?Chapter 711:


    Feeling the tension leave his body, he breathed a sigh of relief. Clearly, Elena had been bluffing. The idea that his father would openly acknowledge his illegitimate son seemed ludicrous—unless his father had lost his mind.


    Copsing onto the couch, Keith crossed his legs, a growing determination sparked by Elena’s deception. Images of Elena’s striking presence floated through his mind, and a sly smile crept onto his lips.


    However, the sound of footsteps descending the stairs snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned sharply, his smile vanishing instantly. “Identify yourself,” he demanded.


    At the foot of the stairs stood a young man in a pristine white T-shirt, paired with a gray hoodie and clean canvas shoes. His casually styled hair framed a calm, detached gaze fixed squarely on Keith.


    Keith’s newly regainedposure shattered, his heart pounding wildly as a sinking feeling overcame him. With a scowl, he spat, “Who allowed you here? You, a bastard, should stay hidden instead of coveting what isn’t yours!”


    Shawn Martin kept his expressionposed, but just as he opened his mouth to reply, another voice interrupted. Graham emerged from the study, catching the tail end of Keith’s outburst. His expression hardened as he scolded, “Keith, watch yournguage. This is Shawn, your brother. He’s moving in with us.”


    “Moving in?” Keith frowned, puzzled by his father’s apparent disregard for the family’s reputation and the potential ridicule they might face.


    “Dad, doesn’t it bother you that our family could be the subject of jokes?” Keith clenched his jaw, unable to mask his frustration.


    Seeing Shawn only intensified Keith’s anxiety.


    Graham ced a supportive hand on Shawn’s shoulder and looked at him with evident pride. “Shawn has been admitted to the University as the top scorer from our city. He is truly remarkable and deserves all we can provide.”


    Keith gritted his teeth in frustration. No matter Shawn’s academic achievements, it didn’t change the fact that he was an illegitimate child.


    As Keith’s anger simmered beneath the surface, a deepening sense of dread settled within him. What did his father’s clear favoritism toward this illegitimate son mean for him?


    L?τ??τ ch?ρτ?rs ιn g??l??ov?ls.????


    What did this mean for his own future? Keith’s heart sank as he watched his father’s smile fade, reced by a stern expression.


    The next moment, Graham spoke with chilling calmness. “You’ve embarrassed me with your reckless friends. Therefore, I’ve decided you will go abroad to study next month.”


    “Dad, I’ve been out of school for so long, and now you’re sending me overseas?” Keith was stunned. His father was not only weing his illegitimate son into their home but also seemed eager to send him away. Was that it? Were they pushing him aside just to clear the way for that illegitimate son?


    ring at Shawn with rage, Keith demanded, “What is it that you want? Money?” In a fit of anger, he hurled a bundle of cash toward Shawn. “Will this do? Take it and leave!”


    Shawn ignored the fluttering bills, maintaining hisposure. “Dad, I’ll return to my room now.”


    Graham looked at Shawn with newfound affection, appreciating his capabilities more than ever before. Then he fixed a stern gaze on Keith. “I’m still here, and I make the decisions! How dare you treat your brother this way? Pack your belongings and leave, or I’ll cut off your financial support and leave you to manage on your own abroad.”


    Keith’s face flushed with fury, veins visibly pulsing. He felt powerless to oppose his father yet unwilling to leave without protest.


    .


    .


    .