"Are you— Are you crazy?!" August blurted out after blinking twice as he stared at Charles, who was in front of him.

'Who the fuck am I to inherit a corporation as large as he had?' he even asked himself as his brows furrowed. 

He wasn't even qualified to be a small group leader, and being an heir seemed like a ridiculous sentence for him unless it was just a joke to give him a glimpse of hope that he could make it to the top instantly with the Remington family's help.

And August admitted that he hoped that Charles Remington would help him in some way.

Charles' smirk widened as he stood up properly and placed his hands in his pockets. "I am not crazy, young man— Not yet. Let's say that I'm trying to strike a negotiation with you."

Even when he saw August working at the Sandoval Corporation, working hard for the promotion he had ever dreamt about, Charles knew that persuading August to hold onto the Remington Corporation would be challenging. 

Especially when he didn't have plans to tell him the truth about his real identity.

Not this time.

On the other hand, August couldn't speak as Charles' stares felt like it was piercing his soul as he couldn't read his mind. He clenched his fists as he indulged himself in his deep thoughts, weighing everything from Charles' sincerity down to his sanity.

He knows that with the power and influence the Remington family had, the Sandoval and Evergreen family wouldn't be able to step back and fabricate pieces of evidence to strike back at him. 

It was when he could live the everyday life he wanted as he didn't plan to take back his traitor ex-girlfriend anymore. He just wanted to clear his name from the country.

For a second, he didn't realize that his anxiety earlier suddenly converted into an expression full of hope, and Charles could see right through it.

"Do you trust me?" 

The side of Charles' lips rose as he asked August that question. His voice was uncannily different to the point that August thought Charles was messing up with his desperation.

"Why would you ridicule me like this?!" August clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he stood up. "Is it because I am pathetic like what they always tell me?!" He placed his hands on Charles' collar as August gave him a deadly glare.

Every time August feels disrespected, he bursts out in anger and says harsh words, whether he means it or not. Gone were the days when August always had logical thinking regarding decision-making. 

"You're hard-headed, aren't you?" Charles responded to him in a stern tone as he clicked his tongue. His gaze traveled onto August's hands, gripping his shirt. "Who told you that I ridiculed you?"

Charles' didn't like what he saw in August's expression. A mixture of fear and anger made the worst decisions of them all. Charles spent his lifetime controlling his emotions so no one could use them against him. 

But August acted differently. His patience continuously decreases drastically every time his ego is pushed to the cliff's edge.

'I'll push him some more to see where his limitation had been,' Charles told himself as he changed his expression from serious to playful. August immediately reacted at that sight.

He felt judged, insulted, and belittled just by his stares. It just doesn't make sense, no matter how much he thinks about it. August waited for Charles' explanation for his sentence, but he didn't speak even when he threatened him like this— not even once.

"You're provoking my patience…" August muttered angrily. 

He was about to push the old man in front of him, but he halted mid-way as two men in suits with muscular bodies placed their hands on both sides of his shoulder and slammed him back onto his seat. He tried to move his body, but those two people beside him were strong to the point that he couldn't even move.

August's gaze went onto the woman in front of her, who had just raised her hand. He could see her delicate skin and long fingers despite her profession as a nurse and her skills in using a knife. It means that even though she works on the dirty stuff with Mr. Remington, they compensate her well.

'Is it beneficial to work for the Remington family?' he wondered.

"Sit down," Maxine commanded August in an authoritative tone as she gradually moved her hand downward. "It doesn't mean you can disrespect our master just because he approved of untying you."

Maxine scoffed at him, causing August to grit his teeth in annoyance. He snapped his neck to contain his anger. The hands of those two bodyguards didn't leave his shoulder, so that he couldn't do something dangerous.

"It's fine, Maxine." Charles' laughter echoed throughout the whole place. "You don't need to be violent." He quickly fixed his shirt before he snapped his neck.

"But, master—"

"I got this."

Charles raised his hand, and someone immediately placed his crane onto it. When he removed the tip below, August's eyes widened as light from the knife's sharpness greeted him. 

"Sometimes, anger becomes a good emotion as it pushes us to do something, to surpass the limit we created ourselves," Charles mumbled as he pointed the crane at August's chest. "But too much anger pointed at the wrong person can lead to bad decisions and consequences we need to face later on."

With that, August couldn't move in fear. Only one strike and he would lose his life. The knife looked sharp and deadly, and the only thing running through August's mind was that he didn't want to die like this. 

He endured more than he could to survive.

August sighed in relief as Charles lowered his crane and returned the tip to hide the knife. He thought it was already done, but he didn't realize that when the two muscular men removed their hands from him, Maxine injected a yellow liquid into his neck again.

"W-What…" August's face grimaced as he felt the pain travel onto his body. 

He didn't like that the injection felt like an ant bitten onto his neck. The thought of it sent shivers down his spine.

"Do you want to live a mediocre life like you always had?" Charles even added as a sly smile escaped from his lips. "I'll give you time to think." 

August's vision was blurry as his body trembled and weakened quickly. He breathed heavily like he was catching his breath, even though no one was choking him. However, he could still hear Mr. Remington's voice in his head.

"Wait for my call, and that's the time I'll ask for your answer."

After that, everything went black.

"August! Hey, August!"

August woke up when someone's hand slapped his cheeks. It wasn't too painful, but it was enough for him to wake up from his peaceful slumber.

"Aw, my cheek hurts…" August even complained as he sat on the ground and held his right cheek. 

When he turned his head to the right, he saw Miss Johens with a worried expression.

"M-Miss Johens, what are you doing here— Ugh." August wasn't able to continue speaking when his head hurt. He closed his eyes and massaged his temple, not realizing where he was.

"I should be the one to ask you that, right? Why are you sleeping in this place?" Miss Johens asked him before she hit his shoulder for the second time. "Did you get dizzy?"

"Huh?"

August looked at his surroundings and noticed that Charles' people had brought him back to where they had taken him. It was to avoid suspicions when he decided to call the police later. 

But August doesn't have the plan to do that. Influential people like Charles Remington had it all— connections with the police and politics were not an exemption. No one would believe him if he got a chance to say this to the police.

'Aside from that, I need him,' August even added at the back of his mind.

"I think I did." August lied to avoid suspicions. "I'm sorry for causing a disturbance."

"You should be," Miss Johens said before she shook her head. "I guess you slept here the whole day!"

"Did I?" August chuckled a bit before he stood up while scratching his neck. 

As soon as he stood up, a white envelope fell from the pocket of his jeans. August picked it up and opened the envelope, only to widen his eyes when he saw tons of dollars inside it.

"A payment for your time." That was what was written in the letter. He didn't need to think twice to know that it came from Mr. Remington.

'But the money inside this was more than what I can earn while working for a whole day!' he exclaimed at the back of his mind.

However, he got a bright idea.

"Here, Miss Johens." August held Miss Johens' hand and placed the white envelope in her hand. "Payment for my absence."

Miss Johens' eyes widened as she saw the money inside it. She admitted that the restaurant didn't earn much today because they couldn't cater to all the customers. 

But her conscience wouldn't let her take someone's money because of it— especially when August gave that amount of money to her when he couldn't afford his necessities.

"You little child! There's no need for this!" August growled as Miss Johens hit his shoulder again. "Buy new clothes with that money!"

"I don't need that. I'm fine with my clothes—"

August stopped speaking when Charles' words lingered in his mind.

"Sure. I will." August changed his answer as he smiled. 

He picked up the white envelope from Miss Johens' hand and placed it inside his pocket.

'A mediocre life… There's no way I would continue to live like that,' August told himself and gritted his teeth.