Not even a single call to beg yet?

“What?” Desmond gasped.

He tapped his ears, unsure if he'd heard correctly.

“You’re taking over from me. Everything I own is yours from now on,” the old man repeated, thinking Desmond hadn't understood.

“I know, but... why are you saying this?” Desmond was still in shock, his breath unsteady.

Perhaps he had misunderstood. His excitement started to fade, unsure if he'd heard right.

The old man chuckled, reading Desmond's thoughts. "Don't worry, Desmond. I'm not joking. I'm completely serious. Sit down."

Desmond, who had risen in surprise, quickly sank back into his chair, his heart racing.

“You know, when I went to Biol Mountain, it was just for a vacation. I’m a military man. And now, all my military fortune will be yours.”

“Military?” Desmond’s eyes widened. “So, those soldiers outside... and the photos... they’re because of your status?”

The old man nodded.

Desmond’s mind raced. The first shock hadn’t worn off, and now this... His head felt like it was going to explode!

“You’re still in the military?” Desmond asked, now filled with admiration.

Since childhood, he had always respected military men. Now it made sense why the old man had such a commanding presence.

“No, I retired three years ago.”

“Oh.” Desmond nodded. “But why would you give me everything? It can’t just be because we saved you.”

Though he was happy, his mind remained cautious.

The old man straightened, his expression becoming serious. “It’s not that I don’t have family, but none of my children want to continue in the military. I need someone to carry on the legacy.”

Desmond's face went blank, processing this revelation.

The old man smiled sadly. “I’m sorry if this seems unfair. I just don’t want my family’s military bloodline to disappear. I couldn’t bear it.”

Desmond, realizing the misunderstanding, quickly reassured him. “No, no, I was just... overwhelmed by the news. I don’t think you're doing anything wrong.”

He wasn’t lying; it was a lot to take in. The idea of inheriting a fortune, and being tied to the military, felt surreal.

“You accept?” The old man beamed.

Desmond nodded, and the old man handed him a document.

“Sign here.”

With only a brief glance, Desmond signed it. Even though he was overjoyed, he silently vowed to honor the old man's wishes.

This man was about to change his destiny. Desmond, who had thought all hope was lost, now had the chance to become someone of significance.

He hadn’t even realized when tears began to fall. It still felt unreal, but it was happening before his very eyes.

He was finally worthy!

“Thank you... from the bottom of my heart,” he sobbed.

The old man suddenly frowned, leaving Desmond confused. “Is something wrong?” he asked nervously.

“Stern old man? What happened to calling me Grandpa?” the old man huffed, clearly upset.

“Grandfather,” Desmond corrected himself, laughing at the old man’s playful outburst.

“That’s more like it,” the old man said, grinning as he stood up and gave Desmond a hearty pat on the back.

They both burst into laughter.

After the laughter subsided, Desmond's expression turned serious. “Grandfather, I promise I’ll do more than you expect of me. I’ll grow your fortune and make it known to the world!”

“I believe you,” the old man chuckled. “Now, go meet the butler. He’ll take you to your room.”

“Don’t forget, we’ll talk tomorrow,” he added.

– - - - - - - - -

Desmond was taken to a clean room, elegantly designed just for him. Exhausted from the day's events, he collapsed onto the bed without even glancing around.

The day had been overwhelming, full of stress, but the old man’s kindness was a bright spot.

He closed his eyes and drifted into darkness. However, when he awoke, he was surprised to find it was still the middle of the night.

He had expected to sleep until morning, given how drained he felt.

Rubbing his eyes, Desmond noticed three bottles of wine on the table. He poured himself a glass of red wine.

Taking the glass, he stepped out onto the balcony, his blank eyes gazing at the night sky.

He sipped slowly, the rich taste lingering on his tongue.

The night sky was beautiful, with dark clouds drifting lazily, mirroring his somber mood. There was no emotion in his eyes, only a deep sense of emptiness. He swirled the wine glass in his hand absentmindedly.

His mind wandered back to the one person he had done everything for. He didn’t want to think about her, but the thoughts came even though he didn't want it to.

Seeing her with another man, accepting his proposal, had torn him apart.

The betrayal still stung, and her lack of remorse made it worse.

She had broken his heart completely.

He couldn’t believe he had been used and cheated on…

The darkness around him reflected his emotions—both cold and empty. Used and betrayed.

Without realizing it, his grip on the wine glass tightened until it cracked in his hand.

Closing his eyes against the pain, he left the balcony and returned to the room.

His phone rang just as he walked in. It was one of his laundry customers, asking why his shop hadn’t opened.

He gave a quick excuse and thanked the customer for their concern before hanging up.

Lying back on his bed, Desmond chuckled bitterly. He couldn’t tell the customer what had really happened—about the sudden change in his life.

He laughed to himself, then drifted back to sleep, though even in sleep, his loneliness remained.

He sighed repeatedly, even in his dreams.

° ° °

Meanwhile, at the same hour, Abigail wasn’t asleep either. She was in her room, chatting with James, the man who had proposed to her.

“I’m fine, just here,” Abigail typed.

“That guy’s been kicked out, right? I’m so excited!” James wrote back.

“Yes, he’s gone,” Abigail replied, yawning as she typed.

She was clearly bored of the conversation but continued to reply to his messages.

“Abigail!” came a shout from downstairs.

“I’m coming,” Abigail responded quickly, grateful for the interruption as she ended her chat with James.

Sliding into her slippers, she hurried downstairs.

She found Felicia sitting at the table, eating the leftovers from the microwave meal Desmond had prepared the night before.

“Mom, did you call me?” Abigail asked, sitting in the chair opposite her mother.

“Nothing much, just join me and watch some TV,” Felicia mumbled, her mouth full of food.

Abigail, feeling bored from her chat with James, did as she was told and sat down. Watching TV seemed like a good way to distract her restless mind.

Halfway through the movie, Felicia noticed Abigail sitting with her chin in her hands, clearly lost in thought. Her eyes darted around, and she kept sighing quietly.

“What’s on your mind?” Felicia asked, breaking the silence.

Snapped out of her thoughts, Abigail glanced at her mother and replied, “Mom, do you think Desmond’s alright now?”

Felicia, confused by the question, quickly responded, “Him? He’s never going to be alright! What did you expect? That he’d be fine after losing everything?”

She laughed mockingly, assuming Abigail shared her viewpoint.

“Really?” Abigail’s face grew more troubled, but Felicia didn’t notice.

Still basking in her own satisfaction, Felicia missed the concern in Abigail’s tone.

“Of course! That pathetic boy thought he could keep you with his meager earnings. Now that he’s out of the picture, you’ll have plenty of suitors lining up to marry you,” she said confidently, pride swelling in her voice.

When Abigail didn’t respond, Felicia continued, even more enthusiastically. “I know James comes from a wealthy family, but I don’t want you marrying him. He’s a fool! We need someone with even more money, understand?”

“Yes, Mom,” Abigail nodded.

After talking too much and tired, Felicia yawned. “I’m heading to bed. You should get some rest too,” she said before walking off to her room.

Abigail watched her leave but remained seated, her mind still heavy with thoughts.

“Desmond, where are you? Not even a single call to beg yet?”