Chapter 3

I stood outside the grand double doors of the private VIP suite, my fists clenched tightly.

Through the gap in the doors, their laughter drifted out.

Richard's voice: "Why are you still calling us Mr. and Mrs. Hayes? We'll be family soon. Call me Richard, or Dad if you like."

Helen chimed in: "Exactly! Don't be a stranger, Julian. I knew ten years ago that you were the perfect match for our Vivian."

Leo squealed: "Yeah, call them Grandpa and Grandma! We're finally a real family! I finally have a real billionaire dad!"

Julian laughed warmly. "Of course, Richard, Helen. And my beautiful boy."

I heard a soft gasp as Julian kissed Vivian right in front of them, calling her "my wife."

Vivian's giggles followed, her voice dripping with affection.

Standing in the cold hallway, my heart completely shattered.

So, tonight wasn't a business gala. It was their private "family reunion."

And here I was, foolishly thinking that at least Richard and Helen respected me.

It was all a lie.

The marriage was a lie. The wife was a lie. Even the son was a lie.

The only thing real was the ten years of genuine love and devotion I had wasted on them.

A waiter walked up with a tray of champagne. "Excuse me, sir, are you with this party?"

The doors swung open wider, and the family inside turned their heads. Their laughter died instantly when they saw me standing there.

Vivian gasped, jumping up from her seat.

"Ethan? What... what are you doing here?"

I stood there, completely calm, my eyes slowly sweeping across every single face in the room.

I looked at Vivian. "I thought you were buried in work at the office?"

I looked at Leo. "I thought you had an after-school program?"

I looked at Richard and Helen. "And I thought you had a vital business gala?"

The silence in the room was deafening. The awkwardness was so thick it was suffocating. Finally, the masks completely slipped off.

"Are you stalking me?!" Vivian hissed, her face contorting with rage. "Ethan, you are a literal psycho!"

Julian, playing the bigger man, smirked and raised his hands. "Oh, come on, Ethan. If you wanted to join us so badly, you could have just asked. Why make a scene and make everyone uncomfortable? Here, let the waiter grab another fork for you!"

"I don't want him here!" Leo screamed, pointing at me. "He's useless and he always ruins the mood! We obviously didn't invite you because nobody wants you here! Why are you so obsessed with us? I don't have a loser dad like you. Only a billionaire heir is worthy of being my father!"

I stared at them, and suddenly, I laughed.

I laughed so hard tears began to prick the corners of my eyes.

"What are you laughing at?!" Vivian demanded, her voice rising in embarrassment.

"I'm laughing because this is genuinely hilarious."

I wiped the tears from my eyes, pointing a finger at Leo. "You want to take this boy back to the Vance family? You might want to make sure he's actually accepted first."

Helen waved her hand dismissively. "None of your business! If Vivian hadn't gotten pregnant back then, you think we would have ever let a nobody like you marry into our family? The Vance family is coming to pick Julian up in a week. After that, you are nothing to us. Don't even think about clinging to my daughter and grandson!"

I nodded slowly. "Understood."

I turned on my heel and walked away without another word.

Vivian tried to grab my arm, but I brushed past her, ignoring her completely. She called out my name, but I didn't care to listen anymore.

Jim, who had been watching from the end of the hall, quickly caught up with me. "Master Ethan, should I cancel their reservation and charge them full price?"

I paused for a moment. "No. Let them have it. Consider this their last supper. After today, they pay for everything themselves."

When Vivian came home later that night, she was surprised to find my suitcases packed and waiting by the door.

"Ethan, where are you going?"

She grabbed my hand, trying to pull me back. "I didn't tell you to leave! Just wait for me here. In three days, once the Vance family takes Julian and Leo back to the estate, and I get my son settled, I'll come back to you—"

"Will you really come back?"

I asked her for the second time.

I looked deep into her eyes. Once, I had seen a sweet, innocent girl in those eyes—a girl I had sworn to protect with my life.

But now, those eyes were buried under layers of greed and deceit.

Vivian hesitated, then scrambled to explain. "Of course I will! Are you seriously still angry about the restaurant? Ethan, I admit I shouldn't have lied to you. But Julian promised that once he takes over the Vance empire, he'll invest a hundred million dollars into my dad's new project. That's why my parents insisted on hosting that dinner."

"I only kept it from you because I didn't want you to feel bad."

She looked at me with puppy-dog eyes, pulling a "special gift" out of her purse.

It was a designer tie. But she had been so rushed she hadn't even noticed the "complimentary gift with purchase" tag still attached to it.

It was the exact same brand as the high-end, custom-made tie I had seen on Julian's neck at the restaurant tonight.

I knew then that I should never have expected anything from her.

The morning of the third day arrived. A sleek, private helicopter bearing the gold Vance family crest landed on the manicured lawn outside the Hayes villa.

Vivian held my hand, her eyes filled with a complex swirl of emotions. "Ethan, wait for me at home. Once everything is settled, I'll be back."

"Will you really come back?"

I asked her for the third and final time.

Vivian parted her lips, but for a long moment, no sound came out. Finally, she whispered, "Of course."

Under the watchful eyes of the neighborhood, Julian walked out. He looked at Richard and Helen with a patronizing grin. "I am so sorry about this. My family's head butlers can be so careless sometimes. Why on earth did they land the chopper right in front of your house?"

He waved his hands toward Jim and Charles, who were standing by the helipad, shouting, "Hey! My villa is over there! You landed at the wrong house!"

Richard laughed obsequiously. "Oh, it's no trouble at all, Julian! We're all family here. But... excuse me, butlers, why do the two of you look so familiar?"

Julian scoffed. "Richard, these two are my grandfather's personal, top-tier head butlers. Even I have only heard of their legends and never met them in person. How could you possibly recognize them?"

In the next second, the two legendary butlers stepped forward in perfect unison. They bypassed Julian entirely, walked straight up to me, and bowed deeply.

"Welcome home, Ethan."