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[ The Quinn's Residence ]

Asher had heard about what happened tonight in the Blac Residence. Although the Blac Family were people who enjoyed the luxury of privacy, the Stone family had a few friends that were also connected to the Quinns. The Quinn family probably didn't detail everything and mostly asked how to appease the elders of the Blac family, but Asher guess what happened.

"Cosette," he whispered, leaning back and resting his leg over the other. Asher was sitting in his home office, staring at the computer on his desk, rubbing his finger against the armrest. "I warned him."

Asher tilted his head back, closing his eyes, recalling that night Ezekiel visited him. They were not close enough to visit each other, but Ezekiel was shameless enough to do so. That night, Ezekiel mentioned what he knew that weekend, making it sound like the two were having an affair.

If it was just Asher, he wouldn't care. Matter of fact, even if Ezekiel would tell the elders of the Blac and Quinn family, it wouldn't be a problem. The worst thing that could probably happen was Cosette and Asher would get engaged. But Ezekiel wouldn't want that.

Thus, Ezekiel made a mistake. He dragged Maxen into it.

"Whenever that guy is involved, she can be very crazy. I wonder what she did to sever the strong ties of the Stone and Blac family?" he murmured, opening his eyes ever so tenderly. "Not that I really care about that."

A deep exhale slipped past Asher's lips, thinking of what he was feeling after hearing the news. To be fair, Asher didn't care if he had to interact with Ezekiel Stone. Asher was used to putting up with people he didn't really like, but because of the nature of their business, they had to stay civil.

But… there was this inexplicable bitterness in his heart.

"Maxen Cloven," he muttered to himself. "Just what is it that guys have… that others don't have?"

The answer to that would probably stay a mystery to Asher for a long time. But at this point, he wanted to believe there was a quality that Maxen had that he just couldn't see for obvious reasons. After all, Luke was also charmed by Maxen.

With that thought in his mind, Asher slowly moved his eyes to the frame on the side of his desk. There, it was a picture of Asher and Luke during their early teens. As usual, in that photo, Luke was grinning so brightly with his arms hooked around the irritated Asher.

"We had a good relationship back then." Their relationship was akin to Maxen's and Luke's relationship. "But now…"

Asher let out another deep exhale, shaking his head, not wanting to dwell on the goodness of the past. He closed his eyes, observing his own breathing. Time went by in silence before he reopened his eyes ever so slowly.

'I want to hurt him so bad…' was what crossed his mind. This thought didn't cross him just now. It always goes into his head many times, the reason he ran a background check on Maxen. However, deep in Asher's heart, hurting Maxen also meant hurting Cosette and Luke.

A tension slowly built up in Asher's throat the more he thought about it. How he wished he just truly didn't care. It would be nice if he was just as nonchalant as just what he appeared, but he cared enough. Sometimes, too much.

Still, for Cosette and Luke, he was stopping himself from doing so. Moreover, he was clever and rational enough to understand hurting Maxen was just his own greed. It only meant it was more like a selfish move just because he felt Maxen was slowly taking everything and everyone away from him.

"Being kind… is so troublesome." His voice was low, staring at the ceiling with soft and bitter eyes. "How I wish I was just the bad guy… or just the unfortunate kid."

Childish as it may sound, Asher felt like everything he had right now was too… insignificant. He may have properties and a bank account that could make him live comfortably for the rest of his life, but he wasn't at all happy.

Just like right now, he didn't have anyone. Stuck in this home office, it felt like a prison.

Suffocating.

Teens like him have friends who were probably partying or texting or just going on a fun adventure. But Asher never experienced those with friends. He never had friends, and after years of trying his best to be the perfect son and heir, this role was slowly haunting him.

"Stop it." He told himself, shaking his head before the depressing thoughts could reach his heart. "Stop it."

Asher repeated it at least three more times, sitting upright, looking around the desk. He tried his best to distract himself by working overtime. Again. Something that youth like him shouldn't be doing, but that was all he knew.

How else could he distract himself?

Just as Asher was working tirelessly, killing time by finishing the minor project he was working on, he stopped. His eyes moved to the clock; it was almost midnight.

Since when did he care about time? Midnight was still too early. Sometimes, he would sleep for only three hours. This was nothing.

Asher yawned, dragging his chair back as he stood up. He then marched outside his room, heading to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee to wake himself up. He could've slept, but he knew by the time he lay on the bed, his brain would just play tricks on him again.

He didn't want that. Hence, Asher brewed his own coffee silently, already used to this routine. But just as he waited for it, he heard a faint noise behind him. When he looked back, he caught his father, Maynard, sitting on the bar counter and poured himself a glass of scotch.

"You're up late," said Maynard, putting back the bottle to the side and setting his eyes on his son. "Just when will my kids listen to me?"

Maynard cocked his head to the side. "Come. Let's drink, son. That coffee will not make you sleep, this will."