I Faked My Death—Now I Have to Tame the Crazy Men I Left Behind-Chapter 77 - 75: Under House Arrest

The subordinate couldn’t quite understand Kian Keller’s words.

"Mr. Donovan is causing such a huge scene, not for the family fortune, but just for one person?"

"Sir, that doesn’t seem very logical."

"Didn’t you just say this has always been his style?"

"...That’s true." On second thought, it did seem to fit Yates Donovan.

It sounded absurd, but if it was Yates Donovan, it somehow wasn’t so far-fetched.

"Then who is he doing it for? From what we know, there’s no rift between Mr. Donovan and the Donovan family elders."

There were four children in this generation of the Donovan family.

Yates Donovan was the eldest grandson.

He had two younger male cousins and one younger female cousin.

To put it bluntly, even though he didn’t seem particularly accomplished, the old master of the Donovan family doted on him excessively.

One reason was that he was the eldest grandson and had a charming personality. Another was that his parents had passed away when he was young, so he was raised by the old master’s side.

Without a doubt, if Yates Donovan wanted it, he would be the first choice for heir.

But recently, the old master of the Donovan family had fallen ill, and rumor had it he’d already prepared his will.

That’s why they had been speculating that Yates Donovan was now planning to fight for the family inheritance.

But their boss said that wasn’t the case.

"He doesn’t care about the fortune or his status. After the old master of the Donovan family passes, it doesn’t matter to him who becomes the family’s new head."

"But if this new head insists on controlling his life, deciding his future, and using his marriage as a bargaining chip... Before all this, he didn’t care who he married; he was very casual about the alliance."

With that prompting, it dawned on the subordinate. "You mean, Mr. Donovan has someone he likes. And he wants to marry her."

The subordinate’s mind raced. "The Donovan family’s second uncle has held the reins for years; he basically has the family’s entire lifeblood in his hands. If Mr. Donovan doesn’t fight for it, the position of family head will definitely go to the second uncle."

"And although Mr. Donovan’s marriage to the Grant family’s daughter was arranged by the elders of both families, it’s been the second uncle who has been pushing it all these years..."

So, Yates Donovan wasn’t targeting the Donovan family, but his second uncle.

The second uncle, Yael Donovan, was a complete and utter hypocrite.

In public, he focused on philanthropy to cultivate a certain image.

However, anyone in their circle who had even the slightest private contact with him knew he was nowhere near as amiable as the rumors claimed.

A businessman’s priority is profit. This man was no philanthropist; "cutthroat capitalist" was more like it.

Over the years, he had engaged in plenty of shady dealings behind the old master’s back.

Suddenly, a terrible thought flashed through his mind.

The subordinate rushed forward a few steps and lowered his voice to speak to Kian Keller:

"Sir, do you think it’s possible that Mr. Donovan’s two-plus months on the island wasn’t a vacation?"

"But that he was... under house arrest."

Kian Keller raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Maybe he still is," the subordinate said, a chill running down his spine at the thought.

—

「Meanwhile, at the Donovan family estate.」

CREAK. The carved window was gently pushed open from the outside.

The person lying on the floor glanced over and scoffed.

The butler, looking disheveled, clung to the windowsill and shakily passed some food inside.

He called to the figure on the floor in a hushed whisper, "Master Yates, I brought you some food. You must be hungry. Come and eat something."

"Hurry, the Second Master will be back soon."

"Eat it secretly, then hide the plate under the altar table. I’ll come by quietly tomorrow morning to get it."

Yates Donovan never made things difficult for himself. If he was hungry, he ate. No pointless theatrics.

"This must be hard on your old bones," he said, getting up and walking to the window to take the items.

The old butler chuckled, then took a blanket and pillow from a servant below and passed them to him. "Here, Master Yates. The Second Master won’t be coming by tonight, so you can sleep soundly."

"And this. I couldn’t get your phone from the Second Master, so I brought you a spare. Also a deck of cards and a chess set. Take them all. If you can’t sleep, you can play by yourself to kill some time."

"Oh, right, and also..."

"Are you Doraemon or something?" Yates Donovan grumbled, though his body honestly complied as he extended his hand.

The old butler handed him a pair of knee pads. "Be careful to hide these. The Second Master will definitely come by tomorrow during the day, and he might even have someone watch you. Wear these, and it’ll be easier when you’re kneeling."

Yates Donovan’s eyes crinkled into a smile. He held them up and gave them a little shake. "Thanks."

The old butler’s heart ached for him. "Is that kneeling cushion too hard? I’ll have someone swap it for a softer one tomorrow morning, so it’ll be more comfortable for you."

"Are your knees okay after kneeling all day? I came in such a hurry, I didn’t bring you any medicine..."

"I’m fine. I haven’t even been kneeling that long."

Yates Donovan placed his pile of treasures on the floor and turned to ask, "How’s the Old Master?"

"Sigh." The butler let out a long breath. "Still hasn’t woken up. Otherwise, there’s no way he’d let you be kept in here tonight."

If the Old Master were conscious, he would never have allowed Yates Donovan to be punished by kneeling.

And even if he were punished, it wouldn’t have been this severe.

He’d already been kneeling for an entire day...

The old butler had watched Yates Donovan grow up, and seeing that he was to spend the night here, he simply couldn’t bear it.

"When the Second Master comes tomorrow, just agree to whatever he says."

"He wants me to go to the Keller family and apologize. Do you think that’s possible?" Yates Donovan unfolded the blanket and lay down comfortably.

Of course, the old butler knew his personality, but things couldn’t go on like this.

"When the time comes, just go with him. You can just stand to the side like a decoration." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Not going." Yates Donovan grabbed an apple from the plate and took a bite.

The old butler sighed. "Master Yates, I don’t understand. Do you have some kind of conflict with the one from the Keller family...?"

Logically, the two were of a similar age, their families were on good terms, and Kian Keller wasn’t a troublesome or scheming person. They should have been able to get along.

"I have no issue with him as a person. I just don’t like monks."

"..." The old butler was at a loss for words.

"Well, I’ll be leaving then. Call me if you need anything."

Yates Donovan waved him off without a second thought.

「Late at night.」

The person pretending to be asleep on the bed cracked their eyes open a sliver.

A small night light was on in the bedroom. The light was dim, but for Mia Grant, it was enough.

Using the faint light, she looked the person sleeping beside her up and down.

’Felix Sinclair’s sleeping posture is as rigid as his personality...’

He was lying flat on his back on one side of the bed, his hands resting on his stomach. He hadn’t moved from that position since he’d first lain down.

If it weren’t for the steady rise and fall of his chest, he would have looked like a corpse.

After confirming he was truly asleep, Mia Grant rolled over, slowly crept closer, and pinched the loose cuff of his pajamas, gently lifting a corner.

The inside of his wrist was pressed against his stomach. Mia leaned in lower, trying a few different angles.

"What are you doing."

"..."

The young man’s slightly trembling voice came from above her. Her wrist was seized, and with a tug, Mia was pulled right on top of him.

"Oof!"