2024-12-10 17:13:42Laxus froze, his heart pounding. “What are you talking about, Drake?”
“Don’t play dumb,” Drake sneered. ""You’ve got everyone fooled, but not me. You’re a Kinkaid. You think you can hide that?""
Laxus swallowed hard, but before he could respond, Drake continued. ""You’re going to quit this job. Walk away, or I’ll make sure everyone knows the truth.""
Fear gripped Laxus. His mind flashed to the life he had built, the normalcy he had fought so hard to maintain. ""You don’t have to do this, Drake. We can talk—""
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Drake interrupted. “Either you quit, or your little secret becomes public knowledge.”
Laxus clenched his fists, anger mixing with fear. But he knew Drake wasn’t bluffing. He had no choice. ""Fine. I’ll quit.”
Drake smirked, satisfied. ""Good. I want your resignation on my dad’s desk by tomorrow morning.""
Laxus spent the night wrestling with the decision. "There's no other way..."
The next morning, Laxus woke up late. "It's almost 9 a.m.!" he panicked, rushing to get ready. Even though he planned to quit, he still wanted to be on time. He quickly dressed in a casual t-shirt and jeans, hoping to avoid drawing attention.
When he arrived at the restaurant, he was surprised to see it packed with customers. Henry approached him, looking serious.
""You're late, Laxus. Where have you been?"" Henry asked sharply.
"Mr. Henry, I need to talk to you. I don’t think I can keep this job—"" Laxus started.
""That can wait. The customers are here because they loved your burgers from yesterday. Get in the kitchen and make more,"" Henry ordered, handing him an apron.
Laxus hesitated but didn’t want to let Henry down. He entered the kitchen and saw Drake, who was clearly upset.
""What are you doing here? I told you not to come back,"" Drake snapped.
""This is my last day. I’ll be gone after today,"" Laxus replied.
Drake scoffed but didn’t say more. As the day went on, the rush finally eased. Then, Henry walked in with a young woman.
"Who’s she?" Drake asked.
""This is Nessy Faraway. She’s joining the kitchen staff. We needed more help,"" Henry explained.
Drake smiled, seeing an opportunity. "Finally, you listened," he said.
Henry looked at him sternly. "I expect everyone to work together."
Laxus noticed Drake’s pleased expression and realized that his last day wouldn’t be as simple as he thought.
Henry walked away, leaving the new girl, Nessy, standing there. She was pretty, that much was clear.
Nessy bowed her head with a smile. "I'll be in your care."
Laxus couldn't help but admire her looks. She had a small body and an innocent face.
'She's cute.'
Drake interrupted his thoughts with a crooked smile.
"Hi," he said, clearly enjoying the fact that Laxus’s time at the restaurant was running out.
Laxus considered telling Henry about his plans to quit after finishing the dishes. With Nessy around, maybe his absence wouldn’t be noticed much. She seemed confident enough to take over his duties.
"Hi!" Nessy greeted them, smiling warmly. Her dimples showed as she glanced between Laxus and Drake.
"Hi," Laxus replied.
"Welcome to our restaurant," Drake said, grinning wildly. He was clearly pleased to see a new face, someone who wouldn’t overshadow him like Laxus did. "Nice to meet you," he added, reaching out for a handshake. His eyes lingered on her, appreciating her presence.
She shook Drake’s hand and replied softly, "Thank you."
"Welcome, Nessy," Laxus added, unsure if he should shake her hand too. But before he could decide, she offered her hand to him. She seemed friendly, so he shook her hand as well. They exchanged brief smiles, and then the room fell silent for a moment.
"Okay, so all introductions are done," Henry said, breaking the silence.
"Do you know where the boss plans to have you work?" Laxus asked.
"I’ll probably just pick a spot that suits me," Nessy shrugged.
""Leave that to me. I’ll show you around,"" Drake quickly interjected, throwing an icy look at Laxus.
"Laxus!" Henry called out, cutting through the tension.
"Yes, sir?" Laxus replied, wondering why he was being singled out.
""The customers loved the burgers today. Some even said they were better than yesterday's. Good job, everyone,"" Henry said, though it was clear that Laxus had done most of the work. Henry’s praise was shared, but Laxus knew who really carried the kitchen.
"Laxus, I need to see you in my office," Henry added, his tone more serious.
Laxus’s mind raced. Had he done something wrong? He put down what he was doing. "Drake, show Nessy the ropes," Henry instructed.
"No problem, Dad. I’ll get right on it,"" Drake said, smiling as if he had just been given a prize.
"Laxus," Henry called again. Laxus nodded and followed his boss to the office.
Henry sat behind his large desk as Laxus walked in. “Have a seat, Laxus,” he said, pointing to the chair in front of him.
Laxus sat down, feeling nervous. Henry pulled out a sheet of paper and started writing on it. Laxus wondered if Henry had discovered his plan to leave.
“Alright,” Henry said, looking up from the paper. ""You were late this morning. That’s against our policy.""
“I’m really sorry,” Laxus said, apologizing for being late. He had overslept, and the fear of Drake revealing his secrets had been overwhelming. ""You said you wanted to talk about something. What’s that about?""
Laxus struggled to find the right words. He didn’t know how to explain that he wanted to quit so soon, especially after everyone had praised his cooking. He didn’t want to disappoint Henry, who had been supportive.
Drake’s angry words echoed in his mind: ""This restaurant is my birthright! You think you can just come in and take my place? Be careful or else…""
Having Drake as an enemy was troubling. Laxus didn’t want to make enemies, especially with someone who could ruin him if his secrets got out. He needed to handle this situation carefully.
Henry called Laxus again, his tone sharper. “Laxus!”
Laxus straightened up, his voice shaky. “Yes, sir?”
“You didn’t hear a word I said,” Henry observed, his eyes narrowing.
“I’m sorry,” Laxus said quickly, trying to sound more confident.
Henry leaned forward, curiosity piqued. “So what’s so urgent that you made my customers wait?”
Laxus took a deep breath, knowing he had to address the issue directly. He was determined to resign, but the reality of his situation made his resolve falter. The thought of losing his income and facing homelessness weighed heavily on him.
He hesitated before speaking. ""I... I need to talk to you about something important.""
Henry’s expression became more focused. “Go on.”
Laxus’s mind raced. He knew that if he quit, it would cause a lot of trouble for both him and Henry. The threat from Drake only complicated things further.
Summoning his courage, Laxus said, ""Actually, I wanted to ask if you could show me the latest recipes for those snacks you mentioned. If you don’t mind…""
Henry looked surprised but relieved. “That’s all?”
“Yes, sir,” Laxus admitted, feeling a mix of embarrassment and relief. “I was worried it might be something worse.”
Henry relaxed and smiled. ""No need to worry. I’m glad it’s just about learning new recipes.""
Laxus felt a sense of relief. He decided to stay at the restaurant for the time being, focusing on improving his skills and handling Drake’s threats as best he could.
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
Rise Of The Rightful Heir Kitchen Rivalry
Laxus left Henry’s office with a relieved smile. He convinced Henry to let him keep the job a little longer, giving him more time to find something else. The day had been long, and he returned to the kitchen, focusing on the last meal orders. As he stirred a pot, his mind drifted to the past few days. He tried to forget about Linnie, but it wasn’t easy.Suddenly, he heard someone grumbling nearby. He looked over and saw the new girl, Nessy, clumsily chopping onions with blood dripping from her finger. She kept cutting, unaware of the injury. Laxus realized she wasn’t as experienced as she had claimed. He sighed and turned back to his work, adding the final touches to the meal.Cooking had always been an escape for him. Back home, he had secretly taken cooking classes behind his father’s back. His father had always looked down on his love for the kitchen, insisting Laxus follow in the family business. Now, here he was, far from home, trying to prove he could make something of himself w
Rise Of The Rightful Heir A Taste Of Triumph
Laxus entered the kitchen and saw Drake sitting with his legs crossed, clearly ignoring the work that needed to be done. Laxus frowned slightly but decided to focus on his own tasks. He grabbed the ingredients and began prepping for the busy day ahead.“Hey, Drake,” Laxus greeted, trying to keep things civil. Drake, however, didn’t respond. His eyes followed Laxus, but he made no move to help. Laxus sighed but kept working, arranging everything for the dishes they needed to prepare.After a few minutes of silence, Laxus glanced at Drake again. ""You're going to help? We’ve got a lot to do before noon, and there’s no way I can handle all this alone.""Drake leaned back in his chair, his expression unbothered. ""I’ll help when I’m ready. Stop trying to boss me around.""“I’m not trying to boss you,” Laxus replied calmly. ""I just think we should get started before the rush hits. We’ve got the company staff coming in soon.""Drake scoffed. ""You love to work hard, don’t you? Go ahead, do
Rise Of The Rightful Heir Tears Of The Forgotten
After the boss handed out the tips as promised, most of the staff began heading home. Laxus stayed behind. He had picked up a few extra hours to add to his income, something he had worked out with the boss earlier. The restaurant had quieted down, leaving Laxus with a bit of solitude to finish up his shift.Once he finished the bulk of his tasks, Laxus headed to the small break room. Exhaustion weighed on him after the long day, so he decided to rest for a bit. He climbed onto the top bunk, shifting around to get comfortable. But no matter how he positioned himself, sleep wouldn’t come. His thoughts were too loud, and the cot was nothing like his bed back home.Frustrated, Laxus pulled out his phone, hoping to pass the time. As he scrolled through social media, an article about his family, the Kinkaids, caught his eye. His heart sank. The headline brought back memories he’d tried hard to leave behind. Curiosity got the better of him, and he clicked on the article.Photos of his family
Rise Of The Rightful Heir Walking In A Stranger's Mansion
Laxus woke up with a severe hangover. He could not remember the last time he got himself this drunk. Actually, the last time had been when he was still living with his family and some days had been harder than others. On those days, Laxus would hide away and soak himself in something strong to make him forget his problems. In all honesty, Laxus had also hated himself times when he had to drink himself into forgetting the kind of family he came from, but since he left home, he hadn’t taken a single sip of alcohol until he stumbled upon the family pictures online.“Ugh, my head hurts,” Laxus cussed. He would have appreciated a steamy cup of coffee with only sugar, no cream; that was his specialty. Apart from the fact that Laxus liked to have that every morning, it also made his hangover less torturous. Then Laxus looked around him. “Damn, where the heck am I?” he asked no one else but himself.The room reminded Laxus of the Kinkaid mansion. For a minute, Laxus thought he was right bac
Rise Of The Rightful Heir A Stranger's Offer
“I know I messed up last night, and I am deeply sorry,” Laxus started to plead immediately. If he was lucky enough, this man would not report his misbehavior to Mr. Henry, Laxus’s boss.The man smiled and walked fully into the room. Then he settled himself comfortably on the settee that was just beside the bed.“You did not mess up last night,” the man said.Laxus was not a fool, neither was he a child. He knew that he must definitely have done something inappropriate the night before; maybe talk too much, dance on the bar table, spill his drink, throw up, or even worse, talk rudely at one of the restaurant’s biggest customers. One report and Laxus knew that he was done for.“I know I did,” Laxus insisted, “You are just trying to make me feel better,” Laxus said. He knew how most people like this operated. They would act as though they were not bothered about unprofessionalism, but the very next day, they would stroll into the working space of that person and ruin the person’s life.
Rise Of The Rightful Heir Unexpected Guest
As Laxus mixed the ingredients to start making hamburgers for the day, he could not shake off the conversation he had with the man in his house. Laxus still did not know the man’s name, as the man did not answer Laxus’s question about his name, or maybe the man had actually told Laxus his name the night he was drunk but could not recall.“Hey, you better hurry up with that,” Drake said as he entered the kitchen. For some days now, Drake had been coming in later than the usual opening time, but no one seemed to have the balls to tell him.""Make your hands work faster and stop acting like a sissy. Soon enough, customers will start trooping in,"" Drake added as he flopped on the chair he usually sat in the kitchen.Laxus decided to ignore him again; he had other things on his mind.The man had told Laxus that they should meet at his house much later when Laxus wasn’t working, so that he would tell Laxus about the deal he had for him. Laxus shivered at the thought of it.""What is it? Do
Rise Of The Rightful Heir Brothers At Odds
Laxus froze in his position.What was his brother doing at the restaurant where he worked? What was his brother doing in Las Vegas?""He was pretty impressed, and he wanted to see the chef making the hamburger. You might get a huge tip, you know.""Laxus heard a voice behind him whisper. Luther was busy with his iPad while he waited, so his head was bent low. Laxus turned and discovered that it was Nessy that was whispering words into his ear. He released a tight smile, because he did not want Nessy to grow suspicious.She seemed like a really smart person, because the first time she witnessed an altercation between Laxus and Drake, she had immediately sensed that something was going on between them, so he needed to make an appearance before she began to ask funny questions.""He seemed like a very wealthy person, Laxus. Like, he basically reeks of wealth and affluence,"" Nessy praised Luther.Laxus’s jaw tightened in annoyance and stark jealousy. He did not realize that hearing someo
Rise Of The Rightful Heir Leave Her Alone
Laxus wiped the kitchen counter with anger and vigor. “Argh!” he growled in annoyance.This was the fifth time that Laxus was wiping the kitchen counter, and it was already as shiny as a diamond, but he still continued to wipe it clean as though it was the first time. Laxus had cleaned the entire kitchen sparkling clean all by himself without waiting for the restaurant cleaner to do it, and all because he was freaking upset.“Damn it!” Laxus’s voice was louder and more painful this time around. The sound of his voice echoed all around the restaurant, as well as his pain and pain. Tears gathered in Laxus’s eyes, and before he could even realize it, they began to fall, and Laxus let them drop. As they dropped on the counter, he wiped them away with vigor and strength. At least now, he had something to actually wipe off the counter.The restaurant closed up completely about an hour ago, and all the staff signed off nearly forty-five minutes ago. Even Mr. Henry himself had closed up and
Latest Chapter
Deeper And Deeper
“You could have gotten yourself killed, Dragon! Why don’t you ever listen to me?” Bowman scolded Dragon angrily as they sat at the back of Bowman’s car, returning to his mansion.Aside from his obvious anger, Bowman sounded frightened, and for the first time, Dragon felt the man’s tough and fierce love towards him, and it almost melted Dragon’s heart. It was good to know that Bowman felt the same way he felt about him.“I always listen to you,” Dragon said, groaning in pain.His entire body hurt from wrestling with Darwin and the parts where Darwin’s vengeful punches hit him hurt like hell, but he was more than grateful that he wasn’t dead instead.“Darwin could have killed you in a heartbeat and you know it,” Bowman continued.“Well then, let’s be thankful of small miracles like whatever he saw on his damn phone that made him to lose focus for a second,” Dragon said.He sounded nonchalant about what just happened, but deep down, he was shaky and relieved at the same time. When Darwin
An Escape, Finally
With shaky fingers, Linnie typed a quick message to Darwin and hoped that it would be enough distraction.She could not think of something else that would work effectively in a moment like this.“My men should have killed you when you tried to save Barrister Dickson from my hands, but they were just so incompetent. I am glad that I get to do it myself, and this time around, with a good reason to back it up,” Darwin said as he pointed the gun towards the intruder.Linnie still couldn’t see his face, which she desperately wanted to, because she wanted to see if he was afraid of dying.“Whatever could be a good reason to become a murderer?” The intruder asked.If he was scared and worried for his life, he was perfect at masking it, because he sounded collected and calm, and Linnie wondered how he could have achieved that, being that she was nervous to death from her hiding place.Aside from the fact that she feared that if she got out of this alive, she might have a permanently damaged k
Good Guess
Unable to express her shock and fear by gasping, Linnie’s mouth fell open.Darwin had a gun with him and she doubted that the other man knew this!She had never seen Darwin with a gun before. Heck, she had never even imagined that he was a gun man. Granted, everyone who knew Darwin knew that he was a dangerous man, but a gun? The way he kept the gun between his belt and waist, it was obvious that he was not an amateur.It then dawned on Linnie that the situation was more dire and dangerous than she had thought it was.Now, Linnie was even more afraid for the intruder’s life than she was for herself. At least, Darwin had no idea that she was in his office as well; neither of the men knew that there was a third party, and if she was lucky, none of them would bother themselves with coming around Darwin’s desk.The thought of Darwin shooting and killing someone in her very presence scared the shit out of Linnie, and she realized that she was not even as strong-hearted and cruel as she had
Some Kinkaid Truths
We meet again, Darwin.”Linnie heard the man say, and even though she could not see him, he did not sound anything remotely resembling someone who was afraid, even though he was the intruder.Linnie wasn’t that surprised, because she already knew that assassins and men that did other people’s dirty works did not live in fear or faced obstacles with trembling. They might get scared at a point, but somehow, they had trained themselves never to display any form of fear, especially in situations like this.The only person who was dying of fear was Linnie herself.She could hear her heart thumping loudly and slamming hard against her ribs, and she worried that with the way her heart was beating, Darwin and the intruder would hear. She was worried that the sound of her beating heart which she was hearing in her ears would attract their attention.Linnie tried to steady her racing heart and put her mind to rest, but she could not. She was right in the face of danger, and she had no idea what
Room For Three
Dragon entered Darwin’s office and met it quiet and calm as expected; it was late by the way, but something made him wary. He had hoped that he would have some difficulty getting the door to open, but then again, the door had been totally unlocked. He knew that Darwin was not a clumsy man who would carelessly leave his office door open, especially considering the fact that he was hiding something.But then again, he never would have thought that Dragon would maneuver his security and enter his office at night, so it might also be possible that he felt safe enough not to lock his office door properly.Now that he had successfully gained entry into Darwin’s office, Dragon took his cell phone and dialed Bowman’s number.Bowman picked almost immediately, as though he had been waiting for Dragon’s call. Anyway, Dragon suspected that Bowman did not stick to the instruction of resting. Rather, he stayed awake and vigilant, waiting to hear from Dragon.“I have been able to get access into hi
Intrusion
Linnie called Darwin and waiting for him to pick up his call. She was calling because she wanted to make sure that she kept records with Darwin. Being the kind of man that he was, Linnie knew without a doubt that if there was a tiny chance that this could swing in her favor, by whichever means, then she would have to let him know what was going on.Darwin picked on the third ring.“What do you want?” He asked grudgingly without waiting for Linnie to say a word after the call connected.“It’s Luther,” Linnie reported. Well, if he wanted to continue being a rude asshole, then she might as well go right to the point. Linnie had no intentions of lingering on the call with him by the way.“What about him? Is he well?” Darwin asked, his voice softening a bit. It was obvious that he cared only about his son, which shouldn’t even come as a surprise to Linnie in the first place.“I think he is seeing Abby Golden,” Linnie reported firmly.“What makes you think that?” Darwin asked impatiently.
Wrong Answers
Linnie was fuming after Luther picked up Abby’s call and left their home.She could not believe the level of audacity and disrespect from him, and it was obvious that he did not care about the consequences of such actions. Linnie had been upset, especially with what happened between them, but she had seen it as an opportunity to get what she wanted. If Luther was cheating on her with Abby Golden, that would be grounds for a favorable divorce for Linnie, because she would leave the sham of a marriage with Luther’s share of the Kinkaid inheritance, and she would not have to worry about being poor and wretched for the rest of her life.More, she would not have to deal with Luther or his sick father, Darwin, and she would be free to fight for Laxus’s love, regardless of the fact that he was now married.So, Linnie had called Detective George and had asked him to trail Luther and keep an eye on him, and of course, bring back the one news that Linnie wanted to hear so badly. She hated Abby
Any Kind Of Favor
Luther would never allow anything to prevent him from taking Abby’s call, including her stare, so in less than an hour, Luther was driving to see Abby. He was more than ecstatic and hopeful and he could barely wait to get to Abby. At this point, Luther did not care whether or not his repercussions would cause him his inheritance as long as he got what he wanted from Abby.As soon as Luther got to the open restaurant, he hurried into the restaurant, seeking Abby’s table.It was an expensive restaurant, no doubt, but it was also open, so at the end of the day, it couldn’t be termed that they met at a private place, although that was what Luther would have preferred.“Thank you for coming,” Abby said the moment Luther got to her and sat down.“No, Abby, I should be the one thanking you for calling and asking to see me,” Luther said, trying so hard not to sound overly excited.As he looked at Abby, he felt his heart crack. She did not look very happy, and he knew that Laxus’s marriage to
Do You Love Me?
Laxus’s convoy was at the airport to pick them up as soon as their flight landed. Since Nessy said what she said, Laxus had been unable to get through to her. It was almost as though she had turned into a stone that could not be penetrated, and it broke Laxus’s heart that they would become this sort of couple.As soon as they got outside the airport and headed towards their car, bloggers and paparazzi gathered around them like flies to a moth.“Welcome back, Mr. Laxus and Mrs. Nessy!” “How was your trip?”“Mr. Laxus, did you get to sign the contract?”“Mrs. Nessy, how does being the wife of Mr. Laxus feel?”Questions kept flying from different angles and corners as Laxus’s bodyguards tried to shield them from the nosiness of the reporters. Laxus noticed that Nessy had gradually held his hand. He was so caught up with trying to avoid the bloggers that he hadn’t when Nessy had taken his hand.Laxus did not resist her hold onto him.Camera lights flashed in their eyes as the bloggers an
