The Illegitimate Heir

Two black cars screeched to a halt in front of Dominion Group.

Then suddenly, their leader jerked his hand towards the side of the building.

The man he pointed to was dressed in a cleaner's uniform, pushing the wheeled dustbin towards the dumpster.

Adrian Cross was no weak man, but when the eight men pounced on him with kicks and blows, it was too late for defence.

The CSO sneered and said, “Are you stupid? Do what? It's only the nobody getting some sense kicked into him! Why should we waste our time? Help him and you'll lose your job!”

The guards looked promptly away while the sounds of beating and grunts echoed in the evening air.

“What is going on?”

Whispers and sneers greeted Adrian's ears even as he tried to swing back and struggled to get up.

No such luck!

A hefty kick stole the breath from him and he crumpled hard to the ground again.

“Stay down, you pathetic fool!” the leader yelled when Adrian kept trying to stand on his wobbly leg.

Even though he had been treated like that for years, Adrian was no dog lying down to take anybody's kicks.

“Stop!” the leader finally ordered.

With a bloodied face, torn clothes and a body aching from the unexpected beating, Adrian refused to lower his head as the man approached him with a sneer.

“What a courageous fool!” The leader patted Adrian's cheek disdainfully.

Adrian jerked his head away and even that single movement hurt so much.

“Look at you! How dare a cheap loser like you have your eyes on Miss Whitmore? You are courting death, I see. Stay away from her or you will pay for it with your pathetic life!”

“Let's go, guys!”

They left as loudly as they arrived, leaving Adrian confused and disoriented.

One moment he was listening to the commentary on the latest game tournament, feeling nostalgic even knowing that he couldn't get back to that yet. He had more important things to deal with now.

Then the next he found himself kicked so hard in the back that he could hear a crack.

What surprised him was not the people giving him dirty looks, not even the beating, but the reason.

Miss Whitmore? Who?

“Hey, trash! Why not just toss yourself in that dumpster too? You will do us all a favour, you know.” The CSO called out as Adrian bent painfully to pack the trash that was scattered all around.

Adrian ignored him and got his job done.

He was done for the day anyway, and he was supposed to leave right after, not get a beating that left him all achy with probably broken bones.

The urgency of where he needed to be hastened his steps even as he thought of what had just happened.

“Could this be one of Daniel’s tantrums again?” he wondered as he headed for the restaurant at the corner.

Daniel Cross, legitimate heir and Adrian's stepbrother, was society's darling and Adrian's nemesis.

Daniel's family name and his average looks made most people ignore the fact that he was an arsehole. Adrian had had to endure that as long as he had lived.

Born on the same day twenty-seven years ago, their paths were as different as light and dark.

“Ugh, what is that smell?” A well-dressed lady coming out of the restaurant Adrian was about to enter held her nose as she gave Adrian's uniform a disgusted look.

The man beside her immediately pushed Adrian back, the shove causing the bruise on Adrian's chest to flare in pain.

While still holding the glass door of the restaurant open, the man looked back into the restaurant, saying, “Is this the kind of trash you allow here? We will not be coming back!”

“Oh, please. Come back. We will not…” The owner, who rushed out at the sound of the customer, stopped when she saw them enter their car and leave in anger.

She turned and glared at Adrian.

Normally a breathtaking man with jaw-dropping good looks and above-average height, the darkening bruise on Adrian's face, blood on his tattered uniform and scruffy shoes disgusted the owner.

“Are you happy now? You just chased my good customers away, you idiot!”

“I have been your customer for years too, Madam Su. Is this how you treat customers?” Adrian spoke calmly, despite the glares and dirty looks shooting at him from the customers around.

“Pah!” The woman spat at his feet. “You call yourself a customer? Selling my food to you is doing you a great favour. Do you think I want someone like you darkening my doorstep? Everyone who comes here dresses so well. And you! You are either coming here in that uniform or in your cheap clothes. Well, that is it! Leave now and never come back!”

Adrian did not want to be at such a place any more either. But then, the beating had cost him precious time.

If he did not leave soon, he would miss visiting hours, and the wonton soup he came for was important.

He was not leaving without it.

“Fine. I will leave.”

“Better! Get your stinking self out of…”

“Right after you sell my wonton soup to me,” he completed.

“What? Are you deaf? I said I won't…”

“That's fine then. I will just go in and make sure I send all your customers away,” he interrupted smoothly, heading towards the door.

“How dare you! What do you think you are doing?!”

She grabbed his arm and pulled him back, the pull making him clench his teeth against the pain that shot through him again.

Still, he did not let it show as he looked at her furious face mildly. “One bowl. Regular. I want it steaming.”

Madam Su wanted to argue again, but she saw more customers getting up, while others looked displeased, pointing at the man before her.

“Aiya! I will get it. After today, don't you ever come back.”

“You can be sure of that,” Adrian responded coldly, knowing it was her loss.

When she was just selling from a cart at the corner, he had thought she was a humble person and helped her out anonymously.

And now, he was an eyesore to her?

All that did not matter to Adrian as he got the food and left.

The earpiece had been pulled out of the phone in his pocket earlier and damaged. Thankfully, his phone screen was only cracked, but it was still on.

Seeing the time on his phone and knowing he was going to be late, he decided to take a shortcut to the hospital three streets away.

“Hand it over, old man.” Adrian heard the order as he was passing the mouth of an alley.

“How…how can you do this to me? Do you know who I am?” An old voice trembled in response.