2024-09-10 08:18:05Whoosh!
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.
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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
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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
CHAPTER 170
Rising from his bed with a groan, he walked to the door. Pulling it open, he stepped out, running a hand through his hair.“The kitchen,” he mumbled.Walking down the stairs, he entered the living room only to find two men sitting on the couch, their expressions sour.“Annoying,” he grumbled.His voice caught their attention, and they turned to look at him. The moment their gazes met his, one of them brightened immediately.“Oh, Duncan!” Lucas called out, beaming. “Did you finally get out of your room after all this time? I thought you planned to stay locked up for a while.”Duncan’s eyes fell on his second elder brother, Bryan, who wore a smug expression.“If Bryan told you that, he’s lying,” Duncan said flatly. “I came down to get some water and, at the same time, discuss what you two have decided to do with the evidence.”Hearing this, the smile faded from Lucas’s face, and he tilted his head. “I should’ve expected that to be the first thing you’d ask. Go get your water and come ba
