Snow fell heavily on New Year's Eve, covering the streets and rooftops in white. While other families gathered around warm tables to celebrate, Ethan Carter stood outside his eldest uncle's gate, shivering in a thin coat with one hand pressed against his chest.His breathing was uneven, and cold sweat trickled down his temples. He had dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that had weakened his heart, and his doctors had warned him that he needed urgent surgery. Without it, he might not survive much longer.He had spent most of his savings on medication and hospital bills. With nowhere else to turn, he had come to Richard Carter to collect the one million yuan his uncle had borrowed years ago for his son Daniel's wedding.Ethan knocked again, his numb fingers barely able to feel the cold metal gate. When Richard finally appeared, he wore a thick coat and looked thoroughly annoyed."What are you doing here on New Year's Eve?" Richard demanded. "Can't you see we're busy preparing for the h

"Ethan, James is going abroad to study, Daniel needs money for his wedding, and Michael's business needs investment. You're their closest relative, so you should help them. Your parents left you enough money, and there's no reason to be selfish."The familiar voice dragged Ethan out of the darkness.He opened his eyes sharply, his chest rising as he sucked in a desperate breath. For a moment, he expected to feel icy water filling his lungs, but instead, he felt the solid mattress beneath him and heard the low murmur of people talking nearby.He looked around in confusion. The room was crowded with relatives dressed in black, their faces solemn beneath the pale funeral decorations. The smell of incense lingered in the air, mixing with the faint scent of flowers, and photographs of his late parents stood at the front of the room.Ethan's gaze locked onto them, and his heart began to pound.This was his parents' funeral.He remembered this day. He remembered the relatives who had surroun

Daniel Carter had never imagined that Ethan would dare to threaten him over a little money. Even after leaving Ethan’s place, the warning about showing up at his workplace with a megaphone kept ringing in his ears, leaving him so humiliated that he could barely look his fiancée in the eye.When he returned home, his girlfriend immediately noticed his foul mood. She put down her phone and studied his face, wondering what Ethan had said to make him look so defeated.“What happened? Did Ethan refuse to give you the money again?” she asked.Daniel dropped onto the sofa and loosened his collar, his jaw tightening as he remembered Ethan’s mocking expression. “That ungrateful bastard has changed completely. He actually threatened to show up at my workplace and embarrass me in front of everyone, including my fiancée. He thinks he can do whatever he wants just because he has money left by his parents.”His girlfriend’s expression darkened, but instead of telling him to let it go, she leaned fo

By the following morning, Ethan Carter had become the subject of another family argument, and this time, the accusation was that he had brought shame upon the Carters by involving the police in Daniel's theft. His grandparents refused to speak to him unless he agreed to withdraw the complaint, while other relatives called to lecture him about loyalty, respect, and the importance of keeping family matters private.Ethan listened without arguing, but he had no intention of changing his decision. The same people who had expected him to tolerate Daniel's behavior were now treating him as though he had committed the greater offense, and their reaction confirmed what he had already begun to suspect about their attitude toward his inheritance.By midday, Richard Carter had joined the growing chorus of criticism. He confronted Ethan in the sitting room, his expression full of disapproval as he demanded to know why Ethan was determined to make a simple family dispute so complicated.“You have