2024-12-26 16:20:05Nathan's footsteps were sluggish as he walked back through the creaky front door of that small house. The familiar scent of Madam Rose's perfume filled the air, and he let out another sigh, knowing the day hadn't gotten any better for him. It was day in and day out: work, chores, more work, the same routine, with a grim reminder that he didn't belong. He threw his bag onto the couch and went into the kitchen, where Madam Rose was already seated, sipping her tea.
"You are late," she said, her voice cold as steel, sharp and commanding. "What held you back? You are supposed to be back now, but I can see the way you have been wasting your time again."
Nathan looked down, not raising his head. "Sorry, Madam Rose," he murmured, staring at the floor.
Madam Rose did not even look at him and only waved her hand dismissively. "You better make dinner tonight. You know how much I hate eating late. Go on, get to work."
"Yes, ma'am," Nathan said in a barely audible voice. He walked to the fridge, opened it, and began pulling out the ingredients for the meal. Mechanically, his hands chopped the vegetables and stirred the pot.
His wife, Sophia, entered moments later, her heels clicking on the floor. She didn't greet him; she just walked past him to sit at the table. "You look miserable," she said, eyeing him with a strange mixture of apathy and disdain.
Nathan didn't say a word. There was no point. He had learned long ago that his words meant nothing in this house.
"So, how was your day?" Sophia asked, sounding more like she was reading from a script than actually caring.
"It was fine," Nathan answered, his voice flat.
Sophia raised an eyebrow. "Just fine? Are you sure you're not being dramatic like always? You're lucky you even have a job. You don't know how many people would kill for the position you're in."
Nathan didn't argue, for he was only lucky enough to have the job, it wasn't as though it changed the way they treated him.
Madam Rose looked up from her tea. "Sophia, don't waste your time with him. He's a burden, and he knows it. He can talk about how hard life is, yet has done nothing to make any alteration to his life.
Sophia shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She nodded, but Nathan noticed the slight twitch of her lips, a flicker of something that could have been guilt but quickly vanished.
"Anyway," Sophia said, "Did you finish that thing I asked you to do?"
Nathan nodded, though he had no idea what she was referring to. "Yes, I finished it."
"Good," she said, barely sparing him a glance.
Dinner was ready, and Nathan set the table, trying to make the movements swift and silent. He couldn't afford to goof up. He didn't want another lecture on what a failure he was.
After they were done with dinner, he cleaned the dishes, wiping down the table and putting everything away. Madam Rose had moved on to the next complaint.
"You've been slacking off," she said coldly. "Why is there still dust on the shelves? I want this place spotless. You think you are a guest here?"
"No, ma'am," Nathan muttered and snatched the dusting cloth, running it fast across the shelves. His hands were to move faster in trying to be done before Madam Rose decided to find some other thing to complain about.
Sophia sat on the couch, scrolling through her phone, hardly registering Nathan's existence. It was only when Madam Rose reproached him once more that she looked up.
"I'm just saying, Nathan," she said, "You could at least put in some work or something. You will never get anywhere, hanging around and playing the cool servant." Nathan swallowed his lumpy throat but remained tight-lipped. He decided it wasn't worth it; he had heard it all before.
At last, after an eternity of cleaning, he sat himself down at the small table in the corner of the room. He opened his phone and stared blankly into the screen. His mind just would not quit going back to that symbol, that insignia he'd seen at work. The image had been so vivid, so haunting. How he could ever forget his mother's telling him about that all those years ago he just didn't know.
"I'll never forget the day your father gave it to me," she had said dreamily. "He said it would one day be yours, but you must never forget who you are."
Nathan shuddered, pushing the thought away. There was no point in dwelling on it.
Sophia interrupted his thoughts as she walked up to him, a frown on her face. "What's bothering you now?"
Nathan hesitated and then suddenly said, "I saw something today at work. A symbol. It's the same one my mom used to draw."
Appalled, Sophia's eyebrows rose. "You're being stupid. It was some random mark on some machinery.”
"No, Sophia, it's the same one. She said it was from my father. It means something."
Sophia scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Your father? Really? That’s just some fairy tale you’ve been holding onto. You’re being ridiculous.”
Nathan opened his mouth to argue but stopped when he saw Madam Rose walking by.
“What’s this nonsense about?” Madam Rose asked, her eyes narrowing.
“Nathan’s talking about some symbol he saw at work. He’s acting like it means something,” Sophia explained, her tone mocking.
Madam Rose laughed. "Oh, he's crazy. Your mother probably made up some story to make him feel special. He has always been a nobody, and he will always be a nobody. Forget about it, Sophia; he is wasting your time.
Nathan's heart fell, but he said nothing. It was how they had always been to him. The death of his mother broke him, and he felt maybe marrying Sophia would be his fresh start. Now, he wasn't so sure what changed.
That night, Nathan lay in bed, unable to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, odd, disturbing visions filled his head: a dark, towering man, a chill smile tugging his lips, his hand clasping the symbol-the very one that was in the server room.
"You will rule with this," the voice of the man rumbled low, threatening. "It's your birthright, Nathan."
Nathan's heart was racing while he struggled to wake himself from the dream. But the words of the man just would not stop echoing in his ears, growing louder, more insistent.
The next morning, Nathan woke up with a headache and a feeling of unease that would not leave him. He got up, went through his chores without a word, and left for work.
It was cold and uncomfortable in the office, nobody spoke to him except as necessary, and then spoke in few words. It was as if he was another part of the background, invisible doing the work that nobody else cared to do. The symbol and the weird dream flitted across his mind again.
Just as he was getting into work, the doors of the office swung wide open, and in ran several police officers. They didn't leave one's eyes with a choice-they commanded attention.
"Everybody stand up! This is an investigation into embezzlement and financial mismanagement," yelled the leading officer.
Confused, Nathan rose. He didn't know what was going on, there was complete silence as the officers started tapping into some employee records, and with the help of computers, they also began tracing misplaced funds.
Nathan went aside to let them have their way through. Against the law, he had nothing to hide, yet the tensions were so high that a cloud of suspicion still hovered over his head.
The officers were all over it hot and heavy, trying to make something out of it. All of a sudden, he heard a commotion. One officer was at his desk and pointing to the screen of his computer.
"This is where the funds are tracked back to," the officer said. "It's tagged to Nathan's ID."
Nathan's heart fluttered in his chest. His eyes fixed at the officer in utter disbelief.
"What?" he said, stepping up. "That can't be—"
You are under investigation for embezzlement," the officer cut in, coldly. "Please come with us."
Nathan opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out. He couldn't believe it. How could this be happening? Was he being set up?
Before he could utter another word, the officers had his arms in their firm grasp and were dragging him away. He resisted but was helpless. His head reeled in confusion and fear-he was in deeper trouble than he had ever imagined.
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
The Tycoon Heir Chapter 3: Ruinous Powers
This cold, dark holding cell felt like a suffocating box to Nathan. Gray concrete walls threatened to close in on him with each tick of the second. Clanking metal bars echoed off the silence to remind him he was locked up-somewhere he never thought he'd be. He sat upon the hard bench, trying to fathom what was real and what wasn't with his head racing in bewilderment. How had this all gone so wrong? How could he be here, accused of something he had not done?The iron door of the cell creaked as it swung open, and in came two police officers-one tall and with a scowl, the other much shorter but stocky, with a smile that set Nathan on edge."Stand up," ordered the tall officer gruffly.Nathan hesitated before rising to his feet, his body stiff from the cold. He wasn’t sure what to expect next, but his gut told him it wouldn’t be good.The taller officer pointed to the bench. “Sit. We’re going to have a little chat.”Nathan sat down again, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He had no
The Tycoon Heir Chapter 4: The Dreaming
Nathan sat in the cold, dark cell, the damp walls closing in on him as he wrapped his arms around his knees. His mind had been sucked into a black vortex, replaying every instant in his life that had brought him to this very point: accusations, ridicule, humiliation the end product of years of being treated less than human. He had no idea how much time had passed since he was thrown in here, but one thing he knew for sure was that no one would come for him. His wife wouldn't, nor would her family. Why would they? He was just the expendable son in law, the stray they had picked up off the street and allowed to linger in their lives.His body, worn and weary, finally gave in to exhaustion. His head leaned back against the cold wall, and his eyes closed. Sleep came reluctantly, dragging him down into its depths. For a time, it was a fitful haze, then the dream took shape, vivid and unsettling.The insignia from the server room reappeared, glowing faintly in the darkness. Nathan found
The Tycoon Heir Chapter 5: Psyche Evaluation
Nathan’s hands trembled as he stared at the crumpled piece of paper, the address scrawled in uneven handwriting. He had walked past the small, unassuming house twice, debating whether to knock. His dreams had grown more vivid, the insignia haunting every restless night. The pull of those dreams had brought him here, even though he wasn’t sure what he hoped to find.Finally, he gathered his courage and knocked. The door opened almost immediately, revealing a woman who looked to be in her late sixties. Her silver hair was neatly tied into a bun, and her sharp blue eyes pierced through him, as if she’d been expecting him.“Nathan,” she said, her voice calm and warm. “Come in.”Her familiarity made him pause. “How do you know my name?”The woman simply smiled and stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter. The smell of lavender and aged wood greeted him as he stepped inside. The living room was modest, with old furniture and shelves full of books.“Please, sit,” she said, motioning to the
The Tycoon Heir Chapter 6: Live and Let Die
Nathan stood transfixed, staring out the window as the mob outside the house seemed to emanate menace, their intentions clear, as they made their way toward the front door. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to run, but his legs refused to move.Dr. Hayes was calm, though. She tugged on his arm and jerked him from the window. "Nathan, we don't have time for fear. Follow me!""What are we going to do?" Nathan stuttered, his mind racing. "They'll kill us both!Her eyes, older and sharper, met his and held steady. "Listen to me. If they've come, it means they've bypassed or otherwise disabled your father's failsafe. They no longer have a need for you alive. You are in danger, Nathan."The chill ran down his spine, but he made himself focus. "What about you? Why are you so calm?She gave him a sad smile. “Because I’ve made my peace with what’s coming. You, on the other hand, still have a chance.”Dr. Hayes led him deeper into the house, her steps quick but measured. She stopped
The Tycoon Heir Chapter 7: Voss System
Darkness gave way to a blinding white light that pricked at Nathan’s senses, dragging him from the void. His mind swam with fragments of memories—the gunshot, the overwhelming pain, and the voice in the void asking if he wanted to live. He blinked, his eyelids heavy, his body weighed down as if submerged in quicksand.The first thing he noticed was the sterile smell of antiseptic. His throat was parched, his head throbbed, but he was alive.Nathan slowly turned his head to the side, his vision adjusting to the dim glow of a hospital room. Machines beeped rhythmically, monitoring his vitals. He tried to lift his arm, wincing at the sharp pain radiating through his shoulder. A dull ache throbbed in his skull, but he could move, think, and feel.How am I still alive?The last thing he remembered was his wife’s cold smile and the bullet tearing through his head.As he shifted slightly in bed, a faint hum resonated in his mind, like the static of a radio struggling to find a signal. He fro
The Tycoon Heir Chapter 8: Mixed Feelings
Sophia sat in the car, staring blankly through the windshield. Her hands were tightly clasped in her lap and quivered. The news that Nathan had survived the gunshot to his head had come like a bolt of lightning. She had seen him bleed, had seen him go down. The chances for his survival should have been nonexistent, yet here he was, alive.The doctors had said it was a miracle-a grazing of a bullet past vital areas, which had left him with wounds severe but not fatal. Sophia did not believe in miracles. There had to be something else, but what?Her mother sat beside her, with an unforgiving glare.. The weight of her disappointment weighed upon Sophia like an enormous boulder. There was silence between them for one long, heavy moment but for the quiet ticking of the car clock."You failed," she said, cold and forthright; her voice came through like a blade, slicing the stillness into bits. "I told you to handle it, and even that was too much for you."The words cut into Sophia as if her
The Tycoon Heir Chapter 9: Struggle of Death
"You... you, Sophia! You bastard! This had all been your plan to erase me out of existence. Our marriage was all part of your family's selfish evil plans and interests. Now I know your devilish desire and also your ruthless family's desire. Listen to me clearly, I promise to take you down. I promise to take your family down," Nathan spat under his breath, with bitterness, rage, anger, and fierce disgust.His anger was on the verge of making him tear Sophia apart, but he kept holding back. Even with his head banging in pain, he still surprisingly had the strength to struggle with Sophia by restraining her on the wall."Nathan, please," Sophia begged, her face pale and filled with fear. All that was in her mind was that she was going to die right here and now with the way things turned out to be. "It's not my fault. I am being forced to do this," she replied with a crackling voice and trembling body."Forced, you say?" Nathan asked angrily with gritted teeth. "All this while, I thought
The Tycoon Heir Chapter 10: Ask For An Antidote
Beep!System notification: Analyzing chemical substances. Chemical substances are harmful but can only take severe effects after three days.Chemical content:Arsenic: a poisonous substance mixed in the liquid that could cause skin discoloration, neurological damage, and can lead to a slow death.Benzene: a volatile organic compound mixed in the liquid that could cause bone marrow failure and could also lead to a slow death.A voice sounded in Nathan's head that resembled a mechanical voice, giving him an analysis of the syringe he was holding that contained the fluid with its deadly content."Hmmm, so this is your plan, right? Slow death. You want me to have a slow death?" Nathan smirked while referring the question to Sophia.He then punched the syringe needle into Sophia's neck."Ahhhhh," she made a low rumbling sound as she started feeling dizzy.Bang! Bang!The door banged hard, and a voice sounded just after the bang. "It's the nurse. I'm here to check on the patient. What's hap
Latest Chapter
Chapter 188: Sneer of Satisfaction
The wheel sped up, the exhaust pushed outward, creating a supercar sound. Indeed, it was a Ferrari.Nathan was inside, rubbing his hands over his chin, while Shinda kept driving. Shinda shifted his gaze to Nathan, noticing how silent he was. Nathan had never been this silent; he always had something to say. But today, it was different—Nathan was just quiet, staring as if he were in deep thought.“What's it, young master?” Shinda asked, noticing how Nathan embraced silence.Nathan shifted his gaze to Shinda. With a smile, he replied, “It's nothing, I'm just figuring some few things out,” Nathan replied.“So what do we have about this mysterious person that just kidnapped Amanda’s mother?”
Chapter 187: Impulse to Kill
“Why are you stuttering? Don't you wanna be clear with me? What do you really want, you sissy?” Nathan said, dragging Hazel forward as he stared deep into her eyes. “Do you want me to fuck you hard again?” he asked, a sneer emitting from his lips.“Umm, umm,” Hazel stuttered. She was baffled about what to say. Nathan's words were really getting into her. She couldn't even stare into his eyes for more than three seconds, as she found it difficult to keep up.“Why are you ashamed all of a sudden? Ain't you the one that was touching my chest previously, trying to make me dive into the mood of sensation?” Nathan added, seeing how Hazel was confused about what she was to say next.Nathan pushed himself close to Hazel, his mouth just an inch
Chapter 186: Glimpse of handsomeness
Brooks was so infuriated that he slammed his hands onto the wall, angered about the fact that Nathan was the one all this while frustrating him, putting him in a cage like a dog.Brooks' teeth gritted, his fist clenched, he stared at his fingers as the anger kept intensifying. Brooks' only hope was his son Victor, but even for once, he didn't trust that Victor could get any job done for him."I just hope that fool does the right thing, and that stupid sister of his—I just hope she puts effort into helping her brother out, in whatever they are currently doing."Brooks gasped. He adjusted himself on the bed he was seated on, then he lay on it. He stared at his clenched fist and noticed he had some bruises on his fingers.
Chapter 185: Showing Face to Brooks
Brooks knows the voice of the person he had just spoken with was the masked man, and all of a sudden, him turning to see Nathan now got him puzzled, making it hard for him to believe."What are you surprised about, old man?" Nathan said, folding his hands.Brooks began laughing out of nowhere. "I have seen into your tricks. You have decided to use the face of a different person to trick me into talking, huh? Cut the crap and fuck of.”Nathan sneered at Brooks’ words, then he stepped forward. "Ooooh, so you thought I was dead all this while?" Nathan responded with a laugh, at which Brooks raised his brow."Don't tell me you're the one that has been making me go through hell all this whil
Chapter 184: She Wants Him
Nathan held his head, his hands running over his forehead as he felt the surface at which the bullet passed through. He began imagining how it was possible for a broken bone to be healed, but thinking of the mysterious things he saw on the island, he immediately shoved the thought of the surprise he was having—about his skull healing from the bullet that passed through.Shinda stared at Nathan as he was touching his forehead, as if he was having a kind of injury at the spot. Shinda got curious as he asked,“Sir, is everything alright?” Shinda asked.“Yeah, everything is alright,” Nathan replied with a smile.Nathan didn't even notice he was touching his forehead in a kind of weird way. He made it obvious as if he was injured at the moment, and that was what made Shinda curious to ask.While Nathan was eating, Amanda's little voice sounded, which made Nathan raise his head with a grin as he looked at her. “Sir, when will I see my mother again? It's been long,” Amanda said, looking awa
Chapter 183: Reviewing Stunning Handsomeness
Zarek raised the gun to his eye level, then blew air from his mouth to the tip of the gun in a sarcastic manner, the exact place where the bullet came out from. He stared at the gun, moving it to the left, then right. He slowly brought the gun downward, then stared at the remaining eight people, who were seated on the chair, their hands trembling."Any objections?" Zarek asked again, his smile filled with a sarcastic taunting manner. "Don't worry, if you are against what I just did, feel free to talk. I promise not to put a bullet on your head, neither to your chest," Zarek added, sounding calm and cool."What the hell did I just watch? He just fucking killed his father over some shit. So the Red Monac ain't an organisation from the beginning, it was a family. What the hell?" Nathan said as he watched the video with disbelief. He was stunned by how the boy killed his father and also killed another woman.Sandra was on the side in the video, watching. She was afraid; she couldn't say
Chapter 182: The Tears of Dismay
The image that was being displayed by the projectile was a bunch of clips, and the clips revealed a kind of plan of an invention, something Nathan couldn't explain, which left his jaw dropped. He stared at it weirdly, with a clueless mind, trying to understand the displayed images on the projectile that was in the video.Nathan increased the volume of the video but noticed that the current video doesn't have sound.Nathan double-clicked on the keyboard, checking if it was his computer muting the sound, but it wasn't. It was from the video itself."The video doesn't have a sound, huh? Hmmm, that's weird," Nathan mumbled, then continued playing the video.Sandra kept explaining on the muted
Chapter 181: Flash Drive.
“Okay, that's good. Within this time frame, I will look for a way where I am going to sort this out. And secondly, why didn't you react after seeing me off mask?" Nathan asked, getting curious, he noticed that when his face was widely exposed, Shinda didn't even show any reaction of surprise."It was because I have seen your face once without the mask; luckily, you didn't notice," Shinda replied, grinning."Wow, that's odd. When was that?" Nathan asked."It's been long, thoooo. Just know that it's been long I have known the person who was behind the mask," Shinda replied with a slight smile.Nathan chuckled, then stood from where he was seated. Walking up to one of the flowers
Chapter 180: Three Days Duration
Nathan didn't know what he was to do. He stared at Sandra. He didn't want to leave her in this bondage neither stay in the bondage. His intention was to get her out of the island as a reward for helping him through everything.All of a sudden, while this was happening, troops of armored tanks came in view as they all faced Sandra, Zorn, and Nathan. This troop of armies ain't the one who had come with Zorn earlier, they were a completely different set. While the armies stared, A voice from the speaker sounded, a kind of voice holding an order from the headquarters itself, and it sounded like Catherine's voice."You are expected to return to base, or your punishment will be unbearable."Hearing this, Zorn snapped; the voice at which he had rec
