Laxus stepped into his father's study, his confusion clear. Darwin Kinkaid stood by the large oak desk, his expression unreadable."Father, why did you call me here?" Laxus asked.Darwin looked at him with a stern gaze. ""You're here because there's a change in plans. Linne will marry Luther next week.""Laxus stared at his father, not sure if he had heard him correctly. ""What? That can't be true. Linne and I are supposed to marry soon."""It is true," Darwin replied coldly. "It's been decided."Laxus’s hands clenched into fists. ""But I love her. This isn’t fair!"""Fairness has nothing to do with it," Darwin said, his tone firm. "This is what needs to happen."Laxus shook his head in disbelief. ""You can't just order this. We were supposed to be married. Why would you do this to me?"""This isn't up for debate, Laxus," Darwin replied. "It’s final."Laxus’s voice wavered with frustration. ""You can’t just take away my future like this. Linne is mine!""Darwin’s eyes narrowed. ""This
Laxus walked into a bar, feeling broken. He slumped onto a barstool. ""My strongest drink,"" he muttered.The bartender handed him a bottle, and Laxus drank straight from it, taking large gulps."What’s a Kinkaid doing here?" a voice taunted behind him.Laxus ignored it, focusing on his drink."Oh wait, he’s not really a Kinkaid," the voice mocked again, followed by laughter.Laxus snapped. He smashed the bottle into the man’s face, and a brawl erupted. Fueled by anger and alcohol, Laxus lashed out at anyone who got in his way.Eventually, he stumbled out of the bar, bloodied but determined. He wasn’t going to take any more abuse.He got into his car and drove straight into the bar, crashing through the front.The bar was rendered into ruins as Laxus struggled to exit the car, and just as he managed to do just that, the car exploded, sending him flying across the street. Laxus heard voices and sirens, which made him struggle to open his eyes. He adjusted to the bright light as his vi
Laxus arrived in Las Vegas, hoping for a fresh start. He had left the Kinkaid mansion with nothing but the clothes on his back. As expected, all his accounts linked to the Kinkaids were frozen, a clear move by his father. Despite having earned the money legally, it didn't matter because of the Kinkaid name attached to them. His father was likely trying to show him that he couldn’t survive without the family’s help.Fortunately, Laxus had a small amount stashed away in a separate account under a different name. It wasn't much compared to his frozen accounts, but it was enough to rent a modest apartment, buy a few clothes, and cover basic meals for a week. The reality hit hard. He needed a job fast, or he’d end up on the streets.He laughed bitterly at the irony. Just days ago, he had more than enough to eat, even if he wasn’t treated well. Now, he was starting from scratch, determined to make it on his own.Laxus hurried through the crowded streets, holding his coat over his head to sh
Laxus 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 pan
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
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
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
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
“Who are you, and why would you ask me to get into your car just like that?” Laxus asked, his voice almost quivering in fear.He looked around, hoping to see passersby like him who could help him, but mysteriously, Laxus was the only one walking the pedestrian lane that morning, or maybe he had been the only one, but he didn’t realize it until now. Laxus had no idea who this person was or who had sent him, and he was already out here in the street long enough to know how dangerous and deadly it could be. When he was still under the wealth and protection of the Kinkaid family name, Laxus always moved with drivers and bodyguards, so he never knew how dangerous and cold the outside world was.“Don’t be stubborn,” the bodyguard warned sternly.He glared at Laxus, and Laxus feared for his life instantly. He was alone on this path, and it was still very early; if he proved stubborn, he could get killed right here and his body dumped without mercy. Laxus was going through so much, but the la
It took Laxus some time to be able to get over his shock.“Excuse me sir, but that is a blatant lie!” Laxus said defensively.The recipe he had been using to make hamburgers that had been making customers troop into the restaurant was his grandmother’s secret recipe which Laxus had inherited from her when she died. Often times, when he was much younger, he usually spent time with his grandmother at the Kinkaid family mansion. What a lot of people didn’t know was that Laxus’s maternal grandmother was the head behind the Kinkaid Distillery company. She had inherited it from her father who didn’t live long enough to build the company to its peak, and out of love, had allowed her husband to be the face of the company while she stayed at home to take care of their two daughters, Laxus’s mother and her younger sister, while still brainstorming for the company.As the business grew and expanded over the years, what people didn’t know was that it was divided into two companies; the Kinkaid Di
As Laxus laid on his couch that night while Nessy slept on his small bed, he could not stop thinking about what Nessy had said.“…someone really special and close to my heart used to work for them.”Was it a relative or a lover? Laxus could not tell, and it troubled him greatly. He could not find sleep, and he could not stop thinking about it either. He earnestly wanted to find what employee of the Kinkaid company the person was, but Laxus knew that asking those questions might put him in the light of things, which he didn’t want. With only a few hours that he had spent alone with Nessy, he already knew that she was not just a chatty and merry-go-round kind of girl. She was also smart, and she would definitely figure out something. Also, tears had gathered in her eyes, and since Laxus could not stand a crying woman, he lad let the matter die.Still, Laxus wanted to know by every means possible.He could not guarantee that and Nessy would be on speaking terms now that he had helped her
“Are you okay?” Nessy asked, shocked at Laxus’s reaction to her question.Laxus quickly got over his initial shock and he bent low and picked up the spoon that had fallen to the ground. He did not expect to be asked that question, considering the fact that he was going over and beyond to keep his identity as a Kinkaid private. First of all, this was the exact reason he did not want to have anyone in his space. Laxus deliberately did not make any friends since he moved down here, because he was trying to avoid situations like this, and if Nessy hadn’t been stranded, he would never have invited her to his apartment. Secondly, Laxus did not realize that he still had a pen from the family company with him. He guessed that was the only thing of the Kinkaid clan that he had with him. Recalling now, the Kinkaid Distillery company pen had always been in his pocket every single day right from the time he started using pen to write when he was a kid, so it was only natural that he would have ha
As soon as they began to walk towards Laxus’s apartment, he began to regret his decision. A lot of things could go wrong; as if a lot of things were not already going wrong.They walked to Laxus’s apartment in silence. When they arrived at his front door some minutes later, their boots had already gathered some snow that was already beginning to fall.“We would have frozen out there waiting for a taxi,” Nessy said. She sounded like her old self; the Nessy Laxus knew.Laxus ignored her completely. He opened the door with his key and urged her to get into the house, but Nessy stood still without moving.""Come on, I am really not down for any attitude tonight. You agreed to spend the night at my apartment for your own safety, didn’t you?"" Laxus’s tone was harsh and visibly upset. He was also impatient, and he did not intend to hold out his door for long, because he would hate to invite the cold into his small apartment.Then it dawned on Laxus that, perhaps, Nessy had thought that he s
After Drake stalked off, Laxus turned to leave. He still hadn’t forgotten his own pains, predicament and troubles. Also, he still hadn’t forgotten that the same Nessy had been drooling and gushing over his half-brother, but as he turned to walk away, he heard Nessy whimpering.Groaning internally and in frustration, Laxus turned and saw that Nessy was visibly shaking. Laxus would have thought that she was cold, after all the weather was chilly, but it was not enough to cause an adult to shiver, especially one like Nessy who wore a jacket as thick as his.“What are you doing here at this time of the night and with Drake?” Laxus’s voice was gruff and hostile, but instead of Nessy answering his question, she burst into tears.“Oh God, not tonight,” Laxus grumbled to himself. He had just finished shedding his own ocean of tears, and he was not about to watch someone else do theirs. Besides, one thing Laxus could not stand was watching a woman cry. It was one of his greatest weaknesses; on
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
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
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