Chapter 62: The Blind Leading the Damned
Adrian knew something wasn’t right, as his phone buzzed violently against the glass table.
He was in the middle of pouring himself a drink when he saw the caller ID. His jaw clenched.
"Father?"
He exhaled sharply, already knowing this wasn’t going to be good.
With a slow hand, he picked up the phone. "What?"
A ragged, pained voice came through the speaker. "Adrian... come get me."
Adrian frowned. Richard sounded... wrong. Weak. Desperate. There was a hoarse rasp to his voice, like he had been screaming for hours.
Adrian pinched the bridge of his nose. "Where the hell are you?"
Richard groaned. "I—I don’t know. I think it’s still at our abandoned warehouse. They... they did something to me."
Adrian’s grip on the phone tightened. "Who?"
Silence.
Then, Richard’s voice trembled—something Adrian had never heard before.
"I can’t see."
Adrian stilled. His heartbeat slowed as his mind processed the words.
"...What do you mean, you can’t see?"
"I MEAN I’M FUCKING BLIND, ADRIAN!" Richard roared, his voice started breaking into hysteria.
"They burned my eyes! I CAN’T SEE ANYTHING!"
Adrian’s stomach felt like coming out.
For the first time in his life, Richard sounded powerless.
Useless.
Ruined.
A slow, cold smirk tugged at Adrian’s lips.
"So, the great Richard finally got what was coming to him."
"Don’t play games with me, Adrian," Richard snarled, though the threat in his voice was empty. "Come. Get. Me."
Adrian considered it for a moment, rolling his drink between his fingers.
Then he sighed. "Fine. Stay put."
With that, he hung up, downed his drink, and grabbed his keys.
Adrian arrived at the warehouse an hour later, his car’s headlights cut through the darkness.
He found Richard sitting in the dirt, his once-expensive suit was in tatters, blood smeared across his face.
But the most unsettling part?
His eyes.
Or rather, what was left of them.
The skin around his sockets was raw, burnt.
His eyelids were swollen, and his pupils were an eerie, clouded white.
Adrian crouched in front of him, tilting his head.
"Well, look at you," he mused, his voice dropped down as if he was mocking him.
"Didn’t think I’d ever see the mighty Richard like this."
Richard’s jaw clenched. "Shut up and take me home."
Adrian sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine. But you owe me."
He hauled Richard up, half-dragging him to the car.
As he drove, Richard sat in silence, his breathing heavy.
Adrian smirked. "You gonna tell me who did this, or should I guess?"
More silence.
Adrian chuckled. "Let me take a wild guess... Diane?"
Richard’s fingers twitched.
Adrian laughed. "I should’ve known. That girl’s finally learning."
Richard growled. "She won’t get away with this."
Adrian arched a brow. "Won’t she?"
By the time Adrian pulled up to the estate, Richard was barely holding himself together.
Evelyn was waiting at the door, her arms crossed, lips curled into an unimpressed smirk.
"Well, well," she said, eyeing Richard’s state. "Look who finally got what he deserved."
Richard’s head snapped toward her voice, but he couldn’t see the mocking expression on her face.
"Evelyn, shut the hell up."
She laughed. "Or what? What are you gonna do, Richard? Look at me funny?"
Adrian snorted.
Richard seethed. "I swear to God—"
Evelyn stepped forward and slapped him across the face.
Hard.
Richard stumbled slightly, disoriented by the unexpected hit.
Evelyn grinned. "Oops. Guess you didn’t see that coming."
Adrian bit his lip, suppressing a chuckle.
Richard was seething. "You little—"
Evelyn leaned in, her tone was lowered into a whisper.
"You’re nothing now, Richard. No money. No power. No sight."
She tilted her head. "Tell me, how does it feel? To be completely useless?"
Richard’s breathing turned harsh.
Evelyn’s voice turned into an evil purr.
"It must be hell. Knowing you’re at our mercy now."
Richard’s fists clenched. "I’ll kill you."
Evelyn just laughed. "Please. You can’t even pour yourself a glass of water without help."
Adrian smirked, watching everything with pure entertainment.
Richard was once untouchable.
Now?
He was just another fallen king with nothing left.
And Adrian?
He had no intention of helping him back up.
Richard’s whole body was trembling and shaking with barely contained rage, but he couldn’t do anything.
Not anymore.
Evelyn’s taunts only fueled his anger, but the humiliation of it all was what burned the most.
Adrian leaned back against the wall, watching him struggle like a wounded animal.
"Face it, father," he said lazily, swirling the drink he had just poured himself. "You’re done."
Richard turned his head towards him, his once-powerful glare looked so empty, useless.
"I’m not finished."
Adrian laughed. "A blind man with no money, no allies, no power? Please. You’re as good as dead."
Richard’s breathing was ragged. "I still have Rachel."
Evelyn scoffed.
"Oh, you mean that desperate, washed-up woman who’s been begging Leon for scraps? She’s just as pathetic as you."
Richard clenched his fists, the veins in his arms popping. "Rachel won’t abandon me."
Adrian raised a brow. "Won’t she?"
As if on cue, Richard’s phone—Rachel’s phone—rang from his pocket.
The vibration buzzed against his leg, an eerie sound in the heavy silence.
Adrian smirked. "Guess we’ll find out."
Richard fumbled, gripping the phone, his fingers could barely find the answer button.
He put it to his ear. "Rachel—"
A cold, unfamiliar voice cut through.
"She’s not available."
Richard froze.
Evelyn and Adrian exchanged glances, raising their eyebrows together.
The voice on the phone chuckled darkly.
"But don’t worry, Richard," the man continued. "We’ll take very good care of her."
The line went dead.
The color drained from Richard’s face.
"Rachel?" He muttered under his breath.
Adrian’s smirk widened. "Oh, this just got interesting."
"The doctor is here," Evelyn stated, glancing through the window.
A few minutes passed by, and a doctor walked in, "woah!" He gasped after seeing Richard’s eyes.
"What the hell happened?"
Adrian smiled, "can you ease his pain?"
"No. He needs to be rushed into the hospital quickly."
"I’m afraid that can’t be done. Can you help him recover?"
The doctor looked nervous, "no. But if you’re worried about the government, here’s a private clinic. Please take him there. I cannot help you."
Adrian took the card, he never saw that clinic before.
"Aight. We will take care of him."