Chapter 7: A web of Deceit

As Tyler stumbled out of the mansion, trying to process the betrayal, he barely noticed the sleek black car speeding up the driveway. Before he could react, the car screeched to a halt, and two men in dark suits jumped out. Strong hands grabbed him, dragging him into the back seat.

He fought back, but their grip was ironclad. A cloth was forced over his mouth, and the last thing he saw was the mansion's grand entrance fading into the distance.

When Tyler awoke, his head throbbed, and he realized he was tied to a chair, his arms bound tightly behind him. A coarse, black cloth covered his eyes, shrouding him in darkness.

"Who's there?" he demanded, his voice echoing in the silence.

A door creaked open, and he heard footsteps approaching. The air grew colder, and he sensed someone standing directly in front of him.

"Tyler," a familiar, cold voice spoke, dripping with disdain.

"I see you're finally awake."

Tyler's heart pounded. "Who are you? What do you want?"

The man chuckled. "You really don't recognize my voice? After all these drama you pull up in villa?"

"Exposing the past secrets about me? Today, I'm going to teach you a lesson my grandma never enforced on you!" Andrew sneered.

He gestured to the two bodyguards, signaling them to remove the cloth covering Tyler’s face.

As the cloth was yanked off and the ropes untied, Tyler blinked, his eyes adjusting to the harsh light. Before he could react, the guards held him in a tight grip, and Andrew stepped forward, his eyes burning with fury.

Andrew gave a quick nod to the bodyguards, and they tightened their hold on Tyler. With a burst of rage, Andrew lunged at Tyler, delivering a vicious kick to his midsection.

But Tyler was ready. He twisted at the last moment, causing Andrew to lose his balance. Andrew, a notorious playboy weakened by his overindulgent lifestyle of drugs and women, couldn't maintain his footing. Tyler's retaliatory kick sent Andrew flying across the room.

"You... you good-for-nothing fallen son-in-law, how dare you fight back?" Andrew spat, fury contorting his face.

Andrew was shocked. In the past three years, he had bullied Tyler on numerous occasions. Even when Andrew humiliated him in front of Emily's family, Tyler never dared to retaliate. Yet today, Tyler, the live-in son-in-law, actually beat up the future successor of the Harrington family.

Tyler used the momentum to break free from the guards' grasp, elbowing one in the ribs and sending him staggering back.

The second guard moved in, but Tyler ducked under his swing and delivered a swift uppercut to his jaw, knocking him out cold. Andrew, now enraged and desperate, charged at Tyler again. This time, Tyler sidestepped and landed a powerful punch to Andrew's face, sending him crashing to the ground.

Breathing heavily, Tyler stood over Andrew, his eyes blazing with determination. "You think you can break me? You've got another thing coming," he growled.

Andrew groaned, struggling to rise, but Tyler planted a firm foot on his chest, holding him down. "This ends now, Andrew," Tyler said, his voice steady and unyielding.

"You're not going to win this."

Andrew, bruised and swollen, clutched his side and limped out of the room, refusing to go to the hospital. This was his chance to turn the tables and win the family's sympathy, especially his grandmother's.

As Tyler dusted off his clothes and reached for his phone, Andrew staggered out, eyes gleaming with a plan. Tyler dialed a number and spoke calmly, "Hello, Charlotte? I'm coming home." He hung up and walked away, leaving Andrew seething in the dust.

****

Battered and bruised, he drove back to the villa. At the same time, Mr Harrington and same others were escorting a Mafia boss out.

"Andrew is back!"

Ms. Kylie, Andrew's mother, spotted the familiar BMW approaching and pointed it out to the family.

Andrew's father, Mr. Richard, approached him, concern etched on his face.

"Andrew, what happened to you?"

Andrew winced, making sure his injuries looked even more severe.

"Father, I was on my way to deliver the government fine issues to Mr. Blackwell, as we all that we have limited time before the government will come run after the family, as you asked, when Tyler attacked me out of nowhere," he lied, injecting as much pain and betrayal into his voice as he could muster.

"He accused me of things I didn't do and said he was going to take everything from us."

Mr. Harrington's eyes narrowed. "Tyler did this to you?"

Andrew nodded, clutching his side.

"Yes, Father. I tried to reason with him, but he was relentless. I barely escaped with the contract intact."

Mr. Harrington's face darkened with anger. "We'll handle this, Andrew. Go see your grandmother. She'll know what to do."

Andrew smirked inwardly, knowing he had planted the seeds of doubt and anger. He made his way to his grandmother's room, exaggerating his limp.

"Grandmother," he called weakly as he entered her room.

"I need to talk to you."

Old Ms. Harrington looked up from her knitting, her eyes softening when she saw his condition.

"Andrew, what happened?"

Andrew lowered his head, letting a single tear fall.

"Tyler, Grandmother. He attacked me. I tried to stop him, but he's out of control. He said terrible things about our family and tried to sabotage the deal with Mr. Blackwell."

Ms. Harrington's eyes widened with shock and concern. "Oh, Andrew. Come here, let me see those bruises."

Andrew moved closer, ensuring his injuries were visible. "I just want our family to be safe, Grandmother. I never wanted any of this."

Ms. Harrington's expression hardened with resolve.

"Don't worry, Andrew. We'll make sure Tyler never hurts our family again."

Andrew leaned into her embrace, hiding his smirk. He had played his part perfectly, and now the family would rally around him, casting Tyler as the villain.

Ms. Harrington's expression hardened with resolve. "Richard!" she called out sharply.

Andrew's father, Richard, walked back to where they were seating, his face a mask of anger.

"Yes, Mother?"

Ms. Harrington's eyes blazed. "I know you have some friends in the triads. Ask them to teach that beast a hard lesson and bring him back here!"

Richard's jaw clenched as he looked at the wounds on his son's face. The sight made him wish he could skin Tyler alive.

"Yes, Mother," he replied, his voice cold with determination. He immediately stepped out away and dialed a number on his phone.

A gruff voice answered on the other end. "Richard, what do you need?"

"I need a favor," Richard said, his voice hard.

"There's a man named Tyler. I want him taught a lesson and brought back here. Make sure he understands the consequences of crossing the Harringtons."

"Consider it done," the voice replied.

Richard hung up the phone and returned to his son and mother. "It's handled. Tyler won't know what hit him."

Andrew leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. Soon, Tyler would pay for daring to defy him.