CHAPTER 8
Author: R. AUSTINNITE
last update2024-09-10 08:23:41

Before lunch, news of Tedmond accepting Kyle’s challenge had spread throughout the school. Everyone was talking about it, and it even reached the ears of his ex-girlfriend. She and his former siblings were eagerly anticipating the event.

They were seated in the cafeteria since it was lunchtime but not yet 2 PM.

“That bastard is going to show us how useless he is again,” Max sneered, gesturing with his hand and smirking. “He doesn’t even have great stamina, let alone the ability to win.”

Maxine chuckled. “He’s always been stupid. I’ll make another video of his embarrassment for my vlog.”

Lisa had the brightest smile on her face. “I’m so glad I chose you, Max,” she purred. “He was such a pain in the ass.”

Just then, Tedmond walked past them, catching the attention of many, including Lisa. The moment she saw him, a disgusted look appeared on her face.

‘Why is he so neatly dressed?’ she thought, scanning him from head to toe and noticing his new clothes and shoes. ‘Where did he get the money to buy those?’

Everyone else began to murmur, making sure that no empty seats were near them.

Tedmond paid no attention to the whispers and headed towards a group of four males sitting at a table. It was thirty minutes before 2 PM, and he still hadn’t formed his team.

When he reached the table, the four males, all dressed in nerdy outfits with large glasses, looked isolated from the others, like a bunch of nerds forced to do assignments for their classmates.

“Hello,” Tedmond said.

His voice drew their attention, and they looked up at him, their eyes widening in surprise.

“Oh, hello,” one of them replied, nervously fiddling with the bottle of water in his hands.

“Can I sit?” Tedmond asked.

“Sure!” they all chimed in unison, as if they’d been waiting for him to ask.

Tedmond knew all four of them from high school, though they hadn’t spoken much. Now, they were all freshmen at the same college. The four had been best friends since childhood and had never separated.

“Are you here to ask us to be your teammates for the basketball match?” Liam asked, the one who had first replied.

“If that’s the case,” Noah chimed in before Tedmond could respond, “then yes.”

“Definitely yes,” Oliver, the third one, added.

“Count me in,” James, the fourth one, said. “Do you know how long we’ve wanted you on our team?”

A smile crossed Tedmond’s face. He had approached them for that exact reason. These four were the best players on their high school basketball team. Even though it was a community school, they had won a few medals, though they weren’t very well-known.

They had seen Tedmond play basketball once and had asked him to join their team, but he had declined because he needed to work part-time to afford college.

“That’s exactly why I’m here,” Tedmond confirmed. “I’m surprised you agreed, considering I turned you down years ago.”

“That was nothing,” Liam said. “We’re more than happy to team up with you.”

“Thanks for reaching out,” Oliver added.

“We’re really glad,” Noah chimed in.

“We’ll be there by 2 PM,” James said. “We’ll make sure that rich kid eats his words. He called us losers, but he’ll regret it.”

Tedmond felt a bit out of place, considering he was now part of the “rich kids” group. “Thanks. I’ll see you on the court.” With that, he rose and left the cafeteria, leaving smiles on the faces of his new teammates.

“This is your chance to get the necklace,” Max told Lisa, frowning at the fact that there were still people willing to talk to Tedmond. “Make sure you get it from him.”

As Tedmond walked past, Lisa followed right after. Sensing that he was being followed, Tedmond changed course and headed toward the men’s restroom instead of his class as originally planned.

Seeing his direction, Lisa called out to him.

“Ted!” she yelled, running after him and blocking his path.

He glared down at her, raising an eyebrow, waiting for her to try and manipulate him like she had so many times before.

“Stop walking,” she said.

“What do you want, sister-in-law?” he asked, intentionally using the title to mock her.

Her eyes flickered with fake concern. “I was wondering where you slept last night,” she began. “I had no idea you’d been thrown out like that. If you need a place, you can stay at my old apartment. I’ll help you, out of the love we once shared. I know you still love me, so I’ll let you stay there until the rent I paid runs out.”

His glare intensified. “I don’t need your fake help.” He tried to walk past her, but she grabbed his arm.

“Stop being stubborn!” she shouted, her patience wearing thin. “You dared to accept Kyle’s challenge! Aren’t you terrified of being a slave for the rest of your life? I’m trying to help you, and you still won’t listen. This is why I left you.”

He pulled his arm free, fists clenching. Just yesterday, she’d said she left him because he was too poor, but now she was blaming his stubbornness.

“What I do with my life is none of your business!” he snapped. “Don’t ever talk to me again.”

Her teeth clenched. If it weren’t for the necklace, she wouldn’t have bothered clinging to him like this. But she hid her frustration. If she could get that necklace, she would be fully acknowledged by the Griffin family.

“If you don’t want the apartment, how about giving me something to remember you by?” she suggested. “Something I can wear all the time, like a necklace.”

She was trying to use his past feelings for her to get the necklace, but all he felt looking at her now was disgust. It made him wonder why he had ever liked her.

Just then, three males walked out of the restroom, and Tedmond smirked. “Why would a married woman want to remember her ex? Do you still want me as your boyfriend, even though you’re married to my brother?” he asked loudly, catching the attention of the other guys.

Lisa bit her lip. “Of course n...”

“Look behind you,” Tedmond said, cutting her off. “Don’t you dare speak to me again or call me ‘Ted.’ You’re not qualified to call me that. And tell Max that whatever he wants, he’ll never get.”

She glanced back, and the blood drained from her face when she saw the group of males. Tedmond took the opportunity to leave, while she scrambled to explain herself, trying to prevent any rumors from spreading.

Continue to read this book for free
Scan the code to download the app

Latest Chapter

  • CHAPTER 362

    Tedmond’s sharp tone made Hino flinch, even though the question wasn’t directed at him. The sheer intensity of the voice was enough to send a chill down his spine.Even Thomas, who had been quietly working through files to lighten Tedmond’s workload, froze, startled by the sudden shift in atmosphere. He hadn’t expected that tone either.Neil blinked, caught off guard. The weight of Tedmond’s glare reminded him instantly of the first time they met—cold, unyielding, and dangerous. He immediately tried to explain himself.“I just—I meant if—”“You meant to question me about her?” Tedmond’s voice rose, thunderous now. “You dare to ask if that woman’s child could be mine?”He stared at Neil, seething. The very suggestion made his blood boil. He hadn’t even touched Lisa, and even if he had, the timing would make no sense. They had been long separated. The thought itself was absurd, insulting even. But more than insulted, Tedmond was angry. If Neil had made such a careless comment in front

  • CHAPTER 361

    Minutes later…Neil finally stopped talking, his voice dry from explaining every detail—from the moment they entered the Griffin estate to the way the Griffins dodged questions and how the elders exchanged looks with fake, half-baked reactions.He had laid everything out. Every single word he heard. Everything that had happened in the mansion, including what he did to Lisa that made her snap.Tedmond sat in silence, the device now resting on the table in front of him, untouched. His fingers tapped once, twice against the wood.“Why did you piss Lisa off, though?” Tedmond asked, genuinely curious.To him, it seemed unnecessary. Lisa was someone who twisted her words and behavior to suit the moment. She often acted based on immediate circumstances and then changed her stance when something else came up.Neil leaned back in the chair, stretching his arms over his head before letting out a deep breath. Then, glancing at Tedmond with a half-smirk, he asked,“Is there anything more dangerou

  • CHAPTER 360

    Tedmond crossed his legs, his gaze fixed on the large monitor in front of him. It played a live video, but his mind was elsewhere. He had been working for hours and was finally on a break, yet even with the footage right before him, he couldn’t bring himself to focus.He arched a brow and reached for the tablet on the right side of the table."Is something wrong, young master?" Thomas asked, turning his gaze toward Tedmond.He noticed that Tedmond hadn’t been watching the video he’d chosen for his break, and instead wore a serious expression. Concern flickered in his eyes."No," Tedmond replied, glancing his way. "Neil and Hino haven’t updated me yet."Hearing that, Thomas shook his head and shrugged. "They must be busy, then. If they didn’t send an update, you still have the device installed on Max. You can check it later. I’m sure Neil and Hino will do their jobs."Tedmond knew that, of course. Neil and Hino wouldn’t fail, but he also knew they might not be able to gather all the in

  • CHAPTER 359

    Hearing that, Max immediately sprinted toward Lisa, a slight frown on his face. He had clearly asked her to stay in her room—so why was she outside?But Lisa wasn’t afraid at all. She wanted Max to panic, and she was getting exactly the reaction she wanted. From what she had observed so far, something important was happening, and she suspected Alicia wasn’t welcome in the house that day.‘What are you doing here?’ Max whispered sharply. ‘They’re going to pin Tedmond’s disappearance on you.’Lisa’s brows furrowed. She hadn’t expected the suspicion to turn on her so quickly. Yes, she had been the last person to leave that area, but she hadn’t imagined they would suspect her this soon.“What are you doing, Max?” Otis’s voice cut through the tension. “We’re talking about Maxine leaving the guest unattended.”Max stepped forward defensively. “Don’t put all the blame on her. I asked her to come down—”“That’s exactly the problem, Max!” Otis snapped. “You were supposed to keep things under c

  • CHAPTER 358

    In a shadowed hallway just beyond the living room, Neil and Hino crouched low. Hino held up a tiny device, its red light blinking faintly.“They’re in position,” Hino whispered. “We’re recording everything.”Neil smirked, listening intently. “Good. Let’s see how much more they destroy themselves before we even lift a finger.”Hino turned to him, frowning slightly. He wondered what Neil meant by not lifting a finger when Neil had clearly offended Lisa and caused a scene earlier.Meanwhile, Max’s gaze locked on Otis. For a second, he thought Otis might have seen through him, but then he noticed Otis’s expression—watchful, almost testing, as if waiting to read his reaction.That told Max one thing: Otis wasn’t certain. He was bluffing.With that realization, Max finally knew how to divert Otis’s suspicion. After all, he had left the basement right after they discovered Tedmond was missing.Max’s voice rose sharply. “Stop accusing me, Otis! I didn’t delete anything. I don’t even know what

  • CHAPTER 357

    At the same time,Otis stood at the head of the grand hall, arms crossed tightly as the guards returned carrying the hard drive. His gaze locked on them immediately.“Do you have it?” he demanded.The guards exchanged uneasy glances. They had searched every archive, every backup, but one crucial section was missing.“Yes, sir,” one finally replied, holding out the device. “But… there’s a problem. Some of the footage is gone.”Otis’s eyes narrowed dangerously. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. “Gone? Deleted? By who?”Confusion rippled through the others standing nearby.“What are you talking about?” Frank asked sharply.“What does ‘deleted’ mean?” Tina snapped, irritation flashing across her face.She didn’t even want to believe that “delete” meant exactly what it sounded like.Adeline groaned, rubbing her temples. “Great. I thought this nightmare was over. What the hell is happening now?”Gerald stood silently in the corner, his jaw tight, anger simmering.The guards look

More Chapter
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on MegaNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
Scan code to read on App