Getting out of the car, Tedmond frowned. Although he had told Thomas he was fine with his belongings, Thomas had intentionally tossed them into the trash for him to get new ones.
“I’ll be waiting here for you,” the driver said. “Take as much time as you need.”
Tedmond glanced back and nodded before walking into the store. He knew Thomas had sent him shopping to give him time to think and make up his mind.
He understood he had to accept his inheritance. After all, he had promised the Griffin family he would make them pay, and the only way to do that was by accepting his fortune. Why would he refuse something like this after all he had been through?
It wasn’t possible.
Scanning the store, he looked for the men’s section. As his eyes roamed the place, they landed on a rabbit doll with emerald eyes and a gem dangling from it.
‘Is that a diamond?’ he wondered.
The emerald reminded him of Bianca’s eyes, and he thought she might like it. He decided to get it for her. Just as he was about to open the display case to take it, a rude voice interrupted him.
“What do you think you’re doing?” a woman snapped. “Do you really think you can steal that with all the surveillance footage around here?”
The sound of heels clicking made him spin around. In seconds, the woman shoved him away from the display and placed her hand on her waist, glaring at him.
“Trust me, there’s no way you’ll get away with stealing from this place,” she said. “You should leave.”
Her loud voice had drawn the attention of several people in the store, all frowning at Tedmond. Judging by his appearance, they assumed he couldn’t afford anything there.
“Is this how you treat your customers?” Tedmond asked.
“Customer, my foot! Are you trying to save face after I caught you trying to steal that rabbit doll?”
“I’m here to buy it,” Tedmond retorted, hating the fact that he was the center of attention. “How much does it cost? I’ll transfer the money right now.”
She raised an eyebrow, staring at him in disgust. “I gave you the chance to leave, and you’re wasting it. What makes you think you can afford it? You can’t even buy decent shoes, let alone this doll. And what would trash like you want with a doll anyway?”
Tedmond's brows knitted in anger. “How much is the doll? I want it.”
The woman chuckled and turned to the salesman nearby. “You handle this trash. He’s acting like he can afford anything in this store. Take care of him.”
She walked away, leaving the salesman to approach Tedmond awkwardly.
“Hello, sir,” the salesman said. “Can you really afford the doll? If you can’t, she’ll make sure I get fired,” he muttered, his voice low.
The people in the store began murmuring as they looked at Tedmond.
‘What’s he doing, lying like that?’ someone said.
‘Maybe he’s not a thief and just came here to window shop?’
‘I’m tired of trash pretending to be rich. Trash will always be trash.’
Tedmond frowned. They were looking down on him again, and it would affect the salesman who was just trying to help. “I want the doll,” Tedmond said, placing a hand on the salesman’s shoulder. “That’s not all I need, though. If you help me pick other things, you’ll be compensated.”
The man nodded, but the woman who had left burst into laughter. It was the same saleswoman.
“Are you kidding?!” she demanded. “If you can afford anything here, would you let me call the cops on you?”
Tedmond snapped his head toward her, his glare sharp. “And if I can afford it, what will you do?”
She snickered. “I’ll apologize…”
“That’s not enough,” he interrupted. “You’ll crawl around the store three times while apologizing.”
The woman flinched but quickly regained her composure. “What the–?”
“Also, you’ll apologize to this young man,” Tedmond added, gesturing to the salesman next to him. “Is that okay, or are you scared?”
“Why would I be scared? It’s not like you can afford it anyway,” she snarled. “I agree!”
“Good,” Tedmond said before turning to the salesman. “I’ll take that doll.”
The salesman nodded and retrieved the doll, handing it to Tedmond with a smile. Tedmond glanced at the doll, realizing it was the first time he was buying something for someone who hadn’t asked for it.
As he moved toward the clothing section, people in the store continued to murmur. Tedmond picked out as many clothes as he needed, along with shoes, a wristwatch, and other essentials, trying some on to see how they looked.
Despite the store’s luxury, he chose based on his taste, not the price.
“I’m done,” Tedmond announced, after selecting everything he wanted. The salesman helped him place the items on the counter.
The saleswoman and others in the store wore smug expressions, eager to see him get arrested.
“You’re done,” she muttered, sneering. “I’ll check the price of everything you bought.”
Smiling as if she had already won, she began calculating the total. The salesman beside Tedmond stiffened, fearing for his job.
“It’s a total of $500,000,” she said.
Tedmond furrowed his brows, and her smile widened.
“You can’t afford that, can you?” she said, chuckling. “Look at him! Just a poor brat bluffing.”
“I was just wondering why it’s so cheap,” Tedmond replied. He had deliberately bought a lot to ensure Thomas wouldn’t send him shopping again anytime soon.
“You hear that?” the woman scoffed, but then she stopped, realizing what he had said. “Did you just call this cheap? How lame!”
“I’ll transfer the money now. What’s the account number?” Tedmond asked.
She glared at him but handed him the account details. “Fine, this is the store’s account, managed by our finance team. I’ll call them right away to check if your imaginary money has arrived.”
Ignoring her, Tedmond transferred the exact amount to the account. He turned his phone around, showing her the exact amount he had transferred.
She was stunned at first but quickly waved it off. “That must be fake!” she claimed, turning to one of the saleswomen. “Call and confirm that the money has been received.”
Less than a minute later, the saleswoman ended the call, her eyes wide in shock. “He’s right! The money has been RECEIVED!”
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From Illegitimate To A Zillionaire Heir CHAPTER 6
Those words sent shockwaves through everyone who had heard them. They couldn’t believe it, but the person who was most in disbelief was the first saleswoman. She snatched the phone from her colleague and dialed the number.“Are you sure it was $500,000 received?” she yelled, her voice sharp with frustration.Her tone was so rude that the person on the other end snapped back. “Why are you asking me an obvious question?!” he demanded. “$500,000 has been received! Is there some hotshot there or something?”The saleswoman's words stuck in her throat as the confirmation hit her. The others who had belittled Tedmond earlier now remained silent, lips tightly sealed.“Did you do something?” the voice on the phone asked, but the saleswoman quickly hung up, lowering her head.She turned to Tedmond, bowing slightly. “I am extremely sorry for doubting you,” she stammered. “Can I get you a cup of tea as an apology while your things are packed?”Tedmond glared down at her in silence. As she raised
From Illegitimate To A Zillionaire Heir CHAPTER 7
The next day, Tedmond got ready for school with a newfound confidence. For the first time, he felt a sense of self-assurance heading to university, knowing it was better than the oppressive environment of home.“When will you be back, brother?” Bianca asked, tugging at his trousers and clutching the rabbit doll he had bought for her.He glanced down at her. “I’ll be back before 7,” he replied, squatting to smooth her hair. “I can’t pick you up from kindergarten today.”She nodded slowly. “The nanny will pick me up,” she said.“Okay.”He stood up, grabbed his bag, and looked back at Thomas, who was watching him with concern. “Do you need a driver to take you?” Thomas asked. “You can choose any car from the garage if you’d like.”Tedmond considered it for a moment before shaking his head. “No need. I can get there on my own like I used to.”“By taking the bus?” Thomas asked, clearly worried.“Yes.”“No way!” Thomas exclaimed. “Not only did you take a taxi home yesterday, but now you’re
From Illegitimate To A Zillionaire Heir CHAPTER 8
Before lunch, news of Tedmond accepting Kyle’s challenge had spread throughout the school. Everyone was talking about it, and it even reached the ears of his ex-girlfriend. She and his former siblings were eagerly anticipating the event.They were seated in the cafeteria since it was lunchtime but not yet 2 PM.“That bastard is going to show us how useless he is again,” Max sneered, gesturing with his hand and smirking. “He doesn’t even have great stamina, let alone the ability to win.”Maxine chuckled. “He’s always been stupid. I’ll make another video of his embarrassment for my vlog.”Lisa had the brightest smile on her face. “I’m so glad I chose you, Max,” she purred. “He was such a pain in the ass.”Just then, Tedmond walked past them, catching the attention of many, including Lisa. The moment she saw him, a disgusted look appeared on her face.‘Why is he so neatly dressed?’ she thought, scanning him from head to toe and noticing his new clothes and shoes. ‘Where did he get the mo
From Illegitimate To A Zillionaire Heir CHAPTER 9
Kyle stood grinning on the court, his teammates gathered behind him. A crowd had gathered to watch the game, eager to see how it would play out. Kyle could hardly wait for the moment he would crush Tedmond.“Isn’t he coming?” Kyle asked impatiently. Tedmond was two minutes late. “Don’t tell me he backed out at the last minute. Maybe he couldn’t find a team.”His teammates snickered.“He must’ve run home,” one of them said, shaking his head. “Oh wait, he doesn’t even have a home to run to.”The others burst out laughing.“He better not have backed out,” Kyle stated. “We should find him.”Just as one of Kyle’s teammates offered to search for Tedmond, he appeared with his four friends. They were dressed in matching uniforms, their hair slicked back, looking like college heartbreakers. Tedmond wore an expressionless look as he stood a few feet away from Kyle.“Here I am,” Tedmond said. “What made you think I fled?”Kyle’s lips curled. “Eager to be a slave, aren’t you?”“Not really. I coul
From Illegitimate To A Zillionaire Heir CHAPTER 10
The crowd went silent when they heard Tedmond’s words. Who would have thought the arrogant Kyle would lose to the so-called loser of college and have to become his slave?“We made a deal,” Tedmond muttered. “You can’t go back on it. From now on, you’ll listen to me and do whatever I want.”Kyle’s teeth gritted. He had never been this humiliated in his entire life.“Do it!” the crowd yelled."A deal’s a deal—it must be upheld!""Don’t back out now!"Kyle’s eyes darted to Max, who shook his head, before turning back to Tedmond.“Master,” Kyle said, forcing the words out in a barely audible whisper.“I can’t hear you,” Tedmond taunted.“Master!” Kyle yelled, his body trembling slightly as embarrassment overwhelmed him.Tedmond’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. “Now that you’ve called me master and have become my slave, go get me a milkshake,” he ordered.Kyle’s teammates looked on in surprise, but Kyle turned to one of them.“Go get the milkshake like he asked,” he ordered.The teamm
From Illegitimate To A Zillionaire Heir CHAPTER 11
“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
From Illegitimate To A Zillionaire Heir CHAPTER 12
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!”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 t
From Illegitimate To A Zillionaire Heir CHAPTER 13
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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CHAPTER 208
“Did you just mention my mother?” Tedmond demanded, glaring at them with sharp intensity.He had considered ignoring them and walking away, but he hadn’t expected them to bring his mother into the conversation. It wasn’t the first time, yet it never failed to make his blood boil. How dare they bring her up after everything they had done to her?And why was it that he and his mother were the ones blamed for his existence, while Harold got to walk around free, untouched by their judgment?The look on Tedmond’s face made Frank and the others flinch. It was the first time they had seen him like this. In the past, he would have been the one looking terrified, avoiding their gaze.Feeling annoyed that she had flinched at Tedmond’s glare, Adeline opened her mouth to speak, but he didn’t give her the chance.“Did you just bring my mother into this discussion?” Tedmond repeated, stepping forward, his glare unwavering. “Didn’t Max tell you what happened the last time he mentioned my mother?”
CHAPTER 207
Duncan’s gaze shifted to Tedmond, a silent question in his eyes. Was he going to back down, or was he finally going to stand his ground? He had no idea why Mr. Washington had asked him to hand the shares to the members of the Griffin family.To Duncan, the first time he had heard about Tedmond was when Mr. Washington mentioned him. When he went to meet the Tedmond in question, he was surprised to find how similar they looked. The first thing he noticed was the familiar blue eyes and height.For a moment, he wondered if Mr. Washington was affiliated with the Griffin family. But on second thought, he dismissed the idea—he didn’t want to doubt Mr. Washington. If Mr. Washington had wanted his help, he would have told him.Tedmond met Tina’s gaze, then slowly stood up. “You’re right. I don’t have a place in this family,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “But I do have these shares now. And whether you like it or not, that makes me a part of this company.”A tense silence filled the room.
CHAPTER 206
As soon as Duncan stepped into the conference room, every head turned to look at him. Seeing Duncan there, Frank’s brows furrowed. This was the same man who had tried to rat them out just a day ago.Now he was in the same meeting as them, while Tedmond claimed shares. If they showed any terrible behavior, Duncan might record it and add it to his growing evidence collection.“You should leave, Tedmond,” Frank said, peering at him with a serious expression. “I have no idea why you’re lying about the shares, but we’ll talk about it tomorrow. Right now, we need to take care of our new shareholder, and you’re sitting in the seat meant for him. It would be better if you left.”At that moment, Duncan didn’t wait for anyone to speak before he made his announcement. “I gave the shares to him as a gift,” he revealed.The entire room fell into stunned silence.Every member of the Griffin family stared at Duncan, their eyes wide with disbelief. Adeline’s face turned so pale she looked like she mi
CHAPTER 205
The place went silent at the sound of Adeline’s voice as if a golden goose had flown by. Adeline crooked her head, trying to look at Tedmond’s face perfectly.She expected him to be squirming, trying to plead with her to let him off as long as he left. But instead, her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the look on his face.Tedmond’s grin widened. “Childish games? Aunt Adeline, if anyone is playing games here, it’s you all.”Silence fell over the room. A few shareholders exchanged glances, while Gerald’s jaw tightened.Frank narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”“I am the one you all have been waiting for,” Tedmond replied, his tone serious. “Shouldn’t you be glad that I am here?”Frank and Adeline frowned even harder.“Stop beating around the bush and get out!” Tina snarled, having had enough. “You aren’t part of the Griffin family anymore since you left. We have nothing to do with you.”“That’s right. Stop barging into the meeting room and acting like you are importan
CHAPTER 204
"That's right. You should hand over the evidence," Adeline added.She was more worried about getting the evidence than crying over the shares that were no longer theirs.Duncan said nothing, nor did he show any expression. He already knew they would ask for the evidence, so he pulled out one of the drives containing it."Here it is," he said, holding the drive out for them to take.Adeline wasted no time snatching the drive from him and putting it into her purse. She needed to check its contents first.Duncan, on the other hand, wasn’t bothered—he had plenty of copies at his disposal."Thanks for choosing to take the shares and not expose us," Frank said. "However, you’ll have to attend the meeting in two hours. We need to introduce you to the other shareholders."Since he wasn’t the one going, Duncan simply nodded. "Tell me the time of the meeting."As soon as he said that, a grin spread across Gerald’s face. Duncan was going to hate the reason for agreeing to the meeting.Two hours
CHAPTER 203
The bait had been set. All that was left was for them to take it.Tedmond pushed the door open and walked into the mansion. As usual, Thomas was standing right there, waiting for him.“Welcome back, young master,” Thomas greeted as soon as he saw Tedmond. “How did your day go?”Lips curling into a grin, Tedmond nodded. “Great. I watched an interesting show today.”He recalled the act Neil had put up in front of the Griffin family and how they had treated Lisa. Now that the marriage they thought was perfect was starting to fall apart, Tedmond wondered if they would be able to endure it.“Did something interesting happen?” Thomas asked.Shaking his head, Tedmond decided not to tell Thomas anything. The old man might end up worrying again.“Not really,” Tedmond replied. “Duncan planned to expose the Griffin family, but they gave him five percent of the main company’s shares.”Thomas's eyes widened in shock. “They did that? I was wondering why the live interview was suddenly cut off. Turn
CHAPTER 202
The sound echoed through the corridor, stunning everyone into silence.No one in the room could say a word. Lisa stood frozen, her cheek stinging from Evelyn’s slap. Neil watched the scene unfold, knowing exactly why Evelyn had reacted that way.The question Lisa had asked should have been voiced, but timing mattered—and she had chosen the worst possible moment.Raising his hand to touch the glass separating him from Tedmond, Neil wondered if his brother had seen what happened. If Tedmond had witnessed it, he would undoubtedly be pleased. After all, he had always wanted Lisa to be put in her place.On the other side, Tedmond couldn’t hide the grin stretching across his face. The speed at which his family turned against Lisa was faster than he had imagined. He had expected this to happen eventually, but not so soon.Persis, sitting beside him, noticed his expression and frowned. She pulled a chair closer and leaned in, watching the drama unfold.“What’s so amusing?” she asked, narrowi
CHAPTER 201
Evelyn and Maxine hurried into the hospital, brushing past the receptionist and heading toward the room number the woman on the phone had given them. Harold, who was behind them, had to stop and sign them in.Evelyn was the first to reach the spot where Neil was standing. The ward was just across from him, and he remained outside—not because the doctor had asked him to, but because he chose to wait for the family to arrive."This is the room, isn’t it?" Maxine asked, peering inside at Max.At that moment, Neil turned his head and saw Evelyn and Maxine rushing toward him. He wouldn't have recognized them if he hadn’t already seen their picture—one that Tedmond had shown him. Still, he decided to act as if he didn’t know who they were."Max should be inside," Evelyn replied after a brief pause.It was then that Neil finally spoke up. "Who are you?"Maxine and Evelyn turned their heads to look at him, their eyes scanning him from head to toe. Maxine’s face immediately brightened at the s
CHAPTER 200
“When did Duncan leave?” Persis asked as she walked into the living room, a tablet in hand. “Did you guys come to a conclusion?”Nodding, Tedmond turned to look at her. “Yes, we agreed to take the shares. The Griffin family will act without thinking again. They might even give Duncan more shares if he asks for them.”Persis furrowed her brows. “Without thinking it through?”“Yes. They must believe they’ll have a chance to deal with him or find a way to take back the shares.”Although Tedmond said that, he wasn’t entirely sure they had no plans. His aunt and extended family members were crueler than his father, and they might have had their schemes they hadn’t shared with the rest.At that moment, Tedmond’s phone chimed. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen.Seeing the message, he couldn’t help but grin."You haven’t forgotten your elder cousin, have you? If you’re seeing this, we should probably meet."“Me, meet you?” Tedmond mumbled to himself. “In your dreams.”With that, he b