Thunder crashed above the Adeyemi family estate, lightning splitting the brooding skies.
Inside the majestic hall, the chandeliers blazed while relatives and nobles whispered in hushed tones.
Yet all eyes were fixed on a single young man kneeling on the icy marble floor.
Adrian Adeyemi, once the arrogant heir, now looked like a shadow of himself.
His green robe was torn, his knuckles bled from the beating outside, yet his eyes still blazed with defiance.
On the throne at the far end sat King Adeyemi, his face carved with disappointment.
Beside him stood Damian Adeyemi, Adrian's elder brother, his lips curled in a wicked smile.
"From today onward," King Adeyemi's voice roared through the hall, "you are no longer my son!"
Gasps echoed across the chamber. Some relatives looked on with pity—but most sneered.
Adrian raised his head slowly, his jaw tight with rage.
"I am cast out by the poison of deceit," his voice was hoarse but steady. "You choose to trust snakes rather than your own blood!"
Damian stepped forward, sarcasm dripping from his words.
"Snakes? Don't blame others for your weakness. You failed the family. Accept it."
Mocking laughter followed from uncles and cousins who had always envied Adrian.
Adrian clenched his fists, nails digging into his palm. "One day, you'll regret every word—and choke on them."
King Adeyemi's expression darkened.
"Take him away!"
Two guards dragged Adrian by the arms, his knees scraping against cold marble.
The storm outside raged, the heavens weeping as he was thrown into the mud.
His body throbbed. His pride was shattered. Yet in the downpour, his eyes gleamed with unyielding fire.
Lightning cracked above as he lifted his face to the sky.
"I swear… even if I must crawl through blood and hell, I will rise again. And when I return, the Adeyemi family will kneel before me."
The storm swallowed
his vow, carrying it into the night.