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.Meanwhile, Tyler, unaware of the storm brewing against him, made his way home. He took a shortcut through a secluded alleyway, his mind preoccupied with the day's events. As he turned the corner, three men stepped out of the shadows, blocking his path."Tyler, right?" the leader of the group said, cracking his knuckles. "We've got a message for you from the Harringtons."Tyler's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. "I don't want any trouble," he said, trying to stay calm."Too late for that," the leader sneered. "You crossed the wrong family."Before Tyler could react, one of the men swung a bat towards him. Tyler ducked just in time, but the second man lunged at him, catching him off guard. A fierce struggle ensued, with Tyler fighting back with everything he had.However, Tyler dodged the incoming punches from the leader, who was covered in tattoos, with ease. He leaped onto the alleyway's railing effortlessly and then kicked one of the attackers in the face."Damn! This as
Old Ms. Harrington turned to Andrew and said, "I'm sorry, Andrew. I know I was the one who put you in this mess!" Her voice was firm as she embraced Andrew in a tight hug. "I won't allow that to happen to you anymore!" Andrew nodded his head, tears welling up. "Grandmother, I'm also sorry for the shame I brought to today's celebration. I was just trying to protect myself from the man who was bullying me, saying I had to pay up for the drug money I owed him, even after I said I wasn't into drugs anymore! After that, he tried to kill me!" "I know, Andrew. You can't kill anyone; it was just self-defense, wasn't it?" Old Ms. Harrington asked, her voice gentle but strong. A devilish smile played on Andrew's face. "Yes, Grandma. I can't kill anyone," he said, lifting his head. Old Ms. Harrington held Andrew's face in her hands, looking deeply into his eyes. "How was the agreement between you and Mr. Blackwell? I hope the government has pardoned our family!" she asked, her voice full
"Please continue enjoying yourselves while I have a little conversation with my family," Old Ms. Harrington said, her voice calm yet authoritative. "And I apologize for any discomfort I may have caused." She smiled warmly, her eyes sweeping over the guests, who responded with nods and encouraging smiles.As she made her way toward the private sitting room, her children and grandchildren followed her immediately, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern. Old Ms. Harrington’s composed demeanor reassured the guests, and they resumed their mingling, the hum of conversation and clinking of glasses filling the air once more.Old Ms. Harrington paused at the doorway, turning back to give one last, reassuring smile before disappearing into the room, her family trailing behind. The grand chandelier cast a warm glow over the gathering, and the soft music playing in the background created an elegant ambiance.Inside the private sitting room, Old Ms. Harrington took a deep breath, ready
Andrew cut off Old Ms. Harrington with a smirk. “Haha! Drunk? Emily, don’t take this the wrong way, but you share some of the blame. You never let Tyler get close to you in the four years you were married. Even if you’re beautiful, it doesn’t matter if he can’t be with you. No wonder Tyler spent the night with Agnes!”Emily’s mother couldn’t stay silent any longer. “Andrew, that’s unfair. Emily’s status is far above Tyler’s. If she had been intimate with that disgraced son-in-law, it would have been an insult to her. It would have tainted her.”Andrew scoffed. “You’re just trying to keep her pure so she can marry a wealthy man after you find a way to get rid of Tyler, aren’t you?”Ms. Jenner said, "You...""Any word from you again, and you're going out!" Old Ms. Harrington hollered. "Even if Emily is like that, he has no reason to have an affair! What does he take our family for? I can't wait for that beast to arrive here!"After saying old Ms Harrington reach to her stroked poodles
As Tyler and Nicholson arrived back at the villa, the atmosphere grew tense. The grand estate loomed ahead, its elegant facade belying the turmoil within. The car came to a halt, and before Tyler could gather his thoughts, two mafia members swiftly moved in. They grabbed him roughly by the arms, holding him tightly as they yanked him out of the car. The forceful grip sent a jolt of pain through Tyler's shoulders, but he bit back any signs of discomfort.The men dragged Tyler across the gravel driveway, his feet barely touching the ground. His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline surging as he struggled against their iron grip. His mind raced, searching for a way to escape, but the mafia members' firm hold left him little room to maneuver.At that moment, the door to the villa opened, and Old Ms. Harrington emerged, followed closely by the rest of the family, coming from the private room. Their expressions ranged from curiosity to contempt as they took in the sight before them. Old
"You insolent fool! Kneel before me this instant!" commanded Old Ms. Harrington, her voice dripping with authority."Do you think you can break the family's laws and walk away without consequence? You fool!""Family rules! What rules!" Tyler exclaimed, defiant.Old Ms. Harrington's eyes narrowed, but there was a glimmer of understanding in her gaze. "Have you forgotten the agreement you signed with our family? Three years ago, when you became a son-in-law of the Harrington family, you vowed to accept our family's rules and face the consequences if you ever betrayed us. Does that vow still bind you?"Tyler stood tall, his voice steady. "It absolutely does."A nod of acknowledgment came from Ms. Harrington. "Very well, then you understand your offense," she said, her voice calm but firm. "Bring me the 'Judgment Rod." At her command, Richard produced a long, intricately carved rod, a symbol of the family's history and tradition.The Judgment Rod, passed down through generations, was mo
"Sir, you're under arrest for the murder you committed," a police officer's voice echoed through the night air. The wail of ambulance sirens and the flashing red and blue lights of the police cars bathed the surroundings in an eerie glow."You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court," the officer recited, his hand hovering over his holstered gun, finger poised on the trigger."Turn around, hands in the air!" he barked, his voice firm and commanding.Tyler complied reluctantly, raising his hands to rest atop his head in a gesture of surrender. Despite his cooperation, the officer advanced aggressively, thrusting Tyler's head forcefully against the unyielding surface of the police car's bonnet. Bound by handcuffs, his arms contorted behind his back, Tyler's eyes met those of his brother-in-law Andrew, whose once immaculate clothes now bore crimson stains, betraying his involvement as the mastermind behind this unfolding chaos.The offi
The loud clang of the gate slamming shut jolted Tyler back to reality. He watched Diego return to his post, then shifted his gaze to the mansion entrance, where red and blue lights flickered through the downstairs windows, casting an ominous glow.Fueled by hope, Tyler tried to force his way through the gate. He imagined his wife's family throwing a welcome-back party, explaining why no one had picked him up at the prison entrance they were too busy preparing a surprise celebration. He clung to the belief that his wife, Emily, still loved him and that their bond was unbroken. However, his efforts were futile; the gate was securely locked by Diego, leaving Tyler frustrated and defeated.After a few minutes in the scorching sun on Haight Street, Tyler slumped against a waste bin, feeling hopeless. Suddenly, the click of the gate unlocking made him lift his head, wondering who was on the other side.That's when he saw her—a maid in a black top and Nike trousers, holding a black trash can