Chapter 2

The cuts on my leg dried and stuck to the fabric of my trousers, only to rip open again with every step, tearing flesh and oozing blood.

Images of my mom's bloodshot, tear-swollen eyes and my dad's hair turning stark white overnight flashed in my mind.

I raised my hands and slapped myself across the face, hard, again and again.

"You're a pathetic lapdog, Julian. You brought this ruin upon your family just because you fell in love with her."

I never imagined that my love would end up costing my entire family everything they owned.

The powerful syndicate behind Moon held the city in an iron grip. A single word from her could decide the life or death of any business.

Since she had orchestrated this to please Shawn, no one in the entire city would dare lift a finger to help us.

I stood by the riverbank in complete despair, staring down at the churning black water. For a brief, terrifying second, I wanted to jump.

But I couldn't.

If I died, what would happen to my mom and dad?

"Right... there's still Shawn."

His name suddenly hit me.

Truth be told, I had met Shawn before Moon ever did.

Back then, he was working as a catering waiter at a charity gala to pay for his tuition.

A wealthy older woman in her fifties had cornered him, kissing and groping him against his will. I happened to walk by and intervened to get him out of it.

At the time, Moon and I were in the middle of a cold war because I had gotten jealous over something.

Refusing to let me have my way, she had sneered in defiance.

"Oh, look at Mr. High and Mighty doing charity work. Hey, waiter—from now on, I'm paying your tuition."

I never could have guessed that moment would be the beginning of a nightmare linking the three of us.

I didn't know when Moon truly developed feelings for Shawn.

She paid his bills, hired expensive private tutors, and sent him off to the most prestigious art school in Australia.

To keep him from being looked down upon by his wealthy peers, she bought out entire seasonal collections from luxury brands and shipped them straight to his door.

Whenever Shawn came home on break, I never needed anyone to tell me.

Moon would always break up with me beforehand.

She used to say, "Shawn is a decent man. He won't be someone's side piece."

He couldn't be the side piece, so whenever he was in town, I was the one discarded like trash.

I rushed toward the elite private club where Shawn's welcome-back party was being held tonight.

At the entrance, two hulking security guards blocked my path.

"Excuse me, Mr. Gray. Ms. Moon ordered that no one is to disturb Mr. Miller's evening."

This club used to be my regular haunt.

Everyone here belonged to the same social circle.

Now that my family was bankrupt, no one was willing to give me the time of day, let alone walk me through the doors.

The freezing wind bit through my clothes. The cut on my leg split open again, the stinging pain making my lips tremble.

"Let him in."

I looked up. Moon was standing at the entrance, looking down at me from the top of the steps.

A flicker of confusion crossed her face, quickly replaced by cold composure.

"Who are you playing the victim for? Don't you know how weak your immune system is?"

She wasn't wrong. I had always had poor health; catching a cold meant a raging fever for days.

Back when our relationship was at its best, she would throw herself into my arms in a panic whenever I fell ill, pouting and begging me to get better quickly.

I lowered my head. "I want to speak with Mr. Miller."

Moon frowned, a soft, mocking laugh slipping from her lips.

"You really haven't changed at all, have you, Julian?"