Janet gazed at Van with an infatuated smile. His words had completely touched her heart. To her, Van was no longer the scruffy young man everyone else saw. He was the man who had promised to build a future for her. Every word sounded beautiful to Janet. She had grown up differently from Van and had always been the little princess of the Foster family. She had been surrounded by wealth and comfort, rarely having to worry about where her next meal would come from or whether she would have a safe place to sleep. Her parents and older brother had protected her. Because of that sheltered upbringing, Janet had never truly experienced the darker side of human nature. She had never needed to understand how easily some people could lie. She did not know how skilled manipulators could identify someone's emotional weaknesses and use them to their advantage. She only knew what she felt. And she felt that Van was special. To Janet, he was the most unique man she had ever met. He

Raphael smiled gently."So, Van," he said calmly, "Janet told me you two have been together for some time."Van swallowed. "Yes.""That's good."Raphael nodded. "What do you do for a living?"The question was simple. Yet Van immediately felt uncomfortable."I... I do a few things."Raphael's smile remained. "What kind of things?"Van scratched the back of his neck. "I have some businesses.""What kind of business?"Van opened his mouth but couldn't immediately answer."Just... different things."Raphael tilted his head slightly. "I see. So you're a businessman?""Yes." Van answered quickly.Raphael nodded. "That's good. What company do you run?"Van's face stiffened. "I don't exactly have a company.""So you work independently?""Something like that."Raphael remained calm. "Then what exactly do you do?"Van's lips twitched. "I make money here and there."Raphael did not press aggressively. His voice remained almost conversational."How?"Van lowered his eyes. "I know some people.""W

Raphael did not back down. He looked at Van's shabby clothes for a moment before speaking in the same calm tone."I understand that you're comfortable dressing this way," Raphael said. "I'm not asking you to change who you are. But this is your first formal meeting with Janet's family."Raphael's tone was polite, almost considerate."You are here as the man Janet intends to build a future with. Naturally, my parents will want to know what kind of person you are. At the very least, I think it's appropriate for you to dress properly for dinner."Van opened his mouth. "I..."Raphael smiled. "There is no need to be nervous. I'm not asking you to wear anything extravagant. A clean shirt, properly fitted trousers, and decent shoes would be enough. If you are comfortable with a suit, even better."Van shifted uneasily. He wanted to refuse. Every instinct inside him told him to reject the idea.His clothes were part of who he was. They gave him confidence. They made him look tough. He did not

Ben continued staring at Raphael. The longer he looked at his son, the stranger the feeling became. This was Raphael and there was no doubt about it. And yet, something about him was completely different. The Raphael standing before him no longer resembled the naive, easily deceived, lovesick young man Ben remembered. That Raphael had once been completely consumed by Dorothy. He had been willing to sacrifice everything for her. Even his father's approval. Ben had watched his son throw away opportunities that other people would have killed for, simply because Dorothy had become the center of his world. But the man standing before him now was different. Ben had spent decades in the business world. He had met countless successful businessmen, politicians, investors, executives, and entrepreneurs. He knew what confidence and composure looked like. And Raphael was beginning to remind him of those men. Ben's eyes narrowed. For a fleeting moment, an absurd thought crossed hi

Raphael wasn't just determined to cut ties with the Brooks family. He was even more determined to make the Foster Group stronger. Much stronger than it had ever been."I will also expand the Foster Group," Raphael said firmly. "I want to make it stronger than it has ever been. In the future, I want the Foster Group to rank among the top ten companies in the world."The room fell silent. Ben stared at him for a moment before scoffing.“Top ten companies in the world?” His voice was filled with disbelief. “Do you even know what you're saying?”"I do.""You've barely managed to handle your own life properly, and now you're talking about turning the Foster Group into one of the ten largest companies in the world?"Raphael remained calm. He knew exactly why his father reacted this way. If someone had told him the same thing in his previous life, he probably would have laughed too.But this time was different. He possessed knowledge that nobody else had.And, most importantly, he knew that