Chapter 2 Innocent Girl

"Old Mr. Summer saved my life! I need to say my last goodbye to him!" Elijah was in sorrow as well, but all he had for these people was fury.

"He's Elijah? Heard no one in the family likes him. Benjamin was the exception. Now that he's dead, this house has no place for him."

"Can you blame them? He does nothing but leech off them. Goes MIA for months at a time, and now he shows up after Benjamin died. He's obviously trying to fight for the inheritance."

"But I thought he married Natalie. He's their family."

"Wait, you don't know the whole story? Benjamin matched them up and made Natalie marry the guy. You think an angel like her would marry someone like… him?"

The guests knew about the family's story, and gossip quickly flew in hushed voices. Morgan was glaring at Elijah. "You almost died, Elijah. My father saved you, took you in, and let you leech off our family! He even married Natalie to you, despite our objections! The accident wounded him terribly, and when he needed you most, you left him for dead!

"You son of a bitch, you think you can come into my house anytime you want? You don't deserve to see my father!"

Though Morgan looked furious, there was satisfaction in his eyes. His father was treating Elijah better over the last few years. It stoked his flames of envy, and the family was worried Elijah might fight them for the inheritance.

They tried to protest and argue with Benjamin only to get scolded and yelled at. Now that he was gone, no one could protect Elijah anymore. They could kick him out of the house like they always wanted to.

"What do you mean?" Elijah looked at the icy, distant faces, and he clenched his fists. He was a little stunned. Over the years, he gave everything to this family. He risked his life and put in all the elbow grease to help them out.

Even though he was out cold for more than half a day because of the excessive blood donation, he dragged his weakened body to an underworld faction to wipe them out because he got news about a planned attack on the Summers during Benjamin's funeral.

That would explain the bloodstains on his body. He trudged all the way here right after the battle.

"My dad says you're a useless piece of trash and an ungrateful bastard. You will never take anything from our family again. You're nothing but a stray my grandfather took from the streets. Have you ever looked in a mirror? You think someone like you is good enough for the family?"

Selene and Alicia had nothing but mockery for Elijah. There was disdain and scorn for him in their eyes.

Natalie looked at him coldly. Icily, she said, "We're getting divorced after the funeral. It's humiliating to be married to you. Even if we're only a couple on paper, you still disgust me."

Elijah looked at the sisters, but there was a sliver of icy indifference in his eyes. "Do you really think your family can rise through the ranks so quickly because of you three?"

If not for Elijah's efforts, the Summers would've been destroyed right after Natalie took over Summer Group. They'd never have gotten this far.

After Selene decided to work in the entertainment industry, it was all thanks to Elijah talking to the bigshots that she managed to have a smooth career and a smoother rise to fame.

It was only a short while ago that Alicia was nothing but a small-time thug whose best trait was drinking herself drunk and fighting herself bruised. If Elijah hadn't helped her from the shadows time and time again, she'd never have become the queen of the underworld, let alone grow her gang into a feared organization.

"Who else? You? Save your breath. If you have a conscience, you'd have donated your blood to Grandpa when he needed it most, just like Mr. Dunn did. We'd have considered keeping you as a pet. But you're an animal. You bit the hand that fed you and turned your back on your savior.

"Right here, right now, right in front of Grandpa, family, and friends, I'm telling you, you're exiled. From this moment onward, you have nothing to do with this family anymore!"

'I don't have a conscience? I'm an animal? The guy who donated his blood was Henry?' Stunned, Elijah raised his head and saw Morgan and his wife. He noticed the mockery in the eyes of Alicia and the others.

Coldly, Natalie warned, "If you try to scam anyone claiming that you're part of us, I will make you pay."

Elijah got the gist of the whole story, but he couldn't be bothered to explain himself. He bowed to the altar. "Farewell, Old Mr. Summer. Thank you for everything you did. I'd love to help your family, but as you can see, they have no place for me."

Benjamin's wretched family aside, the old gentleman did save his life. He'd have died on a remote island ten years ago otherwise. Still, everything he did for the family for the last ten years was more than enough to make it up to Benjamin.

This was a final bow. The arrow that would be fired off was one that would cut all ties to the Summers. They were nothing to him from this moment onward.

"Get out of our sight. You disgust us."

"Drop the act. Everyone knows you're an ingrate."

Natalie and her sisters were waving at the air quickly like they had just smelled something rotten. They scoffed and jeered at Elijah.

Elijah ignored the mockery and went away quietly. Part of the crowd didn't let him off the hook. They mocked, "Look, don't you think he's like a dog that lost his home?"

"Nice observation!"

The Summers laughed.

Dark clouds gathered in the skies, and thunder boomed. Heavy rain poured into the city. It drenched Elijah, but he seemed relieved. He had done so much for this family just to repay his debt. Frankly, he was tired.

"I live for no one but myself now." His phone rang, and Elijah picked it up. "Speak."

"A foreign conglomerate is going to tank Summer Group's share prices. Mr. Elijah, should we stop them like we always do?"

"No," answered Elijah tartly. "From now on, Summer Group's issues are taken off our agenda. I am no longer a member of the Summers. I am, and always will be, the Divine Eminence of the Palace of the Divine Dragon."

"As you have commanded, Your Eminence!"

The call ended, and Elijah had a mocking smirk on his face. The Palace of the Divine Dragon was a faction he'd been running for ten years, and it was a ruling force of the underworld. He could have protected the Summers forever, but these fools refused a chance at great fortune and fame in its face.

Elijah stood in the rain, wondering where he should go. Then, wet footsteps squelched behind him. A purple umbrella appeared over his head and kept the freezing rain from hitting him.

A beautiful young lady was holding the umbrella, and she looked a little innocent. In the girl's other hand was a bag of half-eaten snacks, and it seemed spicy. Her face was sweating.

Elijah looked at her, and the girl popped another piece of snack into her mouth. She panted heavily like a puppy to clear out the heat of the chili and offered a piece for Elijah. "Take one."