The Return Of Lee Young

CHAPTER 8

Him?” Lee's eyes widened in confusion. His mind was still struggling to process everything Tyler had told him so far, yet more secrets kept coming nonstop. He wasn't ready for any of it.

“Yes, Master.” Tyler lowered her head, though her composed expression didn't escape Lee's notice. “Cole Smith.”

“Cole Smith?” Lee was startled at the mention of his name, it crushed him harder than anything else. Lee's thought spiralled.

What did Cole Smith have to do with this? Or was there another person with the same name? That wasn't possible, there was only one Cole Smith he knew. He was the same person who always looked down on him with disdain.

“Yes, Master. Cole Smith.” She repeated. “He's the only son of Williams Smith, the third richest man in Avendel Heights.”

It's him, there was no doubt. How could it be? Lee ran his finger through his hair anxiously. “What am I supposed to do with that information?”

“He's a dangerous man hidden behind a flawless face.” Tyler said, her lips curving into irritation.

“I already know that.” He snapped. “He even threatened to marry Catherine.” Lee rant coldly. He looked up, and noticed that Tyler had gone quiet.

“...Catherine,” he added. “That's my wife.”

“I'm aware of that Master,” Tyler replied. “But from the report I received, I wasn't informed of his intentions to marry Miss Wales.”

Miss Wales? Lee's brows furrowed. Weren't they already married? Then why was she still addressed as Wales? But he didn't press further. What right did he have to question Catherine's last name? He was still living in the Wales mansion.

“You need to be careful around him. He is not as harmless as he appears. Beneath that face is someone capable of anything.” Her looks turned solemn. “He even tried to kill you.”

Lee's breath hitched, his heart racing uncontrollably. “What?” He muttered.

“That… that is impossible.” He rattled out, shaking his head as if he was trying to force the thought away.

“He wouldn't go that far, unless someone who knows me better is involved–” Lee paused for a while before a thought crossed his mind.

“That must be Lady Wales.” He snapped, clinching his fist. “She hates me enough to do something like that. She would do anything to get rid of me.”

Tyler peered at Lee with obvious worry, then reached for a glass. “Drink some water.” She said, pouring it steadily.

Lee accepted the glass of water and downed it. . “Since you know about Catherine, then you must know quite a lot about the Wales family.” He said, more like he was asking.

“Enough to bring them down overnight.” She responded without hesitation. “If you choose to, the Wales Group could go bankrupt within hours.” A menacing smile curved Tyler's lip.

Lee was stunned as he stared at how confident she was.

“I'm certain Cole Smith orchestrated the accident.” Tyler continued, tapping lightly on the screen of her iPad. “He is the CEO of Westbridge Group. However, his personal information is not accessible to the public. It's not surprising you didn't know before you applied for a job there.”

Lee's eyes became saucers. Everything began to fall in place. He pushed himself up despite the weakness in his body. “That explains it. Everything went so quick and smoothly.”

He clenched his teeth furiously. “They set me up from the beginning. Lady Wales must've told him to get me the job so that they could get rid of me. Everyone who wants me dead has to pay.”

“I'll make sure of that sir.” Tyler made a brief call and hung up almost immediately.

Reaching into her coat, she pulled out a premium black card and handed it to Lee. “This is a gift from Grand Master Young. The pin is your birthdate.”

“Grand Master?” Lee blinked slowly in bewilderment. He was reluctant to accept the gift.

“Yes, Master Young.” Tyler said. “The Grand Master built a network that spans across cities, countries and industries. I have served the Young's family for over a decade. And you're the heir to everything the Grand Master built.”

“Who's this Grand Master you're talking about?” Lee asked coldly like he was a different person.

“He's your grandfather.” Tyler began. “Your father's name is Henry Young and your mother is Kim Young. She's your father's legal wife. But before her, there was Olivia Rowan.”

“Your father and Olivia Rowan were together for two years. But she left him for a famous actor. After the break-up, he decided to take over the family's business. That's how he met your mother.”

“She came from a low background. Your grandfather didn't accept her because he despised anyone who was a pauper. He was the wealthiest man in Avendel Heights and even the entire country.”

Lee was so speechless that all he could do was simply stare. He listened quietly as Tyler laid out a history he never knew was his. The truth about his past was too wild to believe that it sounded like fiction to him.

“It was at this point your grandfather made a decision he regrets to this day.” Tyler continued. “He paid Olivia Rowan five billion dollars to give him an heir. After accepting the deal, she stole ten million dollars from the company and absconds with the twins she gave birth to for your father. No one has seen her since then.”

“Your mother died a few days after giving birth to you. You went missing shortly after. Around the same time, a maid vanished too. She was the Young family’s head maid, and the closest to your mother.”

“Your father didn’t live long afterwards. He died not long after you disappeared. That was when your grandfather realised how deeply he’d hurt your mother. He believed she’d taken you away from the Young family.”

Lee’s hands trembled at his sides as he remembered growing up in the children’s home. Then Mrs. Adams’s face flashed through his mind — tired, but her care for him had never wavered, even when he was five.

At the time, he’d thought she’d abandoned him when she left him at the children’s home. He was too young to understand why. When he turned eighteen, she came back for him. All he’d ever known was how to survive in a box room.

Tyler’s gaze softened as she watched Lee’s expression. “Your grandfather has been searching for you. Despite all his power and connections, he couldn’t find a trace. There was no information on the maid who stole the Young heir either. She hid you well.”

Tyler hesitated, fear edged into her voice as she leaned forward slightly. “Forgive me for asking, Master. But where is she? The… maid,” she stammered.

“The Grand Master has ordered the maid to be killed on sight. We’ve searched everywhere, but she’s vanished. She must have changed her name and identity.” Tyler paused, panic flickering across her face, then went on. “The maid who ran off with you… might I ask if she's Mrs. Adams?”

Lee’s chest tightened as panic took hold. Mrs. Adams had never told him anything about his past. Whenever he asked about his parents, she’d just say they loved him but died too young. Had she hidden the truth to protect him? She’d risked her life to save him, and now she was being hunted?

“Mrs. Adams fostered children for years, but she stopped after she fell ill. I’ve lived with her since I turned eighteen,” Lee said, keeping his eyes away from Tyler. He was lying, and he knew it too. “It’s impossible she’s the maid you’re looking for.”

“Whatever her reasons were, she did it to protect you,” Tyler said calmly. “Your mother must’ve been afraid the Grand Master would hate you the way he hated her. That’s probably why the maid kept you hidden all these years.”

Lee was wary of revealing anything. Tyler didn’t seem like the kind of person who’d kill someone innocent, but he didn’t know what to believe anymore. He wouldn’t risk Mrs. Adams’s safety.

“How much is in this card?” Lee asked suddenly, clutching it tight.

“Twenty million dollars, Master,” Tyler said. “It’s nothing much. It was meant for your eighteenth birthday. Your grandfather has kept it safe all these years.”

Lee’s breath caught. Twenty million? He’d never even heard of that much money, let alone owned it. He wanted to laugh it off as a joke, but the look on Tyler’s face told him it was real — and it was his.

He thought back to the Wales Group’s anniversary, to the humiliation of asking for two million dollars he thought was impossible to get back then. They had mocked him, looked down on him and disregarded him over two million dollars. Now he had a premium black card in his name with a credit limit of twenty million.

“This is just a small present from the Grand Master among every other thing you're about to inherit. As heir to the Young family, you’re meant to take over the family business.” Sensing his confusion, Tyler explained, “Your father’s first sons were the twins Olivia Rowan had for him. But she and the twins have gone missing for years. It’s safe to assume they’re no longer alive.”

“If anything happens in the future, your grandfather promised to take responsibility,” Tyler said, sympathy in her voice as she watched the doubt in his eyes. “Your father made him promise to make you the heir. You’re the only son he approves of.”