The rook was silent for a few seconds and then Juliet's boyfriend, Mike, glared at, "What did you just say?" He asked furiously.
Bryan wasn't intimidated by his cold glare or tone, "I said the ring is fake, that's not an emerald stone," he replied confidently.
"Who brought this thing in here?" Aunt Mae asked, butting in as she noticed that Bryan had somehow gotten attention at the table. "How would you know what stone is fake or real? You're a retard!" She spat.
"There's only one way to find out, let me do the test and prove it to everyone," he said.
Aunt Mae sneered at him and then turned to Freya and Claire, "This is all your fault! You brought this madman from the asylum where he ought to be and invited him here!" She said angrily, "Isn't it enough that you are a disgrace to this family? You also brought a madman to your grandmother's birthday?"
Freya immediately tried to grab Bryan and push him out of the party, she was fed up with being ridiculed by her family and he only made it worse. "Get out of here, Bryan, I didn't invite you here!" She snapped.
Claire was trying to shush her mother but she snapped at her, "Get your retard husband out of this place! He's been nothing but a nuisance to this family! He's brought us so much shame since you married him!" She snapped, "He can't even take care of himself, he's the reason we are in this penniless situation and now he's here bragging about knowing authentic emerald stones! Pathetic!"
"Mum, maybe Bryan knows what he's saying, we should allow him to check the ring out," Claire replied meekly.
Aunt Mae turned to her with a nasty scowl on her face. "How dare you! Are you trying to say that my son-in-law bought a fake gift for grandmother?" She snapped. Claire shook her head, moving back an inch.
"That's enough, get out of here, Bryan, I've had enough of this. Stop bringing us shame!" Freya snapped angrily.
Bryan didn't respond to her hateful insults, he simply walked to Grandmother and asked politely if he could check the authenticity of the stone for her. Mike stepped in front of him at once. "No, she won't! Get out of here, no one invited you," he ordered, pointing to the door like he was talking to a dog and not a man.
"He's mentally unstable, he's a madman! He doesn't know anything about jewelry, just look at what his wife bought for grandmother!" Juliet snapped, coming to her boyfriend's defense at once.
Grandmother looked at the stone in her hands, she liked it but she was interested in finding out if it was real or fake. She looked at Bryan and asked, "Can you tell if it's fake?"
"Grandmother, of course, he can't! Don't you remember that Bryan is a madman? Claire just brought him here to ruin your birthday, send him off, please," Mike said softly.
Juliet confronted Claire immediately, "Why don't you put your mentally unstable husband in his place? Huh? Is he done with his treatment at the rehab?" She snapped. Then she turned to grandmother and pouted. "This madman is just here to ruin your perfect birthday, he's trying to destroy your ring, don't let him do that."
Aunt Mae was already persuading Grandmother to send Bryan out of the house. "There's no way he has any idea about rings and emeralds, he's just a poor thing who can't even take care of his wife and her family," she stated with a scornful look.
Bryan moved to the servant who stood with a tray of wine and some glasses. He quickly grabbed a glass and poured in oil from the table. "If this emerald is real then we'll find out," Bryan said with a smirk. Mike bared his teeth at him, trying to snatch the glass from his hands. "Why are you so afraid, if this is real then a simple experiment to prove that wouldn't hurt, would it?" Bryan asked.
Mike noticed that everyone was staring at him oddly, he was beginning to look desperate, like he didn't want the experiment to happen. Juliet noticed that her boyfriend was nervous too but there was nothing she could do. Everyone looked interested in finding out if the ring was real or not - including Grandmother.
Bryan picked up the ring from Grandmother and dipped it in the oil. For a few seconds, nothing happened and Mike laughed loudly. "I said it! This retard is just trying to ruin a good party," he said with a smile and then smirked at Bryan, "You've only succeeded in disgracing yourself, Bryan," he spat.
Juliet smiled widely and kissed Mike on the cheek again, "I knew you would only get the best for my grandmother," she said sweetly.
But Mike soon realized that he'd been humiliated too soon. Everyone stared in fascination as they realized that the emerald ring began to discolor in the oil. "Oh my God, he was right!" Someone said loudly.
Grandmother turned to the ring and her jaw dropped. It was a fake. Juliet stepped back, ashamed. Aunt Mae couldn't say a word. Mike had to save face so he took the glass from Bryan hurriedly, grabbing the ring and trying to wipe it clean. "Why are you trying to ruin the ring? We all saw it's real," he snapped.
"How can I possibly ruin what is fake? You bought a fake ring for grandmother, admit it," Bryan retorted. Mike sneered at him, "That's impossible, I got the ring myself from a prestigious jeweler and there's no wa__" he began to say in defense but grandfather shook his head in disappointment.
"Bryan is right, the emerald stone is fake. The density of the stone ought to be lesser than that of oil," he stated. "You brought a fake stone, Mike."
Bryan had a smirk on his face as Mike's face fell. The arrogant man realized that there was no denying the authenticity of the ring now that Bryan had openly shown it to everyone. He immediately apologized to his grandmother. "I'm so sorry, Grandma, I'm sure this is some misunderstanding from the jeweler," he said and picked up the ring, placed it in the box, and snapped it shut. "You don't deserve anything cheap or fake. I will make sure I get a more expensive stone from that careless man for you, I'm sure it's a mistake of purchase," he said with a wide smile on his face. Grandmother was very disappointed but she didn't say anything, "Is there any particular stone you'd want? Maybe an onyx or a ruby this time?" Mike insisted, trying to impress the old woman. "That won't be necessary," Grandfather said with a booming voice and Mike nodded quietly, pocketing his fake ring. "I didn't just call everyone here today for my birthday, I called us all to make a very important announcem
Claire stood like a fish out of the pond. She didn't know what to say. Staring at her grandmother's face only made her more afraid of what was demanded of her. "What do you say? Will you take the deal, Claire?" Grandmother asked with a stern look.It was obvious that it was a trick question. There was no way she could pull it off, not with the debt her family was in, not when her mother was already shaking her head in shame. Bryan held her hands softly and whispered to her, "Take the opportunity, Claire, we will do this together," he said. Claire looked at him and for some reason, she was brave again, she nodded. "Yes, grandmother, I will settle the debt," she replied. Everyone was shocked, they looked at her and Bryan with pity and some laughed, claiming they were just putting up a show. "This is just a game, you could never think of appearing before the mafia lord, Scar, to talk more about clearing out the debt, where do you intend to get the money from?" Aunt Mae mocked. Grandmot
Stunned, Claire asked Juliet what she was doing at Scar's house, "I don't think grandmother asked you to clear the debt too," she said curiously. Juliet laughed and looked down at her slightly muddy shoes, wrinkled her nose and replied, "Of course she didn't ask me to do that, she doesn't hate me like she hates you, you should know that by now," she replied. Claire was upset at her speech, she knew that grandmother didn't hate her - or so her mother tirelessly tried to convince her. She was only punishing her for marrying Bryan when she had openly refused it, Claire didn't have a choice but to prove herself to her and the entire family. "Grandmother doesn't hate me, she knows I can do this," Claire replied confidently. "Of course she does," Juliet replied sarcastically, she laughed loudly and then smiled at her, "Let me guess, you think getting the deal with the Gudling family will be easy too?" She asked mockingly. "It doesn't matter, I'll take it one step at a time, I'm here
Bryan was able to catch Claire just in time before she hit the floor. He cradled her in his arms carefully and then steadied her. "You shouldn't have done that," he sneered at Scar. Claire was surprised at his boldness but she was also frightened on his behalf, she didn't want them to get into trouble with the notorious Mafia so she tried to silence him. "Don't worry, I'm fine," she mumbled and held onto Bryan's arms tightly. "How dare you touch my wife? You've just signed your death!" He snapped. Scar looked at him with raised brows and then burst out laughing, the sound a cackling and ugly one. "I have signed my death?" He asked in a mocking tone and looked at Bryan's shoes, "You dare come into my home to threaten me?!" He snapped, his face quickly morphing into an angry scowl. "You dare lay your filthy hands on my wife? Do you know what you've just done?" Bryan sneered at him. Juliet was surprised that he was talking back to the mafia. She needed Scar's help and she wanted to be
Juliet was burning red with fury, with her cheeks still hurting from the impact of the slap, she sneered at Bryan and Claire. "What the hell did you guys just do? You will regret this!" She snapped. Mark came at her again and she stepped back, evidently frightened by the angry look on the mafia's face. "I don't know what this fiasco is but I will tell grandmother and uncle all about it! I'm sure you will be punished for this humiliation!" She snapped. Mark turned to her and gave her a final cold warning, "Get out of here unless you want that pretty little face of yours to be ruined," he snapped. Juliet jerked at his voice and huffed as she angrily walked out, more or less stomping. As she grabbed her purse and got into her car, she groaned loudly as she saw the red prints on her cheeks. There was no hiding that she had just gotten hit and she was even more furious that Claire and her retard husband were somehow the reasons for that. "Why would that mafia boss listen to them, who th
Bryan got into the car with Claire but his hands were still clenched into fists and his jaw was ticking. Claire could see in fury in his eyes even as they drove off. The bag of money was still on her lap and she had tons of questions for her husband but somehow she couldn't just get the words out. "Are you okay?" He asked her as they made a sharp turn and parked in front of their home. Claire nodded. She was more than fine, she was also surprised. "I'm okay," she replied meekly. Bryan swore under his breath and mumbled something she couldn't quite grab. "Bryan, really, I'm okay," she replied with a smile. "Did he hurt you? I'm sorry I couldn't protect you properly from that sonofabitch," he said worriedly, his eyes scanned over her body with angry eyes. Bryan was so upset that the beast dared ro lay a hand on his wife. "Will you stop worrying? No one hurt me," she said and stretched to hold his hands which were clenched on the steering. She tried to ease it off slowly and then pla
"Mum! You won't believe anything good I say concerning Bryan?" Claire asked, disheartened. Freda waved her off, "You should consider yourself lucky that you weren't harassed by the ruthless mafia, then that useless husband of yours wouldn't have been able to save you," she snapped. Claire sighed, realizing that it was pointless to try convincing her mother of what had happened at Scar's residence when it was becoming all clear that she would never see a thing good about Bryan. "Hurry up, you should change into something nice and get ready to meet Louis and his friends, they are the ones who made Mark Ogiv come to your rescue and you owe them appreciation," she ordered quickly and nudged her into her room. "Mother, she doesn't have to go anywhere," Bryan said as he walked down to them on the front porch. Freda turned to him with a deep frown on her face, "I don't remember inviting you here, Bryan, not after putting my only daughter in danger!" She snapped. "Claire is my wife and I
At the sight of general Benjamin bowing to him, the guards were confused and they all stepped back. The lady whispered, "Are they both mad?" "How dare you ask if the general is mad? You have crossed the line this time!" One of the guards snapped and slapped her across the cheek. Benjamin rose and turned to the men at the gate, "Quickly, open the gate and let the master through, I will deal with your incompetence later!" He ordered. The men, afraid of his wrath all hurried to open the gate and apologized as Bryan drove in. "I want them all fired, they don't deserve to be employed. They would simply take the words of a lowly lady rather than investigate for themselves, pathetic!" He snapped. Benjamin hurriedly said he will do as he has just instructed and make sure the securities no longer worked for the estate. His home was a lovely one and a butler received him from the entrance and they both stepped in. "Welcome to my humble home," he said and led Bryan inside. Quickly, he order
When he arrived at Freda's house, he could hear raised voices from inside. He stormed in to find Claire and Freda in a heated argument."Get out of here, Bryan," Freda snapped. "This is between me and my daughter."Bryan stood his ground. "I know everything, Freda. There's no need to hide it anymore."Claire turned to him, eyes wide with shock and fear. "Bryan, please don't bring it up. If Grandfather Maxwell finds out what I've done..."Bryan took a deep breath, his resolve strengthening. "I'll confront the situation, Claire."Freda laughed derisively, her voice dripping with contempt. "You think you can convince Maxwell to forgive her? She’ll always be under my control."Bryan's eyes blazed with determination. "We'll see about that at the family gathering this weekend."Freda's expression turned from contempt to anger. "You have no idea what you're dealing with, Bryan. Claire made her choices, and now she has to live with them."Bryan stepped closer, his voice low and fierce. "She m
That night, Bryan woke up with a jerk. The cold sweat on his forehead same as the ice creeping down his spine. He had just had the weirdest dream. Or was it a dream? He couldn't tell. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, feeling the cool wooden floor beneath his feet. He needed water, something to qunwch his dry throat that felt like parchment paper. Yawning, he padded softly with bare feet to the kitchen, he moved through the darkened hallway, the silence of the night making his soft footfalls resound. The house was as dark as his thoughts. Speaking of thoughts, Bryan hadn't been able to keep his mind blank since the incident with Jenkins. Neither had he been able to wrap his head around all that the old man had told him. But somehow it made perfect sense. The odd stares, the way his aunt hated him but somehow loved his brother, it all made sense somehow. As he reached the kitchen, he flipped on the light and blinked against the sudden brightness. He headed for the cabinet
Bryan drove like the devil was on his tail, arriving at the classic bar Jenkins had picked out for their meeting. It was a beautiful garden bar just outside of town. As Bryan killed the engine, he pulled on his coat and baseball cap, trying his best at disguise before stepping into the place.**The garden bar was indeed a fitting spot for Jenkins, considering his love for flowers. Just as Bryan looked to the left, he saw the old man's hand guiding him to a corner table. Bryan walked over and shook his head in disbelief."I was hoping you only sounded different, but you look different too," Bryan said.Jenkins was dressed in a thick fur coat and a hat. He nursed a cup of coffee with his gloved hands."Sit down, boy. I have to be quick," Jenkins said.Bryan noticed that gone was Jenkins' stammering and broken words. He spoke fluently now, almost as if nothing had ever been wrong with him. Bryan sat down, looking at him curiously."You're running out of time. Your brother and uncle have
Bryan staggered back a little, struggling to process the jarring change in Jenkins’ voice. The old man he had known was frail, his voice barely rising above a whisper. Yet, the voice on the phone now was strong and assertive, unrecognizable as Jenkins'. He glanced around, half-expecting to see the old man materialize in front of him, but there was nothing—just the lingering sound of his own breathing and the hum of the city around him."Jenkins?" Bryan asked again, his voice edged with uncertainty. He wanted to be sure he wasn’t speaking to someone else, someone who had somehow gotten hold of Jenkins’ phone. His skepticism was palpable, though he hoped it wasn’t the case.“It’s me, Bryan. You said I should call you right? You did give me your card,” the voice on the line said. Bryan could almost hear the confidence emanating from the speaker. It was a tone of authority that starkly contrasted with the frailty he had grown accustomed to.“You sound different,” Bryan said, his laugh com
After a few minutes of driving through the busy streets of the city, he went easy on the brakes as he turned to the quiet suburban area. Peterson was always one for his space and privacy and perhaps one could say that he was the most secretive member of the team. When he arrived at Peterson's place, he met with his son, Chad just as he rang the doorbell and the maid allowed him in. “Hey, boy." Bryan said as he stepped into the house. Chad looked at him oddly and then for a second, recognition flashed in his eyes and he stepped aside. “Mr Bryan," he said with a thin voice. Bryan gave him a slight nod and moved into the living room, taking the plush seat that he was offered. “We weren't expecting such an important guest," Chad said with a smile that was obviously as fake as the Picasso painting on the wall. “I never planned to pay the visit either,” Bryan replied. Chad was eager to show him around and also asked to serve him breakfast and a cup of coffee. But Bryan was already gett
Bryan quickly tried to regain composure from the information that had just shaken him. If someone else was the supreme warlord, then it meant that the council had convened to terminate his own title and somehow found someone else worthy of such ordination. "Last time I checked, there was no one who could even compete with me. No one was worth being the supreme master, talk more of the supreme warlord. Had they suddenly dropped their standard?" He asked out loud but to no one in particular.He couldn't believe it. He was the best, the greatest, the supreme. No one could match his skills, his strategy, his leadership. He was the one who had been chosen, who had been destined for greatness.Who could even replace him? Who was worthy of such a title, the supreme warlord? Bryan snickered, wondering who could even stand behind him, he was second to none. There was no one he could think of that was even half the man he was. All his generals needed a lesson on night and courage. They couldn't
Bryan was already seething with hot wrath. How could his general even think that he'd want to hear about any territory and political bullshit when all he was trying to do was aimed at giving his life meaning? For a second, he felt stupid for even picking the call in the first place. It didn't make any sense to talk about the territory when his mind kept playing back to Uncle William's words and that of Josiah. “Hello, are you there?" Ben's voice came through the speaker, dragging him from his intense thoughts. “Stop!" He snapped suddenly, without any warning. “I've had enough of this bullshit!" He said with a fierce look. "Come up, what are you talking about!” Ben asked as his voice rose. Bryan told him that he had no interest in talking politics. He was sick and tired or running in circles. “What I need right now is a fucking compass! I need someone, something, anything, to take me to where my past is. I want to know what I am, who I am, what went wrong,” he bit out, "Not some pol
The next day, Benjamin called Bryan as early as daybreak. Bryan was still sleepy when he heard his phone ring and he rolled out of bed to grab it. "Hey, Ben, you're waking me up rather early, what's up?" He asked, his voice groggy with sleep.Benjamin first apologized for calling him up so early and asked how his previous day had gone. Bryan sighed, wondering how he could possibly recount his day to his friend. It was one hell of a year and it left him sour. "That's a long story, Ben. I don't think I want to talk about it," he replied, rubbing his eyes.Ben laughed and told him that he knew he'd gone home and he could guess that it wasn't such an easy day since his brother wasn't the most friendly person. Bryan scoffed, calling his brother unfriendly and was just trying to coat it up. Josiah was outrightly harsh, he was everything that someone would never want his own brother to do. "That's falling far from the mark," Bryan said, his voice laced with sarcasm.Ben sighed, telling him he
Jenkins laughed again, the sound a little too shrill and mechanical. "You can't choose your family, Bryan. They're stuck with you, no matter what."Bryan's eyes narrowed, his patience wearing thin. "I don't want to talk about my family, Jenkins. Can you let it go?!” He asked with a harsh tone. But for a second, he couldn't help feeling pity for him. Once again, he was clearly not mentally well and it showed. "Have you been taking your medications?" He asked with a low tone, his worry evident.Jenkins scratched his head, his eyes clouding over. "Yeah, they said life can't be the same again. I guess this is what they mean. Everyone thinks I'm insane," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.Bryan's eyes bulged, he couldn't believe that he'd just made the man feel bad. "I didn't mean that at all, I was just trying to make sure that you're fine," he said, his voice softening.The old man smiled and waved him off. "Yeah, you don't have to say it, I can see it in your eyes," he replied,