“When will you be back?” Kia asked Devin while she packed his bags. “As soon as I can, my love. They said my grandfather is sick. I must be there to see him,* Devin replied to her. Kia sighed.“I hope he's okay. It's been a tough couple of years for him. For all of you,” she sighed.Devin kissed her lightly. “I'll be back before you know it,” he told her, and wheeled his bag out.Kia’s fingers trembled as she gently closed the door behind Devin, watching as his figure receded down the cracked driveway. “Take care of him,” Kia whispered, pressing her hand against the doorframe. “And be careful.”Devin nodded, flashing her a crooked smile. “I’ll be back soon. Call me if anything changes.”As Devin’s truck disappeared around the bend, Kia leaned against the door for a moment, inhaling deeply. Then, her phone began to ring. It was her stepmother, Rhea, who was calling.“Hello?” Kia said.“Kia, dear. How are you holding up?”“I'm fine… thanks…”“Yes. Look, I want to see you, both I and

Elijah Stone approached both of them with an oxygen prong in his nostrils. His breath was heavy, and with him were two ladies, each drawing energy from the house to form a cocoon around Elijah.“Master. This servant choosed to disrespect you by refusing his duties. He even picked a fight with me and called you names!” Darren started, yelling as Elijah kept approaching.“Allow me to teach him a lesson that he will never forget in his life!” Darren added.Devin just remained quiet. He gave Elijah a light bow as pity filled his was. Elijah has lost a lot of weight. For how long has this sickness been going on for?“Grandfather, do you need my assistance?” Devin asked Elijah and Darren was instantly triggered.“You dare call him grandfather now? Weren't you distracting him earlier but refusing to do your job? Servants these days be asking for a beating!” He yelled at Devin, but Devin ignored him.“Do you want to teach my grandson a lesson?” Elijah asked Darren in a low, threatening voice.

Devin stepped out of Elijah's room and found Darren standing outside the door, with a deep frown on his face.He flexed his chin while Devin avoided him like he wasn't even standing there.“You must think you're all it now. Billionaire. Heir. Elijah's favorite person. You must think that the world bows to your every command…”Darren slowly blocked Devin's path and crossed his arms.“Let me tell you, Devin. Before you came here, there was an order to how things got done. And we here do not like breaking that order. So, why don't you quit this little witfh hunt of yours, and focus on the right things?”He asked and smiled.Devin let out a deep sigh.“Are you scared, Darren?” Devin asked, but Darren clenched his fists.“How dare you?” He snapped at Devin.“Did you do something bad? Something you're afraid that I'll find out? Because if you did, you'd better confess. Maybe then, I'll have mercy on you,” Devin told him.“You're inane. You're delusional! Fuck you! And just so you know, when

“I had it all planned out. Everything. And you are right; I didn't want to kill Elijah. All I wanted to do was to show him what a terrible choice he made when he named you heir!” Darren cried out loud.He slowly rose to his feet as the servants took nervous steps back, scared of what he might do to them. Only Devin stood face to face with him.“You come in here with your nuance, acting like you know and control everything. Well, newsflash, you fucking don't! In the grand scheme of things, you are nothing more than an ant. One that I can squash at any fucking time!” He yelled at Devin again.“You already tried that, Darren. We both know how it turned out. Do you really want to get humiliated again in front of the servants?” Devin asked Darren with a smirk.“Now, what you should do is decide the punishment that must be given to you. Your greed caused harm to my grandfather. That is an offense that I am not willing to forgive. Not even in a million years to come,” Devin told him but Darr

Devin straightened his tie as he guided Kia through the sleek, glass doors of La Versailles, the city’s most exclusive restaurant. His hand gently brushed her back, a quiet reassurance in the midst of the opulence.“Are you sure about this?” Kia asked softly, glancing around at the upscale surroundings.Devin smiled. “Absolutely. Tonight, I want to show you just how special you are. Besides, I want to get your mind off things… whatever it may be,”They approached the maître d’, who recognized Devin immediately and offered a discreet nod. “Mr. Stone, we’ve prepared a private booth for you. Your reservation is fully paid for the night—dinner, drinks, everything.”Kia’s brows lifted in surprise. “You paid for everything? Oh Devin. You didn't have to,”Devin nodded as they were led through a corridor lined with artful photographs of the city skyline. “Consider it my treat. Just relax and enjoy.”They settled into a plush booth with a panoramic view of the city lights. A server poured