âIf you donât fight for it, youâll only end up with a mess on your hands.â Tyrone wiped his hands with a damp towel, then handed a fork to Easton, his voice low and steady. âCan you be trusted?â
Easton shot to his feet so quickly he bumped into the edge of the table, the impact awkward and loud. He looked almost foolish in his excitement.
âBro! Y-you trust me?â Eastonâs eyes shone, tears threatening. He looked as if he might break down right there.
Right nowâif Tyrone asked him to jump off a bridge, heâd do it without hesitation.
He truly, genuinely cared for his older brother.
Blood ties, it turned out, really did mean something in the end.
Tyrone didnât say a word. He simply studied Easton.
Nineteen years oldâif this kid was faking all of this, it would be terrifying.
But Tyrone didnât care. If Easton truly was pretending and pulled it off, then maybe he deserved to succeed.
âSit down,â Tyrone said at last, his tone even.
Easton dropped back into his seat, nervously watching his brother. âBro... whatever you need me to do, just say it.â
âIf Grandpa asks you to take over the company, do it. But Nicoleâyou canât marry her.â Tyroneâs gaze sharpened. Nicole was a fraud; marrying her would be a disaster.
âAnd Iâll help you gain a foothold at Lynch Corporation, but you have to put in the effort. You need to prove yourself. If youâre not up to the task, I wonât hand over the company to you.â Tyroneâs voice was firm.
Easton shook his head, anxious. âBro, I donât want it. Thatâs yours.â
âYou really donât?â Tyrone gave a rare smile.
âI donât,â Easton said emphatically, shaking his head.
âThen consider yourself my employee,â Tyrone said, spinning a glass of water on the table.
He hated scheming and had no interest in turning against his own brother. âEaston, I donât want us to end up tearing each other apart. Thereâs no point, not now. Youâre not even a challengeâif I wanted to crush you, it wouldnât mean anything. So instead, Iâd rather train you to be someone who can actually share my burdens.â
He was already overwhelmed with work; Easton was practically free labor delivered to his doorstep.
âI-Iâm happy to help you, truly. But I donât want whatâs yours. Just pay me a salary, however much you think is fair.â Easton said quickly.
All he wanted was to work with his brother, to fight for something together. He didnât want any shares.
âYouâll get what you deserve. If itâs not yours, donât even think about it. Even if you did, I wouldnât give it to you.â Tyroneâs tone was almost like a lecture, but there was warmth in it.
Easton nodded obediently.
There was a knock at the door; a waiter came in, carrying the dishes.
Tyrone didnât say more. He used the serving fork to put some food on Eastonâs plate.
Other than Alicia, this was the first time heâd ever served food to someone else.
Truth was, Tyrone hadnât disliked Easton from the very first meeting.
And after learning more about him, he even felt a pang of sympathy.
With a father like Marcus, who wouldnât?
âIâll work hard, bro. Iâll get better, and when I come back from studying abroad, Iâll join you at the company. If youâre worried about me, we can sign a private agreement. I wonât take any Lynch Corporation shares, and if we have to put on a show for Grandpa, you can just hold them in your name.â
Easton might have been just nineteen, but he was no fool.
Tyrone looked at him, a faint smile on his lips.
Nineteenâso earnest now. But what about the future?
Tyrone knew all too well: people change. Sometimes overnight.
âLetâs hope you stay this way.â He waved over the waiter. âCould you pack up some lemon tarts, a slice of rice cake, and also a portion of steamed greens and white fish fillet to go?â
Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent)
ï¤Chapter 303 The Heiress Acts Mischievously, But Her Family Can Read Her Mind ï¤Chapter 347: Administering Drugs Switched Marriage The Coddled Little Wife ï¤Chapter 538: Unimaginable He wanted to bring something home for Alicia.
Easton, meanwhile, dug into his plate with gusto. With food this expensive, he wasnât about to let a single bite go to waste.