Secret Scion

Marguerite could not hold back her tears anymore and quickly left.

Allen also led the others from his household and left.

Once they were out of the Crawfords and inside their cars, Sophia then said, "Layla, no matter what has happened, Asher is still your cousin. Why didn't you give him a hand? Can't you see that your grandpa wanted Asher to stay but was simply lacking a reason?"

"Mom, if it isn't because of Huxley, Asher would have... He's a bastard. Why would I help him?" Layla said angrily as she thought about it. They were blood-related at the end of the day, they should not do anything like that.

Sophia sighed and said, "You grew up with him, and I was there too. While he can be a bit arrogant, I know he's incapable of doing something like this. Layla, have we put the blame on the wrong person?"

"Mom, I don't believe that he would drug me too. However, there was no one else that would do that. It can't be Huxley because he had no chance to do it. They said that you can never know a person's true nature even after you have known someone for a long time, I guess that's true," Layla said, upset.

Meanwhile, Allen had his eyes closed as he re-examined the situation in the car ahead of the one that Layla and her mom were in. A sentence kept echoing in his mind, Asher's not someone that would do this, right?

Once Solomon was back in his place, he kept on pacing back and forth with a visible frown.

At this time, Aiden's voice suddenly came from outside. "Master, Young Master Asher might have been wrongly implicated." As he said that, he walked into the room. While he was not present, he was aware of everything that had happened.

"You're still awake, Mr. Duncan." Solomon waved at him and asked him to take a seat. He then continued, "Normally, things would not have gone this far. However, both Allen and Huxley's mother aren't willing to let Asher off. I had no other choice. Both Asher and Huxley share the same blood as me. I'm saddened regardless of which one I choose to punish."

Only then did Aiden realize that Solomon knew that Asher was being framed. He then asked, "If that's the case, why did you have Asher bear this crime? This is not something trivial. If word gets out, Young Master Asher will have no more dignity left. This would affect his entire life." "Mr. Duncan, judging from Huxley's personality, what would he do if he was the one that had been exiled?"

Aiden gave it a thought and said, "He would have his vengeance against Asher no matter the cost. He would even target the entire Crawfords."

Solomon nodded and said, "That's correct. If that were to happen, the Crawfords would be torn apart, and that would simply make us easy prey. I also heard that the boy from the Macquoids is coming back. If he finds out that Asher is having such an easy time here, he will no doubt make a move against Asher. Asher is still no match against him. Exiling Asher is also a way to protect him. However, he will be humiliated for a while. I hope he can stay strong and persevere." Aiden finally realized what was happening. He then said, "I hope that Young Master Asher will understand why."

"In all honesty, Huxley is not someone that's so wicked. He's simply splitting hairs when it comes to who should become the heir. Someone must be behind him plotting against Asher. Mr. Duncan, I hope you can find this person. I want to see who's the one that's so cruel. Meanwhile, since Huxley wants to be the heir, I'll fulfill his wish. We'll have a family meeting tomorrow to officiate it."

Aiden nodded and said, "Don't worry. I'll complete the mission as soon as I can."

On the next afternoon, Solomon chaired a family meeting and announced that Huxley would become the household's heir.

This news quickly spread to the other households.

When Phoebe heard the news, she surprisingly felt happy about this. While Asher and her engagement had eventually been broken off, she did not suffer any losses at all. In fact, if she had known that Asher would lose his status as heir, she would have even agreed to it in the first place.

"Mom, why are you here?" Phoebe had just completed her instructions for several high-ranking students and was resting when she saw her mom rushing in, as if she had something to tell her. Seeing that there were a lot of people around, she then led Phoebe to somewhere quieter and then said, "Phoebe, have you heard? The Crawfords' heir has been changed. Asher was doing fine, but he was suddenly thrown out of the Crawfords. I guess we'll never know what happens in life."

"I heard that he spiked Layla's drink last night and wanted to do something to her. Mr. Crawford was so angry that he immediately kicked him out of the Crawfords and set Huxley as the new heir," Phoebe said as she wiped the sweat off her face.

"What? Layla? As in Layla Knight? Aren't they cousins?!" Phoebe's mother said in shock. Phoebe nodded and said, "I was very shocked when I heard it as well. To be honest, I never thought that he would be capable of such things."

"No wonder he was thrown out of the family," her mom said. She then continued after she remembered something, "That means that Grandpa breaking off the engagement behind your back was the right thing to do. If you didn't, our household would be utterly humiliated."

"That's right." Phoebe nodded. Then, after a moment of hesitation, she asked, "Mom, have you met Seth Harrison? What do you think about him?"

Phoebe's mom would of course know what had happened between Phoebe and Seth. After she heard the question, she knew what Phoebe was thinking. She then said, "Seth is slightly older, but that's fine for men. So, you're still in a relationship?"

"I wanted to part ways earlier, but he refused," Phoebe said.

"If you ask me, just maintain the relationship. The Harrisons are as influential as the Crawfords, and Seth should be quite serious with you. Marrying into the Harrisons is a good choice. Not to mention that Asher's done for. There's no future with him," she said.

Phoebe nodded. "I know. Asher is quite capable, but it won't be easy for him to make a comeback this time. Do you think I should find the time and confirm my relationship with Seth?" "I think that's doable. I'll go home and check with your dad and see what he thinks about this," Phoebe's mom said with a smile.

Phoebe also let out a faint smile. Asher had fallen from grace. She could not tell if he would ever be able to return to the Crawfords. Not to mention that even if he did make his way back, Solomon would never allow anyone with problematic moral principles to be the next patriarch. That was why the last vestiges of Phoebe's dream of Asher had been crushed. As such, she decided to pick the second best and latch on to Seth.

Once Harlow received the news, he instantly went looking for Griffin. Normally, Griffin and Asher were very friendly with each other; like they were siblings. That was why he wanted to ask Harlow what was going on. He could not believe that Asher would want to do anything to Layla. However, even Griffin did not know what had happened. Instead, he said, "Grandpa, Asher and I are done. I don't want to know anything that has to do with him anymore." Harlow was taken aback when he heard that. "What happened? Are you two having a quarrel?" Griffin waved his hand and said, "I don't want to talk about it, Grandpa. So please, don't ask."

Huxley finally had his wish granted, and he became the heir of the Crawfords. He believed that he only managed to get this far thanks to Willy the Kid's strategies. Once the meeting was over, Huxley immediately gave Willy the Kid a call and told him about it. He also wanted to meet up to pass on a gift out of his gratitude.

When Willy the Kid received the call, he immediately went and looked for Rose.

"Asher Crawford, you fool!" When Rose heard that Huxley's plan had worked and Asher had been exiled, she did not know why, but she was not as happy as she thought she would be. Logically speaking, Asher had been betrayed by his own friends and family, which meant that Rose had one less skilled competitor. That was a good thing. But for some reason, she was not as happy as she should be. Instead, she felt like giving Asher a bash in the head.

Willy the kid was not sure what Rose meant, and he did not dare to ask too much. As such, he left the room quietly.

After giving it some thought, Rose gave Asher a call in the end. However, Asher had switched off his mobile.

Where would he go at a time like this?

###Chapter 163 The Fires of Conflict Burn Bright

In the evening, rain began to fall once again. Several boats would occasionally sail through.

In a room inside Riverside Tavern, the smell of alcohol permeated the air. A young man was lying drunk next to a table on the floor. It was Asher.

He had been drinking since afternoon, and he was completely drunk. The waiter came and checked on him a few times, but he always ended up being scolded by him. After that, he did not dare to come in and ask him to stop drinking anymore. He would simply take a peek every once in a while. If Asher were to die of alcohol poisoning here, that would be the end of him. "Mr. Asher, you can't keep on drinking like this. No one can handle this. Come on, I'll help you and get you something sweet to freshen up, yeah?" The waiter came in with something sweet in his hand, bracing himself.

"Do you think I can't pay for this? Get out! Also, get another bottle for me." Asher struggled to get up. He was already having double vision, and it felt like the world was spinning.

The waiter quickly said, "Master Asher, it's not about the money. I'm worried that if you continue drinking like this, your body won't be able to take it. Maybe I can send you home first? You can come over next time."

Asher simply sneered and said, "Home? I don't have one. Go and get me another bottle." The waiter did not dare to go against Asher. All he could do was shake his head with a sigh before leaving.

He grabbed a bottle and was going to bring it to Asher when a beautiful woman suddenly walked in. He gave her a passing glance and instantly let out a bright smile and said, "Ms. Rose, why are you here? Do you want to sit out here or book a room?"

Rose was also the bar's long-time customer, and so, she was no stranger to the waiter.

Rose glanced inside and then asked, "Did Asher drop by today at all?"

"Mr. Asher, huh?" The waiter pointed at the room and said, "This bottle is for Mr. Asher. He's been

here since afternoon. I don't even remember how many bottles I've brought to him. Seems like he's troubled by something and he's drunk a lot."

"Who else is with him?" Rose asked. She had guessed it right. Asher was really trying to get himself drunk in this place.

"He's alone."

"Alright. Give me the bottle. I'll take it to him," Rose said after some hesitation.

The waiter then said with a smile, "I can't let you do something like this, Ms. Rose. You should head on in. I'll hold the bottle."

Rose did not want to waste her breath. Instead, she grabbed the bottle of wine and walked directly to the room. The moment she got to the door, she could already smell the alcohol in the

air.

"You're so slow with the bottle. I'm going to file a complaint with your boss," Asher said as he struggled to form a complete sentence.

Rose did not say a word and simply walked over and sat right opposite Asher. This time, he finally realized that she was not the waiter from before. He gave it a good look and suddenly let out a bitter smile. "It's your turn to laugh at me, huh?"

"Why didn't you believe me when I sent you that text message? When I heard that you were exiled, I really wished I was there so I could give you a slap or two," Rose said as she gritted her teeth.

"Shouldn't you be happy now that I'm no longer your competitor? Give me the bottle." Asher wanted to grab the bottle, but Rose managed to grab it first.

She then said, "I do want you gone, but not through such a despicable method. Asher... You yourself are the reason you've ended up like this."

"Haha!" Asher forced out a laugh. "You're right. I'm the reason that I've ended up like this. I shouldn't have believed in family, in blood. They're all nothing. Even my enemies have their bottom line, but someone with my own blood could be so despicable and shameless so that they could get what they want! Rose Schmidt, it's all by my own doing that I have lost my family and friends and have become nobody. You can do whatever you want with me. I simply hope that you can at least show me some respect and stop trampling on whatever I have left, alright?" By the time he was done, Asher had completely lost control of his emotions with his eyes red and maddening.

Rose was stunned. After a long while, she then filled up Asher's wine glass and said, "No one has the right to laugh at you when it comes to you getting exiled. You're not the one in the wrong for believing Huxley. Huxley is the one at fault for turning against the family. If you can't get back up on your own two feet after this, then I'll be the first to look down on you."

Rose did not know why she would say something like that. Since Asher was her opponent, she should be hoping that Asher would give up after this.

She was conflicted. She was not sure what she wanted. What was wrong with her?

...

After the news that Huxley had become the Crawfords' heir spread, his friends all wanted to

celebrate for him. Huxley could not refuse, and so he decided to ask his friends to have drinks at Riverside Tavern.

In the afternoon, Huxley gave Layla a call, hoping that she would be there.

To be honest, Layla was not happy at all that Huxley was going to become the heir. However, Huxley was her cousin and the next patriarch of the Crawford household. Layla was in no position to refuse him, and so she reluctantly agreed to join him.

Dozens of them arrived at Lakeside Tavern and sat right outside the dining area. Huxley then said, "Thank you everyone for coming. If there's anything that I can help you with in the future, just say it. All your drinks tonight are on my tab, so enjoy yourselves!"

"You're too kind. Few around your same age have accomplished what you have. Please take good care of us in the future too."

"True. The future patriarch of the Crawfords... Just this alone is not something any of us can accomplish."

"Young Master Crawford, don't forget about your old friends."

The ones around him started babbling non-stop.

Huxley was really enjoying how he was the center of attention, and he cracked a smile. However,

he accidentally saw Layla being lost in her own thoughts. He then said, "Seems like you're not

that happy to see me becoming the heir, Layla?"

Layla was suddenly pulled back into reality. She forced a smile and said, "Not really. Everyone wants you to be the heir. Congratulations."

"Thanks." Huxley could of course see through the forced smile on her face. He knew that Layla was still thinking about Asher. He did not understand. Just how was Asher better than him? Why would Layla be impressed with him?

"Huxley, you're now the Crawfords' heir. I hope that under your leadership, you can take the household one step further. You're very capable. I believe in you," Layla said.

In the private room.

While Asher had drunk a lot, he could still hear Huxley and Layla's voices. His hands instantly

formed into fists, and his veins began to show. He was almost at the edge of exploding into violence.

Rose gave Asher a glance and whispered, "Now is not the time. Otherwise, it'll only make things even more difficult for you."

Asher gritted his teeth. While he was already doing his best to control his emotions, Huxley's laughter outside was like an ever-present reminder of the humiliation he had suffered. With the alcohol flowing in his body, Asher could not stop himself in the end and immediately threw a chair out. It landed directly on the table in front of Huxley.

Everyone was shocked when the chair appeared. When they returned to his senses, a young man wearing glasses slammed the table before standing up and yelling, "Who did this? Come out right now!

"You must have a death wish to do this to Young Master Crawford! Come out!"

The young men roared. When they saw that no one came out from the room, they exchanged a glance and then walked toward the room with the chair.

At this time, the door was kicked open, and a man stumbled out.

"Asher Crawford?!"

When Huxley and Layla saw that it was Asher, they were all shocked. To be honest, Huxley was still somewhat scared of Asher, since he had been quite notorious for a long time. When he saw that Asher's eyes were red, Huxley could not help but frown and say, "Cousin, my friends wanted

to gather and celebrate for me. I didn't mean anything by showing up. Don't think too much about it."

Asher had drunk too much, and he was struggling as he stood at the door. However, his

expression was extremely savage. Even Layla was taken aback by his eyes filled with murderous

intent.

This was the first time that Layla had seen Asher having that kind of expression. She did not know why but... She felt bad for him.

"Huxley, if you still treat me as your cousin, you wouldn't have done what you did! We're no longer family from that night onward. It means that we're done with each other!" Asher was having such a bad headache that he had to support himself using the door frame.

When Huxley heard that, he felt relief. He could do whatever he wanted as long as this did not turn into a brawl.

"Asher, we're always family. No one can change that fact."

"I have no family like you, so stop being so revolting!" Asher yelled.

Huxley frowned as he looked at Asher with a complicated look on his face.