The Lunacy of Tyler Lockhart ✔️

Chapter Sixty Two - Present

Present

Tyler

"You don't seem surprised to see me here, son." Dad pointed out.

The man was standing right in front of me, giving me a challenging look as if I didn't have the authority to know what he was doing in his own house.

"Nothing you do surprises me anymore, father." I retorted. "I would ask what you were doing here but I see no point in asking questions that I already have answers to. What I'm curious to know is how you were able to live in the house under the ruse that you had packed and left."

Inside I was raging an inferno but just like him, I'd learned to hide my emotions well.

He'd deceived everyone and stayed in the mansion while letting people believe that he'd packed and left. What kind of father would let the media talk shit about his son conspiring to kill him off and never come out to clear that particular misunderstanding.

Right, mine would.

Jasper Lockhart was a conniving bastard, I'm pretty sure he was born that way only he never had someone to condition him the way I did. He was an illegitimate child of his father, his mother worked as a maid in the mansion. The actual heir of the Lockhart Enterprises was my dad's half-brother and my uncle Vincent. But since my grandfather had seen immense potential in my father, he'd decided to give him his name. Father had taken over the reins when he'd grown older. If Jasper Lockhart wasn't such a strategist, he wouldn't even be in this place. Uncle Vincent's son Maximus would have been the rightful heir now, not me.

"This part of the house directly connects to my master bedroom and the study. Morgan knew I was staying here and helped me live in the shadows." He explained calmly.

I noticed the few changes in him since the disappearance. His hair had grown a bit longer, there was a five o'clock shadow and if anything he looked healthier. Women would still throw themselves at him, seeing as he was still so fit. Age hadn't diminished his beauty and I mentally kicked myself because as much as I hated my father, I looked just like him. A mirror image.

I'd last met him a few years ago as I refused to come back home from London. Part of the reason why I managed the operations overseas was because I hated being in this mansion. He'd tried to get me to come home several times but I'd managed to subtly ignore him.

And he'd found another way. He'd played a dirty game.

I couldn't keep the anger out of my voice as I said, "For months you let us believe that you'd disappeared. You left clues for police to find and they questioned me. Half the fucking tabloids think I conspired to have you disappeared or worse get you killed and you've been hiding in this part of the house like a goddamn basement rat!"

Dad leveled me with a heated look that should have put me in my place. "Mind your fucking tongue, boy. I shouldn't remind you who you're talking to."

"So what was it for?" I asked. "To spy on me?"

"Your uncle and I had a bet. Vince said that you wouldn't be able to take over the operations if the responsibility was placed on your shoulders. I merely proved him wrong. My methods were different but I had to see for myself too."

"See what?" I seethed.

"To see if you were capable to take over the position after me. I came up with the plan to disappear for a while and to observe how you made decisions for the company and the way you handled things alone. I was interested to see how you managed everything--the employees, the house staff, the company, our family."