The Bastard Son

"Yes, yes, of course you won't confess. If all criminals confessed, the jail would be full."

A woman wearing a different uniform from the waitress approached Abraham. Her name tag said that she was the manager of the place. She looked at Abraham from head to toe.

"Excuse me, but this place is a private area that no one can enter. Only VIP guests have access to this place. You seem to have strayed quite far, sir," said the restaurant manager whose golden blonde hair was neatly curled back.

"I am not lost, Miss...," Abraham paused to read the manager's name tag, "Miss Rossa Gultier."

"Then may I see your access card, sir," Rossa asked, still trying to look friendly.

"How about you call Mr. Raphael Jones over here? He happens to have my access card.”

The man beside Rossa Gultier said, "Ms. Gultier, I think we should call the police immediately. He can't possibly know Mr. Raphael Jones who is Mr. Antonio Sephard's personal assistant."

Rossa Gultier looked at her employee for a moment, then back at Abraham. Right at that moment he was the security guard.

"Well, sir, since you can't produce your access card, we can't admit you," Rossa Gultier said, then turned to the guard. "Drag that man from this place and never let him near the tower again!" she ordered sternly.

The two guards grabbed each of Abraham's arms, intending to drag him away. However, they were stopped in their tracks by the arrival of Raphael Jones.

"What are you all doing?" rebuked Raphael Jones in a loud voice when he saw Abraham almost being dragged away by the two security guards.

Rossa Gultier and the restaurant staff were shocked to hear Raphael Jones shout. They could tell that they had made a big mistake from that shout.

Seeing Abraham who had been released by the two security guards, Raphael Jones approached him. "Young Master, are you alright?"

Abraham only nodded in reply.

"Quickly apologize to Mr. Abraham Sephard!" Raphael Jones ordered the restaurant employee who had insulted Abraham.

The four bowed respectfully and apologized.

"I'm sorry, Young Master. As a staff member who is supposed to take good care of customers, I let you down," said Rossa Gultier. "I really had no clue that you were Mr. Abraham Sephard."

"Young Master, what should I do about these people? Should I fire them all?" asked Raphael Jones.

The four restaurant employees who heard that immediately fell to their knees. Hoping that they would not be fired. Working at Bosch Tower is the dream of many people and to get in there must pass a very strict screening. The income for employees there is also much higher than elsewhere. They didn't want to lose such a good job.

Seeing this, Abraham immediately said, "Just tell them to continue their work. Give them a letter of reprimand, and if they repeat their mistakes again, fire them outright."

"Yes, Young Master," replied Raphael Jones, then turned to the restaurant staff, "Didn't you hear what Young Master said? Get back to work immediately!"

After the matter of the misunderstanding was settled, Raphael Jones led Abraham to meet Antonio Sephard who was in a VIP room that had transparent glass so that while dining in the room, he could enjoy the view of Bosch City.

"Welcome back, my grandson," Antonio Sephard greeted him when the door opened.

After three years away, Antonio Sephard looked the same as he did in Abraham's memory. He never expected to see his grandfather again, especially with his condition as bad as it was. He hated to admit the fact that without the Sephardic family fortune, he was nothing.

For a while there was no sound at the table. Abraham chose to turn his head towards the glass and stare at the distant scenery, distracting himself from the various dishes on the table in front of him. He had not eaten anything since last night and was very hungry, but his high prestige made him clench his hands on his thighs to prevent him from taking any food onto his plate.

Antonio Sephard observed Abraham sitting silently in front of him. Then he chuckled at the fact that his grandson's life was so miserable. When he was a child, Abraham's life was rich and everything he wanted was always fulfilled by Antonio.

Antonio put down his spoon and fork, gave a small grin before saying, "Don't you have anything to say to your grandfather?"

Abraham's gaze fell on Antonio. "To the point, what is the need for you to call me here? If it's just for small talk, I'd better go home."

"Go home? You mean to an apartment that's as big as a bathroom?" said Antonio dismissively. "Never mind, stop being so stubborn and go back to Neogard. It's time you took over the Sephard Group."

"Stubbornness is one of your inherited talents."

"Look, Abraham, you are the sole heir to my entire fortune. You will carry on the Sephard name."

Abraham's fists tightened and his jaw hardened. "Am I not the bastard son of a mother who was a lowly prostitute? Are you sure you want to make me your heir?"

"Even if you have your mother's filthy blood, half of you still comes from my son."

A flash of the past swirled in Abraham's memory. Since childhood he had lived in Antonio Sephard's magnificent mansion along with the rest of his family, including his mother and two older sisters. He was filled with luxury, but underneath it all, he was mistreated by his step mother and two half older sisters. He used to think that the mistreatment was just a form of harsh upbringing for him who was the only boy in the family. However, three years ago the secret of Abraham's birth was revealed. He was the result of his father's affair with a prostitute in a brothel. And after Abraham was born, his mother was expelled from Neogard and disappeared somewhere. Some said that she was in Bosch, so Abraham decided to go looking for her, leaving the Sephardic family residence and throwing away all the luxurious facilities he had.

"I heard you were divorced by your wife who preferred a rich man. Now do you understand why your filthy mother approached your father? It was for money, of course. And she herself handed you over to the Sephardic family, no, not handed over, but sold," Antonio explained.

"What do you mean?"

"Your mother never wanted you. She gave birth to you just to make a deal with the Sephards. And of course I spent a lot of money on her."

"No need to make up stories, I know that you got rid of my mother."