"Is that all you want to say?" Theo asked with a cold tone.
"The Griffith Family will help you to become one of those one thousand people. Wherever you go, people will realize your identity. You will be famous worldwide."
Theo obviously didn't believe it. If that were the case, the Griffith Family would have let go of their title as a hidden family.
He knew they needed to get an alias to be on that list. In other words, they would be famous with that alias instead of being from the Griffith Family.
However, it also meant no one would know who came from the Griffith Family and who didn't. It would become troublesome for their enemies because they might backstab you at any moment.
'Assassinating, espionage, and something similar…' Theo muttered inwardly, 'No wonder they're among the best. With this amount of power and lack of information about their real identity, it's not easy to destroy this family.
'Also, I heard something about this Mind Elder. Only the Griffith Family knows about his real identity, so that person can suddenly come to me and brainwash me without even my knowledge. In other words, he may be the most dangerous person in the family.'
"That's all I want to say. Now, I need to hear your decision." Ray looked Theo in the eyes.
Theo closed his eyes for a few seconds before asking, "Is this something I can ask for time to think?"
"No. We need your answer right now."
This was the last trick they had in order to force the ignorant people to join the Griffith Family. They pressured them into accepting it by not giving them time to think rationally.
With many thoughts in their mind, they would surely accept the offer.
Unfortunately for them, this didn't work for Theo. He answered without hesitation. "No. I won't join the Griffith Family."
"…" Ray fell silent for a minute before tapping his chest twice. "The proof has been acquired. Theodore Griffith can still bear the Griffith Family name, but he won't be one of the Griffith's. He also won't receive any benefits from the Griffith Family."
Theo felt a bit relieved. There was no way the Griffith Family didn't monitor him, so this proof made sense to him.
Still, Theo was stunned by the next thing they said.
"Any question?"
Those two words pierced through his heart as he looked down while clenching his hands. His body started shaking due to one particular question in his mind.
"Why…"
Ray gulped down when he heard that word.
Theo slammed the table that separated both of them while openly showing his anger. He raised his head and shouted, "Why?! Why did you do all this? I don't need shits like 'We do it for you' or 'You don't know what's the best for you!' I know everything."
Ray and Valerie gritted their teeth. Just like Leonardo, they wanted to tell Theo everything. However, they couldn't do it because it would defeat the purpose.
Theo shouldn't have the change of opinion because the Griffith Family would undoubtedly make another exception, like when Ray rejoined the family.
Valerie steeled her resolve and said, "You don't need to know."
That reply broke his rationality as Theo suddenly rose from the seat while releasing his power.
Suddenly, Valerie felt as if a truck had just hit her and blown her away to the wall. Valerie just dropped to her knees and stayed there.
After blowing her away with his Telekinesis, Theo jumped toward his father and punched him right in the face, pushing him down to the ground.
He sat on top of his stomach and continuously punched him. "Why?!"
"Why did you need to do all this to me?"
"Why don't you explain it to me?"
"Do you have no trust in me?"
"I am your freaking son!"
"I have become an adult, and I know what I can tell other people and what type of stuff I shouldn't tell others!"
"If you can't even trust your son, why do you even have me in the first place?"
Every time he said something, he would couple it with another punch on Ray's face.
As if having the intention to pay for his sins, Ray didn't even put up a guard and let Theo hit him with all his strength. Blood soon started flowing out of his mouth and nose, but Theo had no sign of stopping.
While grabbing his collar, Theo continued to let go of all of his feelings pent up this whole time. Even then, every punch he threw felt like he was hitting a metal spike. It hurt not only his hand but his heart.
"Hey, tell me. What's the use of having a son like me?"
"If you just want to torture me, you should say so."
"There's also my bro… Edward Griffith… If he's here to watch me, is there even a need for me to know him?"
"Why don't you just send me to an orphanage instead of letting me live with him for seven years and just forcing me to not have the option to go to an orphanage?"
"You two are supposed to be top talents in the entire world, right?"
"Why are you not saying anything?"
"He said you have been watching over me through this shitty pocket watch… But do you know how many times I thought about committing suicide?"
"Do you know how unbearable it was to have a hope to reunite with your brother, only to find he's not even your brother?"
"Do you know how much I have suffered this whole time?"
"Everything would have become so much better if I only had you two in my life."
"I could endure the bullying or the fact I couldn't eat well."
"I just wanted someone in my life who could say everything was going to be alright."
"I wanted someone to return to…"
Theo kept punching Ray, whose face was already covered with blood. Still, each punch just made Theo even sadder.
"Where were you when I needed you the most?"
"Why did you even need to fake your own death?"
"If you don't tell me anything, how can I understand you?"
"Don't give me false hope."
"I am sick of being lied to."
"If you… If you hate me that much… Why do you even need to torture me? You don't need to torture me…" Theo suddenly stopped while grabbing his collar. He looked down as tears were flowing down. At the very end, he raised his head, looking his father in the eyes.
Sadness and disappointment filled Theo's expression as he ultimately said with a shaking voice.. "No need to torture me… Please… Please just kill me… Dad."