The Heir

chapter 3

HIS father needs him now. It must have touched his heart a little if only he did not have a painful memory scarred on his heart when his father abandoned them. Content © NôvelDrama.Org.

“You must be mistaken.” He tried to remain calm despite the heaviness that he felt on his chest at that moment. “I am an orphan.”

“Young Master, your father wants you to take over the LS Group—”

“I told you, my father is dead!” Maximilian snapped. “He is dead to me ever since he abandoned us that day!”

He could not help but be furious whenever he would be reminded of him. For so many years, he chose to ignore them. His mother tried and tried to reach out to him, but his father never came back. And he was to blame for his mother’s death. He left them in misery while he lives his life to the fullest. Considering him dead was the only thing that consoled Maximilian’s heart when his mother died.

Unlike his mother, he did not try to look for his father. Besides, he seemed to really forget about him because, since that day he walked out of their house, his father did not show up until now. It was funny how he sent his butler to meet him. Perhaps, he did not have the courage to face him, or he did not want to see him at all.

Wilfred Collins looked around before turning his gaze on Maximilian again.

“Why don’t you come with me and talk about this matter privately?” said Wilfred.

His hands clenched so tight; he could feel his fingernails dug on his palms.

“Didn’t you hear what I said a while ago?” he said through gritted teeth.

Wilfred heaved a sigh. It seemed that he has a lot of patience to waste on him today. His face says that he would not give up easily on him.

“I’ve got an offer that you couldn’t say no.”

His brow arched. “Really, huh?”

“I came prepared. I know life has been tough for you, and you are under the pressure of a tight pocket now. Ten million dollars in cold cash. How do you like that, Young Master?”

Maximilian’s jaw dropped. Ten million dollars in cash? It was more than enough for him. He had never had such an amount of money before.

“I...”

“I know you hate your father. But you are the rightful heir to the LS Group. This is your chance to change your life, Young Master.”

Wilfred’s words hit him. He has a point. If he agreed to take over his estranged father’s company, his problems would be solved. As in everything!

“Let me think about it first, Wilfred,” he told the butler after a while.

“Oh, of course, you need some time to think.” Wilfred brought out a card from his suit’s pocket. “Here’s my number. Contact me if you have decided to take it or not.” He bowed at him again before exiting the hospital.

AFTER his encounter with his father’s butler at the hospital, Maximilian went home. He thought his mind would be at ease once he gets home, but he was wrong. Just when he was about to enter the house, he heard Victoria and his mother-in-law Laura fighting over something. He hid to the side and peeked through the window.

“Come on, Victoria! There is nothing to lose now! Go and divorce that good-for-nothing husband of yours!” Laura told her daughter, who was now in tears.

“Why are you doing this to Max, Mother?” Victoria countered, sobbing. “He didn’t do anything to our family.”

“That’s it! He’s doing nothing that only proves that he is a loser!” Laura snapped. “I don’t even know what you were thinking when you married him, Victoria. There’s a lot of fish in the sea, yet you picked a loser like him.”

“Because I love him,” said Victoria.

“Do you really think love will solve everything? Look at you now! You have been working hard for years. Did that son of a waste even help you?”

His hands clenched. He could take everything they said about him. But he doubted Victoria could take them all. For sure, every word cut like a knife in her chest. And his heart ached for her knowing that she was hurting.

“I am your mother, Victoria. I know what is good for you, so you better listen to me now. Do what you are told. Divorce that Maximilian Lee before it’s too late.”

“You should leave now, Mother,” Victoria said firmly. “No matter what you and the entire Griffith family say about Max, I will not divorce him.”

Maximilian let out a sigh and unclenched his hands. His wife’s words really touched his heart.

From the window, he saw his mother-in-law turned her back on his wife and walked away. He abruptly hid behind the bushes in the garden so that she would not see her. After Laura got inside her car and

sped away, he stormed inside the house and found his wife sitting on the sofa, crying hard as she hugged her legs.

“Victoria...” He sauntered towards her and joined her on the sofa.

“Max...”

She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face on his chest. Maximilian hugged her back. His hand gently caressed Victoria’s back, hoping that it would somehow calm her.

“Hush now...”

“Y-you heard it, don’t you?” she asked between her sobs. He felt Victoria’s hands clenched against the fabric of his shirt.

“Yes.”

“Everything?”

“Hm... everything.” Maximilian let out a sigh. “Thank you for always staying with me, Victoria. You don’t know how much it means to me.”

His wife hugged her tightly as though she was afraid that he would disappear any minute.

“I will always be with you no matter what because I love you, Max.”

When Victoria looked up, he planted a soft kiss on her forehead. Right at that moment, Maximilian knew what to do. He will accept that multi-billion-dollar fortune and his father’s company. It was the only thing he could do to avenge Victoria. He will make sure that his wife will not have to suffer his family’s humiliation. He would never let her feel aggrieved again...