2024-09-24 19:23:51“How dare you talk about my mother like that?” Tedmond demanded, pinning Max against the table.
No matter how much they had talked about him, he hadn’t retaliated, but today they had gone too far. No one could talk about his mother now. That might have been possible in the past, but not anymore.
“What are you doing?” Maxine questioned. “How dare you hit your elder brother?”
Glaring back at her, Tedmond snarled, “You think of him as my elder brother now, don’t you? Why didn’t you say something when I was being insulted?” He released Max and stepped closer to Maxine.
Maxine trembled but stood her ground. ‘How can that bastard get so strong in just a day?’ she wondered. However, she quickly regained her composure.
“Why are you doing this to him when he just asked if you could afford to eat at the restaurant?!” Maxine yelled, switching the topic as fast as she could to make herself look less bad. “We all know you’ve been kicked out of the family without a penny! How can you afford to eat here?”
A smirk crossed her face as she spoke. “Isn’t that right? He was just offering to lend you some money so you could afford to eat here, and you insulted him!”
Tedmond paused, his glare unwavering. He wasn’t surprised she would say that. If the four boys couldn’t afford the restaurant, they wouldn’t have invited him.
‘So he can’t pay for the food here?’ someone from the crowd murmured. ‘I just heard him say his mother was a maid in their house.’
‘He’s not even grateful that they cared about him, even though he’s just the son of a maid who served them.’
Max rose to his feet, rubbing his face, which had been injured from being slammed against the table. Blood dripped from his face, staining his white shirt. Lisa hurriedly brushed past Tedmond and held Max.
“Are you alright?” Lisa asked Max before turning to glare at Tedmond. “How dare you hit Max? Who do you think you are? Are you jealous that I chose him instead of you? So jealous that you followed us here! You must’ve known he’d ask if you could afford to eat here!”
The murmurs filled the place.
‘That’s two people who have said the same thing. Why is he here if he can’t pay?’
‘We should kick him out.’
‘Where’s the security?’
Maxine grinned widely as she stepped closer to Tedmond. “You’ll be thrown out of this place like the trash you are.”
“Where’s the owner? I’d like to meet him!” Tedmond yelled.
Max, Maxine, and Lisa stared at him, eyes wide in shock and disbelief. But the moment of surprise was short-lived as laughter erupted around them. All three burst into laughter.
“You?!” Maxine mocked. “How can you ask to meet the owner of this restaurant?”
“Is that a joke or something?” Lisa asked. “You and I both know you couldn’t afford to buy me a meal here, even after saving up for three months. Who are you trying to fool?”
“Do you think doing this makes you look cool?” Max questioned, stepping closer to Tedmond. “Why would the owner of the restaurant come here in person?”
“You must be daydreaming.”
“What do you want to meet the owner for?” Maxine demanded, her lips curling in a mocking smile.
Tedmond returned her grin. “What else would I want to meet him for, except to ban the Griffin family from this restaurant?”
Hearing his words, Maxine’s grin widened. “Ban us from the restaurant?” She laughed. “How can someone like you convince the CEO to do that? Who do you think you are?”
Lisa was amused by his audacity to tell such a lie. Max, on the other hand, grinned from ear to ear.
“I’ll wait to see if the owner shows up for you!” he yelled. “You’re delusional! Has kicking you out of the house affected your mental health? Doesn’t living on the streets do that?”
Tedmond shook his head before pulling out his phone. He dialed the housekeeper’s number. Curious eyes lingered on him as he spoke.
“Tell the owner of Hans Restaurant to meet me here,” Tedmond ordered. “Give him ten minutes, or he won’t want to know what happens.”
“Okay,” Thomas replied.
The murmurs around the place increased as Tedmond ended the call.
“Did you just make a fake call?” Maxine taunted. “I didn’t know you’d stoop so low to get our attention.”
Just then, the manager hurried into the restaurant, his gaze trailing from Tedmond to Max.
“What’s happening here?” the manager questioned. “I was informed by an employee that someone here wants to meet the owner. If we’ve done anything to offend you, I’ll offer compensation.”
Max gritted his teeth. “Don’t you recognize me?” he growled at the manager.
Hearing Max’s voice, the manager was stunned. “Ah, Mr. Griffin! What happened to your face? Who did this to you?”
Max smiled, pointing his finger at Tedmond. “He did it. He punched me when I tried to pay for his meal. He can’t afford to eat here but tries to act all boastful.”
The manager’s head snapped in Tedmond’s direction. “Who are you? How dare you hit Mr. Griffin, and why are you here if you can’t afford to pay for our food?!”
Tedmond frowned. “Hey! Do you want to lose your job?” he threatened. “Why don’t you find out what happened before you judge?”
The manager flinched under Tedmond’s gaze and scanned him from head to toe. Seeing that Tedmond had no luxury on him, he concluded Tedmond was a nobody compared to Max.
“How dare you? I don’t need to know what transpired between you two! You’re a lowlife; you’re probably at fault!” the manager yelled. “Are you threatening me? Do you know who Mr. Griffin is?!”
Tedmond shrugged. “He’s just my former half-brother. Now, I don’t have someone as stupid as him as my brother.”
“Half-brother?” The manager paused, his eyes darting between Tedmond and Max. ‘They don’t look alike.’
Max glared at the manager. “Are you not doing your job? That boy is only a bastard! Kick him out, or you’ll be fired!”
The manager didn’t hesitate to call security, and when they arrived, he ordered, “Throw him out of the restaurant, and he is hereby banned!”
The security headed for Tedmond, but he began counting. “I told the owner of this restaurant to arrive in ten minutes.” He glanced at his wristwatch. “He’ll be here in three, two, one…"
As soon as Tedmond finished counting, the others hadn't had time to react when the door of the restaurant swung open. A man in a tailored creamy suit hurried in, followed by three others, with sweat dripping down his forehead.
Everyone’s gaze turned to the man who had just walked in, and the security guards froze in their tracks.
“What is going on?” Max demanded, glaring at the manager. “Throw him out!”
Blood drained from the manager’s face as he stared at the man. “He really came!” he yelled. “The owner of the restaurant is really here! How is that possible? I messed up!”
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CHAPTER 751
Millicent felt the stone wall press against her spine, its damp cold seeping through the thin fabric of her uniform. Harold was too close.The air in the tiny room, already thin, now felt entirely claimed by his presence."I have work to do, sir," she whispered, her voice a fragile thread. "My place is where the chores are. I am a maid. I shouldn't be anywhere else.""Your place is where I decide it is," Harold hissed.He stepped into the final inch of her personal space, his shadow climbing the wall behind her until it eclipsed the small, flickering light bulb overhead. He reached out, his fingers grazing the starch of her collar before snagging a lock of her hair."I’ve been patient. I bought you silks. I tried to show you a life beyond the dirt. And you? You hide in the steam? You treat me like a monster after I gave you everything?""I never asked for the silks, sir," Millicent said, a sudden spark of desperation giving her the strength to look him in the eye. "I only asked for
CHAPTER 750
A week had passed, and Millicent had mastered the art of being a ghost. She had calculated every movement, every breath, to ensure her path never crossed with Harold’s. She volunteered for the most grueling shifts in the laundry room, where the steam was so thick it acted as a veil, and she stayed tucked in the corner of the kitchen, peeling vegetables until her fingers were raw.As long as she was surrounded by the other staff and the clatter of copper pots, she felt a sliver of safety. But the walls of Griffin Manor were beginning to feel like they were closing in."Mill! Grab the list. We’re heading to the market," Martha called out, jingling the van keys.Millicent’s heart did a nervous skip. Going out was a double-edged sword. It meant a few hours away from Harold’s heavy, searching gaze, but it also meant being under the watchful eye of Martha, a woman who had been with the Griffins for twenty years and saw everything.As they drove into the city, Millicent stared out the wi
CHAPTER 749
The first thing Millicent felt was the vibration: a low, rhythmic hum that rattled her bones and made the pounding in her head flare into a blinding white heat.She opened her eyes and realized she was back in the basement. The furnace was roaring nearby, casting a flickering orange light against the stone walls. She was lying on her cot, still dressed in her maid’s uniform, but her shoes had been removed.Then she saw them.Stacked neatly on the wooden chair beside her bed were the shopping bags from the boutique. The emerald silk peaked out from the top, a silent, shimmering witness to the horror of the afternoon.The memory hit her like a physical blow: the screeching tires, the reckless speed, the cold threat in Harold’s eyes, and finally, the weight of his mouth against hers while she was too weak to fight.Millicent bolted upright, her stomach rolling. She barely made it to the small utility sink in the corner of the room before she was doubled over, retching. Her stomach co
CHAPTER 748
Seeing the look on Harold’s face, Millicent flinched."Don't you dare take that tone with me!" he hissed. His voice echoed through the quiet boutique as the shop assistants tactfully vanished into the back rooms. "I pulled you out of the dirt! You were fighting animals for bread, Mill! You would be dead if it weren't for me. You think you’re too good for me? You’re a nameless stray in a maid’s uniform!"He grabbed her arm, his fingers digging into her skin like talons. "I gave you a life, and I can take it away just as easily. Now, take the bags and get in the car. Not another word."Millicent stumbled toward the sedan, her vision blurred by hot, stinging tears. The warmth of Griffin Manor was gone. She realized then that she hadn't been rescued; she had simply been collected.**The air inside the car felt like it was thickening, turning into a suffocating fog of fear and betrayal. Millicent gripped the edge of her seat, her knuckles white. She looked at the man beside her, the
CHAPTER 747
When Millicent was led down to the basement, she didn't complain. To her, the room was a palace. As the heat radiated through the brick walls, she let out a long, shaky sigh of relief. It was warm, so much warmer than the oil-slicked highway or the freezing marsh. She curled up on the small cot that night, feeling safe for the first time since her world had turned to static.The days turned into weeks. Millicent became an indispensable ghost within Griffin Manor: efficient, silent, and surprisingly talented. When the head cook fell ill one afternoon, Millicent stepped in to finish the dinner."Where did you learn to cook like this?" Evelyn asked, actually finishing her plate."I don't know, Madam," Millicent replied with a small smile. "My hands just seemed to know what to do."But as the months passed, the atmosphere began to shift. Harold’s presence became more frequent in the rooms she was cleaning. He would appear in the library while she was dusting, his gaze heavy and un
CHAPTER 746
Standing just a few feet away, looking awkward and filthy against the backdrop of a thousand-dollar Persian rug, was Millicent. Evelyn’s smile didn’t just fade; it vanished, replaced by an icy mask of suspicion. She pulled her silk robe tighter, her eyes raking over Millicent’s matted hair and dirt-streaked skin with visible loathing."Harold," Evelyn demanded, her voice dropping an octave, "who, or what… is this? And why is it standing in our foyer?"Harold cleared his throat, his hand remaining protectively near Millicent’s shoulder. "She was wandering near the highway, Evelyn. I found her in a state no human being should endure. Since you’ve been complaining for weeks about the incompetence of the domestic staff, I thought I’d bring her back to fill the vacancy."He gestured between the two women. "Evelyn, this is Mill. Mill, this is my wife, Evelyn Griffin."Evelyn didn’t move. "A maid? Harold, she looks like she crawled out of a swamp. We have standards. We can’t just pick up
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