"No."

He got out of the car, standing tall amidst the menacing crowd. Bathed in the glare of the headlights, his towering figure seemed even more menacing.

His gaze was cold, searching until it rested on one particular car. A dark look crossed his face.

“Bold enough to cause trouble in Eleymond, but too chicken to face me?” Theodore's voice echoed, "Zayden."

His voice, calm yet firm, hung in the silence, which was soon broken by a chuckle from the black car, the sound joined by mocking laughter.

"Is that you, Theodore? Been a while, hasn't it?”

Zayden's voice carried an undertone of amusement. He got out of his car, dressed in a snazzy suit that spoke volumes about his audacious personality. His features were somewhat similar to Theodore's but his easy, playful smile set them apart. His vibe was distinctly different.

Theodore's handsome face could have given a bunch of movie stars a run for their money. But sadly, he wasn't one to smile much.

Zayden, hands in his pockets, casually approached Theodore.

"Long time no see, Theodore. I was so tied up that I couldn't make it to your wedding. As your brother, that weighs on me. So, I thought I'd drop by Eleymond and pay a visit to the famed sister-in-law of mine."

Asmirk played on his lips as he gave Theodore an up and down look.

"Look at you, finally out of that wheelchair. For a moment, I thought you were starting to enjoy the underdog life, planning on staying wheelchair-bound forever."

His gaze shifted towards the car behind Theodore.

"The Andersons are merely small-time players. Want revenge? Just give the Fredrick family the go-ahead, and the Andersons will vanish from Eleymond. Why go out of your way to make things difficult, Theodore?"

As he spoke, Zayden reached out to pat him on the shoulder, but Theodore sidestepped the gesture without hesitation.

“Did you start that fire at the manor?" Theodore cut in, clearly uninterested in small talk.

“What? I'm innocent!" Zayden declared, hands thrown up in mock surrender, a chuckle escaping his lips.

"You can't go around making false accusations against your brother like this. We both swore an oath before our grandfather, promising to avoid infighting. The one who breaks that vow loses his claim to the Fredrick inheritance. I'm not foolish enough to ruin my own future."

"T've got no time for your antics, worthwhile to say, step aside."

Theodore retorted.