“Someone should have told the beggar that this funeral was for the family, not for people looking for a handout.”Adrian Cole had barely entered the funeral hall when the insult reached him.“Thank goodness Isabella hasn't married him yet,” a woman murmured. “Imagine bringing a man like that into our family.”Another guest shook his head. “And now the VANTEX contract signing has been delayed. Ever since that useless man became part of this family, we've had one problem after another.”Adrian ignored them and walked toward the coffin at the front of the hall. After his father died, his grandfather had taken him into Whitmore Mansion despite the family's objections and defended him whenever the others tried to drive him away. Now, the only person who had stood up for him was gone.Adrian knelt and gripped the coffin edge.“Grandpa, why did you have to leave so soon?” “You promised I wouldn't have to face everything alone. What am I supposed to do now?”Tears blurred his vision before a

Adrian Cole remained silent throughout the drive, staring at the enormous credit alert on his old iPhone 6s. He had counted the zeros several times, but the amount was still too large for him to comprehend. Less than an hour ago, the Whitmore family had thrown him out of their mansion. Now, the manager of Mavelik Bank had personally arranged to collect him because of a deposit he couldn't explain.“Sir, we should get you some dry clothes first,” Richard Hayes said. “You must be uncomfortable sitting in wet clothes.”Before Adrian could respond, Richard pulled over in front of an elegant boutique and stepped out.Sir?Adrian was still getting used to the way Richard addressed him. He had spent years being treated as an unwanted burden in the Whitmore household, yet a bank manager was showing him more respect than he had received from the people who had raised him.Richard disappeared through the boutique's glass entrance, leaving Adrian alone with his questions.Why had someone transfe

Adrian Cole couldn't bring himself to accept what he had just witnessed. No matter how hard he tried to make sense of it, his mind refused to cooperate. Isabella had been with another man, and when she saw him standing at the bedroom door, she had slammed it in his face instead of offering an explanation. The betrayal was painful enough, but her reaction made him feel as though their years together had meant nothing to her.Only the previous day, Isabella had promised to accompany him to a gala event, despite Eleanor Whitmore's strong objections. They had discussed the preparations together, and Adrian had believed that, for once, Isabella was willing to stand up to her mother for their relationship. Then his grandfather's sudden death had thrown the household into chaos, canceling their plans and changing everything before Adrian could understand what was happening.He couldn't remember having a serious argument with Isabella. They had disagreed over small matters before, but nothing