Chapter 506:

Enzo looked sternly at Jayden. After taking a bite of his food, he commanded the butler, “Don’t just stand there. Show them out.”

“Got it,” the butler replied, nodding slightly before escorting Jayden and Clive outside.

As Jayden and Clive reached the yard, the butler said, “Jayden, you were raised by your grandfather. Don’t you value your family bond with him?”

Clive was infuriated. “Who’s neglecting family ties? You’re clueless,” he retorted sharply.

With a wry smile, the butler replied, “He has no choice. He gave Jayden opportunities, but Jayden dismissed his kindness.”

Jayden raised a hand to stop Clive from cursing. Looking calmly at the butler, he said, “You’ve served my grandfather your whole life. You know him well and understand his concerns. But that’s none of my business. I still don’t understand his stubbornness. Therefore, it’s natural that we’ve parted ways.”

“Do you realize what your fate will be after confronting your grandfather today?” the butler asked coldly.

Clive frowned, recognizing the butler’s attempt to intimidate Jayden using Enzo’s influence. A lackey flaunting his master’s strength was nothing new.

Jayden gave the butler a look of irony and disdain. “I shape my own destiny. My grandfather can’t control that.”

The conversation ended. The butler, after decades of serving Enzo, had lost sight of his own identity, seeing himself as an extension of Enzo. All young members of the Owen family respected him as they did Enzo, except Jayden, who didn't respect Enzo at all. He had always been an outlier in the Owen family. Enzo admired Jayden’s talent but despised his attitude; the butler disliked Jayden entirely.

Therefore, making no pretense, the irritated butler stopped and snapped, “I must return now. Be careful on your way.” His tone was tense on the word "careful."

Jayden, uninterested in arguing with a servant, left immediately.

Clive settled into the car, his anger subsiding. He turned to Jayden with a serious expression. “The negotiation didn’t go well, did it? I bet your grandfather can’t wait to eliminate you. In his eyes, you’re the black sheep of the Owen family.”

Jayden wasn't shocked. Having been close to Enzo since childhood, he understood his grandfather’s mindset.

Jayden shrugged. “I didn’t follow his orders, so he calls me defiant. He wants someone to take over his company and power, yet he fears being forced out.”

Clive took out a bottle of whisky and poured a drink. “He was too successful in his youth. If he’d ever encountered a setback, he wouldn’t be this paranoid, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Who knows? He’s just an old man trying to stay young,” Jayden replied, observing Clive sip his whisky and feeling a desire for some himself.

He reached for the bottle, but Clive intervened.

Clive’s eyes widened. “You’re injured and want a drink? Not on my watch!”

Jayden said calmly, “I need to face Elyse at the hospital soon. I need the alcohol for courage.”

Clive scoffed. “Elyse isn’t a monster. Why do you need a drink to face her?” He secured the bottle, firmly denying Jayden. “Not a drop while I’m around.”

Jayden frowned. “You don’t understand. Elyse is always mad at me. I dread her scowls and the trouble that follows.”

Clive knew Jayden well. “Maybe if you hadn’t irritated her so much, she wouldn’t be so angry, right? We all think Elyse is nice and kind. You can’t blame her.”

Jayden reached his limit. “You call her nice and kind? So, that makes me rude and hotheaded, right? Aren’t you guys supposed to be my friends? Shouldn’t you be supporting me?”

Clive crossed his legs, sipped his whisky, and smiled knowingly. “If all your friends take your side, you might lose your wife. Do you want to be single?”

Muttering under his breath, Jayden managed a resigned smile. “You’re harsh, man. Okay, fine. I can’t imagine life without Elyse.”