The Illegitimate Heir

Chapter 10

The maid looked guiltily at Patricia and back at Adrian.

Had he not always taken everything they were ordered to do to him quietly?

When had he suddenly changed? She wondered as Adrian turned to leave.

“Stop right there! How dare you leave when I am not done talking? I want my tea. Go and make it for me right now!”

Adrian stopped, his tone cold and gaze unwavering as he looked at her. He responded, “I will not be doing that for you anymore. In fact, I will be gone soon enough. It is better to get used to the maids doing it. I am done.”

The truth was, one of the maids had tried to be helpful that morning when Adrian had not gone to the kitchen to prepare Patricia's tea as usual.

Patricia grimaced as she remembered the taste.

It had tasted horrible. The foam was not right. The texture was flat and the taste was not the same.

“Adrian has a special way of brewing your tea, ma’am. The water was always at a certain degree, and we could never get the whisking just right the way he does it.”

The maid had responded when Patricia complained. Even the five-star chef that Patricia had hired for the house also confirmed that she just could not get the tea right the way Adrian did it.

When she called his name, she learnt that he had not left his room.

“Are you all so useless that you cannot do anything right around here without a loser like him?”

She had snapped, remembering how one of the staff had been ironing Richard's clothes the wrong way that morning.

“Adrian normally gets these ready, ma’am. But he did not do so yesterday. So, I thought I should do them.”

She had snatched the cloth out of the staff’s hand and done it herself since Richard was already leaving the gym for the shower.

It still did not look just right the way it used to get folded almost creatively, leaving distinguished lines on it that had always made people compliment Richard for the uniqueness.

Patricia knew Richard had not been pleased that morning as he saw the wrong lines, but he had not said anything.

Still, the look of disapproval on his face had struck at Patricia.

Her anger increased when she heard that Adrian was still not out by that time.

She already had a score she wanted to settle with him that morning and now this?

“Gone?” she snorted in derision. “Where will you go? Without this family, you are nothing. You think you are something special, uhn? The moment you cut ties with this family, you will be fair game for everyone. Dead meat.”

Seeing her say out loud what he had seen in her eyes and actions still managed to scrape at the part of Adrian still holding out for a miracle. He shut it down firmly as he answered her, “I guess we will see soon enough.”

He turned briskly, heading out.

“I told you not to turn your back on me when I am still talking!” she snapped, but Adrian did not stop.

“Guard that door! He must not get out!” she commanded suddenly, and four men immediately rushed inside, doing as ordered.

Adrian was beginning to develop a headache as he turned back to her.

“Is this really necessary? You have wanted me gone for years, even if you would not admit it. Now, I am making it easy for you. Once I fulfil my promise to Father, I will leave. What is the point in all this?”

She walked briskly to him. Before Adrian could understand what was going on, a slap had landed on his cheek.

His head snapped sideways as the thong of her heavily jewelled ring cut the side of his lips.

“Hold him down!” she snapped before he could steady himself.

A kick swept Adrian's feet off the floor and he was suddenly pinned down in a kneeling position before his mother.

His struggle against the four men did not yield much.

He managed to jerk a hand free and swung a fist that connected solidly with someone's ribs.

Still, he was overpowered again, the grip on him firmer this time.

Fury burned in Adrian's eyes, turning them dark as he looked straight at her.

For a moment, Patricia was taken aback by the ferociousness coming from this filial son of hers.

She shrugged off the uneasy feeling that he had changed.

Idly rubbing her ring, she gave him a derisive look, saying, “I see that my absence has made you grow wings. Your father must have gone easy on you, and now you dare to talk back at your elders? I must punish you by the family law before you ruin everything we have worked for.”

She expected him to beg or at least show a hint of fear, because the family law punishment was no small thing.

Instead, Adrian, who had endured more than this growing up, did not flinch.

Instead, her actions finalised his decision. “Fine. Do whatever you want. Just know that after today, you and I are no longer mother and son,” he said so firmly that even the staff looked at each other uneasily.

He really did sound serious. In a city where family mostly comes first, especially mothers, it was unheard of for anyone to cut ties with theirs.

Patricia laughed instead, like it was a great joke.

After curbing her laughter, she patted his cheek mockingly, saying, “You? Cut ties with me?"