Chapter 2

I barely kept myself alive with the university's financial aid.

I had accepted my reality. That was, until the day I saw the news about my dad on the campus TV.

[Vance Enterprises CEO, Phillips Vance, splurges $100 million to build a luxury skyscraper for his six-year-old son, Jackson.]

For the first time in my life, a massive sense of unfairness washed over me. With tear-filled eyes, I asked my mom.

"Mom, if Dad has so much money... why hasn't he come back to see me even once?"

"Does he really not have a single shred of affection for me?"

My mom sneered. "Why do you think? He hates you more than anything in this world."

I quickly shoved the rest of the rice into my mouth. I had to rush to my next gig.

I had recently landed a part-time job tutoring an elementary school kid in English and essay writing.

The pay was triple what I made washing dishes at the diner, so I absolutely could not be late.

Price frowned, his eyes filled with worry.

"Hart, can your body even take this?"

"Why don't you take a day off? If you keep going like this, I’m afraid you're going to collapse..."

I didn't stop. I kept packing my things, coughing as I swallowed the rice too quickly, my face turning red.

I pounded my chest to force the food down, then spoke quietly.

"I can't rest, Price. If I stop, how is my mom going to survive?"

Hearing this, Price’s anger flared, his voice rising.

"Your mother is unbelievably selfish!"

"How can she force a college freshman to pay for everything?"

"Does she even care about your health?!"

I just gave him a helpless, tired smile. "I owe her my life."

For all these years, I had lived in a constant state of self-blame.

If it weren't for me, my mom wouldn't be living in this misery.

So, I had no right to complain.

After riding three different buses, I finally arrived at my destination.

It was a massive mansion nestled halfway up a private hill in Bel-Air. I had to hike up a steep incline for thirty minutes just to reach the front gate.

A middle-aged man dressed in a sharp suit—the butler—walked out with a polite smile.

"Are you the new tutor?"

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and nodded.

He led me inside, and the sheer opulence of the estate blew my mind.

Even the golden retriever in the yard had its own two-story, air-conditioned dog house.

The butler took me into a grand study and handed me a glass of ice water.

"Please wait here for a moment. I'll go fetch the young master."

I pulled out the textbooks I had prepared. Before I could even place them on the desk, a little boy burst into the room.

He grinned, showing two adorable dimples.

"Hi, Mr. Tutor!"

I was relieved. The children of the ultra-rich could actually be this polite. My anxiety melted away.

I patted his head gently. "Hi there. You can just call me Hart."

The boy gasped, jumping up and down excitedly.

"Hart! My last name is Vance too!"

"I'm Jackson Vance!"

My smile instantly froze on my face.

Jackson.

I had heard that name on the news. He was the boy for whom my father had built a $100 million tower.

The boy standing in front of me was my father's new son.

This was my father's house.

Panic seized me, and I stood there completely paralyzed, not knowing what to do.

My hands shook violently. Years of repressed hatred, sorrow, and abandonment issues rushed to the surface.

I wanted to run out of the room, find Phillips Vance, and scream in his face.

Why did you treat me like trash? Why did you leave me and Mom to rot?!

But my rational mind kicked in. Acting on impulse would only make him despise me more.

Plus, I would lose this high-paying tutoring gig.

I needed this money to survive.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to pretend I knew nothing. I sat down and started the lesson.

Two hours flew by. Jackson was incredibly well-behaved and highly intelligent. We got along perfectly, talking like old friends.

He didn't have a single drop of spoiled attitude.

As I packed my books and assigned him some homework, Jackson suddenly tugged at my sleeve. He looked around conspiratorially.

"Hart, I don't really have any friends. You're my only friend!"

"Can I tell you a secret?"

I blinked. I was surprised that a kid living in a palace had no friends, and even more surprised that he chose to trust me.

But I knelt down and patted his head. "Sure. What is it?"

Jackson leaned in and whispered in my ear.

"I actually have an older brother. Dad has been searching for him for years."

"But he can't find him. So, when I grow up, I'm going to help Dad find my big brother!"

My mind went completely blank.

"What... what did you say?"