Chapter 002
1442 Words
What kind of look was that?
It was a look of total indifference toward life. It was the calm, detached gaze of a butcher looking at a carcass on a hook.
"Move," Conrad said, his voice devoid of emotion. "I won't ask twice."
"Conrad, stop right there!"
Caroline was furious. Seeing her ex-fiancé ignore her and barge toward the house triggered her temper. "My father is critically ill! Are you going in there to aggravate him to death?"
Conrad merely glanced at her, offering no response, and continued walking.
Scrambling up from the ground, Julian’s face twisted with humiliation and rage. His eyes turned dark and sinister. "Since you won't leave willingly, don't blame me. Break his legs! Drag him to Arthur's bed and make him kneel in apology!"
At his command, half a dozen bodyguards emerged from the shadows of the garden, encircling Conrad.
"Run, Young Master! Run!" Old Leo screamed.
But Conrad acted as if he were deaf. He kept walking, his back turned to the approaching threats, his gait relaxed and casual.
"i***t," Julian sneered. Caroline watched coldly, crossing her arms.
Two bodyguards lunged first, coming from the left and right in a pincer movement. Just as their hands were inches from grabbing his coat, Conrad spun around.
His movement was a blur. A fist, hard as iron, lashed out.
Crunch.
The bodyguard on the left didn't even see it coming. Conrad’s fist connected with his face. The impact was sickening. The man was launched backward as if hit by a freight train, crashing into the bodyguard behind him. Both men skidded across the pavement and went limp instantly.
Silence.
The courtyard of the Lynn estate fell into a deathly stillness.
Caroline and Julian’s eyes bulged. They stared at Conrad as if he were a monster. Old Leo stood frozen, his mouth opening and closing like a landed fish, unable to form words.
The remaining bodyguards froze, instinctively stepping back to shield Julian. They expected Conrad to press the attack.
But he didn't.
Conrad adjusted his cuff, looking as if he had just swatted a fly. He didn't even glance at the unconscious men. He turned back around and continued his stroll toward the living room.
Julian snapped out of his shock, a flicker of genuine fear in his eyes. Caroline let out a shrill cry. "Conrad! You dare use violence here?!"
In that moment, she realized why he had the guts to return. She didn't know what he had done for the past five years, but one thing was clear: Conrad Stone had become dangerous.
"What is all this noise—AH!"
The commotion drew the rest of the family out of the villa. A middle-aged woman, dressed in expensive but dated luxury wear and bearing a resemblance to Caroline, stepped out. When she saw the stone-faced Conrad approaching, her complaint turned into a scream of terror.
Her scream alerted everyone inside.
"What happened?"
"Is it the debt collectors?"
A group of relatives flooded out. But the moment they laid eyes on Conrad, the chatter died. Their faces cycled through shock, fear, and finally, malice.
"I thought that jinx was dead? Why is he back?"
"Did he cause this mess?"
"What does he want?"
Hearing the whispers, Conrad paused. He softened his expression, bowing slightly. "Elders, I will explain everything later. Please, let me see Dad first."
"Stand right there!"
Before he could step onto the porch, a screeching voice stopped him.
Conrad looked up to see Caroline’s mother, Martha Pierce, pointing a trembling finger at his nose. Her face was contorted with hysteria. "You curse! You have the face to come back? Haven't you harmed the Lynn Family enough?"
"Mom, it's not what you think—"
"Shut up!"
Martha cut him off ruthlessly. She glanced at the unconscious bodyguards on the lawn and realized what had happened. Her anger spiked. "You even dare to beat people up now?"
"He's here to kill us all, I know it!"
Another woman stepped forward. It was Martha's younger sister, Bella Pierce. She pointed at Conrad, her voice dripping with venom. "Why come back now? Why wait until Arthur is on his deathbed? What is your agenda?"
"I bet Arthur’s sudden collapse has something to do with him!" Martha's older sister, Susan Pierce, chimed in from the back. "His timing is too perfect. He must have been spying on us, waiting for the old man to die to steal the inheritance! Call the police! Arrest him!"
In an instant, Conrad became the target of a public witch hunt. The entire family—dominated by the Pierce sisters—turned their collective grief and fear into hatred directed at him. The timing was indeed suspicious—Arthur falls into a coma, and the prodigal son returns the same day.
Amidst the barrage of insults, Conrad didn't argue. He stood in silence, enduring it.
Watching this, Julian recovered his composure. The color returned to his face, replaced by a vindictive smirk. "It seems Uncle Arthur raised an ungrateful wolf."
Caroline’s expression darkened further. She looked at Conrad with pure resentment. "I never thought you were this kind of person."
"Mom, Caroline, everyone," Conrad spoke, his voice deep and earnest. He looked at each of them. "I know that five years ago, the Sterling Family crushed us because of me. I failed the Lynn Family. I will give you an explanation, and I will make amends. But now is not the time to assign blame."
"Amends? With what? Are you going to turn yourself in?" Susan Pierce scoffed. "Let me tell you, even if you died a thousand times, it wouldn't pay for your sins!"
"Exactly," Bella Pierce added. "Besides, the doctors said Arthur won't last the day. What can you possibly do?"
"Aunt Bella, Aunt Susan, please, my mom is upset," Caroline said, her voice cracking. The thought of her dying father brought tears to her eyes, and her glare at Conrad intensified.
It was his fault. If he hadn't run away five years ago, the Sterlings wouldn't have attacked. Her father wouldn't have had the heart attack that started this downward spiral.
"You jinx! I’ll kill you!"
Suddenly, Martha snapped. She grabbed a fruit knife from a patio table and lunged at Conrad, screaming like a banshee.
"Mom! Stop!"
"Martha, he's not worth it!"
Caroline and Julian rushed forward, grabbing Martha’s arms.
Martha struggled, waving the knife wildly in the air. "You deserve a horrible death! Arthur treated you like a son! I told him, 'He's a Stone, not a Lynn, don't trust him!' But he didn't listen! And now look! This is the retribution!"
"Mom, please..." Caroline began to weep. The hatred in the air was palpable, thick with the pain of the past five years.
Conrad looked at Martha calmly. "Mom," he said gently. "Dad saved my life. Please, let me see him. Just once. What if there is still hope?"
"You—"
Martha opened her mouth to scream again, but Julian interjected.
"Mrs. Lynn," Julian said, his eyes narrowing with a cunning light. "Since he's back, let him take responsibility for the past." He turned to Conrad. "You can see Uncle Arthur. But you must admit to all your crimes."
"Crimes?" Conrad’s eyes flashed cold.
"Yes," Julian challenged, not specifying what those crimes were. "Do you dare?"
Conrad paused. He knew exactly what Julian was doing. If Arthur recovered, everyone would be happy. If Arthur died while Conrad was in the room, Julian would pin the death on him. Conrad would be the scapegoat for everything.
But he had to check his father's condition. He had to know the truth.
"Fine," Conrad agreed instantly.
Julian blinked, surprised, but quickly clapped his hands. "Good! A man of action. Go on in."
Conrad strode into the house. No one stopped him this time.
Martha looked anxious. "Julian, are you crazy? Why did you let him in?"
Julian gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Mrs. Lynn. I have it under control. Trust me."
Once the family was distracted, Julian stepped into a quiet corner of the hallway and dialed a number.
"Who is it?" A man's voice answered, breathless and annoyed. In the background, the sounds of a woman moaning could be heard.
"Master Sterling, I've done what you asked regarding the old man," Julian whispered, his voice dripping with sycophancy. "But I have a surprise bonus you might be interested in."
The moaning on the other end got louder. The man sounded irritated. "Spit it out, I'm busy."
"Conrad Stone is back. Should I call the boys?"
Julian’s eyes glinted maliciously. He drew a finger across his throat.
- Writer
