Chapter 2They Said I Didn’t Belong

Scarlett immediately got into the driver's seat of her Mercedes. As I reached for the passenger door, she pulled out a cloth.

"Put this down," she instructed, her voice flat. "Don't get my car dirty."

I raised an eyebrow in surprise. What could possibly soil her "Mercedes"? It was just an overpriced car.

During the drive, Scarlett remained stone-faced and silent. I had no desire to speak with her either, so I opened our family group chat and sent a message:

"I'm heading to Westbrook to visit your Grandma. I'll need you all to manage the orphanage in my absence."

Immediately, a flurry of "Understood, Dad!" messages flooded the chat. Seraphina Stone hadn't replied, but then I remembered she was on a flight to a UN conference today. She must be airborne.

A faint smile touched my lips. Over the years, the first group of children from the orphanage had grown up, becoming pillars of society. Yet, they genuinely regarded me as their father, loving and respecting me deeply.

The car soon pulled up to Vance Manor. Servants were arranging fresh flowers at the entrance, and a steady stream of luxury cars arrived and departed.

The moment I stepped inside, I saw Jerry. Nearly two decades had passed, but his demeanor was a stark contrast to the timid, cowering man I first met. Today, he wore a black turtleneck beneath a perfectly tailored suit, exuding an air of understated nobility and impeccable taste.

His eyes lit up when he saw me, yet his welcome was as insincere as ever. Despite his obvious dislike, he immediately walked over to me.

"Brother, you've finally decided to come back," he said, and then, feigning tears, he added, "Mother was so gravely ill before, and you never returned. She almost..." He trailed off, wiping a non-existent tear. "But thankfully, you decided to come back for Art and Miss Stone's engagement party today."

A flicker of calculation, barely perceptible, crossed his eyes.

The surrounding guests immediately erupted in whispers.

"Is that the man who cheated and abandoned his own children?"

"How dare he show his face here? He must have heard his son is marrying into the Stone Corporation and now he's shamelessly trying to worm his way back in."

The murmurs were far from kind, and Jerry smirked, a triumphant gleam in his eyes.

Scarlett, who had entered with me, was clearly displeased. She shoved me aside, striding towards Jerry to declare her loyalty.

"Dad, don't worry. You're the only father I'll ever have. I'll never acknowledge some ambiguous person as my dad."

"Good girl..." Jerry glanced at me, a smug expression on his face.

I had no interest in their charade and interrupted them directly. "I came back to see my mother. Where is she?"

Scarlett scoffed. "I see you know you don't fit in with Dad and me, so you're trying to find an excuse. But do you really think Grandma will give you a warm welcome?"

Before she could finish, I saw my mother, seated in a wheelchair.

Upon seeing me, her eyes reddened, threatening to spill tears. I hadn't returned to see her all these years, not because I didn't want to, but because she had always refused, citing Jerry's displeasure. She felt pity for the "true heir" who had supposedly suffered for nearly thirty years outside, and consequently, grew increasingly distant from me.

But she had forgotten. When our company was just starting, and we couldn't recruit anyone, it was I who drank myself sick night after night to secure deals. As the company slowly gained traction, my health steadily deteriorated. My father then used the excuse of "letting me recuperate" to force me out of the company.

Simply because Jerry had returned.

My bedroom was demanded for Jerry, the position of company general manager was to be relinquished to Jerry, and finally, my parents and children even begged me to hand Eleanor over to Jerry.

"William Thorne, you've already had so much in the first half of your life. It's time to return it all to Jerry."

"Daddy, you're bad. You're stealing Uncle Jerry's things. Mommy clearly prefers Uncle Jerry."

Every single person I held dear had, at one point, unequivocally stood by Jerry.

Until Jerry looked at me, a challenging glint in his eyes:

"Brother, your wife is pregnant with my child. What do you say we do?"