Revenge is best served cold

Chapter 1898
Adler never quite got why his mom and dad were always so distant, like there was this invisible wall between them, neither one
willing to budge even an inch. The Tredgold family felt as chilly as a walk-in freezer. His parents acted like strangers, never
exchanging so much as a glance. His dad's attitude towards him was just as frosty.
When Adler was little, he'd try to get his dad's attention by copying his
kindergarten friends, being all cute and cuddly. But all he got in return was his dad's unbothered stare. His dad never spent the
night at home, leaving his mom all by herself. Adler figured all families were like this.
But soon enough, he realized he was wrong. At school, they got a project called "My Father." Other kids talked about their dads

who, even if they were a bit strict, always showed them love and care. Their dads would hug them and tell them bedtime stories.
These were things Adler had never experienced.
Turns out, dads could be like that. Turns out, only his dad was different. When he went home, there was his distant father again.
What awaited him was being shipped off overseas for schooling. Not because of love, but because he was a Tredgold, and he
couldn't fall behind other kids.
Still, Adler longed for a warm smile from his dad, to be the apple of his father's eye like other kids. The training abroad was mind-
numbingly dull. Locked in a room, day in and day out, sweating and sparring nonstop. At least Adler didn't have time to wonder if
his dad missed him; his only focus was getting stronger. Maybe then his dad would finally be happy.
One teacher once said Adler was born for martial arts, a
once-in-a-century prodigy. The
training included boxing, fencingnet
every move a lesson in winning. One day, a teacher, lost in thought, said, "Long training usually makes people aggressive, but
not him."
For Adler, the fights were no big deal. The more he trained, the less he felt like talking. The teachers decided he needed more
advanced training. Adler didn't protest. Anything, if it meant making his dad proud.

That year, Adler felt transformed, but the training had made him colder. Towards opponents and teammates alike. At a global
competition, he easily beat someone seven years older. He remembered how, after his winning move, his opponent lay on the
ground in tears. They'd trained for years, only to be beaten by a kid.
It seemed hard work didn't hold up against pure talent. Yet Adler held onto his trophy, hoping to surprise his dad. When he got
home, his dad barely looked at him, didn't say a word, just as cold as ever. He walked out of the room right after.
Adler
That's when Adler realized that even with a trophy, his dad would never be proud. That day, Adler tore up at his certificates and
smashed the trophy Training was
ve
mind-numbingly boring, ang
had become unbearably dull. He no longer wanted to keep going.