2024-09-24 19:24:40As 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!”
Max and Maxine’s eyes widened in disbelief. Even when their father had tried to speak to the owner of the restaurant, he was told to book an appointment. Yet Tedmond had managed to call him with a single phone call.
Lisa glanced at Tedmond and noticed the smile on his lips.
“He really came?” murmurs began to spread.
“The owner arrived in ten minutes, just like he said.”
“Who the hell is that guy?”
“How can he call the owner of the restaurant like that?”
“Maybe others were wrong about him. He can indeed afford to eat here and even pay for everyone's meal.”
At the same time, Tedmond leaned in closer to Max and whispered, “Your mother likes this restaurant a lot, doesn't she? I promise to make sure she's never able to enter it again.”
Max was too stunned to respond.
The manager began sweating profusely, desperately trying to find a way to explain himself.
“What really happened was... I tried to control the situation before you arrived,” the manager stammered as the owner approached. “The person causing the disturbance was about to be kicked out.”
The owner glared at the manager, who turned his gaze to Max.
“Right, Mr. Griffin?” the manager asked. “I was already taking care of it, wasn't I? You must have called the owner because of that brat's attitude, isn't that right?”
Max stared at the manager, wide-eyed and unable to respond.
“I think you’re mistaken,” Tedmond said, drawing the manager’s attention. “I was the one who called the owner here.”
The manager turned pale. “How… how is that possible?”
The owner reached them, brushing past the manager, and stood in front of Tedmond with a bright smile.
“Hello, Mr. Wa—”
Tedmond shot him a warning glare, silently telling him not to reveal his identity. Taking the hint, the owner nodded.
“Mr. Tedmond,” he greeted. “I am Lucas Terrace. You called for me, and I came as fast as I could. Is there anything I can do for you?”
Lisa, Max, and Maxine's shock intensified. The manager, on the other hand, was drenched in sweat. He couldn't believe the person he had insulted held such power over his boss.
“Yes,” Tedmond replied. “I'd like you to kick all the Griffins out of your restaurant.”
Maxine snapped out of her shock. “That's not possible!” she yelled. “Mr. Terrace knows we're the highest VIP clients here. There's no way he'd throw us out!”
Lucas ignored her and turned to the security guards. “What are you waiting for?! Throw the Griffins out of the restaurant at once!”
The security guards hurried over to grab the Griffins.
“What else can I help you with?” Lucas asked, putting on a friendly smile as he turned to Tedmond.
“Ban all the Griffins from this restaurant, and I want your manager fired,” Tedmond replied.
“Consider it done,” Lucas responded.
“Good,” Tedmond said. “That’s all. I'll go back to eating with my friends.”
Lucas's eyes widened. “Okay.”
Turning around, Tedmond rejoined his friends at the table, who looked as if they had seen a ghost.
“Let’s place our order,” Tedmond muttered.
“Sure,” Liam replied, raising his hand to get the waiter's attention.
Meanwhile, Maxine and Max kicked and screamed as they were dragged out of the restaurant.
“How dare you do this?!” Maxine snarled. “How dare you kick us out on that brat’s orders?”
“My mother loves this restaurant! You can’t ban us!” Max yelled.
“Let me go!” Lisa yelled. “Do you know who I am?”
Their shouting continued, and Tedmond was growing tired of hearing their voices. At the same time, the manager stood with his head down as Lucas scolded him.
“You’ve worked here for years, but you failed to treat our customers properly. As he requested, you’re fired,” Lucas declared.
The manager’s eyes widened, and he fell to his knees. “No… this can’t be. I’ve worked so hard for this position, I can’t lose it.”
Rising to his feet, the manager hurried over to Tedmond and dropped to his knees beside him. “I’m sorry, sir. I was scared of losing my job, so I treated you that way. Please forgive me; I can’t lose this job.”
“Do I need to know or care about your reasons?” Tedmond asked coldly. “You’re beneath me and definitely at fault. Don’t bother me.”
The hope faded from the manager's eyes. Tedmond had returned his words back to him.
“Take him out,” Tedmond ordered.
In no time, the security guards tossed the manager outside, where the Griffins stood, seething with anger.
“Mr. W—Tedmond,” Lucas corrected himself. “Would you be interested in an exclusive offer?”
Tedmond glanced at him. “You’ve already done your job. Don’t bother me with trivial matters. I’d like to enjoy my meal with my friends, just as I was before the Griffins showed up.”
“Ah,” Lucas stammered, “Yes, sir. I won’t bother you.”
Lucas couldn’t help but wonder how it would be if one of his sons got involved with Tedmond. It would be quite beneficial. He turned around and left as quickly as he had come.
“Who are you?” Oliver asked once everything had quieted down.
“How can Lucas Terrace be that obedient to you?” Noah added.
“You’re not an ordinary student, are you?”
Tedmond sighed. “If you ask me that question, who would I ask then? I’m just a regular college student who was kicked out of his family into the streets.”
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Dinner ended faster than they had anticipated. Tedmond walked down the street with his four friends; they hadn’t asked him anything after his last statement.They quickly switched the discussion and spoke about school instead, avoiding anything related to him. Tedmond glanced at his wristwatch; it was almost 10:30 p.m., and he wasn't home yet.He wasn’t one to go home early since he would usually take on more jobs at night. A smile crossed his face; he was glad he wouldn’t have to do that kind of work anymore and would finally be able to sleep properly.Picking up his necklace, he glanced at it. If only his mother were there to see him find her family, it would have made up for the terrible things the Griffins had done to her.A frown crossed his face; he wasn't going to let go of the Griffins for what they had done to both his mother and himself. He needed to work on his revenge plan.“Are you alright?” Noah’s voice brought him back to reality. “You were zoning out on us.”Tedmond gl
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Arriving at the office, Tedmond placed Bianca on the couch next to him and handed her the tablet so she could use it while he worked.Sitting in the chair made specifically for him in his new office, he glanced at the piles of paper laid out before him. Lora stood in front of the desk, showing no sign of wanting to sit down."Have you reported everything that needs to be reported?" he asked.She nodded. "Yes."Tedmond glanced at the piles of documents again. "The company was functioning quite well with you all in charge. Just keep running it as you are now," he said. "I don’t think anything needs to be changed.""Alright, sir," she replied. "There is a meeting happening today about the Griffins. Should I acknowledge them and work with them?"A frown returned to Tedmond’s face. Since he'd lived with them, he knew nothing about the Griffin company. "What is the company all about?""They produce music for games and animations. You could say it's a voice production company. They also prov
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Seated in his office, Tedmond crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair. The seat had been adjusted, making it look puffy and soft. His gaze was fixed on the tablet, but he wasn’t reading from it.He couldn’t help but wonder what expressions the Griffins must have had when they received Lora's call.They would do everything in their power to gain further recognition from him, but he had no intention of revealing his identity just yet. He pondered whether he could play with them a little, like chess pieces.Considering all the terrible things they had done to him and his mother, it was only fair that he did as he pleased with them.Just then, Lora walked into the office. “Sir, I called them as you asked, and I’ve also gotten the mask and a voice changer.”Tedmond raised his head from the tablet to look at her. “A voice changer? Is that really necessary?”“I thought you didn’t want them to recognize your face, and you might also want to disguise your voice,” she replied.Thinking ab
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A glint of satisfaction crossed Tedmond’s face when he saw the look of astonishment in the eyes of the Griffins. He had intentionally called Max dumb, knowing that Max hated being called that, even though he was.Max was taken aback and hurt flashed in his eyes for a few seconds. His lips parted as he searched for words, but he couldn’t find any. After a few moments, he finally spoke up.“Why do you think I am dumb?” Max questioned hastily. “I only said what needed to be said.”Tedmond grinned. “No, you didn’t,” he replied. “Xinca doesn’t need to put others down to get ahead or stand out.”Harold didn’t like the fact that his son was being called dumb. From how things were going, he had a feeling they might lose this opportunity, so he stepped in.“I am sorry for my son’s rudeness, President,” Harold said. “He didn’t mean to offend you.”Harold gestured for Max to apologize, but before that could happen, Tedmond spoke up.“Are you sure you know what your son did?” Tedmond asked.Harol
From Illegitimate To A Zillionaire Heir CHAPTER 17
Tedmond walked out of the company, twirling his car keys on his finger before slipping them into his pocket. He held Bianca in his arms as he headed toward the garage. Just as he took a step forward, someone brushed past him.From the person’s silhouette, Tedmond could instantly tell who it was.“Max!” Lisa’s voice reached his ears as she rushed past him to meet Max.He paused for a moment but didn’t turn around. She fell into step beside him. “What?”“Where are you going?” she asked. “We should go back together.”“No need,” he replied.Tedmond glanced at Bianca, who was already sleeping peacefully in his arms, still clutching her doll. He sighed in relief—he didn’t want her to see them.“He called me dumb, and I guess I am dumb. Why did Dad listen to him when he said I should take a business class? I’m already studying business,” Max ranted, raising his thumb to his lips and chewing his nails. “What if he uses that against me and doesn’t appoint me as the heir to the company?”Lisa s
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Lenny stood frozen on the sidewalk, his fists clenched at his sides as he watched the car drive off. The taillights glowed red in the distance, slowly fading into the night. His heart pounded in his chest, a mix of anger, humiliation, and disbelief washing over him.She didn’t remember him.Not only that—she had brushed him aside like he was nothing.Lenny ran a hand through his hair, frustration bubbling inside him. How could she forget? They had spent hours together as kids. He had always been there, always admired her. He thought she would at least hold some memory of him, even if it was faint.But the way she had looked at him—like he was just some random guy—made his stomach churn.And that driver.Lenny’s jaw tightened as he recalled the way Persis had clung to Tedmond, how she had locked hands with him so easily as if he meant something to her. He had assumed Tedmond was just a hired worker, someone beneath their world. But Persis had stood beside him, defended him, and left wi
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Back outside, Tedmond continued to ignore the brown-haired man. No matter how loud or insistent he was, Tedmond glanced at his wristwatch, checking the time.“Hey! Aren’t you listening to me?!” the man snarled. “Is that watch more important than what I’m saying?!”Tedmond raised his head and looked at him, nodding. “You were talking, but I wasn’t interested in hearing anything.”The man’s glare darkened, and his teeth clenched. “What could you possibly understand? You’re just an ordinary driver.”Just then, the sound of clicking heels drew their attention.Both men turned toward the source of the sound.Persis was stepping out of the building.The brown-haired man’s face lit up, and he rushed toward her. “You’re here!”However, she brushed right past him and stopped in front of Tedmond.Holding his hand, she peered up at him with a bright smile.The brown-haired man froze, his face turning pale. He was so stunned that he couldn’t move for a few seconds. When he did, his expression wor
CHAPTER 173
As soon as the words left the man’s lips, Tedmond gave him a blank expression. He had never seen the man before and had no idea who he was.However, one question caught his attention. The man had just asked what he was doing in a house that was supposed to belong to someone else. Holding roses and mentioning Persis' name was enough for Tedmond to understand what the man wanted and what was going on.“Even if you’re a driver picking us up, why are you so damn dressed up like that?” the man demanded, pointing the bouquet of flowers at Tedmond. “Why are you overdressed? Are you trying to seduce your boss?”Hearing the man’s question, Tedmond arched a brow and glared at him. They didn’t know each other, yet the man had the audacity to make assumptions.“If you’re done delivering the flowers, you can leave,” Tedmond replied. “Or hand them over—I’ll give them to her when she gets here. It wouldn’t be right to keep you waiting when you have other jobs to do.”As soon as Tedmond spoke, the ma
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"The company isn’t going bankrupt!" he snapped."Alright," she said simply. "Make sure it doesn’t. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do. And get your wounds treated—I don’t want a hospitalized husband."With that, she turned and walked out.Max watched her leave, his blood boiling.As soon as she was gone, he let out a furious grunt and grabbed the nearest object—a mirror. He raised it high and smashed it onto the ground. Shards of glass scattered everywhere as he glared at the broken pieces."Tedmond!" he snarled. "Not only did you cause trouble for me when you were in this house, but now you’re causing even more trouble from the outside!"Running a hand through his hair, he turned toward the door."If he’s Father’s backup son, then I’ll just have to get rid of him," he muttered. "I’ll prove to everyone that I’m better than that useless bastard."Then, another thought crossed his mind.Alicia.Since she wanted his love, he was going to give it to her.But on his terms.He had
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Max’s jaw clenched, his breathing heavy. His father’s words cut deep, but he refused to let them break him.All because he had told his father about Alicia and how he had asked for her help—only to be rejected—he suddenly became the bad son.Harold never missed a chance to remind him of his failures. But comparing him to Tedmond? That was new.Max swallowed hard. "You're seriously bringing up Tedmond?" He let out a humorless chuckle. "You hate him. You spent years making sure he knew he wasn’t wanted. And now you're saying you wish he were your son instead of me?"Harold's expression twisted with disgust. "I despise that bastard, but at least he knows how to take advantage of an opportunity. You, on the other hand, keep embarrassing me." He sneered. "If he weren't such a stain on my reputation, I'd say he played his cards better than you ever could."Max's fingers twitched at his sides. He wanted to hit something. Anything. But he knew better. His father would only take satisfaction i
