When they entered the study, Elijah turned around and shut the door behind him, walking towards his father and sitting on an expensive-looking leather chair.
Both men sat in silence before Elijah finally spoke, asking, "What do you want to tell me?"
Quietly, Mr. Maxwell stood from the couch, walked over to the desk and picked up the tv remote off it, holding it loosely in his hand, staring at the screen in a trance, and said, "Son, I know over the years we have not been as close as we should have been, but I am sorry. For everything. I'm sorry for not being there for you."
Turning to look his son directly in the eye, Mr. Maxwell sighed heavily and admitted, "I have been too hard on you."
"You were only making a man out of your son. A man that is capable of great deeds... a man that can lead, and a man that is respected and honorable. You did nothing wrong, father." Elijah replied, sighing as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Huffing weakly, Mr. Maxwell sat on the couch, still staring intently at the tv before answering, "I am glad to hear."
Then he pressed play on the remote, playing the news, listening as the reporter said, "Today was a memorable day, the day Melina Hayes, CEO of Investverse company, divorce her husband, Elijah..."
"Do any of us know his last name?" Another reporter interrupted.
A frown settled on Elijah's face as he watched the reporters nervously dart their eyes back and forth between each other.
"Well, no. And that's why I said from the very start that their wedding was a rush, and they were too fast into the whole thing." A woman said in an irritated tone.
"At first I thought Miss Hayes was pregnant, that is why she got married to someone with no background, status, and wealth... Like did he blackmail her or something?" The reporter continued talking.
Shaking his head, Elijah sighed as he took the remote out of his father's grip and turned off the tv.
"I thought I failed as a father for the way that I helped raise you, but I have been following your every step since you left this house, and I don't know if you know this, son, but you are truly my blood." Mr. Maxwell told him.
Looking straight into his eyes, Elijah felt speechless as he tried to understand what had just happened.
"Did you actually follow my every step for years…? because if you did, then you will know how Melina treated me and how pathetic I acted in my relationship with her!" Elijah questioned, trying to make sense of everything.
"Do you know why I didn't block your accounts and seal your access to our family money when I kicked you out?" Mr. Maxwell asked, looking straight into his son's gaze.
Squinting his eyes, Elijah shook his head and mumbled, "No. Why?"
"Because it was never about the money. It was always about you." His father explained, placing a gentle hand on his son's knee. "I gave you access to wealth and told you to experience the life of a poor man to see how much self-control and maturity you could possess when life got rough."
"But she-"
"She humiliated you and looked down on you. I know. And yet, you never did abuse your wealth to prove a point to her, and still had a sense of stature in your weakest moment."
The room fell silent after hearing all those words from his father, and Elijah closed his eyes for a moment while drawing a deep breath.
Taking a moment to collect himself, Elijah reopened his eyes and faced his dad, and said, "But the thing is, I got her a diamond necklace and was going to tell her about who I was. My judgment was all wrong."
"We make mistakes to learn. That's what makes us humans, son!" Mr. Maxwell exclaimed, grabbing onto his son's shoulder tightly. "I went to great lengths to seal your identity, and it took you years to decide to trust her with it. I call that a win!"
Speechless Elijah looked at his father. This was not what he expected, and it was shocking to hear the pride in his father's voice.
After a few moments passed, Elijah broke free from his awe and said, "So you're saying that I did well on your test?"
"You did excellently! And that's why we are moving on to the next challenge." Mr. Maxwell stated firmly.
With calm eyes, Elijah's expression remained neutral and inquisitive as he said, "I am listening."
A sense of surprise flashed through Mr. Maxwell's facial expression because he expected an argument from Elijah or some sort of rebellion.
After a short pause, the smile returned and he started talking again, "With a hundred million, I need you to leave Bordoria and establish a company of your own, somewhere where nobody knows your status."
"And that place would be?" Elijah asked curiously, his eyebrow raised.
Mr. Maxwell paused as he thought for a moment before replying confidently, "You find out... I have no say in where, how you run your company, and what you do with your money... Your failure and success are in your hands again."
Meeting his father's eyes, Elijah said no words, simply nodding his head lightly, giving his father a faint smile when he grinned at him.
"Make me proud, son." Mr. Maxwell whispered, smiling at his son as he patted him on the back.
That night, at dinner, the table was covered with various dishes, most of them Elijah's favorite, and Mrs. Maxwell kept smiling across from her son, feeling happy that he was finally home.
"Do you want more mashed potatoes?" She asked sweetly, reaching for the bowl and
spoon.
"Thanks, mom," Elijah mumbled as she served him a second serving of mashed potatoes and gravy.
When she set the bowl back down after filling it up, she looked across the table at her husband and smiled softly before she turned back to her son.
"So... I heard you were in love... and married..." Mrs. Maxwell started, glancing sideways at her husband.
When Elijah raised his gaze to meet her eyes, she quickly added, "And you didn't even inform your mother."
"I am sorry to you, mom, that you didn't attend the only wedding your son will have and has had in his lifetime," Elijah replied calmly, keeping eye contact with his mother.
"Wait! What?" Mrs. Maxwell cried in disbelief. "You are not getting married again?!"
"I think I have had enough experience of love to take me for a lifetime."
"Stop talking silly, son! Just because a woman broke your heart, you can't give up on love like that. It's not fair to-"
"Mom, please!"
The dining room grew quiet as both mother and son looked at each other, neither of them knowing how to respond to what just happened.
"I'm just saying, you need someone to spend your life with, like your father and I... I mean... You are my only son, I care for you so much, it hurts..." Mrs. Maxwell said, pausing when Elijah dropped his fork on the plate and it made a loud clanging sound.
"Did you also hear that she divorce me today?" Elijah asked, his voice sounding strained.
Mrs. Maxwell looked toward her husband, confused by his sudden change of mood, and then she stared at her son with pity in her eyes.
"Can you let me breathe from this disaster before asking me for anything else? Please!" Elijah pleaded with his mother in a voice that sounded almost desperate as he looked at her.
"Yes, dear, of course." Mrs. Maxwell said, nodding her head. "I am sorry."
Silence filled the room once more, everyone remaining quiet until Elijah spoke, "Thank you."
For a while, they all ate their food, before Mrs. Maxwell decided to break the silence once more, "Your father and I were planning to go to Auckland during your trip... Would you like to come along with us?"
There was a long pause because Elijah knew the next words he was about to say were going to hurt his mother, and he felt a sense of guilt rising within his stomach.
But he still swallowed his emotions as he forced himself to speak calmly, "I am going back to Syldavia tomorrow."
Complete silence followed his words, and the table was dead silent. Not a single sound came from either side, and his mother kept staring at him, trying to figure out what exactly her son meant.
"But you just got back home," Mrs. Maxwell uttered, clearly shocked at her son's reply.
Leaning back against his chair, Elijah placed his elbows on the edge of the table and clasped his hands together as he said, "I'm sorry, mom. But I have unfinished business there, and I need to settle it myself."
"Honey, talk some sense into your son," Mrs. Maxwell told her husband, turning towards him with a sad look.
But the expression on his face told her that he was the one behind Elijah's decision, and she cried, "He just got home, and you are already driving him away! What's wrong with you?! How could you let him go like this again?!"
"Mom, it's okay." Elijah interrupted her, looking at her mad eyes. "Father is not the one behind this one. It's all my decision, and I hope for your blessing to let me go."
"But... Why, son? Why would you want to go back there where no one knows your name or status, and they treat you like a commoner... less than a human being? I don't understand."
"Mom,"
Her tears started falling again, but Mrs. Maxwell wiped them off angrily with her sleeves, feeling her heartache for her son.
With no emotion in his eyes or voice, Elijah smiled faintly and let out, "Because it's the perfect place for me to build my multi-billion-dollar empire."
'I offered him a hundred million, and this is how high his plans are for it,' Mr. Maxwell thought in his mind, watching his son with a sense of pride in his heart. 'He has the same fire as I used to have when I was young.'
Looking into his mother's teary eyes, Elijah softly smiled and asked, "Can I have your blessings, mother?"
Although Mrs. Maxwell missed her son for all those years and wished he would stay, she knew he needed to move forward in his life and start building a new future... It was time to let him go.
She nodded her head slowly and replied, "Just promise me one thing, Come back to visit me soon, okay, son?"
Smiling faintly Elijah nodded his head lightly and replied, "I promise, mom."
At ten o'clock the sound of running water echoed into Elijah's room as he stood under the shower,
allowing the warm water to drip on his skin.
Closing his eyes, Elijah let out a soft sigh and tried to relax his tense shoulders as a knot formed in his chest, knowing how sad his mother was.
But revenge has no place for the weak and it cannot be satisfied with anything lesser than perfection, and he knew that.
The sunlight streamed into the room through the window as Elijah sat up in his bed and turned around to see who entered his room.As the morning rays fell onto his face, his eyes met with Butler James standing on the other side of the room."Good morning, master." Butler James said politely as he closed the door behind him quietly.Pushing the cover off him, Elijah slid out of bed, running his fingers through his hair as he asked, "What brings you here, Butler James?""Master, your mother wants me to inform you that breakfast is ready downstairs." Butler James informed."Okay, thanks. Just let her know that I'll meet her soon," Elijah replied, rubbing the sleepiness out of his face as he headed toward the bathroom, closing the door behind him.After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he took a comforting shower, trying to relax as he did so. Then he stepped out afterward, wrapped a towel around himself, and walked over to his closet, grabbing a simple Sweatshirt and a pair
Furrowing, Matt clenched his fist, looked at the driver as he opened the car door, and stepped out with a toolbox in his grip.The breakdown felt way too staged in his opinion, and it felt like this driver was intentionally making it look as though the car was having issues.With that thought on his mind, a few minutes later, Matt pushed the call door open and climbed out, slamming the door shut.Then he walked over to the driver, and the moment he saw Matt, he snapped his brows and shouted, "Hey!! Hey!!! Get back into the car.""Why?" Matt demanded, glaring at him, placing his hands on his hips."Just get back into the damn car!!""Whoa! What's with the sudden hostile attitude, huh?!" Concern, Elijah pushed the car door open, stepped his shoe on the road, and got out of the car, glaring at the man."Not you too!!" The driver shouted back at Elijah."Look, pal, I will soon be done with fixing this, so you two should get your ass back into the fucking car, okay?" Now, Ryan, Rookie, a
The security quickly took out their weapons and darted them towards Elijah, Matt, Rookie, James, and Ryan, shouting angrily, "Get in your trash, now!""We just want to book a suite and get some rest," Elijah said, raising both of his hands and smiling weakly. "I have money to pay for this place." A lousy laugh came from the security as he shook his head, he was a robust, balding guy with rough skin. "Oh sure, I bet you can afford to buy a whole hotel, right? You're probably loaded or something." He mocked, shaking his head again, his eyes scanning Elijah from top to bottom. "Wait, I know you! Hey, Mark, doesn't this guy look familiar?!"The only thought that came to Elijah's mind was that they knew him because he was Melina's ex-husband, the CEO of Investverse company, and he just knew this was going to get pretty ugly, pretty fast."Yeah!! Yes!! He's that loser that Miss Hayes dumped yesterday!!" The other security guy shouted, laughing hysterically. "His face was on all the news
When the morning light hit Elijah's face, he blinked several times, disoriented by how tired he still was, then he yawned, stretched, and slowly rose to sit up while rubbing his eyes.Suddenly, the sound of a knock made Elijah frown, pushing the covers off his body and sliding out of bed, his bare feet hitting the floor lightly as he stood up.Scratching his bare chest, Elijah walked over to the wooden door, and when he opened it, Peach's eyes widened at the sight of his naked torso and black boxer, she immediately took a step back, muttering, "Sorry, I - I will come back later." When she turned to leave, Elijah frowned and asked, "You're already here, so say it. What do you want?!"Hearing the sharpness in his voice, Peach instantly stopped in her steps, not turning around to look at him, and mumbled, "Umm... your friends... Well, breakfast is ready downstairs... And they wouldn't eat without you." "Tell them that I will be there in a minute," Elijah replied before slamming the doo
The sound of an ambulance echoed throughout the hotel, followed by the sight of the paramedics rushing inside, along with two officers.The EMTs workers hurried over to Miss Grace's side, took her from Peach's arms, and placed her on the stretcher before taking Miss Grace out of the lobby, rolling her outside toward the ambulance.Striving to stop herself from crying, Peach followed after the EMTs, sniffing as tears trailed down her cheeks. "Who are you?" A friendly-looking lady gently asked her when she stopped in front of the ambulance."I am her daughter," Peach whispered, her voice cracking as more tears escaped her eyes."Oh, dear. Get into the ambulance." "Thank you,"Nodding, Peach walked to the back of the Ambulance and ended the vehicle, taking a seat beside her mother.Inside the motel, the two police looked at Germa and Stony's bruised faces, and one of them asked, "What happened to these two? What exactly went on here?""Officer, arrest those five punks. They were the o
When Peach raised her gaze from the floor and absentmindedly gaze to her right, she was stunned to see Elijah, Matt, Rookie, Ryan, and James walking into the waiting room.Her eyes widened, and a huge gasp came out of her mouth. Her heart thumped against her chest, making it harder for her to breathe as she wondered what they were doing there. When she and Elijah's eyes locked, Peach turned her eyes back to the floor, hating the unreadable expression on his face.With a calm look in his eyes, James said as he sat down beside Peach, "How are you feeling?"A weak smile formed on her face, and tears began forming as the thought of her mother still flashed in her mind."Well, my mama has to have another PCI surgery because she had another severe heart attack," Peach said, pinching her fingers together nervously. "My mama has been really sick lately. She has always been since my dad died.""I am sorry to hear that. Is there anything we can do for you? Anything you need?" James asked, eye
The room door slowly opened, and Peach walked inside to see Miss Grace, sitting upright on the bed, looking extremely pale and weak. But she didn't want her mother to worry about her, so she forced a smile and walked toward her."Mama," Peach whispered as she got near the bed, "are you okay?"Looking over at her daughter, Miss Grace smiled weakly and nodded her head, answering, "I'm fine, sweetheart. I'm just a bit dizzy and nauseous, is all."Placing her hand on top of Miss Grace's hand, Peach whispered, fighting against her tears, "I'm here, Mama. No matter what happens, I will always be here for you.""Oh, dear," Miss Grace whispered, reaching over to squeeze Peach's hand, "You have no idea just how much I love you."Smiling lightly, Peach leaned forward and kissed her mother on the cheek gently, saying, "I love you too, Mama."After Peach pulled away and sat down beside her mother, Miss Grace hesitated for a moment and then a look of concern spiked in her eyes as she asked, "What
As the silence between them dragged on, Peach felt her anxiety growing inside her. Finally, she muttered, "You know what, forget it. I will find another way to get the money."Her face hardened as tears settled in her eyes, and she tried walking past him, but Elijah suddenly grabbed her arms, gently pulling her to stand still in front of him."How?" Elijah asked, his gaze fixed on her teary eyes as she choked back her tears."It's none of your concern!" Peach yelled, pulling herself free from his grasp. "You have made it clear that you don't-""I have made nothing clear," Elijah interrupted her sharply, glaring at her heatedly. "I asked you a single damn question!""I don't know, okay!! I have absolutely no idea!" Peach shouted as she clenched both her fists tightly, feeling angry tears burn her cheeks and threaten to spill. "But whatever it is I need to do to help my mother, I will do it!""What's going on here?" James asked as he, Matt, Ryan, and Rookie walked towards them with a fr