2023-09-07 12:36:04Silence.
"Teddy?" A brief pause followed, "There's only one Teddy I know."
"It's me, Uncle Gray" Zade responded.
"Oh my goodness, Zade!" The once sleepy voice was replaced with an excited shriek. A small smile danced on Zade's lips.
"Where have you been, son? It's been three years!" Gray exclaimed.
A tinge of guilt hit him.
"The last time I saw you, you were fawning over a girl you met in college," his uncle continued, in a light tone that held no malice.
"We are divorced now," Zade sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with slight irritation.
He didn't want to transfer his aggression to his innocent uncle. Especially since the man was nice enough to forgive him for ghosting everyone.
"You got married?"
"It's a long story, uncle. We will discuss that when I come home. For now, I need a favor," Zade answered.
"What could that be?" Gray asked, curiously.
"I need you to buy a company. Pixton Corp. It'll roughly cost you a couple of millions," Zade told him.
"Is that all?"
"Yes, uncle. I'll pay you back in no time," Zade added.
"You don't need to repay me, son. You're family. Consider it done," Gray chuckled.
Gray Carter was the CFO of P-TEX, one of the richest technology consortia in the country. A local company like Pixton Corp was a piece of cake to him.
He was more concerned about his nephew's return.
Since Zade eloped three years ago, abandoning his duties as heir to the Delamonte empire, he couldn't stop worrying.
Zade was the only son of his only sister and the heir to the Delamonte empire.
He was supposed to get married to the daughter of an Army General but he claimed his college girlfriend was a better option.
When his grandfather, Zachary Delamonte, refused, he eloped with the girl after his graduation.
Zachary had been furious and ordered everyone to stand down and let him go.
Since then, no one heard anything from him and his grandfather wouldn't budge.
It was relieving to know that Zade was hale and hearty. His parents and everyone else had been worried sick.
"When will you come home, son? Everyone is waiting…" Gray asked again and Zade sighed.
It hurt him to think that he gave up everything, the luxurious life, the power, the wealth, and everything else that came with being a Delamonte, and in the end, Roselia betrayed him because of a mere managerial position.
"...well everyone except Sarah. The engagement was canceled and as you can already guess, they loathe you very much for disappointing their daughter," Gray continued lightly with no malice in his voice.
Zade felt sorry for her. Even if he didn't meet Roselia, their union would never happen.
He wasn't a fan of arranged marriages.
He could only hope they would move on and let their daughter marry a man who would love her back.
"Soon, Uncle. I have to go now."
Just as he hung up, Roselia walked out of the building, hand-in-hand with Ryan.
Zade scoffed on sighting them, tucking his phone in his pocket.
Ryan's broken nose and busted lips didn't give him as much satisfaction as he hoped.
When they stopped in front of him, he noticed the bleeding by the side of Ryan's face. It was probably from the vase he used earlier.
"You will pay for this, I promise. Just wait and see… I won't let this slide!" Ryan threatened in a seething growl.
Roselia shot Zade a pleading glance but he ignored her.
He had no intention of exchanging words with Ryan. The fight should never have happened. Roselia wasn't worth it.
At least, not any more.
Zade remained expressionless as the man cursed and threatened him.
Ryan's threats meant nothing to him. They were just as empty as Ryan would be the minute he bought the company.
"Please, Ryan, let it go," Roselia pleaded and Ryan cast Zade one last look before walking away in anger.
She turned timidly to Zade, unsure of how to begin the conversation.
The man didn't bother to spare her a glance as he got on his bicycle and rode off.
Roselia dragged her feet to her car, clutching tightly to the divorce papers.
As she drove behind him, she couldn't help but think about how far they'd come together.
She stared at his back, a long sigh escaping her lips. Zade had been the best thing that happened to her in college.
He showered her with gifts, took her on dates, and made her feel like a queen.
At that time, Roselia had assumed he was rich because their college was the best in the country.
While she had gotten there through a scholarship, it didn't occur to her that Zade might have been a scholarship student as well.
When he proposed to her, she was over the moon and accepted to marry him.
Her family insisted on sponsoring their wedding and she'd been too in love to question why he accepted it so easily.
By the time they got married, everything became clear.
He still treated her like a queen, but his choice of gifts became cheaper and cheaper until he could afford nothing except a bouquet of flowers.
When he got a job as a dispatch rider for a small company, her family realized he had nothing to offer.
She tried to understand him until she got a job in Pixton after serving as an intern.
In a space of one year, she climbed to an enviable height while he remained a miserable delivery boy.
Gradually, she became ashamed to have him by her side as her husband no matter how much she loved him.
Another sigh escaped Roselia's lips. Perhaps it was wrong to get cozy with another man while still married to him, but she was fed up with living with a pauper.
When Ryan came up with his proposal, her family was more than happy even though she was a bit skeptical at first.
But the closer she got to Ryan, the more depressing her situation with Zade felt.
When her mother and brother opened her eyes to see how worthless Zade was, she had no choice but to accept Ryan.
Zade was, in no way, her class.
She needed a man whom she could brag about. A man who could get her anything she wanted without breaking a sweat. A man who could gift her pearls and diamonds and take her to expensive restaurants.
Not just homemade meals because he couldn't afford a fancy place.
It was as obvious as day that Ryan could give her everything Zade couldn't.
So she made the smart choice. Anyone in her shoes would do same.
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Chapter 4By the time they got home, the Harpers were already waiting in the living room. Mrs Harper quickly got on her feet the minute they stepped in."Roselia? What happened, dear? Why are you back so early? I thought you were working overnight to catch up?" Mrs Harper asked, even though she clearly knew what Roselia had been doing at the office."Uhm… I… we…" Roselia stuttered, unable to confess that Zade caught her in a compromising position with her boss.Although she suspected her mother must have gotten a hint, she choose not play into her trap. Zade had endured enough for the day. Her mother would only make things worse."Why are you stuttering? Tell me what I need to hear," Mrs Harper questioned impatiently. "Did he do something?"Roselia stole a glance at Zade, who remained silent like he wasn't in the room. "He signed the papers," she quickly outed, hoping to evade her mother's prying questions. "He did? This is wonderful news! We should celebrate this, don't you think,
The Return Of Zade Delamonte: The Humiliated Son-in-law Run away
The next day, Zade glanced impatiently at his watch as he walked outside the court. The divorce had taken longer than he anticipated even when there was no share in property. He wanted nothing to do with the Harpers, not even their money. They twisted the story, just as he'd expected to gain favour in the public eye.They claimed he was a gold-digger who was ripping off their daughter of her hard earned money. Zade didn't argue their claims. They could do and say whatever they wanted as long as he was free from the humiliating union.Roselia on the hand, felt guilty to no end.A part of her curious as to why he didn't defend himself, the other selfish part was grateful he didn't expose her infidelity to the public.When their union was officially severed, Roselia felt a deep sense of loss.Zade walked out of the court after their session ended without sparing her as much as a glance."Zade?" He stopped when he heard Roselia's voice. He kept his face neutral as he faced her."Uhmm…
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By the time Zade arrived at his workplace to take the new set of orders, he was shocked to see a police vehicle.He couldn't help but wonder why there were officers at the Company.As soon as he got in, his boss signaled the Officers and they grabbed Zade suddenly."Why are you cuffing me? What did I do?" He asked, disbelief laced through his voice.The officers were more interested in cuffing him than answering his questions.He was going to call them out for cuffing him without telling him his offence when his boss, Philips, walked over to him, eyes coated with accusation. "The nerve of you to ask that. My strongbox is missing and all evidence points to you. You came to my company begging for a job with no qualifications and I offered you one out of the goodness of my heart. What did you do in return? You had the audacity to steal from me!" Phillips accused. "Strongbox? I have nothing to do with the disappearance of your strongbox. I'm only a dispatch rider. I have no business wit
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Zade was taken into a private room for questioning.He sat on the chair they pulled for him, resting his cuffed hands on the table.The room was barely illuminated so he could barely make out their faces. All he could tell was that there were three officers in the room. "Zade Harper," He heard his name. "We've heard a lot about you."Zade's senses became alert at that moment. What more could they know about him other than the fact he 'allegedly' stole his boss's strongbox? 'Care to share?' The question was at the tip of his tongue, begging to be released but waved it off. It wasn't worth the stress. His priority was to prove his innocence and get those uncomfortable cuffs off his wrist. "Do you know the items in that box are worth five hundred thousand dollars?" Zade was tempted to roll his eyes at the ridiculously small amount.He couldn't imagine his grandfather's reaction if he ever found out he was arrested for an amount he gave to children for treats. "And you just a mere
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In the torture room, Zade was covered with bruises and bound to a chair to prevent him from defending himself. His nose was broken, and a heavy blood clot on his busted lips and swollen cheeks."You seem to be enjoying this better than we do," The statement was accompanied by a punch in his gut.Zade let a low growl, gritting his teeth together at the intense pain. "You must have high pain tolerance."Another punch.Zade's head fell over as he took shallow breaths. He felt an exhilarating pain as they grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked his face up."You don't have to go through this. Your stubbornness will do you no good at this point. Just admit you stole the box and we can work things out amicably," The officer offered. "Fuck you!" Zade spat in his face, earning another punch in the face. "Is that the best you've got?" He grunted amidst the pain. The officers were shocked by his arrogance. For a poor man who owned nothing other than his life, his ego was over the moon. "
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When Zade got off the torture seat, everything about him felt different. Those soft honey-brown eyes were hardened like ice as he threw his tormentors a glance that sent spirals of fear through them. The man was exhilarating a dominant aura that made everyone cower.“I know who ordered the arrest,” his tone matched his eyes, icy and sharp. “Ryan Myers and William Harper. Are you going to deny that?” The four swallowed thickly, looking helplessly at each other. Elizabeth turned to the Chief police, “You heard him. I want those two behind bars for attempting such a stupid stunt. As for them…” her eyes shifted to the four in a deadly glance, “I want them to suffer greatly for everything they did to him. I want them jailed and tortured for attempted murder.”Their eyes went wide with panic.“But ma’am…” The chief tried to plead on their behalf but the agitated look on her face forced him to keep shut.“Any attempt to flaunt my order, I promise you will lose your job. Trust me, you don
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