Exiled: Taking Back My Crown

In the Collins family's villa on Sycamore Hills in Antpelle.

"What a stupid lazy ass!

You can't even do this simple task well. Tell me, what exactly are you good at?"

Clara Collins complained as she looked at a young man in front of her with disgust.

"Why are you still standing here? Clean it up and make lunch for us.

Gosh! If it weren't for your dead parents, I'd have kicked you out of this house a long time ago. Get out of my sight!"

Eyeing the young man from head to toe, Clara scolded him again.

Lyndon Brooks, who had an expressionless face, squatted and picked up the garbage on the floor. He threw it in the trash and went into the kitchen.

Lyndon was going to turn 18. Eleven years ago, his parents betrothed him to the first daughter of the Collins family. The betrothal had caused a huge sensation in Antpelle.

It was big news because the Brooks family was rich and powerful in the city. Lyndon's parents were a force to reckon with.

Things suddenly changed when Lyndon was nine years old. The Brooks family suddenly went bankrupt. Their business and properties were lost overnight. They didn't even have a roof over their head. This sad turning of events forced Lyndon's parents to entrust him to the Collins family. They both disappeared afterward.

From that day, Lyndon became the live-in future son-in-law of the Collins family.

But he wasn't treated right at all. His life in this household was never easy.

He was no different from a servant to them. They made him do all sorts of domestic work and spoke to him like he was a nobody.

"My parents are not dead. They are alive somewhere," Lyndon said to himself once he entered the kitchen.

He immediately swung into action. Shortly after, he served the delicious dishes on the dining table.

Adrien Collins and one of his daughters, Collins were already sitting at the table by this time. They completely ignored Lyndon as he served the dishes.

"Why isn't Elena back home yet?"

Adrien asked no one in particular as he folded a newspaper and put it down.

"I wonder why she's late today. Why does she have to keep us waiting? I'm famished," Lilian complained, yawning lazily.

"It's unlike her to be this late. I guess she's busy with work today. Since you are hungry, you don't have to wait for her. You can eat first," Clara said as she walked into the dining room. Once she sat at the table, she glanced at Lyndon, who had just put down the last bowl of soup. A deep frown appeared on her face almost immediately.

"Your work is done here. Don't just stand here doing nothing. Go to the company and see what's keeping Elena," she ordered, snapping her fingers.

She then urged Adrien and Lilian to start eating.

"What's Elena doing? Why didn't she answer any of my calls?"

Lyndon sighed after turning around to leave.

"Hmmm. I guess this loser isn't a good-for-nothing. At least, he can cook well. This food is so delicious," Adrien commented between mouthfuls.

"Come on, Adrien. Why bring that disgusting boy up after I already sent him away? Don't you think it will affect our appetite?"

Lyndon was still within earshot. However, the couple's insults didn't get to him at all. He just walked out of the villa.

Insults were a daily dose for him ever since he came into this household. He was already used to it now.

Outside, Lyndon glanced at a shiny BMW that was parked in the garage. He walked to his old electric bicycle and mounted it carefully.

"Can you see that boy? He's the future son-in-law of the Collins family. I remember when he was brought to live here, he was just a small boy. Time passed so fast and now he's a young adult. From afar, one would think that he has some sense. But he's actually a useless boy."

"Gosh, I couldn't agree any less. Look at the battered electric bicycle he's riding. My maid won't even ride something like that."

"Don't let that surprise you, my dear friend. That guy has a handsome face, but he's so shameless. He doesn't care what people say about him. Many times, people have laughed at him because of his bicycle, but he has refused to stop riding it. I wonder why he still hasn't left. If I were him, I would have run away a long time ago."

The residents' gossip wafted into Lyndon's ears as he rode away. But he didn't care.

It was a common occurrence. Clara had painted him in a bad light. As a result, most of the residents talked bad about him at any given opportunity.

"All this will end in three days..." Lyndon said to himself.

His eighteenth birthday was in three days. On that day, he planned to officially discuss his marriage to Elena with the Collins family.

As Lyndon rode his bicycle in the street, a Rolls-Royce Phantom appeared from a corner and slowly halted in front of him. The door opened and an old man in his fifties got out.

"Hey, Mr. Brooks, we meet again. Are you willing to come back now?" Jax Graham asked in an expectant tone after bowing respectfully to Lyndon.

"What about the condition I gave the last time? Did they agree?" Lyndon inquired, ignoring Jax's question. He stared at him intently.

"Well..."

Jax scratched his head and avoided Lyndon's eyes. He stuttered, "The thing is... You know Mr. Moran Brooks well. Back then..."

"Enough!" Lyndon waved his hand dismissively. "That man is the cause of most of my problems today. Not only did he expel my parents from the Brooks family, but he also didn't allow their memorial headstones to be placed in the family's ancestral mausoleum. What did they do to deserve such disrespect?

The Brooks family is currently one big mess because the young generation is fighting for fame and fortune. Everyone is out for each other's heads. Why should I go back there at this time? What do I have to gain?

I have lived without any help from my relatives for the past nine years. I don't mind living like this. Moran must place my parents' headstones in the family's ancestral mausoleum. If not, I'll cut all ties with the Brooks family and also make sure that I won't be included in the family tree.

Besides, I'm aware that many of my relatives want me to continue living like a loser. Why should I risk my life for the people that never gave a damn about me? I might as well fulfill their wishes by staying with the Collins family."

Lyndon started his bicycle as he spoke his last words. Before Jax could say anything, he bypassed him and rode away.

"Alas! He inherited his father's temper. What a stubborn young lad," Jax murmured helplessly as he stared at Lyndon's back.

"Do you think that your father will be happy to see you like this if he was still around?"

Jax shouted politely. Unbeknown to him, a smile appeared on Lyndon's face as he rode away without looking back.

When Lyndon went out of sight, Jax shook his head and made a phone call.

"Hello, Mr. Brooks. I just met him. He refused to come back. I'm sorry to disappoint you again."

A long silence was the first response that came from the other end of the line. All of a sudden, an old voice came. "Okay, just tell him that I've agreed to his condition.

But do this in secret. Make sure no one knows about this. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I'll do as you have said."

A trace of shock appeared on Jax's face when he heard Moran's command. He stared at his phone for a long time after hanging up. It was rather surprising that the authoritative Moran Brooks could give in to Lyndon.

Meanwhile, Lyndon arrived at Elena's company some minutes later. He parked his rickety bicycle and took a deep breath before walking to the entrance of the towering building.

"Stop right there! Who are you and why are you here?"

Two security guards stopped Lyndon once he got to the entrance door. They had sized him up within seconds. Since he was dressed in cheap clothes, they concluded that he was out of place here.

"Good day, I'm looking for Elena Collins," Lyndon said calmly.

One of the security guards frowned slightly as soon as he heard Lyndon's words.

"Do you have an appointment?"

Lyndon shook his head in response. He had been here before. But this was the first time he was attempting to enter inside. In the past, he only stood in a distance and watched Elena enter. As a result, the security guards didn't know him.

"Bumpkin, do you think this is some kind of playground? Did you just say you want to see our president? What makes you think you can see her whenever you want?"

"Newsflash! No one can see her without an appointment. Get out of here now!"

The face of the other security guard darkened. He pointed in the direction that Lyndon came as he spoke angrily.

"What's going on here? Why the noise?"

The angry voices of the security guards had drawn the attention of the people inside the company. A crowd had begun to gather when a cold female voice suddenly came from a few meters away. The next second, the clinking sound of high-heeled shoes was heard. A beautiful lady came over to the entrance.

She was dressed in a formal grey suit that accentuated her curves. The pair of heels she had on made her look beautiful and intimidating at the same time. There was a slight frown on her face and a cold glint in her bright eyes. Her gait was elegant but arrogant.

"Miss Morrison, this bumpkin appeared out of nowhere and said that he wants to see Miss Collins. He doesn't have an appointment, so we were about to kick him out."

One of the security guards hurried to Tess Morrison and explained the situation to her. The security guards' rudeness disappeared now that a manager was here. They put their hands behind their backs and spoke to her respectfully.

Tess looked at Lyndon from head to toe. Disgust and hatred appeared on her face once she recognized him.

"So, it's you. What are you doing here?" she asked coldly, folding her arms over her chest.

As Elena's best friend and direct subordinate, she knew Lyndon pretty well.

"What else would I be doing here if not to see Elena?"

Tess's lips parted in shock when she heard Lyndon's sarcastic answer. However, she quickly got over the shock and shot him a searing glare.

"Come with me," she finally uttered, reluctantly.

The two security guards looked at each other in surprise.

"Who is this man? He's here without an appointment and he looks like a bumpkin. But why did Miss Morrison let him in?" one security guard asked in confusion.

"You two are so ignorant. That young man is the future husband of our president."

"What? That guy is Lyndon? The loser who has lived in the Collins family's villa for nine years without doing anything serious with his life?"

"This is unbelievable! How could a handsome man like him be a sponger? Has he no shame? Look at the way he's dressed. From the look of things, he's not treated right in the Collins' household."

"You don't understand. People do anything for survival. Lazy people don't mind getting insulted as long as they are catered for. I'm dead sure he is one of them. Alas! I wonder if the president is really going to get married to such a person. She deserves someone better."

Hush whispers filled the entire hall as soon as Lyndon was ushered in. Although the security guards didn't know him, the other employees had heard a lot about him.

"Shut up!" Tess screamed and walked back to where the crowd stood. She looked at them with her eyes blazing with anger. They couldn't help lowering their heads in fright.

"Don't you have work to do? You are paid to work for this company, not to gossip and laze about.

Go back to your respective duty posts now. If you continue gossiping, you'll face severe consequences!"

The employees quickly ran back to their various offices. Tess couldn't stand the employees gossiping about Elena.

Elena had been a goal-getter right from when she was a little girl. She was not only beautiful, but also smart and extremely outstanding. Thus, countless excellent men fancied her.

Being engaged to Lyndon was the only imperfection Elena had.

Tess led Lyndon to Elena's office. He knocked on the door and walked in without waiting for a go-ahead.

"What are you doing here?"

Elena, who had a worried look on her face, was taken aback by his sudden appearance. She had been busy sorting out some documents all day.

"Well, your mother called you countlessly, but you didn't pick up her calls. She asked me to come get you," Lyndon answered. Compared to the other members of the Collins family, Elena treated him much better.

"I can't go home now. As you can see, I have a lot on my hands. You can go back now," Elena said lightly.

The look on her face indicated that she was having trouble with work and she needed to solve it immediately.

Tess suddenly knocked on the door and walked in.

"I just received a call from the receptionist downstairs that Garry Nixon is on his way to see you." She revealed after hesitating for a while. But she didn't even spare Lyndon a glance.

"Tell him I am not on seat," Elena replied, rubbing her temples tiredly.

But the next second, someone pushed open the door of the office from outside. A man in his early twenties strode in majestically.

He was dressed in an expensive suit. His hair and beards were properly trimmed. The bouquet of roses in his hand seemed to complement his handsomeness. He smiled brightly once he saw Elena.

"Hey, Elena. I knew you were around today."

Garry ignored the two people who were standing and walked to Elena's desk. He put down the bouquet and stared at Elena. "It's lunchtime now. You haven't had lunch, have you? I made a reservation at the Royal Hotel. Let's go there to eat."

"I'll have to pass on that. Lyndon is here to pick me up. I have to go home now," Elena replied without mincing words.

Garry was one of her many wooers.

He was nice and thoughtful, unlike some arrogant sons of rich families. However, Elena didn't like him.

"Oh, this guy?"

Garry turned around and looked at Lyndon, who he had been ignoring. A distasteful frown appeared on his face the next second.

"Come on, Elena. Don't tell me you really want to settle down with him?" Garry asked, still smiling at her.

"Elena, you are a beautiful and exceptional woman. You deserve the very best. And I think the best man for you is me. I love you so much. Even if you don't feel the same way, you don't have to use this loser as an excuse."

Garry walked to Elena's side and added, "Besides, we both know that he's a good-for-nothing.

He even doesn't deserve to be your servant. Let alone, your husband."

Lyndon didn't react despite the jabs that Garry threw at him calmly. He just stood aside and looked at Garry calmly. He had learned to be more tolerant of people in the past nine years.

"More so, I heard that your company is currently facing some difficulties. You need a man that can help you solve such things. This loser is not up to the task."

Since Elena didn't utter a word, Garry felt that she was seeing reasons with him. He stretched out his hand to her and said, "I can help you. Let's go out and discuss the company's problems over lunch."

Elena took a deep breath. She glanced at Lyndon, who was still silent, before looking at Garry.

It was true that the company had encountered some difficulties lately.

More than anything, Elena needed help to get out of this mess. Her grandfather, Wilbert Collins had founded Hytai Industries. Under his watch, the company became the biggest supplier of construction materials in Antpelle. It was stable for so many years.

After Wilbert suddenly fell ill, he could no longer oversee the company's affairs. Elena was put in charge. She worked very hard and was able to increase the profits at first.

But things took a turn for the worse recently. Some of the old clients decided not to renew their contracts after the previous ones expired. Elena tried to set up meetings with them, but they all avoided her like a plague.

The company produced tons of construction materials daily. With little or no buyers to purchase these materials, production was abruptly placed on hold. Hundreds of employees were waiting to get paid. This was a big blow to the company.

Elena had tried her best to solve the problem. Unfortunately, all her efforts proved abortive. She was in a dilemma.

Garry's offer to help ignited a glimmer of hope in her heart.

As Elena thought of how the shareholders had expressed displeasure in her leadership at the meeting this morning, she decided to give Garry a chance. She took a deep breath and looked at Lyndon.

"How about you go back home first?"

Elena got up from her seat. The light blue suit she had on accentuated her curvaceous figure. She yawned and stretched tiredly before grabbing her bag.

"No, we have to go home together."

Lyndon insisted as he stared at her with a resolute look.

"What? What makes you think you have the right to tell Elena what to do? Are you deaf or blind? Can't you see that I'm about to take her out for lunch? Get lost this minute!"

Garry got short with Lyndon and gave him a threatening stare.

"Well, I can't go home with you now."

Elena didn't spare Lyndon the time to say anything more. She just walked out of the office. Garry grimaced at Lyndon tauntingly before he followed Elena out.

"Gosh! You aren't man enough. In fact, you don't deserve to be called a man at all!"

Disappointment was written all over Tess's face as she looked at Lyndon. She shook her head and walked out of the office.

What happened had hurt Lyndon's manly ego. However, he restrained himself from reacting. He shrugged it off and left the office.

He was going to become an adult in a few days. Nothing could change the fact that Elena was his wife-to-be, not even her parents' disapproval.

Tess's earlier warning had scared the employees so much that they didn't gossip about Lyndon as he walked out of the company.

Just when he was about to mount his bicycle, his phone rang.

The sight of the caller ID made him frown slightly. He reluctantly answered the call.

"Hello, sir. I have good news for you. Mr. Moran Brooks has agreed to your condition."

Jax's throaty voice came from the other end of the line. The frown on Lyndon's face was instantly replaced with a smile.

"I'll be leaving Antpelle in a few days. Feel free to contact me if you need anything.

Also, there's something I must tell you."

Jax hesitated for a while and continued, "Please take my friendly advice. As you well know, your relatives are currently at war with each other. They have suffered great losses due to their quest for fame and fortune. But that doesn't change the fact that their foundation is still there.

You need to keep a low profile until you are strong enough to defend yourself from them. If you attract their attention, you may end up getting hurt."

The genuine concern in Jax's tone made Lyndon's smile brighter. It was nice to know that someone had his interest at heart.

"Don't worry about me. I'm just a loser. Nobody will pay attention to me," Lyndon said with self-mockery.

A bitter smile appeared on Jax's face when he heard these words. He felt pity for Lyndon.

"After all, I'm just a backup," Lyndon added softly.

In Royal Hotel.

Garry picked up food for Elena with a smile on his face. He was clearly enjoying doing this.

"Elena, try this. I assure you that the dishes here are very delicious," he said in his gentle voice.

Elena, however, was absent-minded with thoughts of Lyndon. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep him out of her mind.

"What's wrong, Elena? Are you still thinking about the company?" Garry asked with concern. He could see that Elena wasn't with him and the reason was obvious to him.

"Why don't we have lunch first, okay? I already said I was going to help you out with the company problems," Garry said gently when Elena didn't say anything.

"Thank you," Elena murmured hesitantly.

Her family had devoted a lot to the company, and Elena had simply done too much to be where she was presently.

It was a family company and although Elena was still the president, many people wanted this position for themselves. The moment the company stopped doing well, her position would no longer be safe and she had to prevent that from happening.

"Of course. It's no trouble. Enjoy your food now, please."

Garry smiled at her and kept picking up food for her like the perfect gentleman.

He had been trying to court Elena for a long time, but it was the first time that she had given him the chance to have lunch with her. Naturally, this put Garry in a good mood. He felt like he was getting closer to his objective.

When their lunch was over, Garry led Elena out of the hotel. He opened the passenger door of his Cayenne that was parked on the roadside like a gentleman.

"Come on, get in. Let me drive you home," Garry said with a smile, wanting the date to end on a good note.

Elena said with a soft smile, "No, thanks, it's fine. I can find my way home."

Elena's refusal put a damp on Garry's mood, but he wasn't surprised. He knew Elena well, so he kept his disappointment to himself and nodded with a smile.

"Alright then. Tell your mom that I will be visiting her in two days after I help you solve the problems of your company."

Garry walked around to the driver's side and settled in his seat. He glanced at Elena one last time and waved before driving off.

Watching his car fade away in the distance, Elena took a deep breath.

She then got into her Ford car and headed home quickly.

Elena pulled up in front of the villa of the Collins family.

Clara quickly stood up and smiled sweetly when she saw Elena walk in with a tired look on her face.

"Why did you come back so late? Have you had lunch at least?" Clara asked with concern. The whole family really cared about Elena. As the president of the group, Elena was the reason they were able to move into the villa.

"Yes, mom, I've eaten," Elena answered with a forced smile.

She turned to walk into her room when her mom stopped her.

"By the way, where is that loser? I asked him to go and pick you up," Clara asked rudely, with a frown on her face.

"Mom, you do know he has a name, right?" Elena sighed and added, "Lyndon did come to get me, but then Garry came by for us to go out, so I asked Lyndon to head back."

Clara's eyes lit up.

Garry was one of the famous trust fund babies in Antpelle and Clara knew that he had been pursuing Elena for some time now.

More importantly, Garry's family's influence and wealth was much better than that of their own family.

If Elena married Garry, the Collins family would be more powerful and rich. Clara couldn't wait to see this happen.

To her, Lyndon was just a loser. He had lived off her family for nine years. If Elena hadn't stopped her, Clara would have driven Lyndon out a long time ago.

Clara would be damned before she let Elena marry Lyndon. Although she had promised, she would never let her daughter live with this loser for the rest of her life.

"That's good news. It will actually do some good for both you and the company to have more contact with Garry,"

Clara paused and came closer to her daughter. "Why don't you invite Garry home for dinner when you are free? It's been so long since I saw him."

Elena frowned at this, but didn't have the chance to answer as Lyndon pushed the door and came in.

"What's wrong with you? What kept you out for so long when you know you have dishes waiting for you?"

Clara scolded Lyndon as she glared at him. Her expression was totally different from the one she had on seconds ago.

"Why are you still standing there? Go and wash those dishes!" she exclaimed in disbelief when he didn't move.

A straight face on, Lyndon walked into the kitchen without uttering a single word. It was not like he could actually say anything. In the past nine years, cooking, washing and cleaning had become a part of his life.

"Oh, Elena, before you go in, I heard that the company has encountered some difficulties. What's that about? Have you solved it already?"

Without a care in the world, Adrien walked past them from the second floor with a cup of tea in his hand. It was like his daily routine, reading a newspaper with a cup of tea in his hand after a meal.

"Some old clients suddenly suspended their contract extensions, but don't worry about it. Garry said he would help me out," Elena answered, looking at Adrien who was sitting on the sofa, clearly unbothered.

"See? Garry is such a good boy. He cares about you so much," Clara said happily as though she had been expecting it. Then with a roll of her eyes, she looked towards the kitchen with disdain and deliberately raised her voice as she said, "Unlike the loser who has nothing to do all day long and can't come in handy at critical moments."

"Mom, that's enough already. He has a name!" Elena said, frowning.

She didn't love Lyndon, but he had always been there for her. He had never stopped protecting her from bullies when she was a child and from any other menace.

She would never forget all he did for her. It was rather unfortunate that his parents went bankrupt, forcing Lyndon to live with her family for nine years.

"Elena!" her mother exclaimed. "I can't believe you're talking back at me for this loser!

I can see that my voice no longer matters in this family. You even get angry when I ask him to do anything. Why?

Just be honest! Have you fallen in love with this loser?"

Clara was angry and she believed that her anger was justified as her gaze shot daggers at Lyndon in the kitchen.

"I just believe everyone needs to be treated with respect. He may be a servant to you, but you have no right to call him a loser!"

Elena spat and went into her room before she could lose her cool.

Left standing alone, Clara began throwing tantrums angrily like she usually did.

"Adrien, did you see that? Your daughter talked back to me for that loser! Can you believe that?

That loser has been living in our house for nine years doing nothing useful. Don't I have the right to scold him? Huh? If it weren't for his parents, I would have kicked him out a long time ago!"

Lyndon wasn't deaf. He could hear everything Clara was saying, but decided to ignore it. When he was done cleaning up, he went straight into Elena's room.

Elena was sitting on the edge of the bed when Lyndon came in. She was a little tired, but when she saw him, her face turned a little cold.

"What are you doing here?" To be honest, she had never taken her engagement to Lyndon seriously.

"You don't have to thank me, if that's why you're here. After all, it's not like I helped. The more I tried defending you, the more she scolded you."

When Lyndon didn't say anything, Elena looked up and smiled in self-mockery.

"I can help you solve the company's problems," Lyndon said in a low voice. Elena's mouth dropped for a second in surprise. However, her surprise quickly turned into mockery.

"How?" she asked incredulously. "What can you possibly do for me?"

"For as long as you need me, I can try my best to help you solve any problem that needs solving," Lyndon said seriously.

He had experienced a lot and seen through something in the past nine years. If there was one person he really cared about, that person was Elena, the woman in front of him.

"I don't need your comfort or pity, Lyndon. I can handle it myself," Elena said coldly.

She had never said it out loud, but she was disappointed in Lyndon. Throughout the years, she had expected him to become someone, to make something of himself. But here he was, having achieved nothing till date.

Now, he was trying to talk big and say he could help her when he couldn't. She scoffed inwardly as this thought crossed her mind.

"Well, I'm a little tired now, Lyndon. Can you let me rest, please?" Elena said coldly with her eyes slowly drooping.

Lyndon nodded and then walked out.