2024-12-10 17:09:46Laxus 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 is about more than your feelings. You will do as you're told.""
Laxus stood there, his anger growing as he realized how powerless he was. ""You don’t care about what I want. You never have.""
Darwin’s expression remained cold. ""This is not about you, Laxus. It’s about what’s best for the family.""
Darwin Kinkaid had always ruled his family with an iron fist. His word was final, and no one questioned his authority. But when he commanded Laxus Kinkaid to hand over his fiancée to his brother Luther, Laxus couldn’t bring himself to comply.
Laxus had always followed his father’s orders, doing everything asked of him without protest. But this time, it was too much to bear. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, anger simmering just below the surface. If anyone else had made such a demand, Laxus wouldn’t have hesitated to throw a punch that would send them straight to the hospital. But this was his father.
"Why Luther?" Laxus thought, his mind racing as he unintentionally spoke his thoughts aloud, his frustration boiling over.
""It’s always Luther, isn’t it, Dad? Luther here, Luther there. Am I not part of this family too?"" Laxus asked, his tone laced with bitterness. ""Why does he get the family fortune? All the praise for my efforts, and now my fiancée? Why does he always end up with everything without lifting a finger? Just why?"
He pointed an accusing finger at his father, trying to justify his feelings of injustice. ""Father, I’ve always done everything you’ve asked. I’ve gone out of my way to meet your demands. Why this unreasonable request?"" Laxus pleaded, hoping to make his father see reason, but Darwin remained unmoved. His decision was already made.
Laxus stood there, unsure of what to do next. Should he beg his father, refuse him outright, or confront him? One thing was certain, he wasn’t going to accept this decision without a fight.
""Please, Father, listen to me. We’ve already started planning our wedding. The cake is ordered, our attire is bought, the honeymoon is booked, everything is set. The wedding is only a week away,"" he pleaded.
""In that case, there’s no need to buy more items for the wedding. We’ll use it all for your brother. Continue the preparations, Laxus,"" Mr. Darwin instructed nonchalantly.
Laxus couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Not only was he being told to give up his fiancée to his brother, but now he was also expected to plan the wedding that should have been his own. The thought of it all infuriated him even more.
""Linne will never agree to marry Luther. She loves me, and you know that. She will never agree to this!"" Laxus declared with resolve and confidence. He and Linne had been together for almost three years, and he was certain she wouldn’t go along with his father’s absurd decision. After all, his father might have been able to force him to give up Linne, but he couldn’t force Linne to marry Luther.
Mr. Darwin laughed quietly. "Son, Linne has already agreed, which is why I’m telling you this."
""That’s a lie, Father! You’re trying to fool me into believing you!"" Laxus roared back, refusing to believe it. He knew his father could resort to deceit to get what he wanted.
Mr. Darwin stood silent through Laxus’s ranting, only replying afterward. "Why don’t we call her to confirm that?"
He spoke with such confidence that it made Laxus uneasy, as if his father knew something he didn’t.
""Send in Linne. I want her here right now,"" Mr. Darwin said into the phone on his desk.
Laxus felt a pang of dread in his chest as he listened to his father. He was surprised to learn that Linne was already at the mansion. Why hadn’t she told him she was there?
But it didn’t matter. He was sure Linne would refuse his father’s decision.
Linne entered the room gracefully, standing beside Mr. Darwin and Laxus. Her presence calmed Laxus’s anger, as it always did.
"Linne, I need you to—" Laxus started, but stopped when his father gave him a stern look. He didn’t dare say more.
Mr. Darwin cleared his throat and turned to Linne. "Linne, tell Laxus who you’ll be marrying next week."
Laxus looked at Linne, hoping she would deny it. But she didn’t meet his eyes. Instead, she looked at the floor.
Finally, she said, "I’m really sorry, Laxus, but I’ve agreed to marry Luther."
Laxus froze, unable to speak.
""Linne… but… how? Why? Were you forced? You can talk to me,"" he asked, his voice trembling. Tears filled his eyes. "Did I do something wrong?"
Linne said nothing, still staring at the ground.
"Linne," he called softly.
"Linne, answer me," he repeated, his voice desperate.
When she stood silent, he snapped. "Look at me, dammit!" he shouted, his voice full of pain. He had believed she would stand by him, but she had confirmed his worst fear.
Tears streamed down his face as he looked at her.
""How much did he pay you, Linne? What did he offer to make you accept?"" Laxus asked, his voice shaky as he approached her.
Linne turned away, avoiding his gaze. ""I’m sorry, Laxus. I can’t continue with you," she said.
"But why?" he asked, reaching out to her.
"I’m sorry," she repeated, stepping further away.
"Linne…" His voice faltered.
"That’s enough!" Mr. Darwin snapped. "You will not humiliate my daughter-in-law in my presence."
Laxus was stunned, unable to believe what was happening.
Linne bowed to Mr. Darwin and left the room without looking back. Laxus watched her leave, then turned to his father, tears streaming down his face. Anger and betrayal surged within him.
Mr. Darwin cleared his throat. "Now that this is settled, double the wedding plans—"
"You have the nerve!" Laxus interrupted, shouting. ""You’ve never cared for me. You just control me like a puppet. Now you want me to plan my brother’s wedding? I won’t do it!"" He stormed out of the room, ignoring his father’s calls.
Laxus headed to the garage, got into his car, and drove off with no destination in mind. Tears blurred his vision as he drove, his heart heavy.
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
Rise Of The Rightful Heir No Longer A Kinkaid
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
Rise Of The Rightful Heir A Kinkaid In Disguise
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
Rise Of The Rightful Heir Drake's Ultimatum
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
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.
Latest Chapter
Not Fast Enough
Darwin and Luther waited for Detective George in Darwin’s office. They had been able to find out the person who sent an anonymous tip to the cops stating that he had viable evidence against Laxus and knew exactly what happened to Gary, and as usual, Darwin had swung into action.Darwin wanted that information first, because now, he did not want to only have Laxus arrested, and that was what the cops would do if they eventually got hold of that testimony and evidence before him. initially, that was what Darwin had wanted, so that Laxus would be ruined, but with the kind of backing that Laxus now had, Darwin knew that Laxus would not spend more than two hours in jail even after getting arrested.What Darwin wanted was to get hold of the information, use it to blackmail and threaten Laxus personally, without the presence of his new god, into surrendering all that he had been given and disappear from limelight forever.“How much longer are we going to wait for Detective George to bring th
Revived Passion
Laxus stayed in his bedroom all night and even until the morning, and even after freshening up, he still remained in his bedroom.He couldn’t even go to the company knowing what the blogs were saying and the lawsuit against him. Over the night, Laxus contemplated going to Darwin and confronting him, but he ended up changing his mind before morning. First of all, he had no desire to set his eyes on Darwin, Luther, or even Linnie, and so far, he had been lucky, so he would not set a trap for himself by going to them. Besides, Bowman already assured Laxus that he would take care of it, and Laxus had come to trust Bowman wholeheartedly and completely.However, as Laxus stayed in his bedroom, he was bored already, even though it was still morning.“What would I do with myself now?” Laxus asked himself.He felt like an invalid just staying indoors and doing nothing on a workday. Laxus wasn’t naturally a lazy man, he preferred to always work, which was why even when he pulled out of the Kin
Two Captains In A Boat
Bowman sat at the backseat in one of his cars with Dragon as his convoy drove over to Darwin’s house. “You said you never wanted to see him face to face again, except it is to kill him,” Dragon said, reminding Bowman of what he said years ago.The drive so far had been quiet, and now, they were even closer to Darwin’s house. Bowman had appreciated the silence, because it gave him time to think deeply, and he had thought that Dragon, who understood him more than anyone else, was giving him the space to do just that, but Bowman was wrong, and he almost groaned out loud when he heard Dragon speak.It was night, which was the perfect time to have whatever meeting he wanted to have with Darwin.“And I haven’t changed that,” Bowman simply said, knowing that if he did not respond to Dragon, he might keep pushing.Sometimes, Dragon could be a real pain in the butt that Bowman could not get rid of.“So we are going in there to kill him?” Dragon asked, a tinge of excitement in his voice.Bowma
Firm Declaration
Linnie had stayed locked up in her room since the doctor broke the news to not just her, but Darwin and Luther.She could still recall the look of excitement and relief on Luther’s face and the look of anger and disappointment on Darwin’s face. Linnie had never felt so humiliated and embarrassed in her entire existence before. In her defense, she had demanded for another test.Maybe Luther might have tried to swing the result, especially being the fact that he did not want Linnie to get pregnant, this was the family hospital and as such, the family doctor might lightly do whatever Luther asked him to do, and the test appointment was pre-booked before today, so Linnie had vehemently demanded for another impromptu test to be carried out on her right there and then; she knew exactly the way she was feeling.Darwin had angrily accepted, and Linnie had selected another random doctor in the hospital and of course, a different laboratory, and they all stayed right there and then so that she
It is Time
“This is preposterous and outrageous!” Laxus said, yelling at the top of his voice in Bowman’s living room.He had left the company right after Detective George served him the charge and left. Laxus was still holding the letter from the court, but he was burning with rage.“Calm down, Laxus,” Bowman said gently, trying to calm Laxus down.“How can you ask me to calm down? The lies they published on the blogs about me is bad enough, but this is just hell and it is going to ruin things!” Laxus said, still fuming and pacing while Bowman just sat still and watched Laxus vent.“You haven’t even touched your drink or sit down since you got here,” Bowman said.He was infuriated at how the whole thing turned out. He was enraged that Darwin was clearly gaining the upper hand. He had suspected that Darwin was the one who had sent someone to go after Laxus; who else would anyway? He just didn’t state his suspicions to Laxus because he wasn’t exactly sure yet, and Laxus was still blindly in the d
After The Elevating News...
Nessy, as usual, lingered after everyone had closed for the night. She used the excuse of cleaning up and arranging things just to stay longer than necessary, urging the other waitresses to leave.Nessy was turning over the tables when Mr. Henry walked up to her, ready to leave.“Nessy, you are always working so hard and diligently too,” he commended.Nessy smiled, because she knew that she was putting in all her efforts into ensuring that she did the best that she could. It was not just because she had no place to lay her head at night or because she was worried about being jobless and penniless that made her work so hard, no. Nessy was naturally a diligent and hardworking person, even when she lived with her parents and served Gary. “I do my best,” Nessy said humbly.“I have been watching you since I employed you. When you were waiting tables with the other waitresses, you were exceptional at what you did and how you attended to the customers, and when things started to go badly fo
Audacity At Its Peak
Laxus saw the look in the detective’s eyes and he decided that he was not going to condone any insolence or disrespect from him.When he worked at Mr. Henry’s restaurant was different from now. Detective George had the nerve to bully him at that time because Laxus had no money, power, and connection, but that was not the same anymore, which just happened to how the system worked, even though Laxus hated it.It was just rotten that people who were poor and helpless got treated like trash by the law, but the wealthy and famous could easily hide their evildoings and get away with breaking the law.“You don’t have an appointment,” Laxus said, his jaw tight with anger.“Come on, Laxus, I am a detective, and as such, I don’t need a permission or a bloody appointment to see anyone,” Detective George said with a coy grin playing on his lips.“I am Mr. Laxus, Detective George, and you will either accord me that respect or I will have my team of security guards throw you out. Do you even have a
Squashed!
Linnie was still in a bubbly mood that morning, so much so that she could hardly contain her joy.Her hospital appointment with Darwin and Luther to confirm her pregnancy was scheduled for this morning; in an hour’s time, actually, and Linnie was taking her time to get dressed.She still had the image of Darwin and Luther’s expression yesterday in her head. Darwin had obviously been pleased, but her husband on the other hand, had seemed as though something horrible had just happened to him. Linnie was overjoyed, because it was obvious now that Luther never wanted her to get pregnant so that he could be taunting her for the rest of his life, and also have a reason to kick her out of the Kinkaid family, and she was just happy that again, she had been able to disappoint him.It was even preposterous that he would accuse her of not getting pregnant when they both slept in separate rooms and never had sex. Well, one thing that Luther would realize at the end of the day was that Linnie was
We Meet Again
Laxus was on his way to work when Bowman called him.“Where are you?” Bowman asked.“On my way to work,” Laxus answered.He was eve surprised that Bowman was asking him that kind of question; it was a work day, and it was early in the morning, and Bowman knew that Laxus would either be at work or on his way to work at this time. He wondered why Bowman was asking.“I thought you would be taking the day off,” Bowman said with deep concern in his voice.“Why would I want to do that?” Laxus asked Bowman.He understood that Bowman was worried about him because of what happened the day before, but after staying with Bowman and sleeping it off, Laxus woke up feeling better. Besides, Laxus would not allow an attack on his life stop him from doing his job. It wasn’t even as though he was attacked at the company, so why should he be taking the day off?“You were pretty shaken yesterday, Laxus. I am astonished that you are even up already,” Bowman said.“I already slept it off, Bowman. I am good
