CHAPTER 11
Author: R. AUSTINNITE
last update2024-09-24 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!”

Continue to read this book for free
Scan the code to download the app

Latest Chapter

  • CHAPTER 757

    To the world, Millicent was back to being a maid. But behind her hollow eyes, a clock was still ticking. She would scrub their floors, she would endure their cruelty, and she would wait. She had to survive long enough to find the exit that Martha had died trying to show her.The eighth month arrived like a heavy shroud. Millicent’s body was a map of exhaustion, her frame gaunt everywhere except for the prominent swell of her stomach. She was a walking shadow, held together by nothing but the rhythmic kicks of the life inside her.Harold, however, could no longer tolerate the sight of his mistake. The scandal was a ticking bomb, and he decided to defuse it. He cornered her in the secluded wing of the upper gallery."I’ve made arrangements, Mill," he said, his voice as cold as a winter grave. "A clinic on the outskirts. They’ll take care of the... problem. It’s too late for a simple procedure, but they are discreet. You’ll be rid of it by morning."Millicent clutched the railing, he

  • CHAPTER 756

    Martha squeezed Millicent’s hands one last time, her eyes burning with desperate resolve. "Don't move. Don't even breathe loud," she cautioned, before vanishing into the corridor’s shadows.The darkness of the basement didn't stay empty for long. Hardly a minute had passed when the heavy door at the top of the stairs groaned on its hinges. These weren't Martha’s hurried, scuffling steps; these were slow, rhythmic, and heavy. The sound of expensive leather soles striking the wooden treads sent a fresh jolt of terror through Millicent’s body.Harold stepped into the dim light of the cellar. He had shed his suit jacket, his white shirt sleeves rolled up as if for labor. The kind benefactor was gone, replaced by a man whose eyes held the flat, dead sheen of a shark. He walked into Millicent’s small room and loomed over her cot, his presence sucking the oxygen out of the cramped space. He didn't look down at her with pity, or even the lust that had once fueled his pursuit. He looked

  • CHAPTER 755

    By the third day, Millicent’s voice was gone. She hung from the bindings, her head lolling, her consciousness flickering like a dying candle. She prayed for the darkness to take her, but their cruelty was precise; they ensured she stayed awake to feel every insult."That's enough," Evelyn finally said on the third evening. She stood and smoothed her silk skirt. "Untie her. And listen well: not a scrap of food. Not a drop of milk. If she wants to eat, she can pray to the God of strays. Let her rot in that cellar until she learns that a Griffin husband is not for the likes of her."The guards roughly cut her down. Millicent collapsed into the dirt, her body a map of pain. She crawled, inch by agonizing inch, toward the service entrance and down into the darkness of the cellar.Hours later, the heavy door creaked open. Millicent flinched, pulling a tattered blanket over her ruined back, expecting another blow. Instead, a shadow fell over her. Martha knelt by the cot, her face a m

  • CHAPTER 754

    "Sir? The mistress is asking for you in the solarium. The gala committee has arrived."Martha stood in the doorway, her face a mask of iron. She didn't look at Millicent, but her presence was a physical barrier. Harold stiffened, the predatory heat in his eyes flickering out as he straightened his silk tie. He stepped back, giving Millicent one last, warning look that promised this wasn't over."See to it she finishes the dusting, Martha," Harold snapped, brushing past the older maid with cold arrogance.As soon as his footsteps faded, Millicent collapsed against the shelves, her breath coming in ragged hitches. Martha moved quickly, shutting the door."I told you," Martha hissed, though she gently squeezed Millicent's shoulder. "He’s a beast in a suit. Now, move. You can't be found here like this."***Six Months Later,The seasons shifted, and so did the weight Millicent carried.Her uniform, once loose and crisp, was now a prison of tight fabric. She had mastered the art of th

  • CHAPTER 753

    The girl staring back looked older, the light in her eyes replaced by a hard, flickering survival instinct."I need to leave," Millicent said, turning back to Martha. "I can't stay here until the baby... until it's too late.""You need money," Martha said, standing up and smoothing her own uniform. "And you need a plan. For now, you go upstairs. You serve breakfast. You smile at the children. And you wait."Millicent nodded, her hand instinctively drifting to her stomach. It felt as though a ticking clock were now buried deep inside her. As she walked up the basement stairs, the transition from the dark, damp cellar to the sun-drenched, opulent hallways felt more jarring than ever.The smell of fresh coffee and expensive lilies was suffocating. She was halfway to the dining room when she saw them. Harold was standing by the large bay window, his back to her, sunlight glinting off his silver hair. Evelyn was beside him, adjusting his tie with a tender, adoring smile. They looked

  • CHAPTER 752

    Millicent looked at Martha, her chest heaving as the walls of the basement seemed to pulse with the rhythm of her racing heart. She was terrified, a cold, paralyzing fear that made her knees feel like water."She’s a woman," Millicent countered, her voice gaining a desperate, hysterical edge. "She loves her husband. She... she won't let him do this. She has to know what he’s doing in her own home!"But as the words left her mouth, a jagged realization pierced through her panic. Her mind searched frantically, clawing at the empty spaces where memories should have been, trying to find the moment it had happened. The car came back to her, the roar of the engine and the terrifying impact of her head against the wood, but after that, there was only a void.A dark, suffocating silence.No memory of the act. No recollection of his touch, his weight, or the moment her life had been stolen from her."I don't... I don't remember," she whispered, her eyes widening in horror. "Martha, I can't

More Chapter
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on MegaNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
Scan code to read on App