CHAPTER 1

Whoosh!

Honk honk.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching Quill Station. Please check your luggage and prepare to disembark.”

The train came to a halt, and a young man stepped out. The atmosphere was cold, with snow falling from the sky.

Ding.

Standing in the middle of the train station exit, Tedmond glanced at his phone, which had just buzzed with a new message. His blue eyes flashed with anticipation as he read through the text, his dark hair falling over his forehead. He knew who it was: Lisa, his girlfriend.

‘Where are you right now?’ the message read, authoritative yet soothing. ‘I need to talk to you. Hurry up, I don’t have any more time to waste.’

Tedmond scrolled through the message. No one else had contacted him—not even the person who was supposed to pick him up. Exhaling, he began walking out of the train station.

Something about the tone of Lisa’s message seemed off. Was she mad at him for being away for two days?

“Hey! Come back here, you brat!”

A man's voice caught his attention, followed by a hard smack on his shoulder, making him wince.

Tedmond’s head snapped around to see who had bumped into him. Three tall men, about 6'2", were chasing a young girl. The girl had a terrified look on her face as she ran.

He turned away, not wanting to interfere, but something in him made him reconsider.

Cursing softly under his breath, Tedmond took off after them.

The child was surprisingly fast, and the men struggled to catch up. Tedmond pushed through the crowd, making sure not to lose sight of them.

Soon, they were out of sight of the bustling station, and the child was cornered in an alley with no escape.

“Leave me alone!” she cried, holding her hands up as if to ward them off. “My grandfather won’t let you get away with this!”

“Exactly!” one of the men mocked, a mischievous smile curling on his lips. “That’s the point. We want him to pay us for your safe return.”

Tears filled her eyes as she braced herself for the worst. At that moment, Tedmond arrived, his brows twitching in anger.

Pulling off his backpack, Tedmond hurled it at the first man, hitting him squarely in the back of the head. The girl’s eyes widened with hope as she looked up at him.

“You forgot to apologize for bumping into me,” Tedmond said, stepping closer to the men. “That really hurt.”

The men spun around.

“Who the hell are you?” one of them demanded. “Mind your own business.”

Tedmond held up his phone, showing he was calling the cops. “The police are on their way. Unless you want to get arrested, I suggest you leave.”

The sound of a distant siren filled the air. Stunned, the men glared at Tedmond.

“You’ll regret this,” the leader snarled.

“Not as much as you will if the cops catch you,” Tedmond shot back with a grin.

Angered, the leader punched Tedmond in the face before he could react. Pain shot through him as blood trickled from his nose, but the men fled, swearing to return for the girl.

Rubbing his nose, Tedmond glanced at his hand, now stained with blood. His nose was broken.

“Are you okay?” the little girl asked, offering him a handkerchief. “I’m sorry you got hurt because of me.”

Tedmond took the handkerchief and nodded. “It’s nothing. Where are your parents?”

“My grandpa’s sick, and I got lost trying to get to the hospital. Are the cops really coming?”

Tedmond shook his head. “No, it was just my ringtone.”

A man appeared moments later, and the girl hurried over to him. After a brief exchange with her, the man turned to thank Tedmond, but he had already disappeared.

Tedmond eventually made his way home, his brows furrowed in confusion as he stepped inside the house. Everyone was there, as if waiting for him. Lisa sat on his half-brother’s lap, clinging to him.

Each of them looked at Tedmond with disdain, as if he were an unwelcome intruder. He was the illegitimate son, after all, and they had never treated him kindly. In fact, they had sent him away so he wouldn’t be present for his brother’s wedding.

“What’s going on?” Tedmond asked, his eyes darting from one person to another.

His stepmother’s irritation flared. “Not even a wedding present for your brother?” she snapped. “You weren’t even worthy of attending, and now you can’t even manage a simple gift?”

Tedmond blinked. “I would have, but I spent all my money on the train ride home.”

“Spare change?!” his half-sister shrieked. “Bastard! Do you really think my brother deserves your pathetic pocket change?”

Tedmond's eyes shifted to Lisa, still sitting with his brother. “If he’s married, why is she with him?” he asked, his voice shaking with disbelief.

His brother smirked, clearly enjoying the moment.

“We were going to talk about this,” Lisa said, raising her hand to reveal a wedding ring. “I married your brother. Why would I waste my time on you? You’re broke, Tedmond. You can’t take care of me.”

Tedmond stood frozen, the shock hitting him like a punch to the gut.

“And truth be told,” Lisa continued, her voice cold, “I only dated you to get close to him. You’re just the illegitimate son—no one worth my time. Every woman deserves to be treated like a princess, and there’s no way a loser like you could ever give me that.”

His stepmother sneered, chiming in, “We don’t need you around anymore. Get out. Don’t ruin your brother’s marriage. You might think you love Lisa, but she’s way out of your league—and married now. You’re worthless. Go live on the streets or something. If only that pathetic maid of a mother of yours hadn’t seduced my husband, you wouldn’t even exist. You’re a disgrace, a disgusting twig.”

Tedmond’s lips curled into a bitter smile. Why was he even surprised? This had been his life for as long as he could remember.

“You’re all going to regret this,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “I promise you.”

With that, he turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him.