Chapter 1 Ungodly Hour

The sound of the tick and tock from the clock had Elijah's feet bouncing on the tiles of the dining room floors as he stared at his watch, a sense of nervousness creeping into his chest. It was Ten-thirty, and he had been staring at this same watch for hours now, still no sign of his wife. Even though it was like her to come home late, He didn't expect her to do so on their birthday since she knew how important today was to him. Looking away from his watch, Elijah sighed and glanced up, the clock showing Eleven pm. Then his gaze directed to the phone, lying on the table, in front of him. "Will she not pick up again?" Elijah asked out loud, his voice low and soft. There was a brief pause before he reached for the phone, his fingers fumbling with it as he tried to dial Melina's number. "The number you have called  is currently unavailable..." A robotic female voice said on the other side of the line, causing Elijah to drop his head backward on the chair, a frown plastered on his face. "Is she not going to answer me anymore?" He muttered in slight disappointment. "Eleven Fifteen," The clock on the wall read, and Elijah continued to be patient, hitting his foot repeatedly against the tiles. Eleven twenty-two and still no sight of his wife. It has been the whole day since she left this morning that he had not seen her, and it was starting to worry him. Elijah's eyes wandered back towards his phone, then up to the clock again, watching the minutes tick by one by one until eleven-thirty. That's when Elijah finally had enough and woke from the chair, abandoning the table filled with food that he had made for Melina, and left the dining room. The feeling of love is a heavy burden that weighed on Elijah's heart for years since he married Melina and started living with her as a stay-at-the-home husband. Respect was not something she would give to him often because of his low status in life, being a man who had no job and just lived off her. But his love for Melina was something that Elijah has never given up on. His affection for her came first than anything else. She was the most important person in his life, and he felt like it was time for him to be honest to her about a lie he had been telling all these years. The romantic dinner he set up back in his dining room was not only to celebrate both of them thirty years old birthdays, but he was finally going to be truthful to her. The cab came to a stop in front of a five-story glass building, and the driver looked back at Elijah and said, "We have arrived." Immediately, Elijah snapped out of his thought and gazed away from the time on his watch, which was twelve on the dot now, and reached his hands into his pocket. After paying his cab fare, he pushed the cab door open and stepped out, and walked slowly towards the doors, not knowing if anyone was in, even though the building was bright with lights. When Elijah reached the entrance, the security stopped him, flashing his flashlight in Elijah's face, and then furrowed his brow as he let out, "Mr.  Elijah Hayes?""Hayes," Was his wife's last name, and people usually looked down on him for taking her surname. But he could care less about what they think or say, even though most of them said he was doing so to use Melina for her wealth and reputation. However, Elijah always knew better than to get involved in such petty arguments with people he did not want to associate with because they knew nothing about him and spoke out of ignorance. "What are you doing here at this ungodly hour?" The security questioned in an irritated tone, eyeing the watch on Elijah's wrist as if looking for something that wasn't there. "I'm looking for my wife," Elijah answered plainly, making sure that the guard knew who he was talking about. There was silence between the two men as the security continued staring him down, his cold demeanor hardening, as well as the boldness in Elijah's expression. "Are you kidding me?! Is that damn thing on your wrist not working?!" The security exclaimed, glaring at him as if Elijah was some criminal. "Don't you know how to tell time or something? If you weren't Mrs. Hayes' husband, I would have kicked you out of here myself!" Such rude tones did not bother Elijah that much because after marrying Melina, his worth in the eyes of others had changed drastically because he was a stay-at-home husband, and people saw that as him being a useless man who leeches on the wealth and power of his wife, instead of being a successful businessman like other men. "Is my wife still in the building? I know she stays here late to get work done, so can you please take me to her office?" Elijah asked politely, his face calm and composed. As soon as the words left Elijah's mouth, the security became visibly annoyed by his attitude, as if he had said something offensive, and then he lashed out at Elijah, "Look, Mr. Hayes! You don't have the right to barge into this building without any warning at such an hour and demand something!" Staring at the glass door, Elijah felt restless, and anger boiled inside his chest, making him clench his fists tightly, and he subconsciously stepped forward. Immediately, the security strode in front of him, pushing his palms against Elijah's chest forcefully, preventing him from advancing further. "Hey, hey! Step away now! Or I will call for backup and  have your ass kicked out of here!" The security shouted at Elijah, who remained rooted on the spot in shock and anger, his eyes widening at the sudden aggression from him. Speechless, Elijah took a step back, restraining himself from reaching up to slap the guard in the face, who looked like he was ready to beat the living crap out of him. "Not even employees are allowed to be here at this time, except security and Janitors. How dare  you try to enter the building without permission!?" The guard shouted, his voice echoing with the wind. Raising a brow, Elijah took another step back, putting his hands into both his trouser pockets to stop himself from grabbing the security by his shirt and knocking the shit out of him. The look of rage and hate in the security eyes was unsettling as he pointed an accusing finger at Elijah and asked, "Mr. Hayes, what are you up to here actually? Huh?! You think you're entitled and above everyone just because you're married to the CEO?!" Ignoring the security words, Elijah wandered into his thoughts for a moment and then asked, "Did you say only the securities and janitors are in the building?" The fact that Elijah was playing his anger off and dismissing him made the guard madder. His fist clenched into a tight ball as he took a few steps forward and replied, "You're not getting it, Mr. Hayes, are you?!" A frown appeared upon Elijah's face, and his eyebrows scrunched together before he gave the guard an exasperated look. "Leave here now before  I call the police and have you arrested for trespassing!" The guard yelled at Elijah, pointing his hand towards him with the finger extended. Looking at his watch, Elijah realized that it was already half past midnight, and he grew even more frustrated and irritated by this security. "Is Melina in there or not?!" Elijah asked a bit louder this time, his voice carrying an authority behind the question which made the security flinch. It shocked him for a second that Elijah could have such a dominant aura around him, but he was quick to recover and scoffed, "No, she isn't here. Mrs. Hayes left the building at five o'clock today. Now if you excuse me, I need to continue working." Before Elijah could say anything else, the security slammed the double doors shut in Elijah's face, leaving him alone outside with nothing but a cold gust of air hitting his cheeks and messing up his hair. The fact that Melina left work at five o'clock and did not go straight home, knowing what day it was, made Elijah more worried about his wife than suspicious of her. His eyes darted around the street nervously, not knowing who to call because she never tells him about her friends or who she would meet during her work schedule. So without thinking further about his actions, Elijah pulled out his phone and dialed her number, waiting for her to accept his call. But she didn't answer, and his heart began to pound loudly inside of his chest, his breath shaky as he called her once again. He dialed her number three more times before hanging up the call abruptly, dropping his phone back into his pocket as he leaned his forehead against his fist, wondering if he should go to the police or call her family, who detested his existence in their daughter's life. "Where could she be?" Elijah mumbled to himself, rubbing his forehead to ease the throbbing pain. Then the ringing sound from his phone made him snap back into reality and reached into his pocket, pulling out the phone. A soft smile appeared on his face as he stared at the name displayed on the screen, a feeling of happiness bubbling within his stomach. "Melina?" He breathed out, his voice barely above a whisper, yet he sounded hopeful to hear her voice. "Who else will it be?!" Melina's harsh voice snapped through the speaker, followed by a sigh. "Where are you?! Why are you out so late?! It's midnight, for crying out loud! And you are not home. Is there something you want to tell me, Elijah?!"

Chapter 2 A Million Bucks

After an hour's drive, the cab came to a stop in front of the villa, and Elijah paid the driver before getting out of the car. The way Melina had spoken angrily on the call made Elijah feel a sense of worry as the guard opened the front gate for him, and he sped his pace, hurrying toward the front door. The years they have been married have never been happy ones. He had hoped she would have grown up with better manners by now since she has always been rude to him and has never respected his decisions. But he loved her enough to try and understand why she was acting this way. The last time she had done such a thing, it was because he asked her out at one of the events her company was hosting, and she got mad, wanting to go alone and saying that the party was not something of his class. That night, she claimed Elijah needed to spend more time doing things at his level rather than trying to impress people like her family or some other business acquaintances. A situation like this was common in their marriage, Melina being ashamed of him and plain rude when Elijah tried to do something different to prove his love to her and make her see how wonderful he could be. When Elijah entered the house, he walked calmly down the hallway, calling her name out, "Melina!" It took a while to find her, and when he did, she was seated in the living room, on a fluffy white couch, and the scent of alcohol hit his nostrils. "Honey," Elijah called out again, his voice firm but soft, so as not to startle her. "I'm home." No answer came from Melina as she picked up the glass of wine next to her, sipping the drink slowly as if she were taking pleasure out of the taste. From how strong the scent of the wine was in the living room, Elijah guessed that she must have had a lot of it already, and he felt his stomach churn, wishing he knew just what was going on in her head. "How much glass have you had?" Elijah asked cautiously, trying to keep his voice calm and soothing, as though he were scolding a small child. "What? Are you going to punish me, dear husband of mine?" Melina questioned with sarcasm in her voice, her head tilted slightly to look at Elijah. "What? Do you think you are man enough to  discipline me?" Conversations like this were so common between them since they had met, that even when she acted like a childish brat, he was used to her abuse and behavior. "No, I don't want to discipline you," Elijah explained calmly, stepping closer to the couch until he was standing right in front of his wife. "I just want to talk." A sneer crept across Melina's lips as she looked up at her husband from underneath her lashes, mumbling, "Like you have the power to put me in my place." Those words cut deep, causing Elijah's heart to ache, but he took no offense to her word. It was clear that Melina was drunk beyond her senses, and that only made him worry more about her welfare. "Please let me take you to bed," he said gently, placing his hand on her cheek. Frowning, Melina  brushed his hand away harshly, muttering, "Don't you dare talk to me like someone who's in charge, especially when you are feeding off me!""Have I ever asked you for money?!" Elijah exclaimed defensively, feeling hurt by her words, yet also angry that his wife was thinking like others who knew nothing about him. "Why would you need more when I provide every damn thing for you, housing, clothes, food, what else?!""Melina!!""What?! Huh?!" With a look of hurt on his face, Elijah held back his tongue, realizing he should not lash out at his wife and say something he might regret later. Darting her gaze away from Elijah, Melina rolled her eyes, reaching for the wine bottle, but he suddenly grabbed her wrist, letting out, "I don't want you drinking that anymore. You are already drunk.""Well, too fucking bad, darling!" Melina spat, trying to pull her hand out of Elijah's firm grip. "Now, let go!!" His eyes on hers, Elijah let out another sigh, holding onto her wrist weakly before letting Melina go. Then he grabbed the bottle of wine, and when she tried to fight him for it, he turned around and threw it against the wall, glass shattering all over the floor. As a result, Melina froze, staring at him with wide eyes, unable to believe the scene unfolding before her. Elijah was not a violent man by nature, nor had he ever raised his voice at her before, so the sight of him throwing bottles was shocking to her, and when Elijah looked back at Melina, he let out softly, "That's enough wine for tonight, okay?" Not holding back, Melina raised her hand and  slapped him across the face, screaming, "You son of a bitch!" It took a moment for Elijah to register what happened, and when he did, he cupped his stinging cheek, his eyebrows knitted together angrily as he glared at her. This was supposed to be his limit for Melina's nonsense, but Elijah felt a sense of guilt like he must have pushed her too far and crossed a line that he didn't want to. It was not like he was ever going to hit her, but maybe throwing the bottle might have been too harsh... Reaching for her shoulders, Elijah lowered his forehead onto hers, murmuring, "I am sorry for making you angry, honey. It won't happen again." But she pushed herself out of his grasp, looking at him coldly, and let out, "You are a pathetic excuse for a man, and I have been so stupid for even-""Melina, please...  don't say these things..." Elijah pleaded, putting both his hands on her cheeks and forcing her gaze to meet his. "It's my birthday-""I know. It's our birthday, and I made you dinner… Also-" Pushing Elijah's hands off her face, Melina scoffed, "Oh yes, because that should make everything okay. feed me with the food which ingredients I bought with my own money for my birthday. When your mates are getting their wives expensive things like diamonds, silk dresses, a new car-""Melina what I am trying to say is that-" Elijah began, but his wife interrupted him, waving her arms wildly. "Do you know what I did today for my birthday... Haha, I had the perfect birthday party at a luxurious bar with a man in my standard, someone who was willing to spend three hundred thousand dollars for me and spoiled my friends and me!""What are you talking about?" A sense of disbelief spread through Elijah as he looked at his wife. He had not expected Melina to spend her birthday with another man, leaving him home, when it was his birthday too. This news devastated Elijah, and his mind began to race with thoughts, and his feelings were overwhelming and confusing him. He loved Melina so much, and the thought of her being with anyone other than him was unthinkable and hurtful. But the worst part of it all was that he was aware of his wife's feelings for another man. "Do you know what he did that you will never in your pitiful life do, he bought me a car. Not just any vehicle. He got me a  Porsche 356 GTi." Melina giggled hysterically, obviously enjoying the sound of her own voice and her drunkenness. In desperation to save what was left of his marriage, Elijah reached into his pocket and pulled out a box, uttering calmly, "I got you a gift too." Furrowing her brows, Melina stared at him blankly before breaking out laughing, her hand covering her mouth as she continued to giggle uncontrollably. "Stop it, honey, you're embarrassing yourself," Melina cried, wiping the tears that rolled from the corner of her eyes because of how hard she laughed. Angrily, Elijah grabbed her hand and rested the box on her palm, saying, "Can you please just take a look?" A look of rage appeared in Melina's eyes as she shook her head furiously, shouting, "NO!" Then she tossed the box onto the ground, glared at Elijah, and lashed out, "Your cheap gift will never amount to the twenty thousand dollars bag he got for me! Get that into your tiny little brain, you loser!!" Shocked at his wife's outburst, Elijah stood there frozen, as Melina started walking away, leaving the living room. Just like that, another man was better than him in his wife and that broke Elijah completely down. The fact that he couldn't satisfy her with just his love, respect, and devotion was killing him slowly. It killed him slowly because of the way she treated him, and it hurt him more knowing that he was unable to fix it. All of his life Elijah was taught to treat women with respect, with honor, and to care very highly about them as much as they cared for him and the fact that his wife had done something so awful to him was hurting him deeply. It took a moment for Elijah to find the strength to move, his feet stumbling and nearly tripping over themselves, yet he managed to catch him, balancing on his feet, and then picked up the box off the floor. Opening it, he frowned at the heart-shaped necklace and mumbled under his breath. "Why did I waste a million bucks on something this stupid!"

Chapter 3 Divorce papers

Lying in bed, Elijah sighed heavily while running his fingers through his thick hair. His mood had drastically changed ever since his fight with Melina. He could feel the pain that throbbed inside him, and he hated it. To learn that his wife was into another man was devastating to Elijah, and no matter how hard he thought about their fight, he just didn't want to accept the fact that she was cheating on him. "Damnit!!" Elijah groaned in frustration. Tired, he buried his face into his pillow, his fists tightly clenched while his mind replayed their conversation, wishing that he had told her about his identity earlier. Maybe that would have made Melina happy. If she knew who he truly was then she would still be loving him. But that didn't change the fact that it was painful and humiliating to be rejected by the woman he loved. And to know she had chosen another man because of his wealth. When Elijah first arrived in the country, as a foreigner, he was still new to everything, and one night at a bar, Melina approached him and that was the beginning of their friendship. But it immediately turned into something heated that same night when she invited him over to her hotel room and they had sex, which ended up with their relationship becoming way more serious than he ever thought it would. Right now, he felt confused as to where the Melina he first met was, not wanting to lose the real woman he has fallen for so deeply. Because the truth was, Elijah didn't know if she was worth fighting for anymore. Sighing loudly, Elijah sat up straight and rubbed the sleep out of his tired hazel eyes, grabbing his phone from beside him and looking at the time. "Six am..?" Elijah whispered as he dropped his phone back on the sheets. Leaning his weight on the pillows, he stared at his surroundings in shock, wondering why the hell he had not fallen asleep at such a later hour. But honestly, the thought of Melina had never left his mind the entire night. The ones that were full of love and passion, moments that he remembered all too clearly from their past, and the way she kissed him with such a burning passion... the feeling of her body against his own, the warmth that lingered between them after their heated kiss, the soft moan she gave when he bit her neck... The memory of those things was still fresh, and his heart ached at the thought that the value of their love was measured by monetary things. The nights he cuddled her, her sick days that he nursed her back to health, moments when he held her in his arms, and the times he made sure she slept well and ate healthily - it was all just meaningless to her because they were not worth money and luxurious things. But his feelings for her remained intact, even though she had hurt him and broken his trust. Because deep down, Elijah still wanted to believe that she would always belong only to him and no one else, and even though she abused or neglected him, they were still meant to be together. There were only two people in the world that mattered to him: his family and Melina, and Elijah didn't want that to change. With the sound of the guest room door suddenly opening, Elijah looked to the doorway and saw Melina standing there wearing a robe with her short brown curls framing her face. For a moment, Elijah focused on her tired eyes, knowing that she was suffering from a hangover, and then his gaze lowered to the folder in her hand. "Morning," He spoke quietly and watched Melina's expression turn sour at the sight of him. Ignoring his greeting, Melina stretched out the folder to him and said, "Here. Sign it!" A look of confusion and concern etched itself onto Elijah's face as he stared down at the file and took it from her hand, opening it up. "You want a divorce?" Elijah asked softly, his tone filled with disbelief. Melina's lips twitched downwards slightly as she shrugged her shoulders, saying, "It's been years, Elijah. You can't keep holding onto me like this. It will only hurt me more and my image." The words she just said seemed to make no sense to Elijah as he continued to stare down at the documents, trying to find some sort of logic behind her actions. "This marriage is not working for either of us," Melina explained. "We just need to go our separate ways and stay away from each other.""Stay away from each other?" Elijah mumbled, his brows furrowing slightly as he began flipping through the papers. "Is this divorce finalized? I don't understand what is going on…""I don't want to be associated with you anymore! What's not there to understand? Don't you get that?" Melina snapped at him. "What are you talking about?" Elijah questioned, shaking his head. "I don't understand anything that is happening right now...""Do you know the shame I went through last night? Everyone at my party knew I was married to you. They probably even laughed and teased me.""Melina,""You are like a filthy stain to my reputation and self-esteem! Do you know how awful that feels?!" Feeling confused and annoyed,  Elijah raised his eyebrows as he said, "I'm not sure what you think I did wrong-""Everything," Melina interrupted harshly as she glared daggers at him."You are not someone I want to spend the rest of my life with, and you never will be. There is no point in staying married to someone like you.""Why do you hate me so much?" Elijah frowned slightly. "I have done nothing but treat you right… I  haven't cheated on you, I love you, I treat you like a queen… How can you be so angry at me? I thought you loved me.""Oh, Elijah, how stupid can you be?" Melina scoffed sarcastically. "Our relationship is nothing but a bet with my girls. True or dare... I chose 'dare,' and this relationship is the result.""What,""My friend dared me to marry a guy I had had a one-night stand with and divorce him later on after a few years, for two million. So I said, 'yes,' and now we have this whole mess." Elijah stared at her, stunned silent as his eyes searched hers for a sign that she wasn't lying. But when he found none, he let his gaze drop to his hand, looking at the file. "I was a joke to you... just a bet for you and your friends? You were never serious about having a real marriage, were you?  If anything, our relationship means nothing to you. I was just a toy to use whenever you want, right?" Elijah let out, his voice sounding more bitter than before. "Just sign the paper and stop making me miserable! You are not worth it anymore! Just forget about me, Elijah..." Melina said, avoiding his gaze as she tossed a pen on the bed. "There! Use it!!""No!""What?!" Unable to believe that this was real and that Melina was giving up on their relationship, Elijah stood, gazing angrily at her. "Elijah, sign the damn papers!" Melina ordered as she stepped toward him. Frowning, He took the papers and tore them apart before throwing the pieces on the floor. With a soft look in his eyes, Elijah gave her a faint smile and said, "You are just saying this to please others because of how they have mocked our relationship. But I-" A slap from his wife landed hard across Elijah's cheek, shocking him as he staggered backward and grabbed the side of his face, staring at her wide-eyed, completely astonished at how harsh she could be when she was mad. "Don't you get it! I don't want your pathetic ass, and I don't want to see you again, Elijah. Go away and leave me alone!" Melina yelled furiously, glaring at him carefully. "Last night you slapped me, and I let it happen because you were drunk. Today you hit me, but let it be the last time you ever think about raising your hand against me again. Understand?" Elijah told her sternly. A sneer spread across Melina's face, and she let out a  mocking laugh as she rolled her eyes and replied, "What!! Do you want to be a man now? Do you think I won't hit you if I want to??" Raising her brow, Melina stared into Elijah's cold eyes and pouted at how unamused he was about the situation, and the anger that grew within her increased tenfold. Not holding back, she raised her hand, but Elijah grabbed her wrist before her palm can hit his face, and he mumbled, "Respect Yourself," The way Melina's eyes bulged out at his action caused her to freeze in place for a few moments before trying to yank her hand out of his grip, screaming, "Stop touching me! Let me go!!" Looking at her with pity in his eyes, Elijah let go of her wrist with a sigh and rubbed his forehead tiredly, saying, "I am sorry, Melina, I am sorry. Can we just talk about this? Please?" This was his last attempt to calm her down and convince her to give their marriage another chance and give her the benefit of the doubt that she would stop this madness and let him fix this situation by being honest with her. "Talk? Ha, please, Elijah!! The only reason you are being this pathetic, gluing yourself to me even after I told you I had sex with another man is that-" Melina started to snap at him angrily. But Elijah quickly cut her off, asking, "You did what? You said... you did what with another man?""It doesn't matter, Elijah! It's over between us!" Melina snapped back at him. "And if you wouldn't sign the paper then I am taking you to court!" With that, she stormed towards the door, opened it, and left without waiting for a reply. As soon as the door slammed shut behind her, Elijah sat recklessly on the edge of the bed and buried his head in his hands, unable to process all of the things that were going through his mind as he tried to grasp everything. When he finally lifted his head, he laughed out his pain and bitterness, mumbling, "This can't be real. I don't believe this. She can't divorce me… This is some kind of cruel joke. I must still be dreaming…"

Chapter 4 Devils in sheep's clothing

Even after all that had happened between them, when Thursday arrived, two days after Melina threw a divorce paper at him to sign, Elijah was still in the house, hoping that this nightmare would eventually end between them. Seven o'clock met him in the kitchen, cooking breakfast, as usual, cracking an egg open and pouring the yolk into a pan to cook. As he stirred the scrambled eggs together, humming quietly to himself, he tried to not think about all the mean things his wife said to him and just tried to focus on the task at hand. When the eggs were ready, Elijah scooped them onto a plate, next to the bacon, sausages, and toast that he prepared beforehand. Then Elijah took the plate off the counter, set it on the tray beside a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, and slowly raised the gold tray in his hand, walking carefully out of the kitchen into the dining room. Standing by the table, Elijah placed the tray on it before grabbing the fork and knife from the cutlery drawer, setting the silverware on the table, and placing it neatly beside the tray. At that moment, Elijah heard footsteps approaching the dining room where he was standing, and as he turned around, he saw Melina, walking into the room while rubbing her sleepy eyes, fully dressed in a lovely, knee-length, neat-fit white floral dress. "What is this?!" Melina frowned at him as she looked at the tray and utensils sitting neatly on top of the table. "Breakfast…" Elijah whispered nervously. Keeping her silence, Melina pulled out a  chair and sat down, placing her hands on top of the table as she rested her chin on them and stared at Elijah suspiciously. "Are you sure you are not trying to poison me before I divorce you, so you can take all my money?" Melina asked, still sounding very grumpy. At first, Elijah thought she was kidding, but her tone was too serious not to believe. Taking a deep breath and letting it out calmly, he smiled slightly at her question, and simply answered, "How could I do such a thing? Melina, I love you too much to hurt you.""Ha, you don't know when to quit, do you?" Melina chuckled lightly as she shook her head. A frown settled on Elijah's face as he pulled out a chair and sat down across from her. A calm atmosphere settled into the room as Melina ate the bacon, eyeing Elijah with every passing second. "I still wanted a divorce. You are not husband material." Melina said bluntly, taking a sip of her drink as she stared into Elijah's eyes. "Because I am poor, right?" Elijah asked as he raised an eyebrow, feeling an ache in his chest. "Yes, Elijah! You are a poor guy who is constantly broke and has no job to support yourself or spend on me, and I am tired of being with a cheap guy like you!""Wow!" Wiping the single tear drop that rolled down his face, Elijah stared at his wife and then at the buzzing phone. After answering the call, he rested it against his ear and listened to the voice on the other end of the line, "Mr. Elijah, it's time for you to return home. Your father and mother want you back to discuss something important.""Tell them, I will be there tomorrow," Elijah replied curtly, hanging up the call. "We have a court date today for you to sign the divorce papers," Melina reminded him as she put her fork down, looking at him expectantly. "If you don't show up, you might get jail time, so I advise you to not make this harder than it has to be." Sighing deeply, Elijah said no words as he watched her eyes, finally realizing and accepting that his nightmare wouldn't end here. Because she was the nightmare, and until he left her, it was only going to get worse, and it was time for him to accept the reality that his life isn't what he thought it was, and he should start to move on. Suddenly, the sound of the doorbell echoed throughout the house, and Melina smiled, standing up as she mumbled, "That's my ride to the courthouse." Confused, Elijah stood from his seat and followed her to the front door as they both walked to the entrance of their house. Opening the door, Melina smiled at a middle-aged man, dressed in a  business suit, standing at the doorstep. He had short hair, dark brown eyes, and wore glasses. "Honey," Melina said sweetly, rushing into the man's arm and kissing him on the lips as she hugged onto his body with affection. A scoff slipped from Elijah's mouth as he looked away, turning his attention towards the ground, unable to look at them anymore. This was an insult to his face, that his wife would kiss another man in front of him, and yet, she didn't seem to care that he was there. Over the years, Melina had done a lot of things that hurt Elijah, but this... this was the moment he realized how toxic their relationship truly was and felt a sense of hate towards her. Like a knife was stabbed in his chest, Elijah clenched his teeth, clasping his fists, trying hard to keep his emotions inside. "Elijah, can you be at the Blueville courthouse before ten o'clock?" Melina asked him, breaking the embrace with the man. Nodding, Elijah turned his gaze towards her, smiling stiffly at her and saying, "Of course.""Great!" Melina said, grabbing the man's hand, and grinning sweetly at him. "Honey, let's go." Silently, Elijah watched his wife get in the car of another man, and drive away. His heart sank to the bottom of his stomach and filled his veins with anger. At that moment, he realized his father was right, this world is filled with hypocrites and devils in sheep's clothing, and he can never let his heart rule over his head, for a woman or anyone, and this lesson was coming true now. But Elijah was somewhat glad it did because now, he would never let another human being get the best of him, ever again, and his heart slowly grew cold and numb as he stared ahead of him, his eyes darkening. At nine forty-five, the cab came to a stop in front of the courtyard, and Elijah paid his fare with a quick tip before stepping out of the taxi. Looking at the great white building, Elijah shoved his hands into his pocket, walking further towards the front doors. When he entered the court hall, he was shocked to see reporters and camera crews, and they immediately started shouting and shoving each other to gain some coverage, making it difficult for Elijah to walk ahead. "Is it true that Mrs. Melina Hayes is divorcing you? Can you please share some thoughts on why the CEO of Investverse company would  be divorcing you?!" A reporter shouted in his ear as she pushed a microphone to his face, causing him to recoil backward slightly. Not uttering a word, Elijah pushed past her and kept moving through the crowd, keeping his head low as cameras flashed and microphones were thrust to his face. "Elijah… please answer a couple of questions, Elijah!" A  female reporter begged him. Pushing the microphone away, Elijah muttered, "No comment.""Do you want to divorce your wife? How do you feel about that?" A male reporter asked Elijah? "Leave me alone!" Elijah snapped at them angrily. It grew silent for a moment between the journalists because of how powerful his tone was, and then one of the reporters mumbled, "Why is he acting like a boss or something when he's just a low-life stay-at-home husband.""No wonder Mrs. Hayes wants to divorce him… he's just a loser! She should have known better than to marry him... She must have been blind to do!" Another journalist snorted derisively. Bowing his head, Elijah forced his way past the crowd of people blocking his way forward, ignoring the questions he was asked, and walked straight into the courtroom. There, Melina was with her family, and her friends and the way they all looked at him with anger, hate, and disgust made him feel as if he was the lowest scum in the whole country, even though he wasn't. The divorce case lasted for a couple of minutes, and at last, Elijah was a free man, completely divorced from Melina and relieved that he was able to escape the pain that his marriage was putting him through. Looking over at Elijah, Melina sneered and let out loudly, "I'm so glad this mess of a  marriage is over, and I can finally move on to the next person who is worth my time!" Smiling at her sarcastically, Elijah nodded and said, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "Well, I guess I am the only one miserable now, aren't I?" Then he shook his head and sighed heavily while glaring back at her and then turning around to walk out of the room because he was so done with the whole situation. When Elijah arrived out of the courtyard, he stood still, staring at his phone, waiting patiently with his other hand stuck in his pocket. "Elijah, that's your name, right?!" The man Melina came to the courthouse with, walked over to him with her hugging onto his arm. With a look of disinterest in his eye, Elijah  looked towards the guy, replying simply, "Why are you talking to me?!" Shock crossed over the man's expression before it quickly returned to his poker face, and then he laughed. But as he was about to make a comeback, a Mercedes Benz sports car pulled up alongside Elijah, and he walked towards the door, opened it, and then entered the passenger seat, slamming the car door shut. "What just happened?!" Melina demanded angrily, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared wide-eyed as the vehicle took off at full speed.

Chapter 5 Master Maxwell

"Good evening passengers. The flight from Syldavia to Bordoria is currently in the final stages of preparation for landing." The announcement boomed throughout the cabin. Closing his eyes, Elijah sighed and leaned back into the seat behind him as he nervously toyed with his wedding ring while it sunk in that he was now divorced and was finally meeting his parents after years of being away. There were a lot of emotions to process between getting betrayed by Melina and returning home. It was all too much to even try to figure out just how he was going to handle all of it. After the plane finally landed, the passengers got up to leave, and since Elijah had no baggage, he left first class and entered the terminal. With a cap on his head, Elijah kept his head down and his hands inside his trouser pocket, trying not to draw any attention to himself. The moment Elijah stepped out of the building, it took only a couple of seconds for him to hear, "Master Maxwell!" Stopping in his steps, Elijah turned around and saw none other than Butler James walking toward him. Immediately, he noticed people staring at him and whispering, and Elijah lowered his cap, shrugging his shoulders to make himself look smaller. "What are you doing?" Elijah whispered when Butler James arrived right in front of him. "You know I don't like the attention of others-""I'm sorry, master. I am just so happy that you are here, back with us," Butler James said, reaching up to take his hand and squeezing it. "I can barely believe this is happening." Not holding back, Butler James rushed into Elijah's arms, hugging him tightly. Even though Elijah was caught off guard at first, but then he hugged him back, smiling fondly, "It's been quite some time, hasn't it?" Pulling out of his arms, Butler Elijah smiled weakly and let out, "Yes, master. You don't know how mad your mother has been since your father kicked you out of the mansion." A few years ago, Mr. Maxwell, a well-known figure in the business world in Bordoria, and a man of high prestige, known by many, and respected by countless, looked into Elijah's eyes and said, "Son, it's time for you to get out of my house." Looking back now, Elijah could only smile at his father's drastic decision to send him to another country to experience the real world for himself, because with such a status in Bordoria, he was never going to see humans for who they truly were. Unfortunately, Melina was the first person he fully trusted with his heart, aside from his family, and the result was an ugly divorce with her, lies, betrayal, and humiliation. Growing up with his family's money and title, the world was black and white for Elijah as a young man, but after his father kicked him out, he started to realize that sometimes the world wasn't so nice to those without money or connections. "My mother should not be mad at him. I am grateful for the life lessons I learned because of his tough love." Elijah said, smiling at James, who looked shocked and bewildered. "Something is different about you, master,"  James said, still not believing that he was talking to the same man who he watched growing up as a cheerful and modest child. "I cut my hair,""No. That's not it." Laughing, Elijah walked past his butler, heading for the black SUV  that was parked a few distances away from them. "Your Aura!! You have a  new Aura, Master! One filled with dominance and maturity!" James exclaimed, following closely behind Elijah. As he slightly shook his head, he chuckled faintly and said, "You took all that from a couple of words I said?""Well... No offense master, but I watched you grow up, and  I remember a little boy who would cry whenever his father tried to discipline him. You were soft-hearted and  sensitive, and you always cried when you felt hurt, scared, or mad." Butler James said in a soft tone. "Ouch! Thanks for bruising my ego .""Sorry, Master. But what I am trying to say is now, I think your aura is so more mature, and more... I don't know... Strong? I guess I could call it that..." Hurrying ahead of Elijah, Butler James opened the back door and stepped aside for him to get in, smiling when he said, "Thanks." The drive was long and quiet because Elijah fell asleep, his head resting on the window glass and his fingers against his ring. Staring at the band around Elijah's finger, Butler James weakly smiled before looking away with sadness in his eyes. Finally, the three SUVs came to a stop in front of a fancy six-story mansion, with two large wings attached to one side. The yard was enormous and surrounded by trees and bushes, and a fancy fountain,  made of marble, dominated the center of the yard. Securities standing their grounds on both sides, and guards patrolling around every corner with dogs at their heels. "Master, we have arrived."  Butler James said, tapping  Elijah's shoulder gently, waking him up. Opening his eyes, Elijah blinked slowly as a yawn escaped his lips before looking out the window and seeing that they had stopped in front of a grand set of stairs. "Home," Elijah said softly, taking a deep breath. When the door opened, he stared at the four security, standing outside of the car, bowing slightly when he stepped down from the car, with Butler James following closely behind him. "Welcome home, master Elijah," All of them said in unison. Stepping past them, Elijah walked up the stairs and then stopped in front of the huge wooden double doors before looking down at his hand. With a frown, he slipped the ring off his finger and gave it to Butler James, commanding, "Throw it away!" Not questioning Elijah's authority, Butler James took the ring from his hand and tucked it away safely in his pocket as the doors opened slowly. Entering the mansion, Elijah breathed in deeply as he took everything in, the lush carpets, the grand chandelier, the dramatic staircase, and the extravagant paintings on the walls. A lot has changed after a few years, and it kind of reminded him of how things used to be and the feeling of how it was. "Elijah..! Son...! My child..." Mrs. Maxwell's cry echoed through the foyer as she ran towards him. Hugging his mother tightly, Elijah laughed softly as he closed his eyes and whispered, "Mother," They stayed like that for a while, embracing each other until Elijah pulled away and looked her into her tear-stained eyes before kissing her on the forehead. "You are home. My son is finally back..." Mrs. Maxwell cried, running her fingers through Elijah's brown curls as she squeezed him tighter in a hug. "I missed you too, Mother," Elijah said as she withdrew from his grab, caressing his face gently as tears rolled down her cheeks. Tenderly, he brushed his thumb against her timeworn skin, drying it and smiling warmly at her. Then his eyes dance over her shoulder, watching his father walk toward them with the same unreadable expression he had always had since Elijah could remember. "Greetings father," Elijah said, stepping away from his mother as he waited for Mr. Maxwell to approach him. When he and his father were face to face, Elijah bowed slightly and said, "Father, I'm glad to see you again." Clearing his throat, Mr. Maxwell nodded in response but continued saying nothing. But Elijah kept his composure, his chin raised, keeping eye contact with his father, his hands resting to his sides, and his back straight. After a couple of minutes, Mr. Maxwell finally asked, in a soft yet cold voice, "It's good to see you again, son." The calmness between these two men that she loves so dearly and the maturity she saw Elijah display was something that made Mrs. Maxwell feel so proud for her son. For years, it seemed like he did not have the power to express his own emotions or handle them, and that led to him losing his confidence as a child and becoming even timider when older. And that made it hard for her son to prove himself as a leader to his father, then a follower, and because of that, Romney and Elijah didn't have that father and son bond. Now that Elijah was back, and he was showing signs of growth and control, she knew that things were going to start getting better for her son. A sense of shock crossed everyone's faces when Mr. Maxwell pulled Elijah into his arm, giving him a manly pat on the back as everyone around them gasped in shock, especially the butlers and servants. Silently, Elijah stood in his father's embrace, blinking blankly at his father's gesture, not knowing how to react, as his father was usually very emotionless and strict with his actions. When Mr. Maxwell  released Elijah from his embrace, he placed his hands inside his pockets and said, "Follow me to the study room where we can talk.""Talk about what?!" Mrs. Maxwell asked, her tone filled with annoyance, causing her husband to flinch slightly. "Mom, please... We are just going to talk. Nothing else!"  Elijah pleaded, putting his hands on his mother's shoulders. "Okay?" For someone that used to run to her to get his will, seeing Elijah be the want to talk her down made her realize just how much her son has grown up and matured. "Okay," Mrs. Maxwell reluctantly agreed, smiling at her son. After gently brushing his palm on her back, Elijah grinned at her before following his father down the hallway, keeping his head high and his mind on track, determined to show his father that he wasn't the pathetic excuse of a son he once was.

Chapter 6 No place for the weak

When they entered the study, Elijah turned around and shut the door behind him, walking towards his father and sitting on an expensive-looking leather chair. Both men sat in  silence before Elijah finally spoke, asking, "What do you want to tell me?" Quietly, Mr. Maxwell stood from the couch, walked over to the desk and picked up the tv remote off it, holding it loosely in his hand, staring at the screen in a trance, and said, "Son, I know over the years we have not been as close as we should have been, but I am sorry. For everything. I'm sorry for not being there for you." Turning to look his son directly in the eye, Mr. Maxwell sighed heavily and admitted, "I have been too hard on you.""You were only making a man out of your son. A man that is capable of great deeds... a man that can lead, and a man that is respected and honorable. You did nothing wrong, father." Elijah replied,  sighing as he rubbed the back of his neck. Huffing weakly, Mr. Maxwell sat on the couch, still staring intently at the tv before answering, "I am glad to hear." Then he pressed play on the remote, playing the news, listening as the reporter said, "Today was a memorable day, the day Melina Hayes, CEO of Investverse company, divorce her husband, Elijah...""Do any of us know his last name?" Another reporter interrupted. A frown settled on Elijah's face as he watched the reporters nervously dart their eyes back and forth between each other. "Well, no. And that's why I said from the very start that their wedding was a rush, and they were too fast into the whole thing." A woman said in an irritated tone. "At first I thought Miss Hayes was pregnant, that is why she got married to someone with no background, status, and wealth... Like did he blackmail her or something?" The reporter continued talking. Shaking his head, Elijah sighed as he took the remote out of his father's grip and turned off the tv. "I thought I failed as a father for the way that I helped raise you, but I have been following your every step since you left this house, and I don't know if you know this, son, but you are truly my blood." Mr. Maxwell told him. Looking straight into his eyes, Elijah felt speechless as he tried to understand what had just happened. "Did you actually follow my every step for years…? because if you did, then you will know how Melina treated me and how pathetic I acted in my relationship with her!" Elijah questioned, trying to make sense of everything. "Do you know why I didn't block your accounts and seal your access to our family money when I kicked you out?" Mr. Maxwell asked, looking straight into his son's gaze. Squinting his eyes,  Elijah shook his head and mumbled, "No. Why?""Because it was never about the money. It was always about you." His father explained, placing a gentle hand on his son's knee. "I gave you access to wealth and told you to experience the life of a poor man to see how much self-control and  maturity you could possess when life got rough.""But she-""She humiliated you and looked down on you. I know. And yet, you never did abuse your wealth to prove a point to her, and still had a sense of stature in your weakest moment." The room fell silent after hearing all those words from his father, and Elijah closed his eyes for a moment while drawing a deep breath. Taking a moment to collect himself, Elijah reopened his eyes and faced his dad, and said, "But the thing is, I got her a diamond necklace and was going to tell her about who I was. My judgment was all wrong.""We make mistakes to learn. That's what makes us humans, son!" Mr. Maxwell exclaimed, grabbing onto his son's shoulder tightly. "I went to great lengths to seal your identity, and it took you years to decide to trust her with it. I call that a win!" Speechless Elijah looked at his father. This was not what he expected, and it was shocking to hear the pride in his father's voice. After a few moments passed, Elijah broke free from his awe and said, "So you're saying that I did well on your test?""You did excellently! And that's why we are moving on to the next challenge." Mr. Maxwell stated firmly. With calm eyes, Elijah's expression remained neutral and inquisitive as he said, "I am listening." A sense of surprise flashed through Mr. Maxwell's facial expression because he expected an argument from Elijah or some sort of rebellion. After a short pause, the smile returned and he started talking again, "With a hundred million, I need you to leave Bordoria and establish a company of your own, somewhere where nobody knows your status.""And that place would be?" Elijah asked curiously, his eyebrow raised. Mr. Maxwell paused as he thought for a moment before replying confidently, "You find out... I have no say in where, how you run your company, and what you do with your money... Your failure and success are in your hands again." Meeting his father's eyes, Elijah said no words,  simply nodding his head lightly, giving his father a faint smile when he grinned at him. "Make me proud, son." Mr.  Maxwell whispered, smiling at his son as he patted him on the back. That night, at dinner, the table was covered with various dishes, most of them Elijah's favorite, and Mrs. Maxwell kept smiling across from her son, feeling happy that he was finally home. "Do you want more  mashed potatoes?" She asked sweetly, reaching for the bowl and spoon. "Thanks, mom," Elijah mumbled as she served him a second serving of mashed potatoes and gravy. When she set the bowl back down after filling it up, she looked across the table at her husband and smiled softly before she turned back to her son. "So... I heard you were in love... and married..." Mrs. Maxwell started, glancing sideways at her husband. When Elijah raised his gaze to meet her eyes, she  quickly added, "And you didn't even inform your mother.""I am sorry to you, mom, that you didn't attend the only wedding your son will have and has had in his lifetime," Elijah replied calmly, keeping eye contact with his mother. "Wait! What?" Mrs. Maxwell cried in disbelief. "You are not getting married again?!""I think I have had enough experience of love to take me for a lifetime.""Stop talking silly, son! Just because a woman broke your heart, you can't give up on love like that. It's not fair to-""Mom, please!" The dining room grew quiet as both mother and son looked at each other, neither of them knowing how to respond to what just happened. "I'm just saying, you need someone to spend your life with, like your father and I... I mean...  You are my only son, I care for you so much, it hurts..." Mrs. Maxwell said, pausing when Elijah dropped his fork on the plate and it made a loud clanging sound. "Did you also hear that she divorce me today?" Elijah asked, his voice sounding strained. Mrs. Maxwell looked toward her husband, confused by his sudden change of mood, and then she stared at her son with pity in her eyes. "Can you let me breathe from this disaster before asking me for anything else? Please!" Elijah pleaded with his mother in a voice that sounded almost desperate as he looked at her. "Yes, dear, of course." Mrs. Maxwell said,  nodding her head. "I am sorry." Silence filled the room once more, everyone remaining quiet until Elijah spoke, "Thank you." For a while, they all ate their food, before Mrs. Maxwell decided to break the silence once more, "Your father and I were planning to go to Auckland during your trip... Would you like to come along with us?" There was a long pause because Elijah knew the next words he was about to say were going to hurt his mother, and he felt a sense of guilt rising within his stomach. But he still swallowed his emotions as he forced himself to speak calmly, "I am going back to Syldavia tomorrow." Complete silence followed his words, and the table was dead silent. Not a single sound came from either side, and his mother kept staring at him, trying to figure out what exactly her son meant. "But you just got back home," Mrs.  Maxwell uttered, clearly shocked at her son's reply. Leaning back against his chair, Elijah placed his elbows on the edge of the table and clasped his hands together as he said, "I'm sorry, mom. But I have unfinished business there, and I need to settle it myself.""Honey, talk some sense into your son," Mrs.  Maxwell told her husband, turning towards him with a sad look. But the expression on his face told her that he was the one behind Elijah's decision, and she cried, "He just got home, and you are already driving him away! What's wrong with you?! How could you let him go like this again?!""Mom, it's  okay." Elijah interrupted her, looking at her mad eyes. "Father is not the one behind this one. It's all my decision, and I hope for your blessing to let me go.""But... Why, son? Why would you want to go back there where no one knows your name or status, and they treat you like a commoner... less than a  human being? I don't understand.""Mom," Her tears started falling again, but Mrs. Maxwell wiped them off angrily with her sleeves, feeling her heartache for her son. With no emotion in his eyes or voice, Elijah smiled faintly and let out, "Because it's the perfect place for me to build my multi-billion-dollar empire." 'I offered him a hundred million, and this is how high his plans are for it,' Mr. Maxwell thought in his mind, watching his son with a sense of pride in his heart. 'He has the same fire as I used to have when I was young.' Looking into his mother's teary eyes, Elijah softly smiled and asked, "Can I have your blessings, mother?" Although Mrs. Maxwell missed her son for all those years and wished he would stay, she knew he needed to move forward in his life and start building a new future... It was time to let him go. She nodded her head slowly and replied, "Just promise me one thing, Come back to visit me soon, okay, son?" Smiling faintly Elijah nodded his head lightly and replied, "I promise, mom." At ten o'clock the sound of running water echoed into Elijah's room as he stood under the shower, allowing the warm water to drip on his skin. Closing his eyes, Elijah let out a soft sigh and tried to relax his tense shoulders as a knot formed in his chest, knowing how sad his mother was. But revenge has no place for the weak and it cannot be satisfied with anything lesser than perfection, and he knew that.

Chapter 7 Redemption

The sunlight streamed into the room through the window as Elijah sat up in his bed and turned around to see who entered his room. As the morning rays fell onto his face, his eyes met with Butler James standing on the other side of the room. "Good morning, master." Butler James said politely as he closed the door behind him quietly. Pushing the cover off him, Elijah  slid out of bed, running his fingers through his hair as he asked,  "What brings you here, Butler James?""Master, your mother wants me to inform you that  breakfast is ready downstairs." Butler James informed. "Okay, thanks. Just let her know that I'll meet her soon," Elijah replied,  rubbing the sleepiness out of his face as he headed toward the bathroom, closing the door behind him. After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he took a comforting shower, trying to relax as he did so. Then he stepped out afterward, wrapped a towel around himself, and walked over to his closet, grabbing a simple Sweatshirt and a pair of jeans out of his wardrobe, and putting them on quickly. After that, he went downstairs, entering the dining hall to find his mother already sitting at the table, eating a slice of strawberries. "Morning, mother," Elijah greeted softly, walking to the table slowly and pulling out a chair for him before taking a seat. "How did it feel sleeping in your bed? Great, right?" Mrs. Maxwell asked with an enthusiastic smile, hoping that he might answer yes. "It was,""Then how about you stay for at least a couple more days, son...""Mama, you know I can't do that. My flight is booked for  this afternoon, and I have important things to attend to tomorrow morning." Pouting, Mrs. Maxwell looked over at her husband, frowning at him as he walked into the room and sat down in one of the chairs across from her, and set the newspaper down on the table. "See what you have done to our son." Mrs.  Maxwell muttered, glaring at her husband before looking back at Elijah. "He's a man. I want my baby back and in my arms again.""Now, what are you talking about, Lisa?" Mr. Maxwell said in between a chuckle, picking up his coffee mug and taking a sip of it. "He's thirty. You can't wish him to be three. Mrs. Maxwell glared at him as he put the mug down, crossing her arms defiantly in front of her chest, annoyed that her husband and her son were ganging up on her. " Well, that's not going to stop me from wishing!" Mrs. Maxwell mumbled like a kid being stubborn, pouting as she crossed her arms, staring angrily away from her husband. Laughing at his parents, Elijah shook his head slightly before reaching on the table for the bowl of strawberries and placing one in his mouth, then another. At that moment, three men walked into the room, a slender-looking guy with blonde hair wearing blue jeans and a plain white shirt, a young man wearing dark green cargo pants, and another with jet black hair wearing a gray polo shirt. "Good Morning, Madam, Big Boss, and young master." The three men said in sync as they all bowed slightly. Smiling, Elijah nodded and looked over at his father, asking, "What's going on?" "This is not like the first time. Even though I want you to know the value of money and status, I am not going to make it harder on you, so these are your three acquaintances, Rookie, Matt, and  Ryan. They will help you carry out any orders." His father answered. Looking over at the three guys, Elijah smiled as they grinned at him, staring respectfully back at him. "Hello, Master Elijah, I am Ryan. I am a lawyer and a private detective for a living. But I also do some occasional consulting work, which means I am always available if there is a need to consult with me." Ryan said with a polite grin. "Good morning, Master Elijah... I am Matt, a boxer  and an MMA fighter, but I also know some street fights and hand-to-hand combat." Matt said with a confident grin. With a soft smile, Elijah nodded, looking over at the last guy, and he rested his palm on his stomach, bowing again before uttering, "Rookie, I am an IT professional, specializing in computers and technology. I know how to hack, and sometimes even break into a secure computer system." A sense of discomfort swept through Elijah at the thought of how many capable people his father hired for him. But he suppressed  those feelings, smiling brightly at the group as he replied, "Well, it's good to know you guys, and I hope we get along." All of his life, Elijah thought he was going to be inheriting his father's empire, he never thought he would have to start from scratch to build his own corporation. "Matt, Ryan, Rookie, and James will be going with you to Syldavia." Mr.  Maxwell said, fixing his gaze on his son's eyes. "As a father, I have played my part. The rest is up to you now, son. I hope you  make the right decisions." Taking a deep breath and letting it out, Elijah tried to calm himself before replying, "I promise, I will succeed." That was not just a promise to his father, but also a vow to himself because never again did Elijah want those that once looked down on him to be able to walk all over him again or see him as weak and pathetic. This was his chance to stand on his own two feet, and prove himself, make them all tremble in fear when they hear his name and remember who he has become. At Nine on the dot, the flight attendant made the announcement, "Good evening passengers. The flight from Bordoria to Syldavia is currently in the final stages of preparation for landing. Please  enjoy the remaining time of your flight." Sitting in the first-class wing, Elijah, Matt, James, Rayn, and Rookie were munching on the snacks that the hostess had given each of them as their meals. Looking over at Elijah, eating his  chicken sandwich while drinking his juice, Matt said, "Master-" "Don't call me that." Elijah calmly interrupted. "Until I give any of you the other to stop, I am Elijah, to you all, your close buddy and partner." "Yes, boss... I mean, Elijah." Matt corrected himself. Eyes turning towards Matt, Elijah asked, "What did you want to say?" "Um.. nothing... Actually, I saw the news about... Umm, your divorce," Matt replied nervously. "And I just want to know... Why would you choose to go back after such..." "Humiliation?" "Umm... Yes." After taking a huge bite of the last piece of his sandwich, Elijah wiped the crumbles off his fingers before answering. "Redemption and Revenge. Those two can make a man relive his worst nightmare just so he can find himself  again." "Mmh, that makes perfect sense, and I am in awe of you, Elijah," Matt said with wide eyes. With a faint smile on his lips, Elijah stared at the window of the plane, taking in the beautiful blue sky, watching the clouds pass by, his expression hardening as he felt the anger and hate rise inside him the more he thought about how close they were to Syldavia. Ten minutes later the plane came to a screeching halt as its wheels touched down on the runway. After getting all their luggage out of the luggage compartment, the four men exited the plane with Elijah walking behind them, his hands in his pockets. When they got outside the airport building, they noticed a sign hanging from a lamppost in front of them, and the word 'Syldavia' was printed on it in bold letters. Frowning at the sign, Elijah raised an eyebrow and then looked to his right at a guy with a toothpick in the corner of his mouth. "Do you and your friends need a ride?" The dude asked with a grin, nodding towards his Toyota parked nearby. Even though the man looked shady, dressed in a tattered gray hoodie with dirty jeans and converse, Elijah didn't want to judge the book by its cover. So he nodded politely at the man, giving him a small smile as he replied with a simple, "Sure." Then he looked back at Matt, Rookie, Rayn, and James and said, "We got ourselves a ride." A frown crossed James' face as he looked at the driver, feeling uneasy in the guy's presence. But since Elijah gave the order, he followed the four into the car. After buckling in, and closing the door, they sat in silence as the car started rolling, the guy driving kept his gaze straight ahead with a blank expression on his face. "Is this you guys' first time in Syldavia?" The driver asked in a raspy voice as if he had smoked too much weed or drank too much beer. The four of them looked at Elijah, and since he didn't answer, they too held back their words,  deciding that it was better to be silent. "You all are foreigners, right?" The driver asked, glancing at Elijah, seated beside him in the passenger seat. "What? Don't any one of you  speak the local language?" "Can you shut up, and drive?!" Elijah snapped at him. "You are giving me a headache with all your rambling!" Eyeing Elijah, the driver sneered, clutching the steering wheel tighter, and then said, "Whoa! You're starting to piss me off, sonny boy." Suddenly, the car started jerking and making strange noises before stopping. As the driver grabbed onto the steering wheel with both hands, he groaned, saying, "What the heck... I'm sorry guys, the engine just quit. But don't worry, I will get it fixed."

Chapter 8 Seven robbers

Furrowing, Matt clenched his fist, looked at the driver as he opened the car door, and stepped out with a toolbox in his grip. The breakdown felt way too staged in his opinion, and it felt like this driver was intentionally making it look as though the car was having issues. With that thought on his mind, a few minutes later, Matt pushed the call door open and climbed out, slamming the door shut. Then he walked over to the driver, and the moment he saw Matt, he snapped his brows and shouted, "Hey!! Hey!!! Get back into the car.""Why?" Matt demanded, glaring at him, placing his hands on his hips. "Just get back into the damn car!!""Whoa! What's with the sudden hostile attitude, huh?!" Concern, Elijah pushed the car door open, stepped his shoe on the road, and got out of the car, glaring at the man. "Not you too!!" The driver shouted back at Elijah. "Look, pal, I will soon be done with fixing this, so you two should get your ass back into the fucking car, okay?" Now, Ryan, Rookie, and James were curious to know what was going on. So they unlocked the door and stepped out, looking at Elijah and Matt. "Get back in the damn car, you five!" The Driver yelled angrily. "I said it's not safe for you all to be out here! This road can be dangerous at this  time of the night." Seeing how stressful the driver looked, Elijah scowled, feeling as though something was off about him. "My friend, James, is a mechanic. Let him take a look. Maybe he could figure out why the car isn't working right now." Nervously, the driver's eyes darted between the five of them, and when Jame took a step towards the hood of the car, the driver lashed out, "Oh no, don't get closer asshole!" At first, Jame was confused about why Elijah lied about him being an auto mechanic, but then he realized... it was to find out if the car was actually having trouble or the driver was just lying. "You are a part of those making the road unsafe at night, Am I right?" Elijah asked, staring hard at the driver. At first, the driver was afraid Elijah had figured him out, but when the sound of a car approaching drew their attention away from him, a huge smirk spread across his face as he let out, "Took you guys long enough. It's about damn time!!" looking behind at the dirty Pickup that parked a few distances behind them, Elijah looked back at the driver, narrowed his gaze, and growled, "Is that who you have been delaying our time for?" Without a doubt, Matt knew that they were about to get robbed and a sense of excitement started stirring inside him. The thought of beating the crap out of these guys had him way too hype and adrenaline began coursing through his veins. As the six men stepped out of the pickup, Matt noticed that the driver was sneering, looking at them like some treasure he couldn't wait to collect. "This was supposed to be way more fun, but you dickheads refused to get in the damn car." The driver snarled, throwing up his arms. "I will give you a thousand bucks to stop this nonsense and take us to our destination," Elijah said, feeling way too exhausted to get into a fight with seven robbers. A laugh filled with sarcasm came from the driver's side of the truck, followed by a sneer, "Do you think I would take that kind of money? If you have a thousand bucks to spare, then you have more for us to rob." The six men, still standing outside the pickup, burst into laughter like some sort of demented hyenas. Within a second, one of them got a vicious punch to the head, causing his head to slam into the pickup hood and then to fall onto the ground, unconscious. "You motherfucking bitch!" The driver screamed, his eyes burning with rage. Frowning, Elijah looked at Matt smirking with pride, and then said, "Come on, I was still negotiating here.""Sorry, I couldn't hold back my excitement!" Matt muttered, looking humbly at Elijah. The rest of the five guys seemed pissed, and their eyes glowed red with anger. One of them grabbed and pulled his knife, and immediately, the others did the same as he said, "Now, I think I want more than your money and goods. I want to ruin you and your face, pretty boy, for hurting my men." '"Now, look at what you've done." Elijah mumbled under his breath as he drew his hands out of his pocket, folding them into fists. The driver launched for him with a screwdriver, a look of madness in his eyes as he attacked Elijah, swinging his hands back and forth, causing Elijah to duck under a swing and kick the driver in the face, leaving a dirty shoe print on his skin. Once Elijah did that, Matt, Ryan, James, and Rookie rushed toward the five men, splitting up to take one of them on, but Matt was facing two of the burglars. The fight was on, and James smirked as his opponent asked, "Why are you dressed so uptight. Are you some kind of stuck-up techie, huh, grandpa!" Looking down at his coat, James sighed, took it off his shoulders, and dropped it to the ground before rolling up his shirt sleeves, and then balancing on his feet as he made a tight fist. Before the dude could make another dumb joke, James punched him in the face, sending him stumbling backward, blood gushing out his nose. "I'm a butler and fifty years old, dumbass. I'm not your grandpa!" Butler spat back at the guy as he wiped the blood off his mouth with his sleeve. Pissed, he charged again, but James quickly ducked beneath his arm and kicked his legs out from under him, sending him to the ground. Not holding back, James quickly jumped up in the air, turned around, and landed a kick on the man's temple, causing blood to spurt out his mouth and knocking him unconscious. Yanking the two robbers forcefully by their hair, Matt slammed their bloody faces into each other, making these guys lose their balance, do a little unstable swirl, and then dropped to the ground, blacking out immediately. Smirking, Matt wiped the blood from the cut on his lip, staring at the two men's unconscious bodies and swollen faces. When Ryan took a punch to his eye, he lost his balance and vision for a second before recovering, and then he managed to whack his foot into the guy in his balls, did a roundhouse kick, and landed his shoe in the dude's stomach, sending him flying against another car with a thud. All Rookie had been striving to do in his fight with the fourth raider was dodge the knife, every time the guy took a swing at him. And then, a faint smile formed on his face as he stared at Matt, and the raider grew pissed at his expression and lashed out, "What are you smirking about, bitch?!" Before he could realize it, Matt's foot slammed into the back of the raider's neck, and the knife slipped from his trembling hands as he dropped to his knees and then fell flat on his face. Now that the six raiders were down, it clicked to Matt, Ryan, James, and Rookie, and they all turned to stare at Elijah. Shock took over their faces as they stared at the driver laying on the ground, bleeding out, while Elijah held a large wrench in his hand. "Never leave your toolbox open in a fight," Elijah teased, dropping the bloody wrench on the ground as he stared back at his four men. "I need a shower." The sound of the pickup engine echoed along the road with Matt behind the steering wheel and the others in the back seat, Elijah in the front passenger seat. "This car stinks," Elijah whispered, resting his head back on the headrest, and closing his eyes. "I should have followed my instincts back at the airport and called an Uber.""Then we wouldn't have had this much fun..." Matt blurted out, pausing when he caught himself on what he just said. But when he heard Elijah let out a faint chuckle,  which sounded like he didn't care about anything happening tonight, Matt felt slightly relieved, smiling as he continued, "So, what now?""Book ourselves a suite at a luxurious hotel to rest for the night, and tomorrow, we start on my plan to establish my business empire," Elijah replied, smiling smugly at the thought of what the future holds for them if shit had already started with trouble and blood. When they got to a five-star hotel, called, "The Palace," Matt brought the worn-down pickup truck to a halt in front of the hotel's parking lot. A moment later, after all five of them got down from the filthy car, the hotel security rushed over to them with anger glowing on their faces as one of them shouted, "Hey, fools! Get in your trash and drive out of here now!!""Here we go again," Elijah whispered, drawing a deep breath.