From Something To Everything (Bounprem)

159. New Family 2

Mean watched Colt's jaw drop in amazement as they got out of the car in front of the huge mansion. "Let's go in Young Master." He said with a light chuckle.

Colt gulped nervously. Now he was the Young Master of N & T Enterprises. He had no clue what they did or who they were. All he knew was that his parents worked for him.

As they walked down the corridor, many maids and servants greeted them respectfully. Colt had longer forgotten the feeling of being respected by anyone.

He closely followed Mean. Mean paused in front of the huge wooden door and knocked on it rhythmically. A female voice responded to them.

Mean turned to Colt and smiled, opening the door for him. "You may go in now."

Colt stared at Mean. "Aren't you going in with me?"

"I have somewhere else to be, Young Master," Mean replied.

Colt nodded and stepped into the room. The door closed behind him soundlessly.

A cosy living room in a designed Mediterranean style came into view. In the middle of the living room was a huge chestnut-coloured c-shaped sofa, in which a middle-aged lady sat reading a book.

As soon as the lady noticed Colt's presence in the room, she looked up. Her eyes lit up into a warm smile. She kept her book aside and walked over to Colt, pulling him into a tight hug. "Welcome home, dear."

Colt was stiff. The word 'home' felt foreign to him. He didn't dare move.

The lady cupped his face, making him look at her. "Mom is sorry, na, that I didn't manage to find you sooner. But now that I have found you, I am not letting you be alone ever again."

He smiled softly at her.

"You didn't eat anything, did you? Come let's go have lunch." The lady pulled him to the dining area.

Colt was a little taken aback by the variety of food displayed on the table.

"I didn't know what you liked to eat so I made a lot. Which one would you eat first?" She was determined to serve the food herself.

"I can eat anything," Colt answered timidly.

"Then... how about we start with some soup to warm up your tummy?" she asked. Seeing Colt nod, she took a bowl and scooped some soup into it.

The soup soon was followed by other dishes on the table. Once Colt's plate was almost full, the lady finally sat down next to him.

"So, how is it? Do you like it?" the lady looked at Colt, waiting for his review eagerly.

"Khrab, it is delicious." Colt smiled. The homecooked meal felt like heaven in his mouth.

"I knew it." The lady smiled proudly. "All my children love the food I cook."

Colt paused upon hearing the statement. He had somehow assumed that the couple were childless seeing their enthusiasm to adopt him. "Your children..."

"Oh, Mean didn't tell you?" she asked.

Colt shook his head.

"Well, I have three children. All boys. The elder two are three years younger than you. They just finished their university. And the youngest one is now in the first grade. He turned six last month." she explained.

Colt grew silent, eating the food without saying anything.

"Colt, dear, are you worried that your Nongs won't like you?" she asked seeing Colt in low spirits.

Colt bit his lips not knowing if he should say yes or no to that question.

"You don't have to worry dear, all three of them are excited to get a new Phi. Especially the eldest. He was over the moon that he wouldn't have to be the eldest child of the family anymore." the lady giggled remembering how her son was dancing in joy when they told him about Colt's adoption.

The lady noticed that Colt was almost done with the food. "Dear, have some more." she picked up a few dishes that Colt seemed to have liked.

"No, my stomach will burst if I each anymore...Mom." Colt ended the sentence rather awkwardly.

The lady's smile grew wider hearing Colt address her as 'Mom.' She fondly ruffled his hair. "You still have some space left for desserts, right."

Colt nodded smiling back cutely. He could feel the warmth of a family.

The duo moved to the living room. The maids brought in the desserts.

"Colt, is there any specific course you want to study at your university?" The lady asked as they dug into the desserts.

"I... I haven't completed my high school... mom." Colt answered softly.

"I know. I have already arranged for tutors to help you catch up on your lessons. you will be able to take exams with the other students at the end of the year."

Colt grinned gratefully at the woman. He had almost lost his hope in continuing his education.

"I am asking you after that. Is there a profession you prefer to do?" the woman asked.

When he was young, Colt wanted to be an oncologist, to treat people who are haunted by cancer like his grandmother. But now, it was no longer possible. The medical studies needed several years and he was already in his mid-twenties. Not to mention that he has a criminal record under his name.

"No Mom," he replied.

"Actually, your dad and I would like you to pursue a degree in business administration."

Colt understood that by 'dad' she was referring to her husband and not his biological father who passed away.

"You see, both our first and second sons graduated from university and started their own business behind our backs. Not that I am complaining, their business is doing really well. But neither of them is showing any interest in taking over your dad's company. And the youngest, he is still a kid, he has a long way to go before he can take charge.

So, me and your dad were wondering if you would like to help him take care of the company."

Colt felt his brain go blank. Even though he didn't know how much the company was worth, he could assume its size just by looking at the amount of lowkey luxury in the mansion-like house. He found it hard to believe that they wanted an outsider like him to take charge.

"As you like Mom," He replied.

"Great!" The lady clapped happily. "Then, after you are done with your high school exams, I will find you someone to help you learn about business."

"Khrab," Colt ate his dessert.

A man dressed in formal clothes walked into the room and handed a file to the lady and left.

"Colt, dear, I heard from Mean that you wanted to change your name?"

"Khrab," he wanted to shed away his past completely. He didn't want to keep anything that linked him to the past.

"Since you couldn't come up with a new name yourself, I took the liberty to give you a name." The lady smilingly handed over the file that contained all his information. She held his hand. "And don't worry about your past, dear. Your Nongs will hunt down those people who inflicted pain on you."

Colt felt himself shiver at the coldness of the lady's words. He opened the file and saw his new identification card. He was given his grandmother's surname. He smiled in satisfaction. He read out his new name. "Gent Wasin Thongjilla."