Chapter 431

On the way to the Gellar family’s place, Landon’s mind was racing with thoughts.

Jeffrey had changed into a suit, sitting quietly with an unmistakable air of class. From the side and from behind, he looked so much like Landon back when he was just a kid. Aaron, up front, kept a close eye on both of them, ready to step in if Jeffrey suddenly lost it.

They made it to the Gellar family’s place without a hitch, but as soon as they arrived, Jeffrey finally couldn’t stay calm anymore. He lifted his head, looking around with a lost, bewildered expression.

“Do you remember this place?” Landon asked, his voice gentle, watching Jeffrey closely.

Jeffrey shook his head. “Have I ever been here before?”

“Honestly, I don’t know either,” Landon said softly. “But this is your home.”

Jeffrey’s eyes flashed with fierce resistance, and Aaron nervously gripped the tranquilizer gun. But Jeffrey didn’t lose control. After holding it in for a long moment, he finally said in a low voice, “Landon, I don’t have a home.”

That single sentence hit the adults hard, piercing through their seemingly tough facades. Aaron quietly loosened his grip on the tranquilizer gun and let out a sigh. Honestly, Jeffrey hadn’t done anything wrong. He was just unlucky enough to be born to Shelby, who turned him into a weapon against Gloria.

“Jeffrey, your mom’s inside. Go on in,” Landon said, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder, showing a rare tenderness as a big brother.

“Yeah,” said Lucia.

Lucia was there, helping Shelby take her medicine. When she saw Jeffrey, her face lit up with surprise and joy. “Jeffrey…”

Jeffrey just glanced at her, saying nothing.

Shelby, seeing her son, sat up excitedly and grabbed his hand tightly. “Jeffrey, you’re here…”

“You look terrible when you’re sick,” Jeffrey said, his tone full of disdain.

Shelby froze, as if she’d been stabbed in the heart. She quickly reached up to fix her hair and then fumbled for her lipstick on the nightstand. Her sallow, gaunt face with that rosy lipstick made her look like something out of a horror movie.

“Mom, stop,” Lucia said, unable to bear it any longer. She grabbed a wet wipe and gently wiped away the lipstick.

Shelby let her hand fall, looking defeated. “Jeffrey, I wasn’t always like this. I used to be beautiful…”

“Getting old and losing your looks–it’s normal,” Jeffrey said, his face and voice perfectly calm.

But ever since he walked in, he hadn’t called her “Mom” even once.

Shelby gazed at him, her eyes full of sorrow. “Jeffrey…”

Jeffrey didn’t reply, just stared at her in silence. There wasn’t a trace of warmth in his eyes, as if the woman before him wasn’t his own mother, but just some stranger.

“Jeffrey, you’ve gotten so tall. How are you doing these days? Any plans for the future?” Shelby asked.

She knew Landon and Gloria were just outside–this was her chance to stand up for her son.

“The place is fine. I don’t really have any plans,” Jeffrey replied, his tone flat.

Shelby couldn’t hide her disappointment at his answer. She shot a look at Lucia, hoping she could talk some sense into Jeffrey.

But Lucia had already been broken. She had no fight left in her. After being under house arrest for so long, she’d reflected on the past–it was their own mistakes that made Landon go this far. If her mom and brother hadn’t messed up, the Gellar family wouldn’t be in this mess. She’d still be the pampered daughter of the Gellar family, riding in luxury cars, living in style, and respected by everyone. But because of one reckless decision her mom made, her brother ended up dead, her dad walked out… This place wasn’t a home anymore–it felt like a cage. Now, all she wanted was a life where she could finally be free and at peace.

So, she just acted like she never caught her mom’s signal.

“Lucia, Jeffrey’s still young. Help him figure out his future–while I’m still here,” Shelby said, her voice firm.

“Mom, I really don’t have any ideas either,” Lucia replied, trying to dodge the responsibility.

Shelby’s anger flared. She raised her hand and slapped Lucia. “Why are you such a coward? You’re his big sister–you’re supposed to look out for him!”

“I don’t need her to protect me,” Jeffrey said, stepping back a few paces to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

Outside, Landon watched everything from the hallway, his brow knitting together. “This kid really knows how to read the room–and man, he’s got ice in his veins,” he thought.

“Jeffrey, you’re still so young. You’ve got nothing to your name…” Shelby said sadly, wiping her tears as she glanced toward the doorway. The place felt empty–there was no one waiting to meet her eyes. But she knew she didn’t have much time left; if she didn’t act now, she’d never get another shot.

“Gloria, come in here,” Shelby called out.

Gloria stepped in, clearly reluctant. “He won’t go hungry, don’t worry,” she said, not bothering to hide her lack of enthusiasm.

“Who goes hungry these days? You know I’m not just talking about putting food on the table,” Shelby retorted.

“So what do you want, then? The company? The house? Shares?” Gloria snapped, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

“If you can get me all of that, that’d be ideal,” Shelby replied, her tone shamelessly matter-of-fact.

Gloria just stared at her, completely at a loss for words. ‘Shameless!’ she fumed inwardly. Honestly, if Shelby wasn’t so sick, Gloria wouldn’t have even bothered coming.

“Gloria, once I’m gone, Jeffrey will be your responsibility. No matter what, he’s still a Kingsley by blood…” Shelby said, her voice trembling.

“This isn’t personal, Shelby. Jeffrey’s innocent. Of course I’ll take care of him,” Gloria interrupted, her tone laced with impatience.

Shelby lowered her gaze, still wiping away her tears.

Just then, Landon came in with a lawyer and handed Jeffrey a stack of documents. “You’re still too young to run a company, so I’ll just give you 33 million dollars a year instead of shares.”

“33 million dollars?” Jeffrey was stunned.

Shelby was over the moon–she never expected Landon to be this generous. She hurried him along, “Jeffrey, sign it! Oh, and since you don’t have a bank account yet, just use mine for now…”

“I don’t want it!” Jeffrey burst out, his voice sharp with sudden anger. He glared, his whole body tense with frustration.

Landon quietly moved to shield Gloria, stepping in front of her without a word.

“Jeffrey, what are you saying?” Shelby asked, her voice trembling.

’33 million dollars! That’s more than enough for the Gellar family to rise from the ashes!’ Shelby’s heart pounded with excitement. ‘I used to dream of getting half the Kingsley Group, but now… 33 million dollars is still a fortune,’ she consoled herself.

“I don’t want the company, and I don’t want the money,” Jeffrey said loudly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Shelby was terrified that if he turned it down, Landon would snatch the offer right back. She rushed to convince him, “Jeffrey, you’re still just a kid. You don’t get how much money matters…”

“Oh, I get it,” Jeffrey suddenly sneered. “Isn’t money the whole reason you put me out there?”

Shelby choked, her heart racing with panic. ‘When did this kid get so ruthless?’ she thought, stunned.

“I’m just your pawn. You never cared for me, never raised me. And now you wanna cash in on me? Pathetic,” Jeffrey shot back, his voice cold and bitter.

“Don’t use my name to hide your filthy deeds!” Jeffrey shouted, his voice rising with every word.

His anger spiraled out of control–he started hurling whatever he could get his hands on.

Smash! Crash!

Cups, vases, medicine jars–all shattered across the floor. Everyone except Landon was scared out of their wits. Gloria hid behind her son, actually feeling totally safe back there. Shelby, still in bed, stared in shock as Jeffrey went on a rampage. She hurriedly told Lucia to stop him.

But the moment Lucia tried to step in, all hell broke loose. Jeffrey didn’t even care–he actually hit her!

“Jeffrey, it’s me—your sister! Jeffrey!” Lucia cried out, her voice cracking with desperation.

But her screams just made him snap even more. His eyes were wild, completely unhinged, and when there was nothing left to smash, he snatched up a chair and hurled it at the window. He looked like he’d totally lost his mind.

Landon finally had to use the tranquilizer gun to bring Jeffrey down.

The place was trashed, and everyone was left rattled and on edge, including Shelby.

“He’s gone mad… really, he’s gone mad…”