Chapter 13 Pocket Watch Of Memories

• Mateo could barely quash his anger from being given a thrashing unprovoked.
• He, however, could only hurry home in an effort to keep his undignified appearance out of public view.
• He nearly fainted at the sight of his appearance in the mirror. It hadn't been too obvious moments before, but now the swelling had intensified.
• "Bang!"
• He slammed a hand down on the table. None of this felt right. He was, at the end of the day, still a Lacewell, and yet his opponent showed him no mercy. Could they be foreigners who had no clue about the Lacewells of Cleckherville?
• That must be it! Simply recalling how he'd had been thoroughly beaten up and sent packing twisted his expression into one of vicious cruelty.
• I'm going to take my revenge against them.
• He retrieved two ice packs from the kitchen and iced his bumps. It took roughly an hour for the redness and swelling to recede before he drove to Huxley, his cousin's place.
• It didn't take him long to arrive.
• The Lacewell home was currently seeing a guest.
• He was Sebastian Dickens, head of the Dickens family.
• Today happened to be the last day of the three-day deadline that Jett had set.
• The purpose of Sebastian's visit was clear. He was here to discuss a way to deal with Jett.
• They hadn't made their move for the past two days in an effort to dig up information about their target.
• Why would a man escape from prison and be so brazen as to try to face off against the four great families?
• That was when they found out that Jett hadn't escaped from prison. He was sent off to the northwest frontier to fight a few months prior. The army saw a shortage of men and used convicts to serve as fodder. He survived by chance and was granted freedom.
• These weren't rare occurrences either. Many prisoners on death row would take the initiative to fight during times of war. They would be free men if they survived.
• There was nothing for them to worry about after looking into his background.
• They had no idea that everything in the files was forged by Jett's subordinates.
• He had long expected others to investigate him once he made his debut. Everything they would find would be what he prepared.
• "What do you think, Mr. Lacewell?"
• Before Gabriel Lacewell could answer.
• He continued, "I don't believe that our families can't do anything to him. He's just the son-in-law of the Whites. So what if he's gained some skills at the frontlines as a soldier? We have ways to kill him if we want to."
• Sebastian's resentment toward Jett was far greater because his only son died at the man's hands.
• He despised him!
• He wanted nothing more than to see him tortured to death!
• There was nothing to be afraid of now that his identity had become clear.
• "You're right, Mr. Dickens. I've been far too lowkey. Everyone now believes I'm easy picking. He wants us to apologize to him? There's nothing he can do to me even if I don't show up."
• "Yes, and I was thinking of giving him a big gift tonight. He'll be the one coming to beg us tomorrow." Sebastian revealed a treacherous expression.
• Just as Gabriel was about to reply, Mateo barged in.
• "Uncle ! Mr. Dickens!"
• "Mateo?! What happened to your face?" Gabriel observed how his nephew had bruises on his face.
• Mateo was disgruntled as he approached his uncle and told him the entire story. Of course, there was no lack of embellishment about one Jett Grayson.
• "Damn! Him again!"
• Gabriel raged, "Does he think a tiger that doesn't show its claws is a sick cat? These two convicts really think they're all that after playing soldier for a few months."
• To him, Jett was a jailbird. It was only natural to assume the other person to also be just like him. They were simply lucky survivors who learned the ways of the fists.
• "Don't worry, Mateo. No one in Cleckherville would dare to face off against the Lacewells. We'll be giving him a grand gift tonight. I'll avenge you!"
• Mateo wept bitterly with tears in his eyes. He truly had the best uncle in the world.
• At the White residence.
• Chloe lay motionless on the bed with doubt clouding her beautiful eyes.
• She believed she'd receive information from Shirley, and yet the woman claimed to not know him at all.
• Sleep hadn't come easy for her since yesterday. There was a burning obsession in her that wanted to know who Jett Grayson was.
• She got out of bed. "I'll get my answers even if none of you will tell me."
• She rummaged through every nook and cranny of her room until the rustling attracted the attention of Janet McNeil, her mother, who was cleaning down the hallway.
• The elder woman knocked on the door. "What are you doing, Chloe?"
• "Nothing, Mom. I'm exercising. Aerobics!" Chloe casually made up a lie.
• Janet didn't doubt her. "Alright! Be careful. Don't bump into everything!"
• "Okay!"
• "Really now? Aerobics? Just do more chores." Janet shook her head. Young people these days. Were truly an enigma.
• The Whites had lost many things since the move six years ago.
• She hadn't noticed it before but found that she had lost many things now that she was actively searching for something.
• The cabinets. The boxes. The storage containers.
• She found nothing even an hour later.
• "Phew!"
• Chloe tiredly sank into the bed and began to mutter to herself. "Am I overthinking this?"
• No. There's still one place I haven't looked.
• The gift box.
• Chloe was the most attractive girl on campus back in the day and received various gifts. She collected them, believing the more she had, the more sought-after she was.
• She then retrieved two gift boxes from under the bed.
• The floor was littered with gifts half an hour later.
• Every little trinket in the boxes was carefully checked and yet, nothing.
• Disappointment washed over her. Why was she being so sentimental toward the man?
• She began to put everything away after a short while.
• "Pop!"
• It was a heart-shaped pocket watch. The force of it hitting the box had popped open the cover.
• She took a closer look at it.
• What she saw filled her with disbelief.
• The cover was lined with a slightly yellowed photograph.
• The two looked incredibly close with their arms looped around each other's shoulders.
• She could tell that the girl was herself. The boy, meanwhile, shared features with Jett Grayson, with a sharp chin, thick eyebrows, and big eyes that shone like a torch, except he seemed more youthful in the photo and was noticeably missing the oppressive energy that lingered with him now.
• "Buzz!"
• Chloe suddenly felt an intense, stabbing pain in her head. It felt as if parasites were angrily gnawing on her brain.
• "Ah! It hurts! It hurts!" She hugged her head as she aggressively smacked herself.
• Janet didn't hesitate to rush in, thinking that her daughter had somehow injured herself while doing aerobics. "Chloe! Chloe! What's wrong?"
• She slammed open the door.
• The concerned mother immediately took notice of her daughter's distress and the pocket watch in her hands.
• This had her shaken up!
• The world felt as if it were spinning around her!
• It was as though she had been struck by lightning and forgot to breathe.
• How could this be? Why does she still have a photo of him?
• Janet blamed herself.
• The true reason why Chloe hadn't found a thing relating to Jett lay with her.
• That was because Janet had checked through and thrown out everything that could be tied back to Jett ever since the incident.
• "My head hurts, Mom!"
• Chloe screamed again.
• Hearing her daughter's cries, Janet could do nothing but put her daughter to bed and massage her gently until she drifted off to sleep.
• "What injustice!"
• Janet grew deeply concerned. Her daughter had fallen asleep with the pocket watch still held tightly in her hand. She was heartbroken and torn on whether or not she should tell Chloe the truth.