"Glades has frozen Dad's bank card and blocked his finances."
James Horne's face darkened as he spat out the words, unable to stand his mother's madness any longer.
"What?" This time, Pheobe Rogers was even more shaken.
Without another word, James coldly left the house. No, this wasn't his home. His home was his own small villa. In this world, he seemed to have three homes, yet all three were incomplete. None had a complete set of parents, none offered complete love. He felt like a piece of meat, divided into three parts: one left with the Horne Family, one with his mother, and only one part truly went with him. All he desired was a complete home filled with love. Such a simple wish had become an extravagance.
Pheobe Rogers immediately slumped onto the couch, her face a whirlwind of emotions—anger, hatred, resentment, helplessness, and most of all, regret! Googlᴇ search 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✶𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✶𝓷𝓮𝓽
James's words kept echoing in her ears.
She thought Glades Horne's financial blockade against Gian was revenge against her, intended to stop Gian from supporting her anymore. She had always said Glades was the type to hold a grudge. After all, she had made his mother suffer so much, and he'd had to accept her son—James—returning to the Horne Family as a young master. Glades surely harbored resentment in his heart. But as the years passed without any action from Glades, she'd thought the bitterness had faded and he wouldn't seek revenge. Only now did she realize Glades's retaliation was finally here. It came now that she was old, had lost her ability to work, and had grown accustomed to her wealthy lifestyle. This was when he chose to cut off Gian's finances. Without money from Gian, it meant she also had no money. So, could she only rely on James to provide for her? But James's attitude towards her, at best, was merely to ensure she was fed and clothed; he wouldn't indulge her the way Gian did. At this thought, Pheobe Rogers's resentment towards Glades deepened. Her son was also Gian's son; they shared the same father. Why should her son receive nothing while everything went to Glades? She truly regretted signing that unfair agreement with Mila Anderson back then. What made her hate Glades the most was that her own son treated Glades better than he treated her! She had always wanted the two brothers to be like sworn enemies, but the outcome… It was as if fate had always sided with her sworn enemy, Mila Anderson!
After James stepped out of his mother's apartment, he couldn't help but lift his head and take a deep breath.
Turning around to take one more look at the apartment door he had closed, which now separated him from his mother, his expression was complex. Ultimately, he turned away and walked off without looking back.
The red Audi, like a streak of fire, sped past the Coastal District, blending into the flow of cars under the cover of night.
Because he was upset, James once again drove to the Blue Moon Pub.
"Fourth Young Master, why are you here again?" Halton Hillraise greeted him with a smile as soon as he saw him.
"What's wrong? Don't you want my business? Am I not welcome here?" James swept a cold gaze over Halton and retorted, already habitually making his way to the darkest corner to sit down.
In the corner, where the light was dimmest, was where he could be least disturbed. He liked to sit quietly in the corner, drinking his alcohol in peace.
"You're not the type who genuinely enjoys places . What's wrong? Run into some trouble again?" Halton knew James fairly well; he understood that James only came when he was troubled. Someone as aloof as James would never step foot in a pub unless he was beset by vexations.
Halton personally brought over the kind of yellow wine James usually drank and placed it in front of him. He then sat down opposite James, took two glasses, and poured a drink into each. He pushed one glass towards James, looked at him, and said with a smile, "Fourth Young Master, we know each other pretty well. If you have any troubles, feel free to talk about them. Maybe I can help."
James remained silent. His handsome face always carried a hint of sullenness and gloom. His deep eyes were utterly cold. He picked up the glass Halton had poured for him and downed it in one gulp.
Then he placed the empty glass back in front of Halton, signaling for a refill.
Halton refilled his glass, and again James drank it all at once.
After several rounds , he had emptied the two bottles Halton had personally brought over.
As the yellow wine took effect, his handsome face flushed slightly. His eyes were no longer cold but now revealed pain.
"Fourth Young Master?"
Seeing the pain in his eyes, Halton knew James was showing his most vulnerable side, trusting him like a close friend. He reached out, patted James on the shoulder, and asked warmly, "Fourth Young Master, what's bothering you?"
James looked up at him, pursed his lips, and suddenly asked in a low voice, "If you fell for two people you can't love, what would you do?"
Halton's eyes flickered rapidly.
Outsiders didn't know if the Fourth Young Master had a girlfriend, and neither did Halton. Now, James was saying he'd fallen for two people he couldn't love. This truly surprised him.
"Why can't you love them?"
Letting out a bitter sigh, James said in a strained voice, "It's just... I can't love them. That's all."
"If you know you can't love them, then you should let go," Halton advised meaningfully.
James fell silent again.
He knew he should let go if he couldn't love them, but he had loved for so many years. How could he simply let go? If it were that easy to give up, it wouldn't be love.
Patting James's shoulder again, Halton smiled. "Don't fret too much. With time, you'll be able to let go. I have to get back to work now. And don't drink too much; drinking to drown your sorrows only makes them worse." With that, Halton stood up and left James's side.
James called for several more bottles of liquor and sat alone in the corner, continuing to drink.
He didn't know how many bottles he had drunk or how long he had been sitting there. He was drunk, so inebriated his mind was a blur. This was the second time he had passed out.