THE RETURN HEIR

Chapter 03

Max stood outside the Sky Golden Hotel, every word Lily had spoken replaying painfully in his mind. Her cold, indifferent voice cut deeper than he’d ever imagined possible. The woman he had poured his heart into had ended their relationship publicly, dismissing him as easily as a stranger.

"Lily… why would you do this to me?" he asked, his voice breaking.

Lily sighed, her gaze flat and uncaring. “Max, I’ve made it clear. I need a life that you could never give me. David can. I’m with him now, and it’s for the best.” Her words dripped with finality, her disinterest a knife twisting in Max’s chest. She met his gaze one last time, her voice as cold as her stare. “Goodbye, Max.”

Max felt the weight of her rejection, his chest tight and breaths shallow as he struggled to process the betrayal. But before he could even respond, David stepped forward, positioning himself protectively in front of Lily, a smirk on his face.

“Looks like you’ve been dumped, Max,” David sneered, folding his arms. “Why don’t you just accept it? Go back to your dorm, maybe scrape up a few coins for dinner.”

Max’s fists tightened, anger flaring through his veins, but he tried to hold back. “This isn’t about you, David,” he said, his voice shaking with pain. “This is between me and Lily.”

David’s smirk only grew. “Well, too bad, because Lily’s mine now. And frankly, she deserves someone who can take care of her.” He glanced at Max’s clothes, his eyes filled with contempt. “You’re nothing, Max. Just a poor, pathetic kid playing pretend in a world you’ll never belong to.”

Max took a step forward, his voice laced with hurt and desperation. “Lily… please, tell me this isn’t real.”

Lily looked away, her face impassive. She didn’t utter a word, just held David’s hand tighter.

David scoffed. “Take a hint, Max. You’re done here.” With a sudden, forceful shove, he pushed Max backward, causing him to stumble.

That was the last straw. Max’s self-control snapped, and he lunged forward, grabbing David by the collar. In seconds, the air was filled with the sounds of fists landing, each blow carrying the weight of Max’s betrayal, heartbreak, and pent-up rage. David’s training in martial arts quickly showed, but years of physical labor had made Max strong and resilient. He landed punch after punch, ignoring the pain in his own knuckles as David staggered back, struggling to defend himself.

People around them gasped, phones emerging to capture the chaos, and within moments, the fight was live-streaming on Groove, watched by students across the campus. Comments flooded the screen:

User123: “Is that Max Reid? Poor guy’s going through it…”

LilyFan89: “Can’t believe he thought Lily would stay with him. So delusional.”

RichKid22: “David’s wiping the floor with him! Serves him right.”

But Max couldn’t hear or see any of it. The humiliation, the anger, the heartbreak—it all exploded as he threw another punch, finally landing David on the ground, his face bruised and bleeding. Max’s breaths came in shallow gasps, his vision blurring with emotion as he glared down at David.

“Stop it!” Lily’s panicked voice cut through his haze, and Max looked up to see her fumbling for her phone. “Security! We need security now!” She yelled, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger.

In seconds, two hotel security guards arrived, forcing themselves between the two men. One of the guards seized Max by the shoulders, jerking him back before landing a sharp slap across his face.

Max’s head snapped to the side, and he blinked, dazed. His cheek stung from the slap, but it was nothing compared to the sight in front of him. Lily was watching him, her face twisted with disgust and disdain, as if she couldn’t bear to look at him.

Another slap landed, and Max staggered backward, his chest heaving as he struggled to breathe. He felt numb, the weight of betrayal settling like a stone in his heart.

“Lily…” he murmured, barely able to form the words. He searched her face, desperate for even a glimmer of the affection they’d once shared. But there was none. She was done with him.

“Get him out of here,” Lily said coldly to the guards, her gaze filled with contempt. “I don’t ever want to see him again.”

The guards tightened their grip on Max’s arms, but he barely felt it. All he could do was stare at Lily, trying to understand how the girl he loved could look at him with such disdain. The reality of it was almost too much to bear.

As he was dragged back, Max caught sight of David, who was slowly getting to his feet with a vicious glare. Blood trickled from his nose and lip, but his eyes held a dark promise. “You’re going to regret this, Reid,” David spat, his voice low and filled with venom. “I’ll make sure you pay for this humiliation.”

Lily rushed to David’s side, her hands fluttering over his injuries, her concern evident. “David, I’m so sorry,” she said softly. “Are you alright?”

David’s face softened slightly as he looked at her. “I’m fine. Just a little scratch. But that… peasant will pay.”

The weight of betrayal settled heavily on his shoulders as he turned away from the hotel. Each step felt like he was moving through a nightmare, the sting of Lily’s final words still fresh in his mind.

I was never enough, he realized, a hollow emptiness expanding within him. No matter how hard I tried, I was never enough for her.