The Illegitimate Heir

Chapter 2

Nasty things mostly happen to those who do not mind their business.

And Adrian had a place to be too.

Yet he could not just ignore that trembling voice.

Mocking laughter echoed as Adrian silently moved closer.

“Who you are? A dead man. That is what you will be if you don't give us what we ask for!” another man shouted.

Adrian could see them clearly now. There were two of them.

Thugs, from the look of them. One had a club in his hand, while the other held a knife.

The one with the knife had it raised as he approached the old man, who tried to move back towards the dead-end alley.

He tripped over something and fell hard to the ground. The men laughed as the old man groaned in pain.

“Ready to cooperate now, or should I gut you like a fish first?”

Taking those maniacs on with his wounded body would be a suicide mission, and Adrian knew it.

He moved back from the mouth of the alley as he raised his voice loud enough for them to hear. He took his phone out.

“Hello, is that the police? Yes, I am in the alley behind Preston Avenue. Two men are attacking an elderly man right now. Oh, you are around the corner? Great. Hurry, they are armed!” he shouted.

The two men looked at each other anxiously, and one of them shouted, “Who is that?! Come out right now!”

They rushed towards the opening. Expecting that, Adrian had already slipped between the crevices of the closed stores nearby.

“Who…?!” The men paused when they saw no one.

“What do we do now?” the younger one asked anxiously.

“We get what we came for and…”

“But the police are almost here. I can't go to jail. I told my ma I was going to work!” the younger said anxiously.

“You idiot. If we do this right, Master Scott will give us a lot of…”

“I don't care!” The younger one dropped his club and ran. “I cannot go to jail. It will break my ma’s heart.”

“You idiot…shit!” the older one swore when he heard the sound of an approaching car.

He stumbled just beside the closed stores, and a swift look to the right would have betrayed Adrian's location.

Plastered against the wall, Adrian watched them leave and immediately ran into the alley.

The old man jerked backwards, afraid that the men were back.

He was well dressed in tailored slacks and a dress shirt. His cane lay discarded somewhere to his left, and pain crossed his face when he tried to move.

“I mean no harm. I just want to help,” Adrian said, spreading his arms wide to show that he only had the takeout in his hands.

“That was you just now?” The man nodded towards the alley opening.

“Yes, I didn't really call the police. I just had to make them believe I did. They believed it,” he added with a shrug.

“Then I owe you my life. Thank you. What happened to your face?”

“It's nothing,” Adrian answered automatically, looking at the man still seated on the ground.

The man looked distinguished with his attire, Patek Philippe watch and customised shoes, but he was not making any attempt to get off the filthy floor.

“Do you need help?” Adrian offered cautiously, knowing how much dignity means to the elderly.

The man winced slightly, his face growing graver, but then he nodded without looking straight at Adrian's face.

“This is embarrassing to admit, but I think I hit my tailbone when I fell. Something is wrong with my back. These damn old bones,” he muttered, like a gladiator defeated by age.

Adrian helped him up without a fuss, preserving his pride as he casually swung his arm around him without showing how much the man had to lean on him.

That way, he took him to the hospital, which was just a short distance away.

The man's phone rang on their way and Adrian held it to his ear as someone spoke anxiously on the other end.

“Chairman Hex, where are you? We couldn't find you at the park.”

“Come meet me at…” the man looked at Adrian and he offered,

“Voldemort Hospital.”

They were just getting to the front of the hospital when three sleek cars parked right beside them.

A middle-aged man jumped out ahead of the others, rushing to the man's side.

“Chairman Hex. What happened?!” he asked anxiously, eyeing Adrian suspiciously.

“You should get him help first,” Adrian said mildly, his eyes going towards the time.

Damn it. Just a few minutes more.

“I have to go,” he said hurriedly, turning to leave.

“You are not going anywhere. Not until you tell me what you did to him!” the man said, even as he gestured to the black-suited men with him.

Some of them entered the hospital, while two blocked Adrian's way.