2024-09-10 08:23:41Before 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 money to buy those?’
Everyone else began to murmur, making sure that no empty seats were near them.
Tedmond paid no attention to the whispers and headed towards a group of four males sitting at a table. It was thirty minutes before 2 PM, and he still hadn’t formed his team.
When he reached the table, the four males, all dressed in nerdy outfits with large glasses, looked isolated from the others, like a bunch of nerds forced to do assignments for their classmates.
“Hello,” Tedmond said.
His voice drew their attention, and they looked up at him, their eyes widening in surprise.
“Oh, hello,” one of them replied, nervously fiddling with the bottle of water in his hands.
“Can I sit?” Tedmond asked.
“Sure!” they all chimed in unison, as if they’d been waiting for him to ask.
Tedmond knew all four of them from high school, though they hadn’t spoken much. Now, they were all freshmen at the same college. The four had been best friends since childhood and had never separated.
“Are you here to ask us to be your teammates for the basketball match?” Liam asked, the one who had first replied.
“If that’s the case,” Noah chimed in before Tedmond could respond, “then yes.”
“Definitely yes,” Oliver, the third one, added.
“Count me in,” James, the fourth one, said. “Do you know how long we’ve wanted you on our team?”
A smile crossed Tedmond’s face. He had approached them for that exact reason. These four were the best players on their high school basketball team. Even though it was a community school, they had won a few medals, though they weren’t very well-known.
They had seen Tedmond play basketball once and had asked him to join their team, but he had declined because he needed to work part-time to afford college.
“That’s exactly why I’m here,” Tedmond confirmed. “I’m surprised you agreed, considering I turned you down years ago.”
“That was nothing,” Liam said. “We’re more than happy to team up with you.”
“Thanks for reaching out,” Oliver added.
“We’re really glad,” Noah chimed in.
“We’ll be there by 2 PM,” James said. “We’ll make sure that rich kid eats his words. He called us losers, but he’ll regret it.”
Tedmond felt a bit out of place, considering he was now part of the “rich kids” group. “Thanks. I’ll see you on the court.” With that, he rose and left the cafeteria, leaving smiles on the faces of his new teammates.
“This is your chance to get the necklace,” Max told Lisa, frowning at the fact that there were still people willing to talk to Tedmond. “Make sure you get it from him.”
As Tedmond walked past, Lisa followed right after. Sensing that he was being followed, Tedmond changed course and headed toward the men’s restroom instead of his class as originally planned.
Seeing his direction, Lisa called out to him.
“Ted!” she yelled, running after him and blocking his path.
He glared down at her, raising an eyebrow, waiting for her to try and manipulate him like she had so many times before.
“Stop walking,” she said.
“What do you want, sister-in-law?” he asked, intentionally using the title to mock her.
Her eyes flickered with fake concern. “I was wondering where you slept last night,” she began. “I had no idea you’d been thrown out like that. If you need a place, you can stay at my old apartment. I’ll help you, out of the love we once shared. I know you still love me, so I’ll let you stay there until the rent I paid runs out.”
His glare intensified. “I don’t need your fake help.” He tried to walk past her, but she grabbed his arm.
“Stop being stubborn!” she shouted, her patience wearing thin. “You dared to accept Kyle’s challenge! Aren’t you terrified of being a slave for the rest of your life? I’m trying to help you, and you still won’t listen. This is why I left you.”
He pulled his arm free, fists clenching. Just yesterday, she’d said she left him because he was too poor, but now she was blaming his stubbornness.
“What I do with my life is none of your business!” he snapped. “Don’t ever talk to me again.”
Her teeth clenched. If it weren’t for the necklace, she wouldn’t have bothered clinging to him like this. But she hid her frustration. If she could get that necklace, she would be fully acknowledged by the Griffin family.
“If you don’t want the apartment, how about giving me something to remember you by?” she suggested. “Something I can wear all the time, like a necklace.”
She was trying to use his past feelings for her to get the necklace, but all he felt looking at her now was disgust. It made him wonder why he had ever liked her.
Just then, three males walked out of the restroom, and Tedmond smirked. “Why would a married woman want to remember her ex? Do you still want me as your boyfriend, even though you’re married to my brother?” he asked loudly, catching the attention of the other guys.
Lisa bit her lip. “Of course n...”
“Look behind you,” Tedmond said, cutting her off. “Don’t you dare speak to me again or call me ‘Ted.’ You’re not qualified to call me that. And tell Max that whatever he wants, he’ll never get.”
She glanced back, and the blood drained from her face when she saw the group of males. Tedmond took the opportunity to leave, while she scrambled to explain herself, trying to prevent any rumors from spreading.
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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
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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
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“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
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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
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From Illegitimate To A Zillionaire Heir CHAPTER 14
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
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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?”
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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.
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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
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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
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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
