*****
Of all the things Xavier had visualized his first meeting with his fiancée would be after five years, this definitely was never one of them. He remained dumbstruck for a long time, gaping, with his head pounding hysterically in disbelief as he stared at the couple who wouldn’t tear from each other even after his intrusion, only stopping after they finished having their climax. They finally glanced toward the door, wondering about the person who had dared to intrude on their room. “Which motherf*cking bastard are you?” Victor, a short man with an unremarkable appearance, demanded with rage while Jennifer’s eyes grew cold, unable to believe that someone had dared to barge into her room while she and her partner were together. Infuriated, Jennifer quickly rolled herself into the duvet on the bed and leaped to her feet, pointing aggressively at Xavier. “You!!!” She barked, wanting to curse but then she went into a daze the next second, unable to believe her eyes. “How—how could it be you? Weren’t—weren’t you only supposed to be back 15 years from now? How—“ she stuttered with shock, disbelief, and panic, staring at the face she had almost forgotten. As soon as Xavier, who was still struggling to process what he had just witnessed, heard Jennifer, he found himself smiling in the most heartbreaking way anyone had ever seen. “Yes, how could I be back now when I was sentenced to 20 years in prison?” he asked self-mockingly, his voice raspy and unlike his usual tone. Meanwhile, a frown immediately spotted Victor’s face when he heard the exchange between his woman and the stranger, and being the possessive sort of person he was, became so ugly in an instant, glaring at Jennifer. “I…” Jennifer immediately returned to her senses from this glare and subsequently, the expression of panic and disbelief on her face disappeared, only to be replaced by mockery. “Don’t you know him?” She inquired, pointing at Xavier in disgust. Still infuriated by how his woman had communicated with another man, Victor’s eyes flashed aggressively. “How am I supposed to?” he asked darkly and Jennifer smiled wickedly. “He was the bastard you threw away into prison 5 years ago.” “Huh…” “Huh…” It wasn’t only Victor who was dumbstruck, Xavier was as well. His face returned to being dazed as he heard Jennifer, unable to believe how she had just addressed him. “Did—did you just call me a bastard?” He asked with shock, making Jennifer give him the sort of stare he had never received from her since knowing. “Aren’t you one?” She inquired with derision before seeming to have recalled something. She immediately smirked. “Isn’t even calling you a bastard me trying to respect you when I was supposed to address you as a…. Priisoonner.” That was all Xavier needed to hear. His heart shattered into millions of pieces in an instant and he became suffocated. “You… you… you just called me a—a prisoner?” “And so what? Aren’t you one?” Jennifer snapped back, with contempt and sarcasm, causing Xavier to tremble, almost fainting the next second. His ears began to ring hysterically as those words echoed repeatedly. Xavier’s eyes turned crimson red as he pointed at Jennifer in disbelief. “You… you actually dared to call me a prisoner?” His voice shook badly. If anyone who had known Xavier during his time in prison saw him now, they would be completely stunned, feeling the need to repeatedly check their eyes and ears to believe what they were witnessing. The man who was always known for his unwavering calmness was now shaking uncontrollably. “You—you… have you forgotten the reason I was imprisoned?” He suddenly inquired. “Hahahahah! Obviously, I sent you to prison!” Victor, who had initially been too stunned after what Jennifer revealed to him abruptly laughed out loud. He was a young master of an influential third-rated family, and for this reason, he had always been having his way since he was a child. One thing he particularly enjoyed was taking other people’s women, especially right in front of their partners, but he had never experienced this level of fervor before. He couldn’t help but tremble with excitement, wondering what Xavier must be going through, returning from prison and finding his fiancée and the person who sent him to prison making out in his house and on his bed. …. After he finished speaking, Victor thought Xavier would completely lose it, thereby giving him the chance to teach him a lesson for the second time. Contrary to his wish, however, Xavier did not react. He only spared Victor a single glance before ignoring him, dumbfounding both Victor and Jennifer. “You…” Jennifer opened her mouth, but then Xavier interrupted. “My eyes might be deceiving me but isn’t that the guy who almost raped you five years ago?” he suddenly asked, glancing back at Victor as though he just recalled the face. Both Jennifer and Victor instantly exchanged gazes, but in the next second, beamed. “And thanks to you, we got together,” Jennifer responded making Xavier’s tongue become tied for a second with astonishment. "I—I attacked him five years ago when I caught him trying to assault you and was arrested for it, eventually being charged with attempted murder," Xavier suddenly began, his voice trembling so severely that anyone who knew him would be chilled to the bone. "I wasn’t given the chance to get a lawyer and was immediately sentenced to 20 years in a prison meant for hardened criminals." He concluded before his eyes suddenly flashed with hatred. “Not only have you betrayed me upon my return, but with someone like that?” He inquired with disbelief, curling his fists so much with pain as he felt his heart being clenched tightly. Jennifer remained silent after hearing Xavier and Victor did not say anything, waiting for how Jenifer would react. With that, the room turned silent for a while before suddenly, Jennifer scoffed with ridicule. “You said you were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for defending me?” She inquired coldly but continued before Xavier could respond, her voice turning icy cold. “Did I send you to defend me back then?” She demanded, stunning both Xavier and Victor to the core. Xavier wasn’t able to react for a long time, while Victor, after struggling to control himself, finally erupted into laughter only after which Xavier regained his senses and felt his body go cold. Yet before he could say a word, Jennifer continued, her voice still dripping with coldness and scorn. “You acted as though you were unjustly thrown into prison. Did you not attempt to murder my man five years ago? Criminal!” Xavier’s vision immediately darkened while his head became light. “You—you—you—you…” “Me what?” Jennifer snorted with disgust. “Did I lie?” She asked, making Xavier finally unable to hold it anymore. “To think I rushed out of prison for you, hoping to give you a lifetime of happiness and make up for everything you desired for the rest of my life!” He suddenly laughed bitterly, his voice dripping with pain, self-mockery, and disappointment. No sooner had he finished laughing, however than two jeering voices responded to him. “Did you just say you rushed out of prison?” Victor inquired. “And you, an ex-convict who had stopped having life 5 years ago dare to tell me how you wished to give me a lifetime of happiness?” What a joke.” The couple laughed as though they had heard a joke, but Xavier didn’t show any painful emotion, instead, said seriously after a moment; “I could have given you the best life and made you the envy of all the ladies in this world if you had waited.” “Fool,” Jennifer scoffed, her eyes filled with disdain as she stared at the plain dress on Xavier’s body. “You couldn’t give me one percent of the life given by my man before you were imprisoned and you think you’d be able to do that now that you’ve become an ex-prisoner?” She asked with sarcasm. Perhaps because his emotions were too disordered or for another reason, Xavier neither got angry nor hurt by Jennifer’s words. He simply realized that the Jennifer he had always loved might have disappeared the moment he was sentenced to prison five years ago. With that, Xavier breathed deeply. Although deep down, he wanted nothing more than to destroy the cheating duo, he chose not to act on those whims. “Since you’ve already moved on with your life, can you and your man at least get out of my house now? Also, I will need my company back,” he said calmly, his demeanor having turned indifferent. The moment Jennifer heard him, however, she finally panicked. “I…” she opened her mouth to speak, but then was interrupted. “Which stupid company and house?” Victor asked, not hiding the mockery in him. "Since you were rotting away in prison, and I couldn’t squeeze a dime out of you for the damage you caused, my babe and I decided to sell off everything you owned, tossing whatever pathetic scraps were left to your parents after deducting my medical bills." ”This!” Xavier’s eyes widened with disbelief.***** Xavier, with no background nor support whatsoever, had withstood the rain, blood, and hunger alone to create his company from scratch seven years ago and in a matter of two years, managed to turn it into a slightly successful company, with more than twenty employees. He had handed it over to Jennifer after he was sentenced to prison five years ago, hoping that she’d manage it and from the profit made, take care of his parents. Never in his life had he imagined that not only would she not take care of his parents, but would also team together with his oppressor and sell off his properties, a lie he obviously did not believe. Xavier began to fume frantically, but eventually, clenched his fists to calm the rage that was on the verge of bursting out. Meanwhile, seeing Xavier in this state, the adulterous pair before him had wide grins on their faces. Jennifer felt not even the slightest trace of pity nor remorse for him and for betraying betraying him. She was even more pl
***** “Huh?” Xavier went into a daze and couldn’t react after hearing how he was addressed. ‘Let’s assume Jennifer’s love somehow disappeared after years of him being away, what about them?’ He thought blankly. Although Xavier was from a poor background before starting his company, Jennifer’s background had been worse than his. They were homeless when Xavier met Jennifer, and Xavier, in his little, had gotten an apartment for the family, furnishing it. He also enrolled Michael, who had dropped out of high school into college, paying all his tuition in advance. That did not still end there. Xavier even placed the entire family on a payroll, giving them the exact amount he was giving his parents every month, yet they still addressed him as a prisoner despite knowing the reason behind his time. This was what Xavier was busy thinking when; “Who release this prisoner?” Michael suddenly laughed, breaking Xavier’s dumbstruck state. “Weren’t you supposed to rot in jail?” “And what
***** Although Xavier tried appearing strong as he walked away from the house he had bought through his blood and sweat, he was very vulnerable. His mind was in complete disarray, and he felt like a wreck, recalling the memory he did not know if he would ever forget in his life. He was deeply pained, realizing he had wasted his love and emotions on someone who did not deserve them. In addition to his pain, Xavier felt a deep sense of guilt, knowing that he had also punished his parents, which weighed heavily on him. Although he knew his parents couldn’t have managed his company on their own, Xavier felt pained that he should have entrusted everything to them instead of the ungrateful woman. For this reason, Xavier did not immediately look for his parents after leaving Jennifer—He had one idea how he would face them after five years of denying them the right to see and be protected by their son. Xavier began to walk aimlessly around, various memories running through his head
***** The entire bar fell silent, with everyone staring blankly at the lean person holding a hand that was twice the size of his own. No one could react for a moment, but eventually, the eyes of the Lion King, whose hand Xavier was holding, darkened with wrath. “Brat! Weren’t you the one I warned earlier to mind your business?” He snapped, his voice brimming with unhidden killing intent. Xavier, however, wasn’t bothered. Instead, continued maintaining his composed demeanor. “This lady here does not want to follow you, why are you forcing her?” He inquired calmly making everyone instant exchange stunned gazes. “This—this fool!” The bartender, whose gaze hadn’t left Xavier since the beginning scoffed with frustration and then hurriedly left what she was doing to rush over. “Lion King, hahahah. Please don’t mind this friend of mine. He appears to be too drunk to know what he was doing,” she stated with a smile, tearing Xavier’s hand away from the lion king. The Lion King qu
***** Bars are known for their constant noise, especially at night during operating hours, but right now, the entire bar is eerily silent with everyone within staring blankly as though they were seeing the most disbelieving thing in history, particularly the ones who knew the reputation of the two Lion Kings. This silence lasted for a long time before eventually, the Lion King, whose leg was being held by Xavier returned to his senses and became deeply embarrassed which promptly changed to an incredible rage. “Bastard! Let go of my leg!” He snapped ferociously, trying to force away his leg from Xavier’s lazy grasp. Yet, for some reason, he wasn’t able to move it an inch—It was as though the leg was being held by the large hand of a deity and not the seemingly weak Xavier. “Are you deaf? I say let go of my leg!” He barked and Xavier instantly smiled slightly before nodding his head. “Sure,” he responded before continuing just as the Lion King was about to heave a sigh of relief.
***** Inside a quiet, peaceful, and rough bedroom that has the appearance of a war aftermath, a sudden vibration sounded and the next second, two bloodshot eyes snapped open. Very lazy to the peak and still sleepy, Grace, not seeing her present appearance twitched, wanting to pick up the phone ringing. Just then, she felt a warm body against her skin, scaring her badly. She jumped back and stared with full alert, preparing to engage in case someone had intruded on her bedroom. The following second, however, she saw probably the most handsome body she’d seen in her life. Although the body was lean, it was well-built with no excess muscles or fat. Just as she liked it. Though her heart skipped a bit at the sight of this body, Grace was able to ignore it, instead, her gaze slowly turned cold in an instant and she was about to yell when; everything that happened the previous night came crashing into her brain. Her face paled the next second and she appeared to have don
***** The gangsters glared at the speaker before hurriedly looking at their boss with a fawning expression. “Boss, I suggest we take this b!tch to the base and turn her to your toy. I refuse to believe she won’t speak up in just a day” “No boss, just give me the go-ahead to deal with her. She will divulge the bastard’s location in less than ten minutes!” Without hiding their rivalry over their boss’s favoritism, the gangsters shouted out cruel ideas one after another, but surprisingly, the bartender, who heard all their wicked suggestions did not show even the slightest hint of fear; instead only frowned in annoyance. "Do you even know what your brother did to earn his punishment?" she abruptly asked, cutting off the excited gangsters and glancing at Jazzy, who immediately shot her dagger-filled eyes. "My brother went after a b!tch and some worthless nobody thought they could step in, making him choose to punish them—and so what?!" he sneered, his voice dripping with icy cont
*****"Is—Is this where my parents live now?" Xavier, gaping with eyes wide and jaw dropped with disbelief abruptly mumbled to himself. Following which he trembled all over, acting as though a jolt of electricity had suddenly coursed through him.He couldn’t believe his eyes, so he had to rub them fiercely before looking again; however, the scene before him remained unchanged.It was still the same half-rundown and dilapidated house that appeared long abandoned.This was Xavier’s childhood home, inherited from his grandparents by his father.Despite its livable condition and slightly aged appearance at that time, Xavier felt that the house no longer suited his parents which was why he moved them into a better apartment after he started earning money.Looking at this same apartment now, apart from appearing abandoned, it was surrounded by tall weeds, something nobody had been to in years.***After staring in a daze for a long time, Xavier finally shook his head vigorously with