The patriarch scoffed. “Teaching some manners to your idiot son. I can teach you too‌!”

Jackson waved his hand.

“It’s ok, patriarch. We can talk, but can we please do something about the noise?”

He looked at his fuming uncle straight in the eyes and sneered.

“It’s annoying!”

The patriarch kicked them out of the meeting room. The only people inside were Jackson and his grandfather, along with his new wife.

If the old man was a little past his sixties, that woman was in her thirties. Her snake-like body leaned at the table next to Jackson. Her curvy body could strike any man who dared to look at her.

The patriarch looked at Jackson. At first, Jackson got his attention by mentioning the new project, but the longer he thought about it and looking at his cheap attire, the more he doubted him.

“So, tell me what kind of job you got there?”

“Ah, yes. I will scout and recruit people for the new project. Since you guys were my family once…”

The old patriarch sweated. He interrupted Jackson halfway jesting.

“Once? Nonsense. We value young Jackson…”

Jackson ignored the old man’s remark and continued.

“I thought I should first contact you. You could help me save face at the new job and you can get a decent piece of the pie.”

The patriarch of the Raven family rejoiced.. Even though they treated him and his parents in such a way, the young man foolishly still thought of them as family. They could get the funds they needed to revive the family, and, when they no longer needed him, kick him out.

“Excellent!”

He looked at his wife, who remained silent and closely listened to their conversation, and smiled. “Call those idiots back inside, darling!”

“Yes, dear!”

One after the other, the patriarch’s sons and daughter, along with their children, returned to the great hall. The old man, with a smile painted on his face, shouted at them.

“Call everyone! In one week, we are preparing a feast to flaunt our Raven family’s power as the first to have ever received a piece of that fifty billion pie.”

***

The following day, Jackson went out for groceries. He had already refused to stay at the Raven estate, no matter how many times the old patriarch pleaded. He had no intention of staying in that place longer than he needed to.

While there, all the emotions of shame and resentment surfaced and scarred his heart. At least he enjoyed watching his first cousin squirm. It was quite exhilarating seeing the old man begging him, as well.

He wanted to make them suffer for a little longer, but an unexpected variable put an abrupt stop to his plans. The patriarch’s new wife he knew nothing about. That alluring woman blended in despite her overwhelming presence. There were even times he forgot about her. Without gathering information first, Jackson left first.

With a week until the banquet at the Raven estate, Jackson thought of taking care of other things. One of those was a shareholder meeting at the Rikelia Group headquarters. As the next heir, it fell under his responsibilities. He had a few days until then.

After exiting the grocery store, he bumped into a young woman, knocking her down. The one thing imprinted on his mind was the fact she didn’t have any shoes on. She didn’t even accept his hand when he tried to help her up. She politely apologized and ran off.

Moments later, two men in black suits appeared in front of him. The burly men looked at Jackson in a menacing way. One showed him a picture.

“Have you seen this girl?”

Without looking, Jackson replied. “No!”

He tried to walk past them, but their muscular hands put a stop on his advancement. The burly man’s voice hinted at a threatening tone.

“Check again, friend!”

Jackson, seeing no other way out, looked at the picture. He recognized the girl. It was the same one he bumped into earlier. He tried to conceal it by shaking his head. “No, I haven’t!”

The two burly men glued their gazes at Jackson, trying to catch any miniscule change in his expression. 

After he finally got away from them, Jackson returned to his apartment. To his surprise, the new wife of the Raven family’s patriarch waited for him. He felt anxious. His thoughts ran rampant.

“Did she uncover my plan?”

As soon as she saw him, her soft and alluring voice tickled his ears.

“Nice to see you are doing well, young master.”

Jackson kept a calm face and walked towards his apartment with a simple nod. He didn't wish to antagonize her, but her sudden appearance caught him off guard. The woman smiled and reached out.

“Let me carry these for you!”

Her soft hands touched Jackson when she tried to get the grocery bags from him.

Jackson pulled away. "No need..."

At that moment, Jackson realized he didn’t even know her name. Just as he turned the key to unlock his door, he thought this was an excellent opportunity to gain some valuable information on the workings of the Raven family that had cast him and his parents aside.

He was still young when it happened, and his understanding was nowhere near close to what it was now. Jackson knew what had happened and his parents disclosed nothing to him after that.

One day, his dad returned from work with a heavy expression on his face. After taking some time to sit and have a glass of water, he simply said they lost everything.

He returned to the present when he heard the woman giggling. Jackson glared at her and coldly snorted. “You seem eager to enter another man’s apartment. Come in then!”

With a smile painted on her face, she stood next to him. “Lead the way.”

***

At the Raven estate, the patriarch sat at the garden kiosk. He had the plans for Jackson's new project at the table in front of him. At the top of his lungs, he shouted.

“Rina!”

A servant girl hurriedly approached him.

“Excuse me, sir, but madam stepped out a while ago.”

The old man clicked his tongue. “Where did that damn woman go? I want tea!”

“She said she wanted to go shopping.”

He banged his hand on the table. “Again?! How many clothes does she need? It’s not like we go anywhere.”

“I’ll get it for you, sir.”

The patriarch looked at the servant girl, confused. “Huh?”

The girl shyly uttered. “Tea. I’ll get it for you.”

The old man’s lecher eyes scanned her. He tapped her bottom and chuckled. “Very well!”

While the patriarch waited for the servant girl, his first son walked towards him. 

“Hey, old man. That wife of yours. What business does she have visiting that bastard Jackson?”

“What?!”