Jacob turned back to Arthur, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as if the scene that had just unfolded was nothing more than a casual interaction.
"Let's work out together," he suggested his tone light as if trying to dismiss the tension like it didn't exist.
Arthur's jaw clenched, the lingering pain in his throat from Ryker's chokehold still burning. He forced his breathing to steady, his eyes locking onto Jacob's .
"No," Arthur replied flatly, his voice still hoarse. "I have sothing to do. I was just here to check out the gym."
Jacob raised an eyebrow, clearly not used to being dismissed. His eyes flicked toward Ryker, who was watching the exchange with an amused grin.
"Co on, Arthur," Jacob pushed, "you're already here. Might as well train with us. It'll be fun."
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Arthur's fists curled at his sides, the mory of Ryker's crushing grip on his neck still vivid in his mind. He wasn't about to play along.
"I said no."
And with that, Arthur turned on his heel, pushing through the gym doors and stepping out into the cool air.
The mont the door shut behind him, his facade cracked. His hands trembled, his knuckles white as his nails dug into his palms.
"Ryker…" he muttered, his voice low, venomous.
The na tasted like poison on his tongue, igniting a storm of mories and emotions he had tried so hard to bury.
But now?
Now the fire was back.
The image of Ryker's smug face, that fake cousinly affection hiding pure malice—it fueled sothing deeper inside Arthur.
A deep-seated rage.
A promise.
"I'll make you pay for everything."
He clenched his fists tighter, his mind already racing through every possible way to turn this humiliation into power.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.
...
Ryker was indeed his cousin.
His father's brother, Ray, was Ryker's dad — a man Arthur had co to despise more than anyone else in the world.
The mories ca rushing back, vivid and sharp like shards of glass.
Flashback POV.
It had been only two days since the car crash.
Two days since Arthur's world had crumbled, his parents taken from him in an instant.
He barely had ti to process it — to grieve — before a sharp knock echoed through the house.
Arthur sat on the couch, his older sister Charlotte beside him, her tiny fra trembling as she hugged a stuffed toy to her chest. Her eyes were swollen from crying, face pale with grief.
Arthur stood, giving her a weak but reassuring smile. "I'll get it," he said, masking the weight crushing his chest.
He walked to the front door, every step feeling heavier than the last, and opened it.
There stood Ray.
Arthur's uncle. His father's brother.
Dressed in a sharp suit, as if the funeral wasn't even a thought in his mind, Ray looked down at Arthur with a cold expression.
"Uncle?" Arthur's voice wavered, a flicker of hope still clinging inside him — hope that family ant sothing.
But Ray didn't co to offer condolences. There was no sympathy in his eyes.
Instead, he pulled out a folded piece of paper and thrust it into Arthur's hands.
"I'm here on official business."
Arthur blinked, confused, then opened the letter. His heart dropped as he read the bolded words.
Eviction Notice.
"What… what is this?" Arthur stamred, his hands trembling.
"Are you blind? Read it."
Arthur didn't need to hear that to read the letter, he already had, but he simply couldn't accept what he was seeing.
'You are hereby ordered to vacate the premises within twenty-four hours. Failure to comply will result in legal action and forced removal.'
Arthur's eyes blurred with tears, but his rage burned through the fog. His chest heaved as he looked up, seeing Ray's back disappearing down the driveway, shoulders squared, walking away as if he had just completed a mundane errand.
"UNCLE!" Arthur's voice cracked, raw with emotion, but Ray didn't stop.
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Arthur scread, stepping out onto the porch, the sharp wind hitting his tear-streaked face.
Ray halted mid-step, turning his head slightly, just enough so Arthur could see the condescending smirk tugging at his lips.
"I just did." His voice was calm—too calm.
Arthur felt sothing snap inside him. The grief, the helplessness, the anger—it all exploded in that mont.
"THIS WAS MY DAD'S HOUSE!" Arthur bellowed, his voice echoing down the empty street. "HE BUILT THIS!!"
Ray chuckled darkly, his hands tucked casually into the pockets of his expensive coat.
"Your dad?" he scoffed. "Your dad was a fool. He never knew how to play the ga. And look where it got him—dead and penniless. Now? It's all mine."
Arthur's nails dug into his palms, drawing blood, but he didn't care. His entire body shook, the words slicing deeper than any knife could.
Ray took another step forward, but then paused, turning fully now. His cold eyes t Arthur's.
"You and your sister…" Ray sneered. "You'll figure sothing out. Kids are resilient. Besides," he added, "it's about ti you learn how the world really works. No one's coming to save you, Arthur."
The air felt like it had been sucked out of Arthur's lungs. His knees buckled, but he caught himself on the doorfra, his vision swimming.
From behind, he heard soft footsteps.
Arthur turned his head, to see Charlotte walking with her stuffed dummy with a confused but scared expression on her face.
She moved her delicate fingers, as she signalled.
'What's going on brother? Why are you screaming? I'm ... scared.'
Arthur closed the door and walked towards her.
As she was at arm's distance, he threw his arms around her and gave her a tight hug.
Charlotte stood there shocked for a second before she repaid the hug with her own, tears slowly flowing out of her eyes. Although she didn't know what happened exactly, she knew it must have been bad for her brother to act like this.
Flashback POV Ended.
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