“I don’t agree!”

My voice echoed through the room as I stared at them coldly.

The entire room fell silent. Low murmurs quickly spread among the people inside.

“Caleb, have you lost your mind?” The woman in front of me let out a weary sigh, tension written all over her face. “Everyone has already agreed, and tomorrow is an important day for the event.” Her voice carried a sharp edge, almost demanding.

I didn’t care.

No one gets to decide things for me like this.

“That sounds like your problem. Why make a decision without my consent?” I shot her a cold glare.

“The event cannot be canceled, and you are not backing out now!” she snapped.

“Tomorrow, you’ll arrive at exactly seven o’clock. Understood?”

That wasn’t a request. It was an order.

“Tch… annoying.”

Arguing any further was pointless. I turned away and walked out, heat rising in my chest.

“Caleb, please don’t act like this. Don’t become like your brother.”

The woman—my mother—called after me.

She hurried after me for a few steps before saying something she never should have said.

I stopped immediately.

My jaw tightened. My fists clenched at my sides.

“Isn’t all of this your fault?” I snapped as I turned back toward her.

She went silent.

Her body flinched slightly, though I couldn’t tell whether it was because of my tone or because she realized I was right.

“From now on, stay out of my life. Whatever I do has nothing to do with you. I’m not some child you can control and marry off for the sake of your business.”

My voice rang through the entire house.

No one dared to speak. No one even dared to look at me.

“I’m your son… not an asset you can sell.”

That was the last thing I said before walking out of the house and leaving every single one of them behind.

People obsessed with power.

Who cared about their wealth anyway? My own business was already doing more than well enough.

I grabbed the doorknob and yanked the door open.

Bang!

I slammed it shut behind me hard enough to shake the walls.

“Heh… ridiculous. Forcing me into marriage just so they can divide the family assets afterward….”

I muttered under my breath while walking down the long driveway.

The guards at the gate quickly opened it the moment they noticed me approaching.

“Good evening, Young Master.”

They bowed respectfully as I walked past them.

I didn’t answer.

Right now, I just wanted to get away from this place.

Once outside, I headed straight toward the black Rolls-Royce Phantom parked not far from the gate.

The moment my car roared to life, I heard hurried footsteps cutting through the sound of the engine behind me.

“Caleb! Come back!”

Haha. So she actually chased after me.

I glanced toward the gate and saw her struggling to catch her breath.

“Sorry, Mom. I don’t have time to play along with your little plan,” I said with a faint smirk from behind the car window.

“Caleb! Seven o’clock tomorrow night!” she shouted stubbornly.

“I can’t hear you! Bye!” I waved lazily before stepping on the gas.

Did she seriously think I’d show up?

On the road, my phone suddenly started ringing.

“Who else?"

This is annoying.

I ignored it at first, but the ringing continued relentlessly.

“What the hell do you want?!”

I slammed on the brakes in one motion, my body jerking forward before hitting the seat again.

My eyes narrowed at the still-ringing phone. Without even checking the caller, I grabbed it.

“Who is this, and what do you want?” I asked sharply.

“Caleb… it’s Dad.”

His calm but firm voice made something tighten faintly inside my chest.

“Did you call just to force me into that event too?” I shot back immediately.

“If you still consider me your father… though perhaps you don’t anymore—”

Tch. Damn it.

He really knew how to use his position against me.

Just because he knew I still cared.

“Fine. I’ll come,” I replied with a small exhale.

“Thank you, Caleb. I knew I could count on you,” his voice softened.

“Just don’t bother me again. I’m driving.”

“Alright. See you tomorrow night.”

The call ended.

“That woman definitely made Dad call me. Unbelievable.” I tightened my grip on the phone.

That scheming woman… she really used my father as a trump card.

But even if I showed up, it didn’t mean I would agree to the arranged marriage.

Just wait. I’ll make them regret this.

A grin slowly spread across my face as I imagined their reactions.

My Rolls-Royce Phantom cruised smoothly through the city streets, passing shopping districts, karaoke bars, and clubs.

One place in particular caught my attention—the club I usually went to. The Macallan Club.

“Hm… it’s still early,” I muttered after glancing at the golden watch wrapped around my wrist.

In the end, I decided to head inside.

Bored.

I needed entertainment. A few glasses of whiskey… maybe some beautiful women too.

I skillfully steered my car into the club’s parking area.

This clearly wasn’t an ordinary club. Every vehicle parked there, from motorcycles to luxury cars, looked ridiculously expensive.

I circled the parking area for a while since the front section was already full.

Then, at one point, I noticed a group of young men—probably around college age—surrounding someone.

The guy in the middle was vomiting violently, his body swaying unnaturally.

Probably drunk.

I stopped the car and rolled down the window.

“Hey! Don’t let him puke all over the street! Take him somewhere else!” I shouted.

The group turned toward me with awkward smiles.

“Sorry about that. We were just about to take him away,” one of them said with a small nod.

“Good. Then hurry up before he causes trouble for everyone else,” I replied, already looking away.

“What did you say?! I’m causing trouble?!”

My brows furrowed at the rough, hoarse voice beside me.

Before I could even react, the drunk guy grabbed my collar and yanked me halfway out through the open window.

He leaned in dangerously close. Our faces were only inches apart.

“Damn rich people… acting like everyone else is garbage….” His words came out slurred, his breath thick with alcohol.

“Shit! Let go of me!” I shoved his hand away.

He stumbled backward, and his friends quickly rushed over to hold him.

“Sean, what the hell are you doing?! Don’t start a scene!” Said the shortest one.

“S-sorry… he’s just going through a hard time right now. His father got hospitalized, and their family business—”

“Erwin! Why are you telling strangers that?!”

The guy with tied-back hair shot him an irritated glare.

“S-sorry! I didn’t mean to!” The smaller one immediately covered his mouth in panic.

“Forget it. Let’s just get Sean out of here,” the one in the back said while trying to support him.

“You’re not leaving until he apologizes to me.”

The three of them froze and turned toward me at the same time.

“Don’t drag this out. He’s way too drunk to even understand what he’s doing,” the guy on the right said, trying to calm the situation.

“I only want an apology. That’s not difficult, is it?” My gaze sharpened.

I was seriously starting to lose my patience.

“Hey, you…”

I grabbed the collar of his light gray shirt and yanked him toward me, forcing him to face me directly.

“Look at me. Apologize. Now.”

His droopy eyes slowly shifted toward me.

“Heh… hehe—hoooeeek!”

He suddenly threw up all over my shirt.

“HAAAAA!! SEAN!!”

The three of them shouted simultaneously, their eyes widening in horror.

“You—!” My grip tightened instantly. “You threw up on my clothes?! Do you even know how much this shirt costs? Twenty million!”

“TWENTY MILLION?!!” They shouted in unison.

Then, without hesitation, the three of them bolted.

“Sean, we’re leaving first!! Call us later when you’re sober!!”

I blinked several times.

They seriously abandoned him just like that? What kind of friends do that?

But more importantly….

My eyes slowly shifted back toward the drunk man in front of me.

“So… what exactly am I supposed to do with you now?”

“Hehe… what are you gonna do…? It’s okay… just don’t leave me again….”

He suddenly clung to me.

Great. Now people were definitely going to stare.

“Hey, Sean… let go.” I tried pushing him away while calling his name.

But instead, he started crying.

“Why…? Why did you leave me when I needed you the most…? Was it because my family fell apart… so I became worthless to you too…?”

Now he was crying against my chest and I could already feel my shirt getting soaked.

I hated drunk people.

Whatever.

Instead of relaxing, I somehow ended up stuck with a drunk stranger I didn’t even know.

“Such a damn hassle…” I muttered while dragging him toward my car and opening the back door, before this turned into spectacle.

I shoved him into the back seat without much care.

His body collapsed against the seat, stopped moving.

I returned to the driver’s seat and started the engine.

“Laura…."

His weak voice came faintly from the back seat.

“Why…? Why were you so cruel to me…? Those two years we spent together… were they all fake…?”

I glanced at him through the rearview mirror.

His eyes were closed.

He must’ve passed out. Well, I don't care.

I just needed to get out of here.

Sean, whoever you were, I didn’t care.

Just make sure you pay for my ruined shirt once you wake up.

I woke up in an unfamiliar room.

My eyes blinked a few times before slowly scanning my surroundings.

“Whose room is this? Why am I here?” I muttered, still trying to process it. “And… Erwin? Lee?”

I called out my friends’ names one by one as I pushed myself off the bed.

But after just one step, my legs gave out.

My body collapsed back down onto the edge of the bed.

“My head hurts so much…” I lowered my head, massaging my forehead.

Then I noticed something.

My clothes had changed.

“W-why are my clothes…” My eyes widened.

This definitely wasn’t mine. Bright red. Slightly oversized. What the hell actually happened?

As I tried to piece everything together, the door suddenly opened.

A man walked in.

He immediately stared at me sharply.

“Did he bring me here?” I thought as I watched him approach.

“Good. You’re finally awake.”

He stopped a few steps away from me, arms crossed. His gaze was cold.

I couldn’t remember anything clearly, but judging from his expression… I must have caused trouble.

Whatever it was, I didn’t know.

But the only thing I could do now was apologize.

“I’m sorry… I may have done something that bothered you, but I really didn’t mean to cause trouble for anyone, so… please forgive me…” I said, bowing slightly.

Then suddenly, something churned in my stomach.

Nausea.

“Urgh…” I quickly covered my mouth.

Not now. Just hold it.

But my body didn’t listen.

The pressure rose sharply in my throat.

“If you’re going to throw up, go to the bathroom. Don’t hold it,” the man said coldly.

“A-ah, y-yes, thank you!”

I rushed into the bathroom inside the room.

The moment I reached the sink, I vomited everything I had been holding back.

It took several minutes before it finally stopped.

I turned on the faucet, washing my face and hands. For a moment, I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

A mess.

Pale. Disheveled.

“Haah…” I exhaled softly and stepped out, still slightly unsteady.

The man hadn’t moved. He stood like a statue.

“Done?” His voice was flat.

I nodded weakly, avoiding his gaze. His eyes felt too piercing.

“Follow me. I have something to talk about.”

He walked out first, leading me to the dining table.

“Sit.”

His tone was firm.

I glanced at him briefly, then pulled out the white chair and obeyed.

Soon after, he pulled out the chair opposite me.

Now we sat facing each other.

“Your name is Sean, right?” He opened first.

“Yeah…” I nodded quickly.

“Do you remember what happened last night at the club parking area?” He asked, sitting back and crossing his arms.

“Mmm… what I remember is….” My eyes shifted slightly to the side as fragmented memories surfaced. But none of them clearly showed the man in front of me.

“Anything?” He asked, sounding impatient.

“I remember my three friends taking me out of the club… but after that, I don’t remember anything…” I answered honestly.

“Hmph…” He scoffed.

Then he stood up and walked into another room.

Maybe his bedroom? I wasn’t sure.

I just waited until he came back with something in his hand.

“Do you know what this is?” He asked, holding up a shirt in front of me.

“If you mean a white shirt, then yeah,” I nodded.

“Do you know how much this shirt costs?” His voice rose as he threw it at me.

It landed on my face.

“How would I know? Maybe a few tens or hundreds of thousands at most!” I shot back, grabbing the shirt and placing it on the table.

“Twenty million and last night you vomited on it!”

My eyes widened.

No way.

“I don’t care. You damaged it, so you’ll pay for it,” he said with a cold exhale.

“What are you, crazy?!” I shouted without thinking.

I stood up and slammed the table.

“If you don’t want to, I’ll report you to the police.”

“You…!” My words got stuck.

This was ridiculous. He was completely unreasonable.

My eyes shifted back to the white shirt.

It looked perfectly fine to me.

“This shirt isn’t damaged at all!” I grabbed it again and inspected it carefully.

No tears. No stains. No wrinkles.

Still clean. Like new.

“Are you blind? How is this damaged?” I held it up in front of him, showing both sides.

He exhaled sharply. “You vomited on it. That means it’s damaged.”

“What? You’re calling this damaged because I—this is clean! How can you even say that?”

I was honestly running out of words.

“He’s giving me a headache…”

“So what will it be? Pay, or I call the police?”

Two choices. Both bad for me.

My chest rose and fell rapidly.

Twenty million? That was almost the rest of my remaining savings.

The man suddenly took out his phone and started calling someone.

“Hello, police? Can you help me? My address is—”

“HELP! THERE’S BEEN A SEXUAL HARASSMENT HERE!”

I shouted, cutting him off.

He stopped, hung up, and stared at me.

“Are you crazy?!” He snapped, sounding panicked.

“No, I’m not crazy,” I replied quickly. “That could be true, right?”

“What are you talking about?!” He growled.

“First, you brought me here—your apartment—without my consent while I was unconscious. Second, I woke up wearing different clothes.”

“That’s because I changed them! Your clothes were wet!”

His jaw tightened, his voice clearly holding back anger.

“That’s what you say. There’s no witness. You could’ve done something to me!”

“What do you mean? I'm still normal!” He snapped.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I’m reporting you anyway. You’re not the only one who can threaten people.”

I turned and started walking toward the exit, waving my hand dismissively.

After a few steps, he stopped me.

“Okay, wait. What do you want?!” He glared.

I turned back with a victorious smile.

“Simple. Don’t report, and I won’t report you either. The shirt issue is settled. Deal?”

He didn’t answer. His eyes stayed sharp on me. But eventually, he gave in.

“Fine. You don’t have to pay anything,” he said reluctantly.

My smile widened even more.

I walked up to him and lightly patted his shoulder.

“See? Think before you threaten someone. Not everyone is someone you can intimidate, rich guy.”

I laughed slightly and turned away, quickly leaving his apartment.

“Phew… that was close…,” I muttered, rubbing my chest once I reached the door. “Now I should go home. Dad must be worried… and those guys better watch out. How dare they leave me with a stranger like that!”

My chest burned as I remembered my three friends. Traitors. What if that guy had really done something to me?

My mind suddenly started imagining things.

Right… why am I thinking about this now?

“I mean… no way. He said he’s normal. He wouldn’t do something like that to a guy… right?”

I quickly shook my head, pushing the thought away.

“But if he did… I’ll make him pay!”

I walked out of the apartment building.

Outside, I took a deep breath like someone finally released from captivity.

After a moment, I started walking again.

Home.

I choose to walk to save money since I actually lived just behind this building.

“Hah….”

My pace, which had been fast, slowly slowed down.

It had been months since my father and I moved there after our mansion was seized.

But I didn’t regret it. At least it reduced the burden of debt. Now there was still one billion left to pay.

“Why am I thinking about this again…?”

I sighed.

My mind felt more crowded these days.

Drrrt… drrrt…

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I quickly picked it up.

“From home…?” I muttered after seeing the caller ID.

I answered immediately.

“Hello? Dad? What happened? Is your illness acting up again?”

“Sean, this is Aunt Maria from next door.”

My stomach sank.

“Aunt Maria…?” I guessed.

“Yes,” she said quickly. “Sean, can you come home right now? Your father just fell in the bathroom! He’s—”

“I’m coming right now! Please, stay with him!”

I hung up immediately without waiting.

My father… the only family I have left… had fallen.

My heart started pounding uncontrollably.

“I need to get home… fast.”

I ran as fast as I could.

“Please… don’t let anything serious happen to him… please….”

My breath came out ragged the moment I reached the front door of the house.

“DAD!”

My voice thundered through the crowd instantly.

Everyone gathered inside turned toward me at once.

With trembling legs, I rushed toward the chair in the living room while praying desperately in my heart.

Please... please let nothing happen to Dad.

Several people surrounding the chair quickly stepped aside to make room for me.

“Dad...”

I immediately dropped to my knees beside him, staring at his pale face and closed eyes.

Fear hit me instantly.

“Dad, what happened to you? Open your eyes, Dad...” My lips trembled as I tightly held onto his weak hand.

Pat...!

Someone suddenly tapped my shoulder from behind.

“Don’t worry. Your father just fell asleep...”

I turned around and found a man around his thirties giving me a faint smile.

He was one of my neighbors. If I remembered correctly, his house was only a few doors away from ours.

People usually called him Mister Sam.

“Can you explain what happened to my father?”

The man fell silent for a moment before glancing around. “Come with me for a second...”

He led me into a quieter room.

More precisely, the kitchen—far from the noisy crowd of neighbors.

“Your father collapsed earlier and was found by Aunt Maria. He lost consciousness for a short while... that’s why we called a doctor to your house,” he explained, slowly telling me everything that had happened.

My chest felt unbearably heavy after hearing that.

I wasn’t there when he needed me the most.

Anything could’ve happened.

“Then... why does Dad look like that right now...?” I asked with a heavy breath.

For a brief moment, I glanced toward the living room only a few meters away from the kitchen.

“Ah, that’s because he was just given medicine and an injection. He experienced mild shock earlier...” he explained with a smile. “Relax, your father is fine...” His hand gently patted and rubbed my shoulder.

There was something strange about this man.

Something I couldn’t explain.

But... forget it.

My father’s condition mattered more right now.

“Thank you for your concern, Mister Sam...” I replied while glancing at his hand, which still hadn’t left my shoulder.

How long was he planning to keep touching me?

“Oh right, how much was the doctor’s fee? I’ll transfer the money immediately...” I said while subtly moving away from his touch.

“Ah, no need to pay us back. We’re neighbors. Helping each other is only natural....”

Even though he sounded friendly, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was hiding something.

“Oh...” I answered quietly.

“Sean, how are yo—”

His sentence suddenly stopped halfway when the sound of coughing came from the living room.

“Sean? Cough... cough...!”

Without thinking, I immediately left Mister Sam behind and rushed back toward my father.

“Dad...!”

In the living room, I saw Dad already sitting up while looking around at the neighbors surrounding him.

“Are you feeling better now?” A middle-aged woman approached him and spoke with a sympathetic tone.

“Why are there so many people here...?” Dad asked in confusion.

“Dad...” I called softly as I walked closer.

He immediately turned around. His expression changed, becoming much calmer the moment he saw me.

“Do you want me to get you some water, Dad?”

“No, no... there’s no need. I can get it myself later....” He shook his head and immediately refused.

Hah...

He had always been like that.

Never wanting to trouble anyone, not even his own son.

“It seems like you’re really alright now... in that case, we should get going, Sir...,” the woman said after feeling reassured by Dad’s condition.

Then she looked at me for a moment before speaking again.

“Take good care of your father, Sean. Don’t leave him alone at home too often, and if anything happens, come to my house....”

Her words touched me deeply.

I suddenly felt like crying because this was the first time someone had shown concern for my family.

Even if they were only words, they still meant a lot to me.

For once, I didn’t feel alone in the middle of all this....

“We’re heading home too, Sean. Auntie’s house is nearby, right? Don’t hesitate to come by.” The woman who had called me earlier also said her goodbye.

One by one, the neighbors began leaving the house.

Quite a few of them even offered help in case Dad and I needed anything.

“Thank you...,” I said to all of them.

Before long, the room became quiet again.

Only the sound of Dad’s soft coughing remained.

“Dad... how did you even fall in the bathroom...? Were you feeling sick or something?” I asked while sitting beside him as he continued coughing lightly.

“Cough... no, I wasn’t feeling sick or anything...,” he replied while looking at me.

“Are you sure? If something hurts, just tell me. I still have some savings if we need to go to the hospital,” I said more insistently.

“Don’t. Save your money for something else,” he answered quickly. “I’m really fine, it’s just....”

His sentence trailed off.

His gaze lowered slightly.

“What is it, Dad...?” Without realizing it, I tightened my grip around his wrinkled hand. Despite the wrinkles, it still felt sturdy... and warm.

“The bank called....”

He took a heavy breath before falling silent for a moment.

Just by looking at him, I could already feel the burden weighing down on his mind.

“They said the remaining one billion has to start being paid in installments today... and the first payment is one hundred million....”

God...

One hundred million?

Where were we supposed to get that kind of money?

There were only a few tens of millions left in our savings.

“Dad, can’t they negotiate or something? Why is this so sudden...?”

“A-actually... they already informed me about this around two weeks ago....”

My eyes widened instantly as I stared sharply at my own father.

“They gave us twenty-four hours. Otherwise... they’ll take this matter to court....”

Why were problems like this always hidden from me?

“So they already informed you? Then why didn’t you tell me?” I immediately pulled my hand away from his.

Sadness mixed with frustration.

“Ck... if you had told me earlier, maybe I could’ve thought of a solution instead of this...!”

My voice gradually rose.

For a moment, I forgot that he was still sick.

“Sean....” He patted my shoulder gently. “Dad never meant to hide this from you....”

“Argh...!” I roughly brushed his hand away. “You always do this! Now what are we supposed to do? One hundred million isn’t a small amount of money, and twenty-four hours is way too short...!”

I stood in the middle of the room while running my fingers through my hair in frustration.

My mind was completely stuck.

“Sean, actually... Dad has a solution....”

Dad slowly stood up from the chair and approached me.

“I was planning to sell this house cheaply so we could get the money quickly....”

“Sell this house?” I repeated sharply as I turned toward him. “You want to sell another house?” My voice was filled with pressure while the emotions in my chest burned uncontrollably.

“Yes... I already talked about it with Mister Sam... h-he’s interested in buying it for one hundred million....” His voice trembled, unable to meet my eyes directly.

“No.” I shook my head immediately. “This house can’t be sold. I don’t want us to lose another home.” My tone turned firm.

“But, Sean... we don’t have another choice...! Mister Sam already agreed, and what if he changes his mind?” Dad kept trying to persuade me.

“I said no, so no.”

Without realizing it, I snapped at him.

Dad immediately fell silent.

What else could I do?

Dad was stubborn, and sometimes I had to be even more stubborn than him.

I wasn’t trying to disrespect him.

I just didn’t want him to fall deeper into trouble and make the wrong decision.

I was sure there had to be another way.

No matter what it was.

“Hah....” I slowly let out a long breath. “For now, don’t say anything else to Mister Sam yet, okay?” I warned him.

I stared at him sharply on purpose so he would understand how serious I was.

“I’ll try to find another solution, and please... this time, listen to me, alright...?” I lowered my voice and spoke more gently, hoping he would understand.

“Alright, Sean... Dad understands....” He nodded slowly.

“I’m going to take a shower first,” I said before walking toward the bathroom.

There was no response.

Dad simply stayed silent while watching me.

“After that, I’m going out again...,” I added while taking off the red shirt from that man’s apartment and hanging it on the clothing hook near the bathroom door.

“You really don’t want to eat with Dad first...?”

“No, I’ll eat outside. You should eat first, don’t wait for me....”

After grabbing a towel, I immediately entered the bathroom and shut the door behind me.

Inside, I deliberately turned on the faucet as loud as possible.

The sound of rushing water echoed through the bathroom while soft sobs slowly escaped from my lips.

A few tears slipped down together with the water dripping from my hair.

After a while, I finally started feeling calmer.

Lighter.

Maybe taking a shower really was the best way to wash away stress and think rationally again.

After leaving the bathroom, I wore the same clothes again.

It wasn’t a big deal.

I was just too lazy to return to my room and grab another outfit when the previous one was still clean enough to wear.

“Dad, I’m leaving now...,” I said while watching him arrange the food on the dining table.

“You really don’t want to eat first? It’s already ten o’clock, and you haven’t had breakfast yet, right?” He looked at me while holding a bowl of warm soup with steam rising from it.

“Just save some for me tonight. I don’t want to waste time,” I replied, forcing myself to reject his offer.

Ah...

Now I felt guilty.

I was sure he had prepared that meal for both of us.

“Alright....” He let out a quiet sigh.

“I’m heading out first, Dad...!”

I turned around, ready to leave, but—

“Sean....”

He called my name softly.

“Yeah...?” I turned back toward him for a moment.

“Be careful... and don’t forget to come home for dinner. Keep Dad company....”

Then he smiled.

My heart instantly melted at the sight.

Even though he was careless and often acted without thinking things through, I still loved him deeply.

No matter what happened, he was my father.

And he always would be.

“Yeah, I’ll definitely come home for dinner! Bye!”

I hurried out of the house while my eyes felt unbearably heavy.

My tears almost slipped out in front of him.

“Now I just need to figure out how to get one hundred million...,” I muttered after standing outside the house.

Not a single idea came to mind.

I didn’t care how.

I just knew I couldn’t stay still.

Maybe I’d find an idea along the way.

Or maybe I’d meet someone willing to help me.

Well...

Maybe it was possible....