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Episode 1. I Don’t Want You To Be Happy
It was 10 p.m. and the moonlight was dazzling. Room 101, on the top floor of Hotel Waverick Seattle, was pitch black, and there was the faint sound of breathing.
Natalie Davidson opened her eyes, but the world before her was so muddled that she couldn't see clearly. Her body felt strange as if it had caught fire and she was burning alive. Someone seemed to be lying on top of her, pressing down, but no matter how much she struggled to push him away, he remained motionless.
Her mind was a mess and she couldn't think straight. She only vaguely remembered that the previous night she had welcomed her fiancé back from his travels abroad, and then because she was so happy and drunk, she had been brought to her stepsister's room to rest. She hadn’t expected to find this when she woke up.
"Who are yo–" Natalie's voice was cut off by a heavy gasp from the man, and his grip on her body got tighter and tighter. She didn't have the strength to push him away. "Let me go …"
She had never felt like this before. A wave of lust washed over her, and she could not help but respond to him. Her body was exceptionally hot and she frowned. Something wasn't right. The feeling of lust faded and she suddenly felt terrified, but she couldn't stop the man. As he pushed into her, she felt herself losing consciousness until finally she couldn't stay awake any longer and passed out.
Outside, the sky was dark. Around three in the morning, the cell phone on the bedside table vibrated violently. With a frown, the man woke up from his sleep. His gaze slid across the messy bedsheets and then over to Natalie, who was covered only by a thin blanket. His expression immediately darkened. He picked up the phone and slammed it down. The hostility in his eyes was clear. These people had actually dared to drug him. They must have gotten tired of living.
Steadily, he got up, threw back the covers, and went to take a shower in the bathroom. Afterward, without a trace of hesitation, he turned and left the room, as if the person on the bed was just an object he didn't need to pay attention to.
When Natalie woke up, it was morning.
The moment she opened her eyes, she felt pain. She had a splitting headache and her entire body was extremely sore as if it had been beaten. She sat motionless at the head of the bed. The events of the previous night flashed through her mind like a movie, making her tremble with despair. The man who had assaulted her was obviously not her fiancé, Nick. How could she have lost her virginity under such strange circumstances?
What should she do?
What on earth should she do?
She hurriedly picked up her clothes from the floor and put them on. She wanted to go home quickly and wash up; she couldn’t bear to stay in this room even a second longer. But the moment she opened the door, she saw Nick, who was standing outside with a shocked face, alongside her stepsister Sheryl and her father Tom, who both looked furious.
"Nick?"
Natalie didn't know how to explain and barely got a grip on her thoughts before she was slapped in the face by her father. The mess in the room had not been cleaned up and the evidence of what had happened there was obvious.
"Look at what you’ve done! You’ve cheated on your fiancé, you’ve embarrassed me, you’ve embarrassed the whole family! How could I have raised a daughter like you?"
Nick gripped Tom’s hand tightly and frowned as he looked at her face. "Natalie, how could you do this?"
"No, no." She shook her head with all her might, trying to clasp his hand, afraid that he would leave. “I was drunk last night. I only came back to the room to rest.” She suddenly looked at Sheryl, who was standing in front of her with wide eyes. “You did this, didn’t you? You were the one who brought me back to the hotel last night, to this room. Why did you do this to me?"
When Sheryl heard this, she looked wrong. "I don't understand what you're saying. I did no such thing."
"You didn't?" Natalie growled as her anger reached its peak. "Then how did I end up in someone else's room? Why would that man–"
"Enough!" Nick interrupted her with a loud shout as if he didn't want to hear any more. "You want to blame someone else for what you've done?" He looked at her coldly. "I only left for six months and you're already this desperate. Did you really have to climb into someone else's bed?!"
Natalie hugged her arm in panic as tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped onto the carpet. She couldn’t believe Nick was saying these things. They had been together for three years and were about to get married.
"Nick," she said in a low voice, practically begging as she looked at the resolute man in front of her. "Please believe me …"
"Don't say any more, just listening to you disgusts me." With a look of pure disdain, he turned around and strode off down the corridor. "The engagement’s off. I don't want to see you again."
His words were like a sharp knife stabbing straight into her heart. Despair slowly spread through her and was on the verge of spilling out. It was so painful that she could no longer breathe.
"Nick!"
She staggered after him, but her father grabbed her by the arm and shoved her to the floor.
“Natalie, you’re no longer part of this family. From this day on, you’re not my daughter!”
She was stunned. After they left, her head was in shambles; she didn't even know how she made it home, but by the time she did her belongings were already packed and left by the door. Tom had even booked a plane ticket for her, and he told her to pick up her stuff and leave the country immediately.
"Natalie, are you alright?"
She was in a daze as she lowered her head to pick up her things. Sheryl walked down the steps at a leisurely pace. When Natalie ignored her, she didn't get angry. Instead, she laughed. "Do you really want to know how you ended up in that room? Let me tell you. You were right, I put you there. I did it because I want to marry Nick and I can't stand the thought of you being happy with him."
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Episode 2. Exile
Natalie raised her head and bit her lip. She was so angry that she couldn't utter a single word. Her whole body was trembling with fury. She couldn't understand why Sheryl would ruin her life like this.
"Hmm” Sheryl smiled, “So what if you’re angry?" Sheryl played with her curly hair and sneered. "Nick doesn't believe you. Your father doesn't believe you either. You can go abroad and live on your own."
Natalie was furious. "Why are you doing this to me? Why are you running my life? Why"
She rushed forward hysterically and wrapped her hands around Sheryl’s neck, but Sheryl didn't resist. She only blinked pitifully at her. "Sister, don't hurt me … Last night really wasn't my fault … What are you doing?"
Hearing the commotion, Tom rushed out, looking so angry that the veins on his neck stood out. He raised his hand and pushed Natalie to the ground. "Are you crazy? Are you trying to kill your sister?"
Natalie fell to the ice-cold sidewalk, where she remained. Unable to bear the pain any longer, she was on the verge of tears. She thought of her mother and her childhood, but no matter how hard she wished, she could never return to that time.
Rosemary, her stepmother, came up behind her. When she saw the marks on her daughter's neck, she was so angry – just like her husband – that she raised her hand and slapped Natalie.
"You uneducated brat! You're just the same as your mother! You might as well die!"
The more she slapped, the harder each slap became. Tom stood beside her, but he only seemed to be concerned about Sheryl's injuries. As the attack went on, Natalie’s vision grew blurry from the blows, but all she could feel was the coldness in her heart as if all warmth had left it.
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At that time, in his office at the Clair Group, Bryce was looking at his assistant with a malicious expression.
"What's going on?" His face was so gloomy that his gaze could bore holes through a person. "How is the investigation going?"
His assistant was sweating under his gaze, but he swallowed and told him the news. "It's Evan Wilson."
Bryce knew of Evan. A while ago, he had worked with the Clair Group on a project and had taken many kickbacks from it. Bryce didn't like his way of handling things, so he had sent his men to destroy the Wilson family. Right now, the Wilsons were on the verge of bankruptcy and collapse.
"Evan bribed the hotel's waiter and drugged you. He probably wanted to use this to …" The assistant's voice trailed off until he was no longer breathing.
The situation was clear now: Evan was behind all of this. Bryce had never thought that something would go wrong and that he would have to completely deviate from his original plan.
"I checked, Evan booked a room in the hotel last night." The assistant looked up at him hesitantly, then looked down again. "But you didn't use it …"
Bryce's expression suddenly changed and he asked in a low voice, "What do you mean?"
The assistant was confused. He could only look at his face and repeat hesitantly, "You didn't use the room yesterday."
If he didn't go into his room, then who was the woman who had been lying on his bed? In his mind, he saw broken images of her flushed cheeks and her body writhing beneath him, but what he remembered clearest were those cries of grief and heart-breaking pain. He suddenly remembered the crimson spots on the sheets that he had noticed before he left — the woman had been a virgin.
Bryce's brows knit together. He told his assistant in a deep voice, "Go check the identity of the woman who was in my room immediately."
He wanted to know where she had come from.
The assistant immediately hurried off to do as he had been told. But no matter how fast he moved, he wouldn’t be able to find any useful information. The hotel’s surveillance tapes had already been wiped by Sheryl. How could she possibly leave behind evidence that would show that she had set Natalie up? Naturally, she had had to cover her tracks. After doing this, she continued to pretend that she was innocent, and gloated as she watched Natalie get kicked out of her house in a sorry state.
Natalie didn't even stay a night before she was packed off and sent out of the country. She lugged her heavy luggage onto the plane. She had been exiled without knowing when she could return.
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Episode 3. You’re My Daddy
Five years later, Natalie stood in the first-class lounge at Heathrow Airport, staring at the two tickets in her hands, unable to focus. She had been in England for five years and in all that time she hadn't made even one phone call to her family. Her father treated her like she was dead and as if he couldn't care less about it. If it wasn't for Sheryl and Nick’s engagement, he might not even have remembered she existed.
Her heart had no attachment to the place she had been separated from for years. All her feelings had been erased on the day she was thrown out. She didn't want to go back and see the people who had hurt her, but she couldn't stand listening to her father's threats on the phone. If she did not do what he said, he would not let her grandmother live peacefully, he could even hurt her. Her grandmother was the closest person in the world to her. She had wanted to bring her to England to spend the rest of her life there, but she couldn't sway the old lady from her desire to be in the country where her husband and daughter had lived. Natalie had no choice but to leave her where she was. If it wasn't for her grandmother, she probably wouldn't go back for the rest of her life, but she couldn't afford to lose her to her father’s anger.
"Mommy, Mommy."
Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly heard a lovely, gentle voice beside her. She looked down and saw a four-year-old boy lightly tugging at the corner of her jumper. He told her in a serious tone, "Stop daydreaming. The plane is about to take off."
Only then did she recover her wits. The anger in her eyes gradually softened as she smiled and picked up the child. "Alright then, let's go to the gate."
At the same time, on the other side of the first-class lounge, a tall man in a suit with two burly bodyguards standing behind him strode towards the gate with a cold expression.
Natalie had bought first-class tickets. In the past few years, she had suffered a lot from feeling rootless in a foreign country, and she had developed many issues. She had bad insomnia and headaches, and she was afraid of loud noises. The moment she got on the plane, she covered her eyes with a blanket to try to fall asleep, but first, she told Liam to be good and not run around.
Liam was her most precious treasure. He was very well behaved. He sat on his seat as he was told and played with the toy she had bought him, occasionally stealing glances at her.
Natalie put her head against the window. He soon noticed that she did not look well.
"Mommy." He leaned across and looked at her. Seeing that she was frowning, he asked worriedly, "Are you not feeling well?"
Natalie coughed twice due to an itch in her throat. With a hint of weakness in her voice, she answered, "I'm fine …" She looked at the child and forced a smile. "I'm just a little thirsty."
Without waiting for her to say anything, Liam jumped out of his seat and hurried off excitedly to get her some water. She didn't know who he took after. He was only four years old, but he was as sensible as a small adult, and he could even take care of her.
Liam came running back with a glass of water. As he reached their seats, he bumped into a man who had just stepped into the plane. The glass in his hand wobbled and the water spilled from it, wetting the man’s shoes and the legs of his pants.
Bryce lowered his head and looked at the water stains on his clothes. He frowned in displeasure. "What are you doing? Don't you know to watch where you're going?"
"I'm sorry." Liam held the cup and apologized repeatedly. But when he raised his head and looked at the man, he was immediately stunned, "I …"
Liam had once finally mustered the courage to ask his mother about his father. Natalie was taken aback and stood speechless for a moment before she randomly showed the young boy a picture of a handsome man and told him that this was him.
Looking at Bryce, Liam instantly somehow recalled the same picture, and realized that the two men resembled each other to almost a fault! Bryce was a well-built man, who possessed a muscular demeanor and suave gait. His pose and grace made the young boy quiver. The more he looked at Bryce, the more he felt that the man in front of him fit his image of his father from the picture. He stood quiet for two seconds, before hurling himself at Bryce’s long leg and then shouted, "Daddy!"
The two bodyguards behind Bryce were completely taken aback by the scene unfolding in front of them. They had been with Bryce for a long time, but this was the first time they’d seen someone act so affectionately with him, let alone someone so young.
Bryce's expression instantly turned ugly. He reached out his hand to push away the little arms that were wrapped around him and said coldly, "Don't randomly call people your father. I'm not your father."
He had known many women who had claimed to be pregnant with his child, but this was the first time he had ever seen such a clever and affectionate 'son'.
Liam stared at his face and answered with certainty, "You are my daddy. Why did you abandon me and Mommy?"
The more he spoke, the more wronged he felt. He pouted his small mouth and put on a pitiful expression. When the passengers beside them heard this, they immediately looked over in curiosity.
Natalie couldn’t sleep through the commotion. She opened her eyes and looked in the direction of the noise, only to find her son standing in the middle of the aisle, holding onto the leg of an unfamiliar man.
"Sorry, sorry." She quickly got up. Embarrassed, she reached out to take the child's hand. "He must have made a mistake. Liam, let go of him."
Her son had always been sensible and listened to her over anyone else, but today she didn't know what was going on. No matter how much she tried to persuade him, Liam continued to hold onto the leg of that strange man's pants. He bit his lips in frustration and refused to let go.
Bryce was a cold person, but when he looked at the child's pitiful expression, he felt a bit moved. He frowned and said to Natalie, "Why did you become a mother? If you couldn’t give him a complete family, it would have been better not to have him at all."
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TODAY IN HISTORY June 8
Ancient World
218 – Battle of Antioch: With the support of the Syrian legions, Elagabalus defeats the forces of emperor Macrinus.
452 – Attila leads a Hun army in the invasion of Italy, devastating the northern provinces as he heads for Rome.
Middle Ages
793 – Vikings raid the abbey at Lindisfarne in Northumbria, commonly accepted as the beginning of Norse activity in the British Isles.
1042 – Edward the Confessor becomes King of England – the country's penultimate Anglo-Saxon king.
1191 – Richard I arrives in Acre, beginning the Third Crusade.
Early Modern World
1663 – Portuguese Restoration War: Portuguese victory at the Battle of Ameixial ensures Portugal's independence from Spain.
1772 – Alexander Fordyce flees to France to avoid debt repayment, triggering the credit crisis of 1772 in the British Empire and the Dutch Republic.
Revolutionary Age
1776 – American Revolutionary War: Continental Army attackers are driven back at the Battle of Trois-Rivières.
1783 – Laki, a volcano in Iceland, begins an eight-month eruption which kills over 9,000 people and starts a seven-year famine.
1789 – James Madison introduces twelve proposed amendments to the United States Constitution in Congress.
1794 – Maximilien Robespierre inaugurates the French Revolution's new state religion, the Cult of the Supreme Being, with large organized festivals all across France.
1856 – A group of 194 Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the mutineers of HMS Bounty, arrives at Norfolk Island, commencing the Third Settlement of the Island.
1861 – American Civil War: Tennessee secedes from the Union.
1862 – American Civil War: A Confederate victory by forces under General Stonewall Jackson at the Battle of Cross Keys, along with the Battle of Port Republic the next day, prevents Union forces from reinforcing General George B. McClellan in his Peninsula campaign.
1867 – Coronation of Franz Joseph as King of Hungary following the Austro-Hungarian compromise (Ausgleich).
1887 – Herman Hollerith applies for US patent #395,781 for the 'Art of Compiling Statistics', which was his punched card calculator.
1906 – Theodore Roosevelt signs the Antiquities Act into law, authorizing the President to restrict the use of certain parcels of public land with historical or conservation value.
1912 – Carl Laemmle incorporates Universal Pictures.
World Wars
1918 – A solar eclipse is observed at Baker City, Oregon by scientists and an artist hired by the United States Navy.
1928 – Second Northern Expedition: The National Revolutionary Army captures Beijing, whose name is changed to Beiping ("Northern Peace").
1929 – Margaret Bondfield is appointed Minister of Labour. She is the first woman appointed to the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.
1940 – World War II: The completion of Operation Alphabet, the evacuation of Allied forces from Narvik at the end of the Norwegian Campaign.
1941 – World War II: The Allies commence the Syria–Lebanon Campaign against the possessions of Vichy France in the Levant.
1942 – World War II: The Imperial Japanese Navy submarines I-21 and I-24 shell the Australian cities of Sydney and Newcastle.
Cold War
1949 – Helen Keller, Dorothy Parker, Danny Kaye, Fredric March, John Garfield, Paul Muni and Edward G. Robinson are named in an FBI report as Communist Party members.
1949 – George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four is published.
1953 – An F5 tornado hits Beecher, Michigan, killing 116, injuring 844, and destroying 340 homes.
1953 – The United States Supreme Court rules in District of Columbia v. John R. Thompson Co. that restaurants in Washington, D.C., cannot refuse to serve black patrons.
1959 – USS Barbero and the United States Postal Service attempt the delivery of mail via Missile Mail.
1967 – Six-Day War: The USS Liberty incident occurs, killing 34 and wounding 171.
1968 – James Earl Ray, the man who assassinated Martin Luther King Jr. is arrested at London Heathrow Airport.
1972 – Vietnam War: Nine-year-old Phan Thị Kim Phúc is burned by napalm, an event captured by Associated Press photographer Nick Ut moments later while the young girl is seen running naked down a road, in what would become an iconic, Pulitzer Prize-winning photo.
1982 – Bluff Cove Air Attacks during the Falklands War: Fifty-six British servicemen are killed by an Argentine air attack on two landing ships, RFA Sir Galahad and RFA Sir Tristram.
1982 – VASP Flight 168 crashes in Pacatuba, Ceará, Brazil, killing 128 people.
1984 – Homosexuality is decriminalized in the Australian state of New South Wales.
1987 – New Zealand's Labour government establishes a national nuclear-free zone under the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987.
Modern World
1992 – The first World Oceans Day is celebrated, coinciding with the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
1995 – Downed U.S. Air Force pilot Captain Scott O'Grady is rescued by U.S. Marines in Bosnia.
2001 – Mamoru Takuma kills eight and injures 15 in a mass stabbing at an elementary school in the Osaka Prefecture of Japan.
2004 – The first Venus Transit in well over a century takes place, the previous one being in 1882.
2007 – Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, is hit by the State's worst storms and flooding in 30 years resulting in the death of nine people and the grounding of a trade ship, the MV Pasha Bulker.
2008 – At least 37 miners go missing after an explosion in a Ukrainian coal mine causes it to collapse.
2008 – At least seven people are killed and ten injured in a stabbing spree in Tokyo, Japan.
2009 – Two American journalists are found guilty of illegally entering North Korea and sentenced to 12 years of penal labour.
2014 – At least 28 people are killed in an attack at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, Pakistan.
Featured
1949: George Orwell's novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four" is published, portraying a dystopian future dominated by totalitarianism and surveillance.

In the heart of a bustling city in America, amidst the cacophony of daily life, there lived a young woman named Lily. With an adventurous spirit and a passion for exploring different cultures, she found herself drawn to the mesmerizing sounds of world music. Among the various rhythms that captivated her, the beats of Indian drums resonated deep within her soul.
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One fateful day, Lily attended a cultural festival that celebrated the diverse traditions of the world. As she wandered through the vibrant event, her ears were entranced by the rhythmic melodies of the Indian drum, known as the tabla. The enchanting sound seemed to beckon her towards a small stage bathed in sunlight.
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There, amidst a group of talented musicians, stood a man who radiated an aura of captivating energy. His long, dark hair cascaded down his back, gently swaying with each movement. His golden brown skin glimmered under the sun's rays, highlighting the intricate tattoos that adorned his arms. The muscles in his arms rippled as he skillfully played the tabla, his hands dancing across the drums in perfect synchrony.
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Lily stood at a distance, her eyes fixated on the Indian man's mesmerizing performance. The combination of his physical beauty and his musical talent stirred something deep within her. The way he effortlessly merged with the music, his entire being immersed in the rhythm, ignited a longing within her to understand the essence of his soul.
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As the performance reached its crescendo, Lily felt an invisible thread connecting her heart to the music, drawing her closer to the enigmatic musician. She made her way towards the stage, her steps guided by an irresistible curiosity. When their eyes finally met, she saw a spark of recognition in his gaze, as if he too had felt the invisible thread that connected them.
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After the performance, Lily mustered the courage to approach the Indian musician, whose name was Dev. Their conversation flowed effortlessly, bridging the gap between their different backgrounds. Dev, too, was captivated by Lily's genuine appreciation for his culture and the artistry of his music.
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As their connection deepened, Lily found herself falling in love not only with the Indian man but also with the rich tapestry of his heritage. Dev shared stories of his family, their traditions, and the spiritual significance of the tabla. Through his words, Lily gained a deeper understanding of the music that had originally enchanted her.
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Dev's passion for music and his reverence for his cultural roots mirrored Lily's own appreciation for art and exploration. They began to create their own harmonies, blending the melodies of their hearts into a beautiful symphony. Lily's admiration for Dev's long hair, glistening muscles, and golden brown skin evolved into a profound love for the man he was, the way he nurtured his traditions, and the love he held for his family.
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Together, they embarked on a journey of discovery, weaving the fabric of their lives with threads of love, respect, and shared aspirations. The sight of Dev playing the tabla with sun rays falling upon him became a symbol of their connection—a reminder of the moment that brought them together and the enduring love that blossomed between them.
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As Lily and Dev continued their journey, they encountered challenges and triumphs, but their love remained steadfast. They embraced the fusion of their cultures, celebrating both their American and Indian roots. Their story became a testament to the beauty of cultural exchange, reminding others that love knows no boundaries, and that when two souls find solace in each other's arms, they create a harmony that transcends time and place.
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The memory of Dev, with his long hair flowing, his glistening muscles moving to the beat, and his golden brown skin shimmering in the sun's embrace, remained etched in Lily's heart. Their love was a
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testament to the power of music, the enchantment of cultural exploration, and the transformative nature of embracing the beauty found in the diversity of our world.

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Chapter 1
"Hello. Heavenly Lion Convenience," Alex Ambrose answered the store phone.
"I need a box of condoms and two packs of tissues delivered to room 1302 of the Sheraton South River Hotel. Hurry!" The caller hung up.
Alex shook his head. People never seemed to be prepared.
He packed the required items, put on a raincoat, and rode his electric bike toward the Sheraton Hotel on the southern side of the river.
It was nine o’clock in the evening and raining heavily, and his pants and shoes were soon wet and filthy. Luckily, the merchandise was still dry, but he didn't dare delay any longer, so he hurried toward the hotel.
When he arrived at room 1302, he knocked on the door, and it was opened quickly.
"Hello, here’s your—" Alex was stunned into silence.
The woman in front of him was none other than his girlfriend, Cathy!
She was dressed in a white robe, with her long, dark, wet hair draped over her shoulders. The scents of shower gel and shampoo assaulted his nose.
"Cathy? What are you doing here?" He stared at her in disbelief, still feeling dazed.
"What are you doing here?" Cathy asked. Her heart skipped a beat, and she took a small step back into the room. Her mind went blank and then started to spin.
"What's wrong?" Another guy walked up to the door, wearing a robe and slippers, and Alex immediately recognized him.
"You! You dare to touch my girl?" Alex couldn't suppress the anger welling up inside him, and he started moving toward Billy, determined to teach him a lesson.
"Stop!" Cathy stepped in front of Alex. After a brief burst of panic, she had managed to get back a bit of control. Since her boyfriend had already discovered her betrayal, there was no point in trying to hide it now.
She looked directly at him. "Alex, we need to break up."
"Break up?" Alex was stunned. He stared at Cathy with wide eyes. "Cathy, we've been together for more than a year. Are you going to break up with me now?"
"Yes. We need to go our separate ways." She kept steady eye contact with him and spoke with a strong sense of resentment. "Are you surprised? You have no money, Alex. You can only barely afford the cheapest essentials. We never have anything nice. As long as I’m with you, people will always be laughing at me, and that just isn't the life I want. I’m too good to be living in poverty like this. I was too naive when I was in my freshman year, and I let myself get tricked into being with a loser like you!"
She hugged Billy's arm and said to Alex, "Billy is my boyfriend now. From now on, I want nothing to do with you. Don't bother me again!"
"Well, seems like you’re just her good-for-nothing ex now!" Billy looked at Alex with a provocative smirk.
Alex, standing there in a raincoat and with mud stains on his pants and shoes, felt like Cathy was right. He was a complete loser. Billy took the plastic bag from his hand and took out the box of condoms. He waved it at Alex and laughed as he said, "I’m staying in a nice hotel, having my girlfriend’s ex bring me condoms. And you’re single. Sure was good of you to help me out."
"Why are you still here?" Cathy scolded Alex.
"Nah, it's good that he didn't piss off. Maybe you want to see me beat him down, huh, Cathy? Gotta give a lady what she wants," Billy sneered.
Alex felt utterly defeated. He slowly turned around and walked out of the room.
"Bro, you're not even taking the money? Heh, nice. I get a girlfriend and a gift." Billy felt great watching Alex's slumped, dejected posture as he closed the door behind him.
When Alex left the hotel, it was raining even harder than before. He took off his raincoat, allowing the cold rain to drench his entire body and help clear his head.
Cathy had discarded him because she believed he had no money. Losing such a materialistic woman should be something to rejoice over, so why should he be sad?
[Buzz buzz!]
His phone vibrated in his pocket. Alex took it out and glanced at it, but when he saw the number, he stopped walking. His entire body was shaking as he read the text.
[After a review, the Ambrose family has decided that their son, Alexander, has met the conditions required for entitlement to his inheritance. From today onward, control of his property will be returned to him.]
The bean-sized raindrops plopped onto the screen, causing the text message to gradually become blurry.
Alex's mind began to spin. If not for this message, Alex would have almost forgotten his identity as a super-rich kid. Over the last seven years, his family had been assessing him, withholding his fortune until they were satisfied he met their draconian conditions. And now, finally, it was over.
Everything that rightfully belonged to him was finally his to claim.
**
Alex woke up early the next morning and drove to the city. In a great mood, he got out of his car and went straight to Metro Sky Bank, right in the heart of the wealthiest part of the central business district of New York.
Various luxury cars were parked around the bank. The people walking in and out of the surrounding plaza were all rich; it was obvious from their clothing and demeanour.
Alex strode to the door of the bank and pushed it open.
"Ouch!"
The main door could be opened both inward and outward, and Alex had been a bit careless when he pushed it open from outside. As a result, the door had bumped into a long-haired young woman who had been heading out of the building.
He quickly apologized, "Sorry. I didn't see you."
"What do you mean, you didn’t see me? What am I, invisible?" She held a hand to her forehead and glared at him.
The bank’s assistant manager, Karen Young, had noticed the incident and hurried over. She checked on the woman first, and then looked at Alex in disapproval. When her gaze swept over him, a trace of suspicion appeared on her face.
Metro Sky Bank was different from most banks, as the clientele were almost exclusively high-end businesspeople. Karen knew the young woman was there with her father, but she didn't know why Alex was there. Judging from his appearance and age, he wasn't their usual type of customer.
"Sir, can I be of assistance?" she asked with a polite but forced smile.
Alex simply said, "I’m here to withdraw money."
"Withdraw money?" the sullen woman asked, sneering at him.
"Do you have a card?" Karen asked, continuing to smile politely.
Getting a Metro Sky Bankcard was not easy. A million dollars of savings was the minimum requirement to qualify. Karen felt certain that the man in front of her couldn't have much experience with the bank and wouldn't know their rules. Perhaps he had thought that other banks' cards could also be used here.
"No," Alex replied, shaking his head.
The woman he had accidentally hit with the door couldn't help but giggle when she heard his honest reply. He wasn't worth any more of her attention.
"Let’s go." Her father had walked up, still arranging the documents he was carrying.
"My dad and I are leaving." The woman shook Karen's hand, and then looked over at Alex. "Ms Young, having someone like this around could damage your bank's image and upset your customers. I hope this will not happen again."
With that, she took her father’s arm and opened the door.
"Take care, Mr Scott." Karen followed them out a few steps, watching as they got into a car and left. Turning around, she headed back inside, having made up her mind to encourage Alex to leave as soon as possible.
There was no one standing where Alex had been. Oh! Where’s he gone? she wondered.
Was it possible that the kid had been embarrassed and had quietly slipped away?
She felt relieved at the thought. Then, just as she was about to go back to work, she caught a glimpse of someone out of the corner of her eye.
There’s the brat! No wonder I didn’t see him at first, she thought. He had already reached the entrance to the VIP lounge, and a pillar had blocked her view of him.
The VIP room was only for high-status customers who were worth at least thirty million dollars, and this young man had admitted that he didn’t even have a card. If she let him get through, she would be in trouble with her boss.
"Stop! Don't move!" Karen yelled, feeling desperate. The other customers all looked around at her, obviously annoyed by her shouting. She could only smile apologetically as she walked quickly toward Alex.
But he had already walked through the lounge, opened the door to the VIP room, and stepped inside.
​
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Chapter 2
Does he have no shame? Karen hurried after Alex with a look of chagrin on her face. She tried to open the door to the VIP room, but it had been locked from the inside.
**
"Hello?" Inside the VIP room, Robert Miller, the bank manager, was leaning against the sofa, looking at his phone. When the door suddenly opened, he quickly sat down and hid his phone away. Normally, when a VIP was coming in, Karen would notify him in advance.
As the customer manager, he was responsible for thirty-one VIPs, and he knew them like the back of his hand. He immediately began to launch into his normal professional greeting, hoping to undo the poor impression he’d made by slouching against the sofa, but when he saw Alex, his expression froze.
He was certain that Alex was not one of his VIPs, nor was he a relative of one.
"May I ask who you are?" Robert asked, looking at the young man, who appeared to be around twenty years old. Robert had no idea who he was.
Alex got straight to the point. "I'm here to get my money."
"You have one of our cards?" Robert asked, suspicious of Alex's calm expression.
"No," Alex admitted frankly.
Robert was relieved to seemingly be proven right, but even more confused. Access to the VIP room required a minimum worth of three million dollars, but this man didn't have any money. Why was he so composed?
"I'm sorry, sir. We can't give out money without a card. Do you require anything else?"
He's crazy, Robert thought. Why on earth did Karen let him in? I’ll have to speak to her about this at Monday’s meeting.
"You have fingerprint recognition here, right?" Alex suddenly asked.
The fingerprint ID system at the bank was for the wealthiest families and businesses to use. Only a few people had their fingerprints recorded in the system, at least in the New York branch, and no one had used it to access their holdings yet.
"You want to use it?" Robert could no longer bring himself to call Alex "sir."
"Yes." Alex nodded.
Robert was feeling more confused by the second. Why would someone who wasn't even a customer request to use a fingerprint ID?
To be honest, even though he was curious, Robert felt that it was barely worth humouring the request. But after considering for a few seconds, he finally decided to let Alex make the attempt rather than risk making him angry.
He opened the safe and brought out the fingerprint identification device, which he had never used before.
"Place your thumb here." Robert indicated the verification area to Alex, who placed his thumb on the sensor.
[Beep!]
The device lit up with a glaring red light, and the LCD screen displayed the words [Fingerprint not recorded].
Immediately, Robert’s expression turned hostile, and he glared at Alex. He picked up his phone, ready to call the police.
"Wait, wait!" Alex said quickly. "Maybe that was the wrong print. I'll try using my index finger this time."
Robert smiled coldly. "What’s your plan here? Your thumb doesn’t work, so you’ll try your index finger. Then, if your index finger doesn’t work, you’ll try your middle finger. When you run out of fingers, will you try using your toes?"
But Alex had already pressed his index finger on the verification area.
Robert resolved that if the man’s fingerprints weren’t accepted this time, he would immediately call the police and have him arrested.
[Beep!] A green light appeared on the device and new details flashed up on the LCD screen: [Verification successful. Family account: 01. Verifier: Alexander Ambrose. Account: 01104.]
Robert gaped at Alex in disbelief for a moment, and then hurriedly squeezed out a smile. "Mr Ambrose, I'm sorry. I didn't realize. I'm Robert Miller, the customer manager for the New York branch. Please allow me to assist you."
"It's fine," Alex said lightly and stood up. "Can I see how much money I have left in my account?"
"Please wait a moment." Robert sat in front of the computer and typed away for a while. On his instructions, Alex provided a few more fingerprint scans as authorization.
"It's done, Mr Ambrose." Robert clicked the "OK" button on the screen, and Alex's account appeared.
Robert pointed to the computer screen and said, "Mr Ambrose, the balance of your account is currently eighty-six million dollars."
Robert couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air.
This young man had an enormous fortune. It placed him in the topflight of the one per cent. Most people would never be able to even dream of that much money.
Alex felt strange as he stared at the numbers on the screen. He reminded himself that he needed to get used to his status as a rich kid as soon as possible.
"Oh, and you have other assets as well. Let me show you now." Robert clicked through to check several pages in a row. Finally, he clicked the "OK" button again.
The computer brought up a 4 x 4 grid of display screens.
"This surveillance screen displays all the physical assets that you hold elsewhere," Robert explained. He clicked on the upper left corner of the screen and brought up the feed from the bank's branch at The Hague, which revealed a sports car. In the lower right corner, it said, [Ferrari Pagani Huayra].
Robert opened up other screens for Alex, one after another.
The Hawaii branch displayed a Dominica blue pearl bracelet and four stacks of gold bars.
The feed from the French branch in Nice revealed three original Picasso paintings and two Rodin statues.
And the Cape Town branch had fifteen 10-carat diamonds, ten pieces of ivory, and another couple of stacks of gold bars. Robert's eyes almost popped out as he looked at Alex's assets. He had never seen anyone so rich. Maybe not even one-tenth as rich.
"All right, I’d like a card," Alex said before Robert could collect his thoughts.
"Yes, I will see to it right away. Please wait a moment." Robert immediately started to make the necessary arrangements. Within ten minutes, a Supreme Card was produced.
Robert looked at the Supreme Card and thought about Alex's assets. This card wasn’t good enough for Alex’s status, but it was the highest grade of card they were authorized to issue at the New York branch.
Robert presented handed the card over. "Mr Ambrose, your card."
"Thank you." Alex took the card, stood up, and went to walk out of the room.
"Mr Ambrose, please wait." Robert didn't dare to appear to be neglecting such an important customer. He should see him out personally, but the asset checking system on his computer had not been turned off yet, and the fingerprint verification machine, iris recognition apparatus, and other sensitive equipment had not been returned to the safe. The monitoring system in the VIP room was connected to the district manager’s office.
Karen was anxiously waiting in the hall. What's been going on in there for so long? she wondered. Could that brat have murdered Mr Miller in the VIP room?
The more she considered it, the more scared she became. She was on the verge of banging on the door and demanding a response when Alex walked confidently out of the room.
"Stop!" Karen shouted. She walked quickly over toward him and grabbed at his coat. "You can't leave. You broke into the VIP room. Once we confirm that nothing is missing, I will call the police and have them hold you for questioning."
"What are you talking about?" Alex asked. "Let go!"
Karen grappled with him for a while, but she couldn't manage to search his pockets.
What’s wrong with this woman? Alex thought. He wasn’t even arguing with her, but she was manhandling him.
"What is this?" Karen spotted the Supreme Card that was peeking out of Alex's pocket. She quickly pulled it out and looked at him triumphantly, as if she had found evidence of his guilt. "Oh, you stole a card. This is a crime, and I have to call the police."
It didn't even cross her mind that the card could belong to Alex. She imagined he had entered the VIP room, pretending to be there by mistake, and had then distracted Mr Miller with questions and stolen the card when the manager wasn't paying attention.
"Let go!" Alex was sick of this woman.
"Don’t you feel guilty about being a thief?" She was even more determined.
With the two of them creating such a scene, other customers started to walk over toward them, intending to help Karen keep Alex from getting away.
Just then, Robert, who had finished tidying up, strode out of the VIP room.
Having seen Alex's assets, Robert now knew he was the most important customer the New York branch of the bank had ever had. He had also noticed that the system listed Alex's was listed as just one of multiple accounts attached to a family group, labelled 01. If that single account was so lucrative, then what about the rest of the family?
It was rare to meet such important people, so Robert knew he had to be careful to curry favour with Alex. If they got along well, it would be a tremendous success for Robert, and the potential benefits were huge.
So, when saw Karen struggling with Alex, he was enraged. Karen's expression was hostile, and Alex was becoming very angry. Karen was an idiot who was playing with fire, and she might drag Robert himself down with her.
Of all the bank’s many, many customers, why did she need to pick this one to try and remove? A simple flick of Alex’s finger could be enough to end both their careers.
​
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Chapter 3
"Stop!" Robert dashed between Alex and Karen.
Before Alex could speak, Karen waved the Supreme Card in the air. Her eyes flashed with triumph as she said to Robert, "Mr Miller, look! He stole a card from the VIP room!" She smiled at him, her expression a little smug.
Surely, Mr Miller would be happy with her for preventing theft. He had a lot of authority in the eastern district of Metro Sky Bank, and when he had arrived at headquarters, he had seemed impressed with her, so she was hoping for a promotion. Her imagination began to run away with her as she dreamed about her possible future.
Mr Miller's face had always been a little glum, but as she watched, his expression grew darker and darker. Before she could figure out why, she was startled by his explosive roar, leaving her entire body trembling.
"Let go of Mr Ambrose!" As he yelled, Mr Miller knocked the Supreme Card out of her hand, and she was so scared that she let go of Alex. Mr Miller pushed her aside and bent down to pick up the card. "Mr Ambrose, your card. I'm very sorry. I haven't trained Ms Young properly. I do apologize."
Mr Miller's expression showed a mixture of respect, embarrassment, and unease, as the bank's customers looked on in amazement. Karen was stunned.
Could the Supreme Card be his? she wondered.
Her eyes widened. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make sense of it.
If this man had a Supreme Card, then he had at least three million dollars, yet he appeared to only be around twenty years old. A poor, lower-class loser with that much money? No, it was just too unlikely.
"It's not your fault, Mr Miller," Alex assured him, slipping the card back into his pocket.
"Thank you, Mr Ambrose." Robert dipped his head and paused briefly before straightening up and shouting at Karen, "Why are you just standing there? Apologize to Mr Ambrose immediately!"
How could Karen still not understand? Robert thought. The young man standing in front of them was seriously rich and needed to be treated with respect.
Karen immediately bowed her head at Alex. "Mr Ambrose, I'm very sorry for my rude behaviour. I made a mistake, created a fuss over nothing, and put my hands on you. It was my fault, and I will reflect on my behaviour—"
Alex ignored her and walked away.
"Mr Ambrose," Robert called after him. "If you ever need anything, just give me a call, and I'll do my best to help."
Robert was excited by this opportunity. It was rare to meet someone as important as Alex, so he shamelessly tried to charm him.
"Okay, Robert." Alex smiled faintly. Robert had come to his defence, after all.
The use of his first name made Robert feel quite emotional. The wealthiest customers called him by his first name, and now so did this poorly dressed young man, who displayed not even a hint of arrogance.
Alex strode out of the bank and hailed a taxi to take him back to Preston University.
**
As Alex entered the university building, he accidentally stepped into a puddle, splashing a lot of mud on his legs.
He checked his watch then rushed toward the classroom, where Mr Morgan was already standing at the podium, lecturing. He spotted Alex out of the corner of his eye and a hint of disappointment flashed across his face.
Feeling guilty, Alex lowered his head.
Of all his teachers, Mr Morgan was his favourite. The other teachers tended to ignore Alex because he had no money, and some even openly mocked him. Only Mr Morgan treated him like any other student.
Alex slipped quietly into the classroom, aware that all the students were staring at him, and he could hear them whispering.
"He isn't usually late. Hell must have frozen over."
"Look at his pants! They’re filthy. Doesn’t he have any clean clothes?"
"Are you joking? It’s not like he’d have the money for new ones. It looks like he's just thrown on whatever he could find."
Some of the boys continued to talk, and the girls in the front row covered their mouths with their hands as they joined in. Their eyes flashed with contempt when they looked at Alex.
"Stop talking!" Mr Morgan said loudly. "And pay attention."
Throughout the lecture, Alex noticed that Mr Morgan kept glancing at him, his eyes full of disapproval, as if Alex had failed to live up to his expectations.
Eventually, the lecture was over.
"Class dismissed."
Mr Morgan packed up his textbooks and left.
"Cathy." The voice came from the doorway.
Everyone turned in the direction of the voice and saw Billy walking through the door and going straight to Cathy, who was sitting by the window. She stood and hugged him, both of them were in love
Many of the students turned to stare at Alex. Everyone thought that he was Cathy's boyfriend, and they weren’t aware that she had broken up with him.
Alex watched in disgust. He’d heard that Billy had taken at least five different girls to stay at that hotel. Cathy was just the latest in a long line, and Alex had no intention of fighting for her.
Billy strutted past Alex with his arm around Cathy's shoulder.
"Darling, wait a minute," Cathy said to Billy as she stopped in front of Alex and held out her phone. "Since we've broken up, I don’t want to owe you anything. Here's the phone you bought for me a few weeks ago. You can have it back."
Alex glanced at the Samsung Galaxy phone and then took it.
"Hah, you would have to work part-time for six months to afford one of these!" Cathy took a brand-new phone out of her pocket and showed it to Alex. "This is the latest iPhone, and it’s much better than your phone."
"Of course, it's far too expensive for a loser like him." Billy raised his chin and looked at Alex. "Cathy told me that she kept asking for that phone for six months before you finally bought it for her. Do you think you can pick up a girl so far out of your league? You're just embarrassing yourself, so give up. And I'm warning you now: don't even think about her. If I find out you’ve gone anywhere near her, you'll regret it!"
"Don't waste your breath talking to a loser like him. Can we go to De Luca’s for lunch?" Cathy had already dismissed Alex.
"Call me baby," Billy said, smiling at her.
"Baby, let's go." She flirted with him right in front of Alex.
"Cathy!" A petite girl stood up, glaring at her. "You're taking it all too far. I never thought you'd break up with Alex, and I'm ashamed of you."
"Emma, why do you care?" She scowled. When things had been going well with Alex, she’d been on good terms with Emma, who was a decent person. Sometimes, when Cathy had been fighting with Alex, she had asked Emma’s opinion about who was in the right.
"You gave up Alex for someone like Billy?" Emma asked. "How could you treat Alex like this? When you were sick and couldn't even get out of bed, Alex sent you lunch and dinner every day for a month. And when you were walking in the mountains and twisted your ankle, he carried you on his back for miles down the mountain. Don’t you remember that? You know he doesn't make much money from his part-time jobs, but when you wanted a phone, he worked hard for months to save enough money to buy it for you. And this is how you repay him? By breaking up with him and ridiculing him?"
Cathy scowled. "I never forced him to do anything. If he was stupid enough to go along with it, that's his problem! And so what if he bought me a cell phone? It was only a Samsung. And why would I want a Samsung when I can have an iPhone?"
Emma shook her head. "Cathy, I don’t understand you. Do you only care about money? Will money get you everything you want?"
"Yes!" Cathy barked out a laugh. She stared at Emma and said, "I admit that I like money. Is that so wrong?" She took Billy's arm and said, "Come on, baby, let's go. These two poor people disgust me."
She glared at Alex and Emma and then swept out of the classroom with her head held high.
​
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