, he was marveling at the luxury all around him. The reception hall was more luxurious than anything he had ever seen, really worthy of being owned by the richest family in the world!
As he was lost in thought, a man in a three piece tailored suit walked in. His expression soured as soon as his eyes fell on Matthew, whom he didn't recognise at all.
He looked him over from head to toe, taking in the swollen, beaten-up face and the bloodstains on the dirty car washing clothes. The man's lip curled up mockingly.
“What is this?" the man sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "Who let an unseasoned hick like you into the Houston family’s reception hall in such ragged clothes?"
As Matthew and Victor entered the opulent reception hall, Max Delacroix's eyes immediately locked onto Matthew's attire. His lip curled in disgust."Good God, what are you wearing?" Max sneered, looking Matthew up and down. "Did you pull those rags out of a dumpster? I've seen homeless people with better fashion sense."Matthew's face flushed with anger. "You have no right to judge a man by his clothes," he retorted, his voice tight with indignation.Without warning, Max roughly shoved Matthew, causing him to stumble off the sofa. "People like you should know their place. On the ground, where you belong."He puffed out his chest with pride as he said the next words. "But if it isn't, then you should also know that I have a close relationship with the Houston family. In fact, I'm here to discuss business and cooperation; although I didn't expect to be disrespected like this! After all, why would someone ask me to sit in the reception hall with a lowly beggar like you?”Max's superiori
The reception hall suddenly became alive with a flutter of murmurs and activity as Lady Houston arrived into the reception hall. She was nearly seventy, but in spite of her advanced age and bent stature, she had a powerful aura. There was determination, strictness and dignity on her wrinkled face, and her presence was enough to command the respect of everyone present there. However, at this moment, she was nearly invisible behind the wall of tall and strong bodyguards that surrounded her, shielding her from everyone's eyes. Max Delacroix, seeing the matriarch approach, eagerly rushed forward to greet her and make a good impression. After all, he was always ready to take advantage of a good opportunity. Pushing through the people around her, Max began."A very good afternoon, Lady Houston. What a blessing to be able to meet you out here—" But Lady Houston completely ignored him, her gaze fixed ahead, like she hadn't even heard him. One of the bodyguards shoved Max aside, clearing
Max's mouth went dry. "Dad, I... I can explain. They overreacted to a simple confusion, I didn't mean to—""Really? That's all you have to say, that you didn't mean it? Max, you idiot! How will I ever die in peace, knowing that a disaster- maker like you is going to be my heir?”Max was stunned into silence. Meanwhile, his father's voice boomed. “Do you have any idea what you've done? All our partners are claiming they can't work with us because you offended the Houston family! If that happens, there won't be anything left for you to inherit, except a mountain of debt!""Dad, I—""Save it!" Lucas Delacroix cut him off angrily. "I have no doubt that your careless actions must have offended someone important. So shut up and listen to me! Go back right now, and beg for forgiveness. I don't care what it takes, go on your knees, grovel, whatever! Do whatever you have to, to make this right. Fix it by tonight, or don't bother coming back!" The call ended abruptly, leaving Max standing th
"What's impossible, Matt?" asked Lady Houston.Matthew just scratched his head. "I just still feel like this is a dream."He felt as if the world around him was turned upside down. He never imagined his life could change this quickly. Lady Houston gently rubbed Matthew's shoulder. "This is real, My Grandson."Matthew was too stunned to accept the fact, like being hit by a tsunami wave that came without warning. "This...this can't be," he whispered, his eyes glued to the bank card his grandmother was holding. Lady Houston smiled faintly, her wrinkled yet stern eyes looking directly into Matthew's. "As the heir to a billion-dollar fortune, it is imperative that you learn to spend your money wisely. Take this in stride, my grandson."With a tremor of his hand, Matthew reached for the card, feeling the weight of responsibility suddenly falling on his shoulders. Lady Houston nodded understandingly, realizing the burden Matthew now had to carry. "You have time to adjust. But remember, thi
Matthew's hands trembled slightly as he aimed the power washer at the mud-splattered sedan in front of him. The roar of the machine drowned out most of the world, but he could still feel his phone, buzzing in the pocket of his uniform. He saw Ashley's name on the screen, heart skipping a beat. She wasn't feeling well this morning, was something wrong? He quickly picked up the call,"Hey sweetie”"Listen, I'm at the mall with my friends and I want to buy a diamond bracelet for myself. Since you never buy me anything anyway, just send me $300 and I'll consider it a well deserved gift." Ashley’s voice snapped on the other side, sounding impatient.There was a frown on Matthew's face, but he still spoke in an upbeat tone,"Okay, sweetie."Before he could finish, the line went dead. Ashley had hung up.With a sigh, he opened his banking app. The balance stared back at him: $200.89. He didn't have enough money to buy her the bracelet.It was just a matter of $300, was he so worthless that
Matthew stood with one hand on the window of the car, his mind swirling with frustration and anger. He had doubted that the voice was Ashley's, and maybe even that underwearHis girlfriend, whom he valued more than the most precious gemstone, was cheating on him shamelessly!As the thought arrived in his mind, Matthew couldn’t hold it in any longer.“Ashley," he called out, his voice trembling with emotion. "How could you do this to me?! You cheated on me! And you even came here with another guy? Why, Ashley! Didn't I love you enough, or did you never love me back?”Ashley stammered, her eyes wide with shock and confusion. "You! How… did you…"But as her gaze fell on the emerald bracelet on her wrist, that Michael had bought her just some minutes ago, her hesitation evaporated. She met Matthew's eyes with a cold sneer as she spoke;"Yes! Yes to both those things. Your love was never enough for me, because just this stupid feeling called love can't give me the lifestyle I deserve. An
At the police station, a crowd of onlookers and policemen had gathered outside the chief's office. After all, Michael Bale had just dragged someone inside, and the air was thick with whispers and murmurs about what was going on. Although, through the closed door, only shouts and abuses could be heard.Inside the office, Michael was pacing furiously, his face red with rage. “This fucking maggot had the audacity to hit me. Me! Mr. Bowen, I'm sure you will teach him a good lesson, because if it was up to me, I would have killed him then and there, and buried his worthless corpse where nobody would ever find him! But I have faith in you—"The police chief, Mr. Bowen, raised his hands in a calming gesture. “Mr. Bale, please be rest assured, everything will happen the way you want. If you want, he will never even see the open sky again."Michael smirked, a cruel glint in his eyes. "Maybe that's what will serve him right. He deserves to rot in jail!" He turned towards Matthew, who was sl
When the police chief heard the name of Victor Donovan's client, the most popular lawyer in the country, he almost didn't believe his ears. His jaw nearly dropped to the ground, and he struggled to control his surprise from showing on his face. "Pa-pardon me!" He tried to compose himself, “Actually, Mr. Donovan, I have been busy with a new case and I think I must have imagined that perp’s name from your mouth. Do you mind repeating yourself?”Victor Donovan was visibly irritated, but still repeated;“My client is Matthew Houston."The chief went silent, trying to understand the unexpected turn of events. "Is there a problem?"Donovan asked, his tone sharp.Clearing his throat, the chief quickly replied, "No, no problem at all! But, Mr. Donovan, why don't we sit in my office while we wait?"Donovan glanced at his watch and sighed. "Fine, but I want to make it quick.”Once they were inside his office and the situation was a little controlled, the chief was a little more relaxed.“