Tyler leaned back against the couch in a relaxed manner. Upon hearing William’s words, he merely cast the latter a disinterested glance.

“What are you trying to say?”

“She’s only with you because of her father. With Jim in his current condition, there’s no way he can survive a prison sentence. She only slept with you to protect him,” William said smugly.

Tyler stretched his legs out across the coffee table. “And?”

William let out a cold chuckle. “Don’t you get it? Rachel doesn’t love you. You’re just a tool for her!”

Tyler raised an eyebrow with clear disdain. “So what? This whole stunt you’re pulling, isn’t it also to make her give in to you? Too bad she’d rather turn to me for help than come to you.”

Tyler didn’t show a hint of anger at being used. On the contrary, he seemed to welcome it.

Seeing Tyler completely unfazed, William’s composure cracked.

“Are you going this far for a woman? We’re family, uncle and nephew!” he snarled through clenched jaws.

Tyler frowned and snapped coldly, “I was stripped of the Lewis name long ago. When did we ever become a family again?”

He thought back to those years – how the Lewis family had insisted on casting him out and ignored all objections, simply because his existence as an illegitimate child was an embarrassment.

But Tyler knew, deep down, that wasn’t the only reason.

The bigger issue was that he refused to be their puppet.

He wanted to live on his own terms.

Thomas realized that Tyler had become too independent. He was no longer obedient, and worse, his very presence stirred up rumors that could damage the family’s reputation.

So they exiled him and sent him abroad, far from the public eye.

Tyler remembered it clearly. He was only ten years old then, dumped in a foreign country with no family and no one to care if he lived or died. Meanwhile, the Lewis family back home carried on happily, celebrating holidays and enjoying life.

William knew what Tyler was currently capable of. If he tried to go head-to-head with him, he would only end up losing. His only chance was to talk Tyler into leaving Rachel, hopefully before things got too ugly.

He tried persuasion.

“Tyler, you know that back then, the Lewis family was going through a rough time. If we’d brought you back into the fold, things might’ve fallen apart completely.”

Tyler didn’t buy the excuse for a second. “That just proves the Lewis family is incompetent and selfish. Don’t you dare say they had no choice.”

His eyes narrowed before a gleam appeared in them.

“This time, I’ll see for myself whether I can protect the person I want to.”

Upon hearing that, William’s heart sank.

“So what you’re saying is, you’re going to ignore all advice and insist on staying with Rachel? You know better than I do how messy this could get!”

Tyler may not have officially declared his identity, but everyone knew that his status was a double-edged sword. To the Lewis family, he could be a crown jewel or a ticking time bomb.

If Tyler did end up with Rachel, William’s ex-wife, and word got out that Tyler was the Lewises’ illegitimate son, it would look like she had just circled back and married another Lewis.

Tyler clenched his jaw. He looked even more intimidating when he was serious. His eyes conveyed a threat unlike any other.

“Are you done talking? If so, get the hell out.”

William’s face turned red with rage, veins bulging at his temple. He knew he couldn’t do anything to Tyler.

Although he couldn’t, Thomas could.