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2024-10-29 19:42:56Claire 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.
Grandmother looked at Claire with a frown on her face. She believed she would never be able to settle the debt or even land a deal with Gudling. She was well aware of the debt her family was in and the fact that their house would be taken from them very soon. "I hope you know what this means, you not only have to settle the debt but also win the deal in just two days," she emphasized.
Claire noted that while others only had to secure the Gudling deal, she was the only one tasked with settling Scar's debt. But she nodded because Bryan was by her side. "I accept the offer, grandmother," she replied.
Bryan quietly grabbed his wife's hands and was about to leave the dining hall when Tom and his son stopped him by the door, "You are a perfect couple, dumb and insane," he said and guffawed.
The cousin looked at Claire, "You really are very dumb to think that you can settle the gangster's debt and still get a deal with the Gudling family company, you aren't even a business expert, you know nothing!" He mocked.
Juliet walked to Claire and circled her for a few seconds quietly and then said, "I'll be here to laugh in your face when you fail because you certainly will. Your crazy husband can't even get out of bed by himself and now he wants to get a multi-million deal and settle the mafia lord's debt, how insane!" She mocked.
Bryan sneered at her to step out of their way, he had a lot to do with his day. Freya ran to them by the door and grabbed Claire's hands, "You should think about this, how could you just let this crazy man talk you into taking the offer? We both know you can't settle the debt with Scar, he is dangerous and you don't even have the money," Freya said.
"But, I..." Claire stammered, the truth was that she didn't have a plan. She was only hoping that Bryan would come up with something, she had no idea what it would be but somehow she trusted her husband. "Bryan knows what to do," she replied. But that only made it worse.
Freya turned to Bryan angrily, "How long will you keep leading my daughter astray? First, you marry her and ruin our lives and now she has the chance to beg grandmother for mercy and you're about to get her into trouble again?" She snapped.
Claire shook her head, "Mother, Bryan might have been sick then but he's fine now and I'm sure he can help us somehow," she tried to defend him.
"Shut up! You don't know what this means, you have no idea what you've just gotten yourself into. Everyone else has to only secure a deal with Gudling and as if that is not hard enough you also have to settle Scar's debt in two days, two days, Claire!" She snapped and then spread her hands, "Really, can you hear how crazy that is? How long will you keep blindly following this crazy man?" She snapped.
Claire turned to look at Bryan. He looked unaffected by his mother-in-law's words. He knew they had grown weary of taking care of him and all they wanted was to get him out of their daughter's life for good. "Do you trust me?" Bryan asked her. Claire nodded without any hesitation. "Then come with me, we will make it happen," he said.
"Claire, please, come back and beg grandmother, we both know you don't stand a chance of becoming the heiress, everyone here knows that we are struggling with debt and we just might be homeless soon," Freya advised her.
"Keep listening to that fool and you will be digging your own grave pretty soon!" Freya snapped as they both walked out of the house.
Bryan and Claire drove and arrived at the gangster's house in a short while. Claire had heard of how notorious Scar was and that their family owed him a lot of money. She was very nervous, she didn't want to get in trouble especially when she didn't even have the money to pay. "How are we going to pull this off? I can't even settle the debt, Bryan, what's your plan?" She asked worriedly.
"You just have to trust me, Claire, right beside you, I promise," he said meekly and grabbed her hands. Just as they were both about to step into the house, they heard the loud sound of the brake and they turned. A luxury vehicle pulled up by the house and a driver quickly grabbed the door,Juliet stepped out of the car.
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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
The Return of Lord Bryan Chapter eight
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
The Return of Lord Bryan Chapter nine
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
The Return of Lord Bryan Chapter ten
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
The Return of Lord Bryan Chapter eleven
"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
The Return of Lord Bryan Chapter twelve
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
The Return of Lord Bryan Chapter thirteen
Freda sat in the backseat of the Benz that drove down slowly into the urban district. Claire was right beside her and she didn't look pleased at all. "Mum, why must I go and do my hair? I just got this done for the banquet and it cost a small fortune," she complained with a small pout. "You're always too concerned about money, Claire and that's because your husband has left us freaking impoverished!" She snapped and leaned on the window, rolling her eyes. Claire was mute on that, she could tell that the very mention of Bryan alone always put her mother in a bad mood. There was nothing he could do to ever prove himself to her mother. "You have to look good and show up for your date with Arnold," Freda announced just as they arrived at the spa. "Date?" Claire asked, her eyes bulging. She knew there was no way in hell her mother was talking about a date with her husband, then who could it be? "Yes, that's what I said, a date," her mother replied stiffly and opened the door, stepping
The Return of Lord Bryan Chapter fourteen
Mae and Juliet couldn't believe their ears or eyes as they saw what was happening right before them. "Bryan? The retard?" Mae asked in shock.Juliet looked through the bags again just to make sure that they weren't fake. But after perusing it for a few minutes, she couldn't deny that they were all authentic designer brands. The men ordered them to leave at once else they would have to refund for the exclusive booking. Since the spa had been paid a very heavy sum, they couldn't afford to lose it so they quickly sent Mae and Juliet off, apologizing as they did. Freda was surprised as they were finally left alone. "If you need anything, just let us know, your husband has paid fully for all our services," the attendant said with a smile as she walked away, "We're sorry for any inconveniences that the other customers might have caused you, ma'am." "What did I just witness?" Freda asked and turned to Claire with a confused face. "I don't know mother, I'm as shocked as you are," she repli
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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
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Chapter hundred twenty eight
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
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Chapter hundred twenty seven
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
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Chapter hundred twenty seven
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
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Chapter hundred twenty six
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
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Chapter hundred twenty five
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
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Chapter hundred twenty four
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
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Chapter hundred twenty three
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
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Chapter hundred twenty two
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,
