The Forsaken Heir

Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

The prison air was always stale, seemingly swallowing up any remaining hope. The damp concrete walls reflected the faint screams, the steps of iron chains, and the harsh swearing that never stopped. Adrian sat in the corner of his cell, his hands clasped around his knees. His gaze was blank, his mind drifting to the one question that kept haunting him. How could my life be destroyed in an instant?

But that night, he didn't have time to linger with his thoughts. Four large inmates approached, their faces grimacing like hungry wolves.

"Spoiled brat," one of them hissed, beating his palm with a thin metal bar. "Your time is up."

Adrian backed up until his back was against the wall. His heart raced, a chill ran through his body. He knew this wasn't just a bluff. Something in their gaze said. this was an order, not an initiative.

One of the prisoners threw a punch. Adrian ducked, the blow only grazed his temple, but it was enough to get the blood flowing. Before he could respond, he was kicked to the ground.

"I... I have no problem with you!" shouted Adrian breathlessly, trying to reach the floor to get up.

"We were just told to get the job done," muttered the other, his voice hoarse with hatred.

As the iron bar swung toward his head, a heavy voice stopped them.

"Enough."

A tall figure with cold eyes stood by the bars. Lucas Kane. A dark-haired man with a thin scar on his left jaw, he was well-built despite being in his late forties. Many inmates respected him, not for his violence alone, but for the aura that suppressed anyone around him.

Lucas entered the area, his steps calm, his eyes looking straight at the attackers. "If you want to live longer, back off now."

The four prisoners hesitated, exchanging glances. They knew who Lucas was, a former intelligence agent, a man even the warden was reluctant to deal with. Angrily, they spat on the floor and turned to leave.

Adrian was still panting, his body trembling. Lucas approached, extending his hand. "Stand up."

Adrian stared at his hand for a moment before taking it. His grip was strong and firm, as if pulling him not only from the floor but also from the brink of despair.

"Why did you help me?" asked Adrian in a hoarse voice.

Lucas just looked at him deeply. "You're not dead yet."

In the days that followed, Lucas always showed up when Adrian was in danger. Whether it was when he was almost blackmailed for food or when two other inmates tried to intimidate him in the bathroom hallway, Lucas was always there, as if he had calculated all the enemy's moves.

Adrian was getting confused. That night in the prison yard, when the other prisoners were busy playing cards, Adrian ventured to ask again.

"Do you have a reason? You can let me die, but you always show up."

Lucas leaned his back against the wall, a cheap cigarette lit on his lips. "Because I see something in you."

"Something?" Adrian frowned.

"You have a brain. Sharp, but naive. The world is dirty, Adrian. If you stay innocent, you'll only be a victim. But if you learn, you can use that brain of yours."

Adrian was silent. The words slapped him.

"Learn. Survival first. Revenge later."

That was the beginning. Lucas taught him basic martial arts. how to lock an opponent's wrists, utilize body weight, and even how to stand so as not to look weak. Adrian fell many times, busted his lip, and bruised his arm, but each injury made him tougher.

Lucas also taught him something else. reading the situation. "Don't just listen to words. Watch their eyes, their hands. Humans always lie, but the body rarely does."

Night after night, Adrian changed. From a man who once only knew business reports and numbers, he now learned to control his emotions, keep his expression, and think two steps ahead.

---

One afternoon, a prisoner whispered to him as they shared stale bread. "We were paid to finish you off."

Adrian stiffened. "By whom?"

The prisoner looked away quickly, as if afraid. "An outsider. A name called... Victor Hale."

The name stabbed him in the chest. Victor the family friend who was now Clara's husband. And her uncle the man she used to trust, probably played a part.

Adrian returned to his cell with a blank stare. Lucas noticed the change.

"Bad news?" asked Lucas quietly.

Adrian nodded. "They want me dead. Outsiders are paying. My uncle, I believe, and Victor Hale."

Lucas gave him a long look, then said softly, "Your enemies aren't just out there. Sometimes the closest one is the one who stabbed you."

The words pierced deeper than any physical wound.

---

In the days that followed, Lucas began to teach strategy. "If you want to survive, build a network. The people here can be your army if you know how to approach them. Information is more valuable than muscle."

And so Adrian began to observe. He talked to the small inmates, offered them bread, and listened to their stories. He found out who was in debt, who secretly hated the warden, and who had links to gangs on the outside. Slowly, a small circle formed.

Lucas watched from afar, giving occasional hints. "Don't be too quick to trust. They follow you not out of loyalty, but out of necessity. Use that."

Adrian felt himself changing. From a man who was merely a victim, he was now beginning to control something - albeit small, albeit fragile.

---

One night, the old television in the living room broadcast the news. Wedding music echoed as the camera zoomed in on Clara wearing an elegant white dress. A happy smile was plastered on her face as she clasped Victor Hale's hand.

Adrian was transfixed, his chest tight and his eyes unblinking at the screen. Clara, the woman he had once loved with all his heart, now stood beside the man who had stabbed him in the back.

The other inmates cheered or laughed, but their voices vanished from his ears. The world seemed to shrink, leaving only the image of Clara smiling for another man.

Her hands patted the books until they turned white. Clara's smile, which was once a light, was now a fire that burned away all the good memories.

Love had died. Replaced by the embers of revenge that slowly burned away her soft side.

Lucas turned his head, noticing Adrian's cold stare on the screen. He nodded slowly, as if he knew that night, Adrian had truly changed.