CHAPTER 37: DON’T WASTE MY TIME

Nathan swallowed hard, panic tightening his chest at the sound of the man’s chuckles. Something about Antonio’s laughter didn’t feel amused at all.

"Come here," Antonio called, not even turning around as he lowered himself onto the long sofa. His cane clacked once against the marble floor, a sound sharp enough to make Nathan alert.

Alexander gave Nathan a small nudge from behind, urging him forward. His expression stayed calm, but the tense line of his jaw warned Nathan not to disobey. Even Malvin, standing behind Roger with a stiff neck (thanks to the unnecessary bandages), kept unusually still.

Nathan stepped closer. Gulp.

Antonio finally looked up.

Nathan couldn’t interpret the meaning of that gaze. Deep down, there was a slight spark of warmth, but that was all. His eyes were so calm, his face expressionless.

"Come here, sit down," Antonio said.

Nathan was a little startled, not yet accustomed to the man’s loud voice. He hurriedly sat down on the same sofa but kept enough distance between them.

"So, how long have you been there? I heard you’re seventeen years old. How was your life there?" Antonio asked. Although loud, his voice was very calm.

Nathan stared in disbelief at the question. The man asked as if he were asking about his vacation. But he was asking his grandson, whom he had abandoned 17 years ago and had just been forcibly taken back.

Now he was being asked how his life was?

Alexander held his breath as he watched Nathan try to control himself.

"Grandpa, can we not talk about it now?" Alexander interrupted.

Antonio gestured with his hand that he didn’t want to be disturbed at the moment. And everyone there looked at each other uncomfortably.

"You can answer me, right? I’m sure you also went to school at the orphanage," Antonio continued.

Nathan stared intently. "What do you see in an orphanage kid? No different from me. My life is good, and I’m still alive today."

Antonio nodded. "Yes, yes. You look very strong and healthy. Thank God they took good care of you. You should think about repaying them for their kindness."

Nathan tried to gently avoid Antonio when he tried to pat his head. That made the old man smile.

"So, how are things after you came back? Are you happy?" he asked.

Nathan narrowed his eyes when he heard that question. Happy?

He even wanted to explode right now.

"I don’t know why I should be happy after being abandoned. I’m only here because of an agreement with him, to stay for six months," Nathan replied, pointing at Alexander.

Antonio frowned. "An agreement? To stay?"

Alexander sighed, looking as if he wanted to interrupt and end their conversation.

"I don’t want to stay here after being thrown out like that," said Nathan.

Antonio adjusted his sitting position. His eyes were still fixed on his grandson. "Is that why you ran away?"

Nathan immediately fell silent. Memories of yesterday’s events immediately replayed in his head. Fear and guilt resurfaced. He quietly looked at Malvin before looking down.

Antonio looked at Malvin, who was still standing behind Roger. "How are you, Malvin? Are you okay?"

Malvin immediately stepped forward. "Yes, I’m fine. It’s not a serious injury." He felt bad for having to lie like this. This wasn’t in the script.

Antonio looked at Nathan. "So you feel that we owe you. And that’s why you’re causing problems, making things difficult for everyone?"

Nathan looked back at Antonio, his gaze now showing his refusal to accept the man’s accusation. "You forced me to stay. And I didn’t mean to make things difficult for everyone."

Antonio looked at Alexander. "He didn’t want to come back. Why did you force him? You’re just causing problems."

Alexander glared. "He’s my brother, and he’ll always be my brother. I want him to know we didn’t abandon him. How could I let him live in an orphanage?"

Antonio clicked his tongue, shaking his head in disagreement. He looked at Nathan again. "You know that every person in this world has their own difficulties in life. Everyone is born equal. Naked, crying, always hungry. The difference is that some of them are born with better luck. Some are born with worse misfortune."

The man sighed. "Have you ever thought, if you weren’t born from your mother’s womb, where would you be born? Maybe you would be born into a royal family, maybe you would be born on the streets. All of those possibilities could happen."

"Unfortunately, you were born into our family, and you had to live a different life in order to survive, because... if you stayed here, you and all your brothers would have died. You wouldn’t be here now."

Nathan listened with his fists clenched.

"What I’m trying to say is, whether you like it or not, what happened to you is God’s will, if God exists. No one owes you anything, and I won’t force you to stay if you don’t want to. You can continue your life as an orphan. Live your life. It’s up to you."

Nathan pressed his lips together. He couldn’t believe what the man was saying. Antonio said he didn’t care whether he came back or not. He didn’t even care if he was his grandson or not.

He had never seen a villain in person. The man was like a monster from a fantasy book that he never thought could become a real character in the real world. Even his own grandfather!

Nathan took a deep breath. "I never asked to be born into this world. You brought me misery."

Antonio chuckled softly. "No, no. You would have been born anyway. The difference is where you would have been born. You can’t escape or refuse, sweetheart. If you weren’t born with Nael, you would have been born from someone else’s womb. What can you say?"

Nathan was silent.

"If I were you, I would make the most of this opportunity. Live well, enjoy your parents’ wealth, while you build your own life. No one is free from hardship. Everyone will go through their own problems. Do you think I’m always happy with all this? At the age of five, my father already dragged me to the yard to train with the guards like soldiers."

Alexander and the others immediately sighed quietly. The flashback of his grandfather’s life took quite a long time because the man would passionately recount his "hard" childhood. And indeed, from the story, his great-grandfather was known to be very cruel and authoritarian.

But Nathan listened to everything. He heard it as if he were listening to a fairy tale. People’s lives always caught his attention. And the way Antonio told it made him interested.

"He would always hit my legs if I was even a minute late. I don’t remember when I last felt at peace in my own home," Antonio continued.

The old man sighed, as if he was tired of talking. "Well, I just want you to know, I won’t force you to stay. You decide the direction of your own life. If you want to stay at the orphanage, you can go. If you want to live with us, that’s fine. But you have to accept all the rules in this family."

Nathan was silent. Instead of anger, he felt the man’s control. The man’s words made him think. If he thought about his pride and anger, he would end up as Nathan, the orphanage kid, who struggled just to eat. And it seemed like the man wouldn’t think twice about forgetting his existence.

Antonio stared at Nathan, who was looking down silently. "I need an answer. Don’t waste my time."