The rise of the lost heir Astrian

It was nightfall. Thyme held two paper bags with a lot of groceries in them as he walked down the silent street. The cozy air brushed against his flawless skin. Coming back from work, he was so tired.

"Thank goodness, I'm almost there," sighed Thyme as he spotted a familiar figure. "Isn't that Tina?" He frowned when he clearly saw her face with the help of the street lights. She had just emerged from an expensive car, and a man came out as well. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the strange man hugging her waist. His heart began racing fast, and they both entered the clubhouse afterwards.

"No... no, it can't be what I'm thinking. Tina can't do this to me. We just spoke to each other this afternoon," he nodded his head negatively, not wanting to believe what he was thinking about. He walked to the clubhouse, and he halted when a tall, hefty man about seven feet tall stopped him. They both gazed at each other, and Thyme could feel the tension already. Trying to gather his thoughts, he spoke.

"I came to deliver some things to my boss. He ordered for me to come here," he lied but kept his face a little cold. What flooded his mind in that moment was his girlfriend, who had just walked in with a man. After a few seconds, the man finally let him in.

The clubhouse was so noisy as they played music. People were seen kissing, while others were making out publicly without caring. His eyes scanned around and met Tina, who was already sitting on the lap of the strange man, kissing him intensely while he touched her sensitive body. Thyme walked towards them.

"Tina," his voice trembled as she slowly looked up to see who had just called her. "Do you know him?" The man raised his eyebrows, and Tina snapped off her thoughts. "Yeah, he's my poor wretched ex-boyfriend who won't leave me alone," Tina's voice electrified the room, which caught the attention of others. Chuckles were heard underneath. Thyme's heart broke into a million pieces immediately after those words flew out of her mouth. He couldn't talk. He closed his eyes tightly, folding his fists. He didn't realize when tears began flowing down his cheeks.

"Aww, the poor boy's heart is broken. Tina, why did you do that?" mocked a voice. "This shows this isn't her first time here," he thought.

"Tina, how could you?" he finally found his voice, wiping his tears. He couldn't believe he just cried because of this bitch. "Babe, are you going to watch this idiot humiliate me this way?" Tina faked a cry. Soon the security was called as they chased him out, beating the hell out of him. The hefty man he had lied to minutes ago injured him even more for lying to him. "Let's dump him somewhere, he fainted already," one of the men suggested as Thyme was carried. His clothes were already torn from the beating, and stains of blood were also seen on his body. He looked half dead.

The next morning, people passed the street. He had already woken up but was feeling weak and in pain, unable to stand on his feet. "Is he dead? Let's help him, he's still breathing," someone panicked, rushing up to him. The ambulance was called instantly.

Many hours later, Thyme finally opened his eyes. A white ceiling appeared before his face as he smiled. "Am I dead? Yes! I'm finally dead," he sounded really happy. "Thank goodness you're awake," he frowned hard after possibly hearing someone's voice. He was awake in this cruel world, again! He tried turning his head to see the person who had just spoken. A nurse held a tray of drugs and water as she walked up to him. "Sorry, the pain will be gone before you know it. Just take these drugs and take a nap," the lady's voice came out calm. "Hmph! A painkiller can't cure the pain I feel right now," he spoke with a pained face.

The lady didn't understand what he meant, but she knew he wasn't feeling good. "I really don't know what you're going through, but you'll be well, I promise," she gave out a heartwarming smile. "I'm Gorya, what's yours?" "Thyme," he replied without sparing her any glance. "Okay, take your drugs and have a nap, okay?" she stood up afterwards. Thyme stole a quick glance before sitting up to take his drugs after she had left.

A man in a black tuxedo and a nose mask on his face walked to a small underground house.

Two couples came into view. They were tied up on two chairs and their faces looked pale as they struggled to breathe. "I missed you too. It's been months. I hope you finally got treated. I wouldn't want you to die now. You're still useful," he spread his arms wide, sitting on a king-sized couch with hefty men on both sides.

"But I still don't get why I haven't killed both of you yet. Unfortunately, I still need you both. The outside world believes you're dead. You know it's been twenty fucking years, damn!" The man dramatized. Later on, a smirk was placed on his face. He wiggled his hands in the air, and his men got his signal and walked up to the couples. They were already frightened, but after seeing they were only just untied, they were relieved. "Why... why are you doing this?" the untied man tried speaking. "I'm really tired of hearing those words. It sucks already. Why don't you change it to... 'I'm going to kill you, Kel, you once loved calling me that?'" he laughed, shaking his head.

"Now I came for something very important. It's a matter of life and death, and I trust you wouldn't want your lovely brother dead, right?" Kelvin asked but got no reply. He shot the chair next to them, and the couples flinched. "Argh!" The man on the ground screamed. "When I talk, you answer me!" he glared. "Yes... yes... yes," he quickly responded. He sat back before speaking further. "I have a condition. It's either killing you both or tell me where the documents of my companies in France are. I need them already. We are hosting an opening ceremony party," he smiled. "Since it's your company, why are you asking me where the documents are?" he shot daggers at him. "I don't have much time to divert into that right now. I'm in a hurry to meet Mr. Alex." His face lit up immediately as an idea clicked in his mind. "Killing you both would be useless. Why don't I find your lost son and kill him if you don't give me what I want?"

The couple's eyes almost popped out from their sockets, the word "Lost son" rang in their heads. "Is he still alive?" Emma's voice came out shaky. "Bet he'd be a professional or maybe a thief," Kelvin laughed hard, which made the couple frown after a long silence. He spoke again, "Your silence is pissing me off already, Bruce. Are you ready to tell me where the documents are? Or won't it take me seconds to wipe out your twenty-five-year-old son from the surface of this earth?" Kelvin's voice came out dangerous. Bruce gulped, looked at his wife who nodded as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Fine, I'll tell you where it is. Just leave my son out of this, please," Bruce begged. "Good, now speak," he said impatiently, stomping his feet on the floor.

Finally, Thyme was discharged from the hospital. He paid his bills before proceeding to leave. "Please, do you know where Nurse Gorya is?" he asked a passing nurse. "She resigned minutes ago," she replied before walking away. "Resigned?" he shrugged and walked out. Something clicked in his mind as he left to order a taxi. He was driven to his workplace. He was about to get off when he remembered something. His mind drifted, and he sat back before telling the driver where he was heading to.

Gorya tiptoed in, wanting to avoid any trouble. She was about to get to her room when she halted at the sound of her stepmom's voice. "You wretched bitch has decided to come home, right?" She purposely raised her voice for her father to hear.

"Is that bastard here already?" his voice railed in the house. She flinched and didn't waste any time before running to her room. She hit the door so hard before locking it.

"Gorya! You had better come out here now before you add to your punishment," he hit the door. She lay down on her bed as tears rolled down her face. "When is this going to stop?" she thought before drifting to sleep.

Thyme entered his apartment and lay on his couch. The horrible events he was trying hard to forget rushed to his head. "Why would Tina do this to me?" his eyes burned with anger. "Just to date a rich man. She humiliated me." He kicked the couch before walking into his room.

That night, Tina's mom cautioned her, "Tina, would you please stop scrolling your phone at the dining table?" Tina rolled her eyes. "Mum, dad, guess what?" Tina set her hair, clearing her throat. "What?" they both asked, stopping eating. "I now have a new boyfriend, and he's filthy rich. He spoils me with a lot," Tina said dramatically. "Oh wow, my daughter always gets the good things," her father patted her hair. "Why didn't you tell me about it?" her mom frowned. "Because I wanted to be sure of him," Tina faked a smile. She took her phone and began scrolling, trying hard to avert her mother's gaze on her. She knew what she would say. "Tina," her mom called again. She dropped her phone and groaned.

Gorya's tummy grumbled as she held it. "I'm hungry," she mumbled, walking towards the door. She placed her ear on it, realizing she didn't hear anyone's voice. "They must be in bed," she sneered and opened the door. She walked to the fridge and halted when she heard voices. "That's from the kitchen," she mumbled and walked there, seeing Tina and her mom. She hid in a corner, listening to their conversation.

"Why didn't you tell me you have a boyfriend?" her mom bawled as Tina quivered in fear. "I'm sorry, Mum. I wanted to be sure about him," she began crying. "You really know our plan, right? Don't be distracted. And you also know I'm helping you get revenge on that skinny bitch, so you mustn't be useless like your father and act smart, be cold," her mom glowered at her as she shivered. "Yes, Mum," she cried. "Would you please clean your tears and stop behaving like a child?" she shrieked at her, leaving.

Gorya, upon seeing her mom coming, hid quickly. She looked back in the kitchen and found Tina squatting. "I regret seeking revenge, Mum changed," she cried.

Gorya immediately took what she came for and ran to her room, locking her door. She sat on her bed, still in shock. "Revenge on who?" she asked herself.

Tina and she went to the same secondary school. They were best friends when she suddenly began to hate her, to the extent that she tried stabbing her on a particular day. Tina then left the school, and weeks later, Gorya's mom was diagnosed with a heart attack and had little chance of living, eventually dying. Gorya had come back that day after visiting her mom's grave. She met Tina and her mom sitting on the couch and wondered what was happening. Tina had stared hatefully at her that day, and her father then dropped the bombshell that Tina's mother was his new wife. She remembered running out of the house that day.

"Tina and her mom are after something, I know that for sure," Gorya nodded as she stood up. "I must tell Father this," she halted when she remembered something. "He won't believe me anyway, and it would only make things worse," she sighed sadly before turning back to her bed.

A message popped up on Thyme's phone. He checked it before screaming.

It was dawn, and Thyme woke up as early as he could. He checked the time before walking into his bathroom. "Today is really a great day," he smiled.

Thyme leapt as he tried tying his shoes while walking. He was really good at that after working as a delivery guy for over three years. "I hope I'm not late," he glanced at his watch before rushing out, not forgetting to shut the door behind.

Thyme was now close to a large and tall, beautifully white-painted gate. He opened his mouth in awe. It looked even more captivating with the beautiful drawings on it. He couldn't believe he'd be working here now, for the richest man in the world. His imagination was interrupted when he heard a voice.

"Why are you standing there like a statue?" one of the security guards roared. He didn't realize he had been standing there for over ten minutes now. He swallowed hard before walking close to the building. He gave them his acceptance letter, and after some crosschecking, they finally let him in. "Where's the building?" he asked no one in particular after only entering to see large trees and neatly cut green grass. "Hop in, sir," a driver drove up in front of him. His eyes widened in surprise, and he just entered. "This place is awesome. So it implies that the building is still in," he smiled, admiring that. Soon, he began to see the building as they continued to drive. He found a lot of interesting spots around the building and smiled. "Luckily, the boss is home today. You can go in," the driver suddenly stopped in front of a large corridor filled with flower designs as maids were cleaning the place. He greeted them as he walked in. The maids just looked at him in surprise, while some began admiring him. He finally arrived at a big living room, where two people were talking. They stopped and faced him, staring at him like trash.

It looked like they were discussing something important because they had serious expressions on their faces. Thyme immediately identified the forty-year-old man as the richest man. He gave a long bow, as he was a tall man with a strange aura that Thyme couldn't figure out. Thyme greeted them with a "Good morning," but got no response. The man's voice came out cold and dangerous when he said, "You can go." This immediately sent shivers down Thyme's body, as he couldn't believe he was talking to the richest man in the world.

The man's voice came out loud again, saying, "I said you can go." Thyme flinched but quickly raised his head and walked away, thinking, "I thought he was a nice person, but his real personality seems different." Thyme tried to find the kitchen since there were many rooms and he didn't want to see the man's true wrath.

The forty-five-year-old woman who was next to the man just kept staring at him the whole time, which made Thyme even more nervous.

A beautiful young woman emerged from the stairs and saw her husband talking to her so-called sister-in-law. She walked past them as if they were invisible, and then she selected maids to escort her out of the building.

"Can't your wife show some respect? She behaves as if she's everything. She should know her place. This is pissing me off," the woman said, rolling her eyes. Ray just smiled and assured her, "Don't worry about that sis, I'll talk to her about it." She scoffed at his reply and asked, "Now, when are you going to start processing it?" They continued talking, with her face becoming serious again.

Thyme finally located the kitchen, which was big and beautiful. He walked up to a lady and asked, "Hey, I'm new here. What do I have to do?" All eyes were on him, but when he turned to look at the chefs, they were already minding their own business. He shook his head in disbelief.

"Oh, the new chef?" the lady asked, and Thyme nodded. "Okay then, let's test you in the food section first," she said fluently. Thyme nodded, hung his bag in a corner, put on an apron, rolled up his sleeves, and washed his hands.

An old lady got out of a car and adjusted her dress. She looked around to see if anyone was following or looking at her, and when she saw no one, she entered a store.

"He has been waiting for you," the store owner told the old lady. She nodded and entered an inner room. She walked ten feet forward and spotted a staircase leading down a large hole. The old lady walked down the stairs until she finally reached a secret room. A young guy sat on a chair, rubbing his temple impatiently. When he saw the old lady, he stood up and said, "I've been waiting. I don't want anyone to be suspicious." He spoke quickly, and the old woman reassured him, "Be calm, boy. No one would suspect anything." He nodded and she asked, "Have you found out about him?" He replied, "No, but I found out that he's still alive." He sat back down as she sighed. "Then why hasn't he come to fight for his--" she began, but he interrupted her and dropped the bombshell, saying, "Because he wiped his memory." She screamed in response, and he explained, "Yes, twenty years ago, after everything, Kelvin wiped off his memory so he wouldn't remember anything." She couldn't believe what she had just heard. She pointed her shaky finger at him and said, "Yeah, this makes sense now. Kelvin wouldn't want to kill his brother because he knows that he is the only one who knows where the documents are and he could find out more about his company." The young man now understood, and the old lady rubbed her temple, saying, "Hmm." She suggested, "What we need to do now is find Astian and keep him safe." The young man agreed and added, "Yeah, and also find Master Bruce's old driver. We need him, too." The old lady stood up and said, "That's if Kelvin hasn't gotten to him first," to which the young man nodded. "Let me take my leave first. Remember to wear your mask and be safe. I can see that he's really searching for you," the old lady smirked. They both laughed and then she left. Soon after, he left as well.

Lady Rose entered the tall building with a lot of groceries in her hands. Some maids rushed to help her with them. She was the oldest and most respected worker in the building. She walked in and saw an old woman sitting on the couch, having a discussion with her son. Lady Rose approached them, and they stopped talking as soon as they saw her. "Good day, Lady Agnes," she greeted.

Apparently, Old Lady Leone was the eldest woman in the Leone family and the supposed stepmother of Bruce. After his mother passed away, Ray and Hannah were born, making them her biological children. Lady Leone had always hated Bruce and made his life miserable after their father died. "Oh, long time no see," Lady Agnes faked a smile. Lady Rose scoffed and fake a smile too, saying, "I can see that you haven't been sacked. Aren't you too old to do this job again? You should take care of yourself." Lady Agnes mocked her, to which Lady Rose fired back, "Aren't you too old too? You should at least sit at home and not lash out rubbish from your mouth."

"What!" Agnes yelled, and Rose smirked. "Watch your mouth. How dare you talk to my mother that way," Ray sneered. "What are you going to do, huh?" Rose rolled her eyes and walked away. Agnes was frustrated that Ray had done nothing to defend her, and she yelled at him, "Can't you do something? Why did you stand there and watch her abuse me that way?" Ray remained silent, frustrating Agnes even more. She stormed out of the building, yanking her bag, and Ray tried to catch up with her but she was already gone. He went back inside with anger visible on his face.