From Rejection To Redemption

As the first frost of winter began to frost the air, the scenery took on a melancholy hue, seemingly devoid of vitality. Despite this, the public's proclivity for idle gossip continued unabated. The city was buzzing with the news that Henry Scott, the second son of the illustrious Scott family, had gone missing. Whispers of familial sabotage circulated, as did other rumors of abduction, and the young man vanished without a trace.

With each passing day, the story became more elaborate, to the point where Matthew, Henry's father, became enraged and slammed his hand on the desk, berating his nearby secretary, "A bunch of incompetents, can't even find him after all this time?" If Henry cannot be located, the project is doomed."

"I fear Master Henry's situation might have something to do with Mr. Wilson," the secretary speculated, knowing his volatile temperament, "It's impossible for us to find any leads unless he gets involved."

"Do you think I need you to tell me that?" raged Matthew.

"I'd like to know where he is. Jason, my damn son, is to blame for everything. He foolishly collaborated with James Beaumont just as the project was about to be completed, endangering Henry."

"If we manage to find him," the secretary cautioned, "I suspect Mr. Wilson won't let Master Jason off the hook."

"If William Wilson can hide Henry away, so can we," Matthew reflected with a perceptive gaze. If we have Henry, we can utilize William for the project."

Someone else mentioned in the conversation that they were dealing with a similarly tense situation.

Henry was depleted after yet another failed escape attempt from the mountain mansion. When he was apprehended by William that night, he was shackled to the bed and watched over without a moment's rest. He cursed a lot and struggled a lot, but nothing worked.

In the end, both his spirit and body were exhausted. He lay there, a lifeless husk staring at the ceiling, unconcerned about William, who sat nearby watching him.

William remained silent, minimizing his presence so as not to disturb Henry. He sat by Henry's side in silence for two days, occasionally leaving to attend a call only to return and continue his silent vigil. Henry didn't pay him any mind, didn't give him a glance, and didn't say anything, but the feeling of being constantly watched was anything but pleasant.

Henry awoke on the third day to an empty room. By noon, William had arrived, carrying a small cake. He recalled the delicate animal decorations on the cake, but there were no words written on them. He gave it a dismissive look, not paying it much attention.

Unfazed, William sat down and silently sliced the cake, his eyes filled with hopeful anticipation as he waited for Henry to accept the offering. That hopeful expression, so prevalent in the early days of his pursuit, had faded over time as a result of repeated disappointments. He hadn't seen it in a long time.

The offered slice triggered troubling memories. It reminded him of William's previous birthday, when he had unceremoniously thrown a similar cake into the trash, only to return to find it reassembled haphazardly on the table, a small piece missing. The staff had told him that William had eaten the discarded cake alone.

Henry was disturbed by the image and turned away, not wanting to revisit the past. He owed nothing to William, who had forced him to stay.

William remained calm after several minutes of fruitless offerings, as if expecting this.

"Aren't you curious to know what we're celebrating?" he asked softly.

"It's my death. Don't forget to eat it, my dear "Heny". You are not required to attend my funeral. Let me call you "Heny" just once; I've been meaning to do so for a long time."

He smiled gently and reached out to touch Henry's head, saying, "Goodbye, my dear Henry." This time, Henry was too shocked to avoid his hand.

Henry was startled and jumped up to confront William, but he was already gone. Panic welled up within him, a sensation he didn't recognize.

"William, what do you mean...?" he asked for the first time in three days. Is there anyone here? Anyone? I need you to explain, William Wilson." The only response was silence, his limbs chained, preventing him from fleeing, and no one to answer him.

As night fell, a small part of Henry hoped that William would return with dinner, as he always did. If he did come, Henry might think about eating his food just once. He convinced himself that William would return. Henry's gaze had been fixed on the door since his departure, waiting for the familiar figure to reappear.

Sure enough, by dinnertime, the door had swung open. Henry scoffed at himself; clearly, William had only pretended to leave to see how Henry reacted. But before he could finish mocking his own gullibility, another figure entered. It took him a while, and it wasn't until the newcomer spoke that Henry realized it was Liam Miller.

Liam's voice jolted him back to reality: "Henry, I've come to save you." He then took a key from his pocket, intending to free Henry from his shackles. An unnamed fear grew within Henry as he watched the movements. Liam, what was the reason? Where had William gone?

"How did you get in here?" he asked, snatching Liam's hand from fumbling with the lock. William would never let you in here."

"You don't need to worry; it was difficult, but I found a way in." His only response was an evasive murmur, and the hand didn't stop. Damn, William is a jerk; how dare he confine you like an animal?"

His heart was already pounding, and not receiving the desired response only added to his agitation. "I'll ask you again, Liam, how did you get in here? "Where has William gone?"

Liam refused to look him in the eyes and responded, "Can we talk about this later, after we get out of here?" "Are you in any pain?"

Henry's heart was filled with dreadful coldness as he tried to convince himself that William would be fine. William could always find a solution to any problem because, after all, he was William. William, in Henry's opinion, was an arrogant man who excelled above others. Injury and defeat were simply not associated with him.

After his limbs were freed, he was dragged away by Liam, who said, "Henry, I'm taking you to the hospital."

Who was injured? William never hurt him; he was always there to protect him. Even when he ran away, William was never angry; he always looked after him himself.

With his mind racing, he shrugged off the arm pulling him along. Henry challenged Liam, "Either tell me how you got in here or stay the hell away from me."

"Henry, since we're about to get married, why don't you..." Liam's pitiful words were cut off abruptly.

"Shut up; we don't have any relationship." If you continue to spew nonsense, don't blame me for losing my cool." Suppressed emotions erupted in a flash, and he kicked Liam square in the gut.

Liam collapsed in agony. "If you won't tell me," Henry said coldly, "I'll find out for myself."

"There's no need to look any further; William is no longer alive!" "Wake up, Henry; you're free now; he can't bother you anymore." Liam nearly screamed.

Dead? Henry felt as if all of his strength had been sapped from him; his legs wobbled, and he turned around, his eyes wide with disbelief, and asked, "Did you kill him?"

"I don't have that kind of courage," Liam scoffed. "I merely expedited the process." His gaze was expectant, looking towards Henry, but Henry was no longer paying attention to him.

He ran out, not knowing where he should go or what to look for. It took him two hours to find William's house, but it was too late to say goodbye.

The ER doctor, who was also William's friend, approached, his face sinking as he looked at Henry coldly. "Will asked me to tell Liam to come pick you up, and he also sent a key."

Henry was taken aback. Just before the car hit him, he heard the man in front of him say over the phone, "Make sure that guy gets there in time for dinner; don't let him go hungry."

The last thing he said in his life was that he was worried about going hungry.

Three days had passed since William's death, and many people had come to this place to mock, even curse, him. The majority of them were William's friends and relatives, some from the Scott family, and even strangers. Only then did Henry realize how many things he had never heard before.

The housemaid wiped her tears away and told him, "The last cake given to you was personally made by Master Wilson; he took a long time to learn how to make it."

"Master Wilson locked you up to protect you from the schemes of Jason Scott and James Beaumont, who wanted to take your life." said his bodyguard, Robert Palmer. He didn't have much time to find the true mastermind, and you didn't believe him or accept his protection."

Daniel's older brother spoke to him, revealing that their father had taken advantage of him in a deceptive exchange, forcing William to help the Scott family unconditionally. Daniel, on the other hand, was unaware of these events.

William's doctor informed Daniel that his excessive control and extreme possessiveness were the result of a childhood psychological condition exacerbated by complications from a brain tumor. It would have an impact on his temperament and daily life, causing unbearable headaches during episodes, and, in more severe cases, he would be unable to restrain himself from harming himself or those around him.

During an argument, Daniel saw William writhing in pain and clutching his head on the floor, but mistaking it for a theatrical act, he walked away without looking back or calling for help.

William's mental state deteriorated further over time as a result of his father purposefully switching his medication. He passed up the only surgical procedure that could have helped him and stayed by Daniel's side. The repeated incidents of provocation by Daniel, who had only a few months left to live, exacerbated the situation.

Ironically, William was someone with whom everyone desired to have a good relationship, and Daniel had taken full advantage of him in his ignorance.

Henry's fear and anguish were heightened because he loved William. The sensation of suffocation in his chest was more distressing than the loud crying. Daniel no longer wanted to leave now that he had escaped his grasp.

Daniel was also informed by the lawyer that William had left him the entire Wilson estate, including shares and executive control of the company.

While Henry had never competed for anything, his relatives were constantly plotting, exploiting the situation to seize the family's assets. Henry's life was in danger, not to mention the life of the person he loved.

William also left a letter, which Henry refused to read. Days later, in the once-imprisoned mansion, Henry sat alone in the spot where William used to sit, staring in the same direction. When it got dark and William didn't turn on the lights, Henry mustered the courage to do it himself and retrieve the letter. His entire body trembled after reading it, and he desperately bit his lip to regain control of his emotions, not wanting to cry.

He walked into the study, following the letter's instructions to locate William's diary. Each sheet was blurred and soaked with his own tears as he flipped through its pages until the last one. Henry trembled, raising his hands to cover his face and crying freely, like a child who had lost their most prized possession.

As he looked out the window, the setting sun cast a blood-red glow. It was similar to Henry's constricted and numb heart. "William, you truly are so cruel," he said to himself.

In the blink of an eye, fifteen years had passed since William's death, and Henry had accomplished incredible things. He firmly controlled the Scott Corporation, gained a foothold in The Wilson Empire, and created his own remarkable kingdom. His business and strategic acumen inspired awe in everyone around him.

Nobody thought Henry could take control of everything by himself back then. They were all waiting for his demise with bated breath. William bequeathed his entire fortune to Henry in the hope that it would provide him with the strength he needed to overcome any obstacles. He had faith in Henry's abilities and knew he would not let down the people he cared about.

While the business world lauded Henry's talent and stratagem, he was the only one who recognised his own folly.

It took him fifteen years to realise the depth of his feelings for the other man-a yearning to find him and atone for all the pain he had to endure.

He was now eleven years older than him, while the other remained perpetually twenty-seven.

On a cold winter morning, shocking news broke: Henry Scott, the man behind a slew of major corporations, had died in a car accident. A closer examination uncovered a startling coincidence: the dates and causes of death for both Henry and William were identical.

One might have expected a pitched battle over the vast estate, but everything went off without a hitch, just as it had done fifteen years before. Henry left the Scott Company to his brother, Daniel, in his will. Henry's empire was merged with The Wilson Empire, and all remaining assets were transferred to Charles Wilson, William's adoptive son and nephew.

Charles, who had been raised by Henry, was regarded by him as the rightful heir of both himself and William.

"William, wait for me," Henry said quietly as the truck approached.

So this was William's experience; perhaps he had clung to a more profound desperation back then.

He could hear the piercing screams, the sudden braking of cars, and the violent collision, painting a scene of chaos in that final moment. He was wracked by severe pain and his mind was beginning to cloud. A call from Charles was the only thing that remained in Henry's fading vision.

All senses seemed to vanish in an instant-no pain, no feeling. Henry imagined that his consciousness would vanish in an instant. His thoughts, however, did not vanish but instead spun out of control.

Memories flooded back in, occupying his frail awareness.

It was like watching a film reel rewind: the mundane life of fifteen years after William's death, then back to that afternoon when Liam stepped in to announce his death.

Each memory was so vivid that it felt like he was reliving the events. He could only watch helplessly this time, but the sensation of suffocating pain was unbelievably real.

Following the memory stream, he ran into William again, and this time he heard him say not to come to the funeral. Henry couldn't say anything to persuade him to stay. Similarly, a different "Henry" sitting on the bed was unable to make William turn around.

Then it flashed back to his confinement in the mansion and the days of escape and resistance. It went even further back to when William was pursuing him during his days of freedom.

Until his floating "consciousness" was suddenly yanked forward by a strong pull at a certain point in a party, Henry could not anticipate what would happen next.

Someone was calling his name by the time he regained consciousness. Henry felt his fingers move as he struggled to open his eyes due to the onset of a headache.

Henry was taken aback by the sudden surge of consciousness. Could this be a hospital? He was still alive, right?

The fuzzy voice beside his ear resounded again before he could ask any further questions. The voice calling him became clearer as the world around him became clearer.

"Mr. Henry, Mr. Henry, you've come around," says the narrator. The housekeeper at Grady's exclaimed in surprise. After a disagreement with Mr. Wilson, the Scott family's second son fainted and was rushed upstairs, where a doctor was summoned.

Outside, the guards strictly prohibited any entry or exit, while the head of the Grady family was too excited to sit still. Mr. Wilson would not let them off the hook if anything happened to Henry.

Everyone was aware that Mr. Wilson, the most powerful and wealthy man in the country, was pursuing Henry. Instead of saying the two had a disagreement, it was more accurate to say Henry lost his cool with William. Others couldn't hear the details of the conversation because it was in a secluded area.

The crowd, however, couldn't help but notice Henry attempting to hit William, only to be knocked out and carried away. No one dared cross Mr. Wilson, let alone go investigate the situation.

Henry's head throbbed like a hammer, but he tried to isolate the source of the noise. The first thing he saw was the staff's gaze. "You're awake; do you need me to notify Mr. Wilson?"

Was that Charles, Mr. Wilson? Henry pondered quietly. This address sounded familiar as well as strange. He looked around; this was neither a hospital nor the house he was living in. Despite his headache, his body was in perfect condition-not at all like he had just survived a car accident.

He was severely injured when that car crashed; even if he survived, he could not have recovered this quickly. Henry was suddenly reminded of the flashback memories from the accident as he reached to touch his forehead to relieve the headache.

"What am I doing? Who led me here?" The servants looked surprised but respectfully responded, "This is the Grady family's charity auction party." Mr. Wilson brought you here after you fainted."

"Do you mean, William?" He jolted and spun around, looking for his phone to confirm. Henry was in a panic and couldn't find it, so he grabbed the housekeeper and asked for the date. He sat on the bed, stunned, after receiving the response. Fearing for their safety, the people in the room summoned a doctor.

Henry ignored whoever came in, desperately trying to recall the events of this party. Originally, William joined him today. Liam somehow found out about it and came as well. Liam had suggested a way to get him out of William's clutches before the incident.

Liam would propose to him at the end of the auction, which was the solution. As long as he agreed, their phoney engagement could put an end to any plans William had. Henry initially disagreed, believing the proposal was ridiculous.

However, when William later presented him with a painting his mother had drawn and which was auctioned off that day at the party, he threw it away. Henry would not have reacted so quickly under normal circumstances, but by chance, he discovered he had been drugged. It wasn't an aphrodisiac, but rather a substance that confused the mind and weakened the body without robbing consciousness.

At that moment, Henry was filled with rage because he suspected it was William's fault. William had knocked Henry out and carried him to a room after being surprised by his condition. The party was still going on when Henry awoke, and in a fit of rage, he agreed to Liam's plan, accepting another man's proposal in front of William.

He wanted to punish himself a hundred times over every time he remembered William's mad, lonely face amidst the crowd at that moment. Finally, William dragged him away in front of everyone for the first time. During the altercation, he collapsed at the Grady Mansion, and journalists were summoned, exposing William's condition to the public.

Some claimed he was mentally ill and a threat to society. Others thought of him as repulsive and a criminal. Despite the fact that the news was later controlled, The Wilson Empire's stock inevitably fell. William's grandfather objected to their relationship as well.

Following several disagreements, William turned against his grandfather, determined to keep Henry by his side. The couple's relationship began to deteriorate, and the chairman's health deteriorated. They never had the opportunity to reconcile until William's death.

"Yes, it was Mr. Wilson who carried you in here." Henry's attention was drawn back by the butler's voice. He ran outside, ignoring the doctor and servants who were still surrounding him.

The on-duty guards, taken aback by his sudden appearance, attempted to restrain him from reporting to Mr. Wilson.

"Mr. Henry, please refrain from going outside." The speaker was William's bodyguard, Robert Palmer. This proved Henry had been given a second chance at life.

But Henry's actions were too quick and decisive, injuring and dodging several guards as he rushed downstairs.

"Follow him quickly; if anything happens, we won't be held accountable." The people there were thrown into chaos as they chased after him, fearing for their jobs.

"Where is William Wilson?" Henry demanded as he descended the stairs, instinctively grabbing a nearby server.

The noise was quite loud, and it drew the attention of those nearby. Liam was giving a speech at the time, and his eyes lit up at the sight of Henry.

Liam's goal was to embarrass William and change his indifferent, contemptuous attitude towards others. He intended to provoke Henry into another disruption at the party before summoning the press.

Liam weighed his options once more. Given Henry's hot temper, proposing now had a high chance of success because Henry wanted to annoy and infuriate William. Witnessing such a scene would undoubtedly drive William insane. Many people would be interested in the news the next day.

The server on this side, who had been dragged back by Henry, had not yet grasped the gravity of the situation. He was new and didn't know who this "William" the guest was referring to was, so all he could do was bow and apologise.

A man in a suit approached Henry just as he was about to turn to look elsewhere. This was Liam Miller's right-hand man, his assistant. When Henry noticed the man giving the speech on stage, a feeling of unease settled in his heart.

Indeed, the assistant approached him politely and invited him to the stage. Ignoring him, Henry continued to search the crowd for the figure he desired. But the hall was huge, and everyone's attention was drawn to the stage to hear the speech, so he couldn't find William.

Liam approached with unwavering determination, coming close to him and then kneeling down, just as he was in a standoff with the assistant.

"Henry, are you willing to marry me?"

Anyone paying attention could see Henry's displeased expression, and the answer seemed obvious without him saying anything.

But before he could say anything, he noticed a tall figure approaching them.

Henry's blood seemed to freeze in an instant; his breathing came to a halt, and all that remained was the figure of William approaching. A real person, not a creation of his imagination.

Henry wanted to be with him forever.

But as he took the first step, Liam grabbed his hand and pulled the ring onto his finger for William to see, regardless of whether Henry agreed or not.

Henry had never been a patient man, and his patience had been limited to William. Nonetheless, Liam's actions had instilled in him a strong dislike, and on the spur of the moment, he shoved Liam, causing him to stagger forward.

"Get lost." Henry and William's voices seemed to echo in unison. Liam was thrown across the room after being hit by William's punch.

Henry froze for a split second, and before he could fully comprehend Liam's stumbling fall, he found himself being dragged roughly towards the stairs, where he had just descended in search of William.

"William, your actions will only breed more hatred in Henry," the voice warned.

Finally, William looked down at Liam, who was lying on the ground, and said, "It's best he hates me his entire life, because he'll be mine for the rest of it."

Henry's body stiffened, his mind buzzed as if paralysed, and his breath and heartbeat briefly stopped, then raced in rapid succession as if ready to leap out of his chest. His continued movement was solely due to the forward momentum of William's strong arm.

Only the heavens knew that when he saw the ring about to be slipped onto Henry's finger, William felt compelled to sever Liam's hands. It was only because Henry eventually rejected the man that William managed to keep the last vestige of his sanity.

When William realised the person behind him was not resisting or speaking, he came to a halt and turned around. To his surprise, he was met with a pair of reddened eyes fixed on him. He was taken aback for a moment, a pang of heartache seizing him. Could Henry be angry at him for interfering?

William's grip relaxed, despite the fact that he still felt slightly out of control. He drew Henry into his arms, and they ascended the stairs together. He would have tied Henry close to him if there were any handcuffs or chains nearby, regardless of the judgement or condemnation of others.

When they returned to their previous room, bodyguards stood at the door, heads bowed in shame. Ignoring them, William kicked open the door and entered, while Henry regained consciousness. If he had a second chance at life, he would have to take steps to avoid any future danger.

When the door closed behind them, Henry was suddenly pinned to the wall by William.

"You're amazing; Liam Miller wants to marry you. Have you two become so close? If you dare to marry him, your wedding day will also be the day he vanishes from the world."

Henry felt awkward in this situation; he had never voluntarily allowed William to get this close to him before. Being pressed like this made him feel vulnerable, but it didn't bother him. He simply lowered his head, attempting to appear natural.

"So, are you here to ask, provoke, or threaten me?" Henry finally spoke up, looking William in the eyes.

"Isn't everything the same? You despise me and will never accept me. You've never been moved, even if I offered my heart and soul," William exclaimed.

Henry wanted to tell William that he had been moved and that he had given his heart to him a long time ago. But he knew William wouldn't believe him now. He had to go through the agony of unrequited love that William had.

This time, Henry was not nervous at all as he looked William in the eyes.

"Of course it's unique! First and foremost, you don't need to be angry; this is Liam's plan to provoke you. I've never liked him," Henry stated emphatically.

"Second, your threats are pointless; Liam is unrelated to us. I despise him, so I can assist you in teaching him a lesson."

"Third, I do not hate you... Today's incident with the painting was entirely my fault. I'm sorry," Henry said, a little embarrassed, and he avoided William's gaze when he finished.

Henry cast a glance at the painting in the room's corner. The surface was still damaged, but it looked better than before. In the past, the painting could not be repaired or restored as easily as it can now.

Henry learned from William's friends that if he had accepted the painting today, the ring in William's coat pocket would have been placed on his finger. But he had destroyed all of their happiness, leading to this unfortunate outcome.

William couldn't believe what he was hearing from Henry; it was difficult to believe that the same person who had berated and attacked him only a few hours before was now speaking so gently to him. Nonetheless, it was those two words, "I'm sorry," that took him by surprise.

William's heart, which had seemed to be buried beneath a snowstorm for so long, caught fire. Just a tiny spark, and he had to make that spark flare up at any cost, even if it meant dragging Henry into it with him.

"As for the fourth point, whether me and Liam are close or not, you're the one who knows best, right?"

"Don't think I'm unaware that your bodyguards are following me," Henry said, finding an appropriate excuse to speak boldly. "I was drugged at the time and knew I was being watched everywhere." I wouldn't be normal if I didn't get angry."

"However, when I regained my senses, my rationality returned, and of course, I figured out that it wasn't you behind it," he went on.

William couldn't counter what was said. His controlling tendencies were strong, and he went to extreme measures to keep Henry under control. He didn't regret it, but he was careful to keep everything hidden because he didn't want Henry to know about the dirty surveillance. Following him was only a small part of what he had done; however, he had not expected the person in front of him to discover he was being followed.

Though Henry's reactions pleased William, the thought of Liam Miller proposing to Henry in front of him infuriated him.

"Do you think you can avoid me by becoming angry? You wouldn't be able to resist, even if those things were done by me. You can only accept me," William stated authoritatively.

Henry was at a loss for words at this point; William was far too domineering. He really wanted to punch him to let out his rage, but he couldn't bring himself to do so; all he could do was sigh.

"And what can you do if I continue to resist? Forcing me to marry or using marriage as a constraint? Or do you want to lock me up? That's illegal, Mr. Wilson," Henry stated purposefully. However, when he looked at the face in front of him after saying it, he couldn't help but shudder. That smile wasn't your typical arrogant or dismissive expression; it was tinged with mystery and intense possessiveness.

William leaned in slowly, his breath brushing from the neck to the ear, making Henry's blood run cold and his scalp tingle. He didn't dare to breathe heavily, but he was completely enamoured by this sensation.

"You're right; I have a way to make you agree to marry me, to willingly step into the cage I've prepared," William explained.

Hearing William's words, Henry felt a painful tug in his heart that went beyond his expectations. William was perfectly capable of doing what he said, but he'd never done it. William repeatedly chose to injure himself, bear the pain, and eventually kill himself in order to free Henry.

"All right, then, let's get married," Henry had wanted to say to him for a long time, "You can't take your words back now."