Extra 28: Pride Part 2“What the hell is your problem?” Elliot complained, moving to help Fabian.“It’s his fault for not letting me in.”“They don’t let you in because you’re not welcome. How did you even get here?”“I can go wherever I want because this is also my company, and—”“That’s a lie. This isn’t your company,” Elliot declared. “It’s mine, and now I want you to get out, now.”“Roger, why are you doing this?” George asked.“Because I’m tired of waiting, Dad.”“Waiting?”“That’s right, give me back everything you gave to him… because my wife is right, I should have back everything that was mine… because I’ve paid, with interest, for my past mistake.”“What? Mistake?” George repeated.“Yes, I want you to give me back everything that was mine, so I can shut the mouths of those idiots who keep insulting my princess, calling her horrible things like a bastard or a fake Peterson.”“Well, it doesn’t seem like they’re lying,” Elliot said, looking bored at his older brother
Extra 29: Moving ForwardFortunately, the doctors gave the family good news: George was in good health, and there were no lasting effects from the fall. Nothing else happened, alleviating Elliot’s fear that his father might have injured his hip or broken a bone from hitting the floor and desk.When he was released from the hospital, George felt like it was his birthday because all his grandchildren spent the entire day with him, pampering and taking care of him.However, he was worried about Roger, since the complaints had escalated from arguments to physical assaults. The sad part was that this confirmed that his sons’ relationship was broken and would never recover.He had also heard that Elliot was planning to send Roger to prison—the place he deserved to be after what he did, and understandably so. George felt conflicted, as part of him agreed while another part did not.There was also the issue with those women… God… his son really knew how to pick them… At least that model g
Extra 30: Zero ToleranceMeanwhile, Elliot decided to confront his brother. For added security, he asked Deborah if he could borrow Danielle and Max to accompany him.But he found out that Roger was still in jail because no one had paid his bail… so the plan shifted to giving that mother and daughter an ultimatum to stop pushing for something they would never have.“Wow… I feel like a bargaining chip,” Danielle said, as a few minutes earlier, she had been literally kicked out of the stock exchange office by Nicholas so she and her brother could get into Elliot’s car.“Sorry if you feel that way,” Elliot said, embarrassed. “But I need some special company for what I’m about to do.”“Well, I don’t mind. Haha, honestly, a little rough action every now and then is appreciated,” Max said, cracking his knuckles while they were stopped at a red light since he was driving. “Besides, I’ve been wanting to take a swing at that idiot for a long time.”“Yeah, I never liked how he acted like h
Extra 31: PartyThat threat worked…Roger and his family stopped going to the company to harass George over an inheritance. Elliot didn’t beat around the bush and got a lifetime restraining order to stop them from harassing his father and even assigned him a personal bodyguard just in case.With all these measures, peace reigned for five years.During this time, Roger was drowning in debt because he had promised his daughter a luxurious wedding. For a moment, he thought he was still important, having heard on gossip news that the Petersons were organizing a big party that promised to be a lavish affair. He assumed his father had found out and was planning something for Casandra.Obviously, the situation led to confusion because this party was a private event meant to surprise the honorees.George, along with Nicholas and Eric, had planned something special to combine two significant celebrations: one was for Howard’s 15th birthday and to celebrate his good grades in school, and t
Extra 32: A Heartfelt MomentThe media were talking about this party as one of the best of the year because they had found out that the guest list was extensive and diverse: ranging from politicians and businesspeople to a few celebrities and even regular folks.Honestly, this guest list only fueled more curiosity, although those close to George already knew who the honorees were but kept quiet to avoid the reporters spoiling the surprise.In fact, this very curiosity led several reporters to sneak into the banquet hall to film everything and keep an eye on who was coming and going.Right at that moment, Casandra was watching a live stream by an independent reporter who was inside, capturing everything that was happening.“Well, it seems they weren’t kidding when they said old Peterson was going all out because she just showed some beautiful designer bags, which I imagine will be given out as party favors,” said Cassandra’s mother.“Oh my God… look at that beautiful bag,” Casandr
Extra 33: James and HowardMeanwhile, the grand hall where the party would be held was gradually filling up with guests.To enter the venue, all guests had to present their invitations for the security team to allow them in. Since it was an event that had drawn attention, it was logical that there would be people trying to sneak into the party.Among those people were Roger and his family, who were denied entry because they didn’t present any invitations when they attempted to get in, so security politely escorted them away.“Damn it! You’ll regret this,” Cassandra fumed.“I told you, you’re confusing things,” her mother said.“Dad…”“Roger, just forget about it. Let’s go back home… They told you back then that they’re not your family anymore, so I doubt this party is for our daughter,” Cassandra’s mother insisted.“Don’t say that, Mom.”“Ugh… You know what? I’m done with this. Do whatever you want… I’m going back home,” she said, turning to walk away from the venue.“No… Mom
Extra 34: Gifts“James, you’re being mean to me,” Howard complained, pouting.“Huh? Me?” James replied. “Why?”“Because you’ve set the bar too high with your award.”“Son, take your studies at your own pace,” said Elliot. “You don’t need to compare yourself.”“But, Howard, I’ve got bad news for you. At this rate, I’ll probably get an award for my GPA next year too,” Elizabeth announced. “So the bar will be twice as high.”“What?” Howard looked at his cousin in shock.“That’s right because Ellie also has perfect grades in her business administration course,” commented Samantha.“Congratulations,” said George.“Thanks, Grandpa.”“We’re so proud of her, and we’re going to give her all the support for her new company,” said Jayden. When his daughter turned 17, she surprised everyone by announcing that she wanted to start her own clothing company. So, in addition to her tailoring courses, she enrolled in the business administration program.“I guess you’ll be busy setting up the
Erika was recording her son’s reactions, who, despite saying he was all grown up, still behaved like a little kid when it came to his hobby.“Yes! Thank you, Grandparents!” he shouted, running to hug all three of them. They had gifted him a state-of-the-art gaming PC, complete with a special chair, sound system, and other accessories so he could enjoy his videos in his free time.Howard’s friends were excited to see the high-end gaming equipment, which was quite an expensive gift, but it was clear that the grandparents thought more about Howard’s happiness than the material value.“Now you can’t complain about lag anymore,” said James, who sometimes played with him.“Yeah!” said Howard happily, jumping up and down with excitement. “As soon as we get home, I’ll start setting it up in my room.”“Me too!”“Yes, Fiona, we can both play,” Howard said, picking up his little sister.“And now, son,” Eric called out to James, “don’t be jealous of your cousin because your gift is just as
Extra 40: A Happy and Perfect Life Part 2That promise came to an end for one of them three years later, as Nicholas was the first to go due to his heart, which began to fail until it simply stopped beating one cold December morning.Despite the immense pain she felt, Deborah fulfilled her father’s last wish… so they buried him with the diamond pendant that had belonged to her mother and grandfather.It was a very sad time, and everyone came together to keep Deborah from falling apart, as she now felt alone, as though she had lost her family again.But her children reminded her that she wasn’t alone, and because of this, they tried to distract her by having her organize the Christmas party.The days continued to pass, and just when they were preparing for James’ wedding, Eric and Samantha Cooper passed away due to old age.That was news that covered all the media outlets, with the headline telling a beautiful love story, as they had gone to sleep together and passed away to the n
Extra 40: A Happy and Perfect Life Part 1Time began to pass quickly, bringing good, bad, and sad moments that gradually changed the family.One good thing that happened was that after much reflection, Roger managed to make peace with his father, asking for forgiveness for all the stupid things he had done when he was younger. He also apologized to his little brother for being such a jerk.Even though he didn’t want to, Elliot reluctantly accepted the apologies because his wife convinced him that holding onto grudges wasn’t healthy.Unfortunately, the Peterson family only got to celebrate being united for a short period of time because two weeks after that reconciliation… George passed away of natural causes.That was a tragic moment for everyone, one that shook his friends, reminding them of how precious and short life is. Those who suffered the most from the loss of their Grandpa George were Howard and Fiona. But their parents, uncles, and maternal grandparents showered them wit
Extra 39: Deborah and JamesAfter lunch, and taking advantage of when his father taking his little siblings to their extracurricular activities, James sought out his mom to talk with her.“Mom,” he called out when he saw her in her study, reading some papers.“Hey, come in,” she said, looking up and setting aside the documents for a moment.“More work?”“Not exactly. These are the reports of the current buildings for sale in the city.”“Huh… are you already looking into that?”“Well, son, your sister graduates next year, and a year is not a lot of time to start a company from scratch.”“Will it already be furnished for her?” he asked, taking the documents to read them.“Yes, that’s why I want to buy a warehouse to remodel or a vacant lot so you and your dad can work your magic to build it and make it just like Elizabeth wants.”“It’s a project I can’t wait to start,” James said excitedly.“Your little siblings are also helping me, looking into sewing stores to buy industrial
Extra 38: A Father’s FearsHonestly, it was a strange conversation for James, one he never thought he’d have… in fact, not even in his wildest dreams did he imagine having this kind of interaction with the man who was supposedly his biological father.After telling him a bit about his school life, James paid the bill and said goodbye to Roger, as he had to get back to the office; he didn’t want to be away from work for too long.When he entered the conference room, he saw his father talking to some other architects.“Great, we’re all set then,” Jayden said, dismissing them. “Son, how did it go?” he asked as James approached him.“Fine, but it was weird.”“So... has he started to feel his age?”“I think so,” James replied, making a face.“And what did he want?”“Well, he just started talking to me, apologizing for being absent, and now he wants us to meet up to talk because he wants to get to know me,” James said, scratching his head. “I don’t know… it seemed odd that he wants
Extra 37: A Late Talk Part 2“Wow, sorry for the confusion.”“Don’t worry about it. My family supported me, and thanks to learning the truth, I understood why we had three grandfathers.”“I imagine you became an architect because of Jayden.”“That’s right. My motivation was seeing how his drawings came to life… it excited me to the point where I wanted to do the same, and as the days went by, that desire grew stronger, so I decided to make it a reality,” he said, his excitement evident in his words. “Though I also saw that Uncle did something similar by turning his sketches into beautiful jewelry, but that didn’t impress me as much.”“I see, but didn’t my dad teach you the basics of the company?”“Yes, Grandpa showed me the trade,” James said with a smile. “In fact, I’m a good appraiser, and I know how to make jewelry because Uncle also taught me the basics of jewelry design and creation. But I see that as a hobby because the only jewelry I’ve made has been for my mom, my sisters
Extra 37: A Late Talk Part 1“I’ll ask you again. What are you doing here?” James questioned, frowning slightly.“James… I…” Roger stammered nervously, his words catching in his throat and refusing to come out.“Are you here to apologize on behalf of your daughter?”“Something like that,” he said, finally managing to speak, though he made a face. “Would you let me talk to you?”“To me?” James asked, confused, pointing to himself. “About what?”“Can I invite you for a drink so we can talk?”“What do you want with my son?” At that moment, Roger saw his longtime rival approaching and standing next to the young man.“Jayden, please let me talk to James,” Roger pleaded.The now platinum-blonde looked confused at his rival. It was the first time Roger had called him by his name, and he could see that Roger seemed genuinely sorry and defeated. Jayden let out a sigh. “James, go with him.”“What?” James looked at him, surprised and confused.“Are you serious?” Roger said, a note of h
Extra 36: Late Regrets Part 2The next morning, during breakfast, Roger was focused on his phone, determined to reach out to James and be the one to make the first contact.“Hey, Dad,” Cassandra called out, trying to get his attention, noticing he was more focused on his phone than his breakfast.“What is it?” Roger asked, looking up.“Well... hey, what are we going to do about last night?”“What?” he said with a frown.“Come on, Dad, aren’t you going to do something about Grandpa and—”“Casandra, enough... I think whatever happened last night should have made the situation clear.”“But…”“They no longer see me as family, and they never recognized you as such, so just forget about it because it’s only the three of us, no one else.”“No…”“Cassandra, enough,” her mother scolded. “I told you yesterday not to go, and all you did was humiliate yourselves in public,” she said, looking her daughter in the eyes. “Grow up already. You lost that boy because you chased something that
Extra 36: Late Regrets Part 1Roger didn’t return home for the rest of the night. He ignored the cries of his ‘daughter’ as he headed to the nearest bar to have a drink and try to clear his mind.Seeing his father defeated and exhausted had made him stop and think.While sipping his third beer, he raised his gaze and saw his reflection in the mirror behind the bar, realizing that an old man was staring back at him... which scared him. He now looked at his hands, which had more wrinkles than he remembered. When had he changed so much?His once beautiful hair was now streaked with gray, his face showed his age, and he had dark circles under his dull eyes.When had he gotten so old?And why did he look like this?He was supposed to age gracefully, but that wasn’t the case... because what he saw in that mirror was a shell of the successful man he once was.He thought back to James. That boy had surpassed him in height; he was the version of himself Roger had always wanted to be: ta
Extra 35: Total BreakElliot was furious to see Roger and his daughter at the party.“Why did you hurt my daughter?” Roger hadn’t recognized James and just wanted to help his princess. “Who do you think you are…?” Then he saw James and, how could he not recognize him? He was Roger’s spitting image, giving the latter the same hateful look Roger himself wore.“I should ask you the same thing, sir. Who do you think you are, crashing a private event?” James asked.Roger was about to respond, but…“What’s the meaning of this?” George asked, approaching them.“Grandpa, they attacked me, and…” Cassandra started to say.“Miss, don’t call my grandpa ‘Grandpa,’” declared Howard.“Tom, call security,” Eric ordered. “Get these two out of the party.”Among the guests, a blond young man recognized Cassandra but didn’t go to help her because his parents didn’t allow it. They didn’t want to end up caught in the middle of the problem and become collateral damage, nor did they want to fall out