Beaufort Academy | EDITING

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Kidnapped

Paul clapped slowly, "Very good, Alexis. You really are fitting to be the student council president."

Alexis just glared at him. It was part of Alexis' job to know everything about the students. She knew everyone in the school but most especially, she wanted to know who she was going to work with. It was one of the things her father had taught her, that she should know who she is working with especially if she was really serious about going through a politician's path.

Mr. Christopher had even taken it upon himself to have background checks on all those who were elected along with Alexis, and gave her the file. It was there that Alexis found out that Paul was adopted by his mother's brother or otherwise known as Hope's father.

Paul was an orphan. He didn't know who his father was because his father left him and her mother before he was even born. The last thing his mother had heard about his father was that he died in a drunken fight. She had opted to have Paul bare her last name as his father was nonexistent in their lives anyway.

Paul's mother was an overseas Filipino worker who worked hard for her son's future. He grew up in the care of his grandmother who would gamble the money his mother would send home. On days she wasn't gambling, Paul's grandmother would beat him. However, his mother died of a heart attack when he turned 11 years old. His grandmother also died after just three months of his mother's death.

He was eventually adopted by Hope's family. Hope's father was Paul's uncle as he was the brother of Paul's mother. Hope's father was an ambitious man. He wasn't close to his family because he thought they were parasites and were good for nothing. But when he found out that his sister died and left a huge sum of life insurance money to her only son who was then still a minor, he saw the opportunity. Hope's father used Paul's mother's life insurance to start the business that gave them the nouveau riche status.

Sadly, although he was adopted into Hope's family, Paul was never treated as part of their family. In fact, he was ignored most of the time.

And most of the time, Paul spent his time outside the house that he never felt was home to begin with. He became friends with the wrong crowd, hanging out on bad neighborhoods instead of going to school. Until one day, he wandered in a really bad one and became the target of a beating.

He was left on the sidewalk, bleeding, beaten up and broken physically, mentally and emotionally. It was the lowest Paul ever felt. He felt like no one cared and no one would help him. He felt no one could ever love him. He felt ready to die.

Until a car stopped beside him and Alexis stepped out.

It was the day that Alexis was on an outreach along with her father's employees. Her father was out of town kasi so Alexis took his place. She saw Paul on the sidewalk, unrecognizable because of his bruises. Her heart grew with pity for him so she asked the driver to stop and help her take Paul to the hospital.

Paul remained silent the whole time because he didn't trust anyone easily then. He still thought that everyone was out to get him, and everyone was against him. Alexis stayed with him in the emergency room, making sure he was well taken care off and even paid for everything.

As Alexis soothingly patted his arm, Paul felt something within him stir. It was the first time in a long time that Paul felt someone care for him, that he was more than just wasted space. It was like an angel fell from heaven right in front of him. He felt like Alexis was an angel his mother sent to love him.

And it started his obsession.

He had gone home after he was discharged in the hospital and did research regarding the money his uncle took from him as his supposed guardians. They had used it without his consent and he found out he could file a case against them. But he didn't as instead, he struck a deal with Hope's parents.