Aiden's new school was situated in the outskirts, away from all the hustle and bustle of the city. This is precisely what he wanted, and he was happy.
His dorm was a single-room occupancy dorm, so he didn't have to worry about adjusting with his roommate. Most of the students who studied here were from the same town and had already formed their own group. So no one bothered Aiden, nor was he interested in getting to know them. He could be by himself, concentrating on his studies.
For the first time in life, Aiden felt like a free bird who didn't have to worry about anything. The staff was good, the food was excellent, the teaching was great, and most of all, there was no one he had to fear.
As usual, he was great in academics, and his teachers were impressed by his performance. Particularly, Mr. Davis was like a mentor to Aiden and assisted him in any way he could.
The only concern Aiden felt was for his future. What would he do after he was graduated from school? Mrs. Hunt had already warned that she was responsible for him, only until he was 18. So how would he manage his college fees and his daily expenses?
After much thought, Aiden decided to look for a job, but he didn't know how. His social life was non-existent, and he knew nothing about fending for himself, so he decided to get help from his mentor.
After class, Aiden reluctantly approached Mr. Davis. " S-Sir, I-I need your help."
" What is it? You can tell me," Mr. Davis asked with a smile.
" C-can you help me find a job?"
Mr. Davis was surprised. " Why does a high schooler need to find a job?"
" I need money for my college fees and expenses."
" Won't your parents sponsor your college fees?"
Aiden was a bit hesitant but managed to say, " I-I am adopted. I can't burden them anymore."
"Ohhh!!!" Mr. Davis was shocked. He opened his mouth to say something but then shut up, not knowing what to say.
After a few minutes of silence, Mr. Davis said, " I suggest you must try to get a scholarship for your college."
" Can I?" Aiden beamed.
"Of course!!! With your level of intelligence, I am sure you will get it. But you have to work hard."
" I will, Sir, " Aiden said with determination. " But still, I need a job for my other expenses. I need to save money."
" I will think of something and let you know," Mr. Davis assured.
" Thank you, Sir," Aiden thanked him and left the class.
After a week, Mr. Davis called for Aiden and asked, " Are you interested in giving extra tuitions?
Aiden looked confused, and Mr. Davis explained, " There is a special school nearby where I volunteer to teach special needs students, but because of my busy schedule, I am not able to go often."
Aiden looked interested, and Mr. Davis continued, " They are short on staff; as you know, special students need extra attention. I have spoken to the Principal, and he is willing to give you a part-time job there."
Aiden looked skeptical. If he couldn't even converse with someone without feeling nervous, what chance did he have of teaching students? "S-Sir, I'm not sure if I can do that."
Mr. Davis gave him a warm smile and assured him, " Don't worry, Aiden. I will join you for a few classes and teach you. I am sure you will catch up soon."
Aiden agreed reluctantly as he had no other choice. He needed to save money, and he just had two years.
While Aiden was trying to secure his future, on the other hand, Dylan was totally frustrated. He was not able to contact Aiden and was royally pissed off. Whenever he asked his mother, she would give him excuses like Aiden was not at home; his phone was not working, he was in the shower, etc. Dylan soon realized something was wrong, and he took a flight back home.
When Dylan reached the Hunt Mansion, his parents were shocked to see him. " What are you doing here?!" Mrs. Hunt exclaimed.
" What about your college?" Mr. Hunt questioned.
Dylan ignored them and straight away ran towards Aiden's room, which was empty. He searched in the bathroom, his own room, the guest rooms, the garden, the entire Mansion but couldn't find him anywhere.
Mrs. Hunt gave a nervous look to Mr. Hunt and started thinking about what to say to Dylan. Her mind was working in overdrive when Dylan approached her. " Where is he?" Dylan growled.
" Who?" Mrs. Hunt acted innocent as if she didn't know what was going on.
" Mom, you don't have to act in front of me. You know I am asking about Aiden."
" H-He... left," Mrs. Hunt blurted out.
" Left? What do you mean?" Dylan asked, confused.
" He ran away."
" Ran away? I don't believe that?"
" One day, when we got up, he was not in his room anymore. I think he was waiting for a chance to leave," Mrs. Hunt scowled.
Dylan chuckled at that. " Come on, Mom. Do you think I was born yesterday?"
Mrs. Hunt was disconcerted as Dylan didn't seem to believe her. " Why not? Why can't he run away?"
" I know him very well. He doesn't have the guts to do so. If so, he would have done it a long time ago."
" Maybe he was scared of you. Once you left, he got his chance."
" That's impossible." Dylan then seemed to have a sudden realization. he looked at his parents accusingly and said, " Did you throw him out?"
Mrs. Hunt was flustered. " W-What are you saying? Why would we do that?"
Seeing Mrs. Hunt's reaction, Dylan's doubts were confirmed. " F**k!!!" Dylan cursed. " I should have known. You wanted to get rid of him from the start. The moment I was gone, you did exactly that."
" How dare you accuse your parents? Don't you trust us?" Mrs. Hunt asked, appalled.
" I know you and Aiden very well; that's why I am sure who did what. Where is he?" Dylan screamed.
" We don't know. We looked for him but couldn't find him anywhere," Mrs. Hunt replied nonchalantly.
Dylan ran his hands through his hair, looking pissed. He was pissed at his parents for lying to him, he was pissed at Aiden for leaving his home, and most of all, he was pissed at himself for leaving Aiden alone here with his parents. " Fine!!!" he said, glaring at his parents. "If you won't tell me, I will find him myself." He took the car keys and dashed towards the garage to look for Aiden.
Dylan looked for Aiden at every possible place he could think of. He checked at his previous school, his friends, and Aiden's classmates, but no one knew about Aiden. He even wandered around the city for hours, hoping to find Aiden somewhere, but to no avail. Finally, when it was already dark, Dylan hired a Private Investigator to look for Aiden and returned home.
The Private Investigator could easily track down Aiden to his new school. The following day, the Investigator called Dylan to inform him about Aiden, but Dylan, who had not slept all night, was taking a shower to relieve his stress.
At that time, Mrs. Hunt was waiting for Dylan in his room, and she picked up the call. She was surprised to know that her son would go to the extent of hiring an Investigator to find that stupid boy. She offered the Investigator double the amount for him to keep his mouth shut, and he readily agreed.
At the exact time, Dylan came out of the bathroom wearing a towel around his hips. He saw his Mom on his phone and raised his eyebrow. " What are you doing here? Whom are you talking to?"
" It's no one."
Dylan took his phone from his Mom and checked the call list. " Did you talk to the Investigator?"
" Yes," Mrs. Hunt said, annoyed.
" What did he say?" Dylan asked eagerly.
" He said he couldn't find Aiden."
" You are lying," Dylan screamed so loud that Mr. Hunt, who heard his voice from downstairs, dashed towards Dylan's room.
Dylan frantically tried calling the Private Investigator, but he didn't receive his call. When Dylan tried calling him the third time, the number was switched off.
" Damn," Dylan cursed so loud and threw his phone in frustration. A part of his phone flew off and hit Mrs. Hunt on her forehead.
" Ouch!!" Mrs. Hunt winced and held her head. Mr. Hunt had just entered the room and was furious at Dylan's behavior.
" Smack!!" Mr. Hunt slapped Dylan right across his face. " What the f**k is wrong with you? Is this the way you behave with your mother?"
" Honey.. he didn't..." Mrs. Hunt tried to defend her son, but Mr. Hunt stopped her. " Enough, Diana! Just look at his attitude. He is nothing but a spoilt brat."
" Why are you hiding Aiden from me? Why don't you tell me where he is?" Dylan retorted.
" Shut the f**k up," Mr. Hunt roared.
" I will shut up if you tell me."
" You want to hear, then listen carefully," Mr. Hunt scowled. " Yes, you were right. We sent him away," Mr. Hunt pointed at himself and his wife. " We brought the boy here, and now we sent him away; it's our choice. You cannot stop us."
Dylan was stunned. " How can you do that?"
" Why not? This is my house, and I will do as I want."
" I want him back right now."
" Mind your tongue, boy. Don't forget I am your father. You cannot order me."
Dylan scoffed. " You can't do this to me. Aiden is my property; how can you send him away without telling me?"
" Your property?" Mr. Hunt snickered. " Do you even know what you are saying? What do you have of your own? The clothes you are wearing, the house you stay in, the money you use so extravagantly, everything belongs to me. Even the boy you call your property was brought to this Mansion by me, not you. What have you done till now except for f**king chicks and partying with your friends? What have you achieved? Can you tell me about a single thing you are good at? I am working my ass off to make your life better, and you are still wasting your time obsessing over that boy."
Dylan was dumbstruck listening to his father's words. He had never spoken to him like that.
Mrs. Hunt loved her son too much and couldn't bear to see her husband use such harsh words for Dylan. " Please stop it."
" No, I won't, Diana!! He needs a reality check. I can't handle his tantrums anymore. " Mr. Hunt then faced Dylan and sneered, " I have always given you whatever you have asked for, but this time it's your turn. Prove yourself to me. Prove that you are capable enough to handle this empire and make me proud."
Mr. Hunt approaches Dylan and stares him right in the eye. " I have booked your flight to England this evening. I am hoping I don't have to force my hand," Mr. Hunt warns and leaves out of the room along with his wife.
Dylan was still standing, thinking about his father's words. All his life, he had a feeling that he had everything he wanted. Friends, a doting family, home, money, and even someone he could call his own, but whatever he had seemed to have lost in a second.
His father's words made him realize that everything was just an illusion. Even if he had no shortage of anything, the ultimate power was always with his Dad. Whatever he did, he was finally dependent on his Dad for everything. Dylan, who was too proud of himself, didn't like this feeling; he felt like a complete loser. How could he ever say he owned Aiden while he had nothing of his own in reality?
Dylan was now adamant in proving himself not only to his Dad but to everyone and, most of all, to himself. With a new resolve, he vowed to have the ultimate power so that no one could dare take what was his.