Prologue

Henley's voice echoed amidst the hallway. His world seemed to stop turning as he keep pushing the wheeled stretcher where her foster grandma was lying in agony. There's not even a medical attendant who helped them get to the emergency ward. The service of this hospital for commoners sucks! Thuding, he pushed the stretcher as fast as he could until the entrance of the emergency room was near to the sight. He felt a bit of relief when a medical attendant came to meet them. He asks him what happened. Henley told them that his grandma suddenly fainted, and aside from that she usually has pre-existing medical conditions. The medical attendant called the doctor on duty, and as the bed curtain closes, Henley's heart was pounding anxiously. He's worried big time about his grandma. She's the only family he has. Among all the foster parents he has had, Grandma was the only one who showed him love, and who really took care of him. He can't lose her! No! 

Henley Austen, he doesn't even know if this is his real name or something that one of his foster parents had given him. He grow up in an orphanage and was transferred from one foster parent to another. It's not because his former foster parents cannot support him but they use him or beat him. He even ended up in a child syndicate one time and as a result, he always flee which made him end up either roaming in the streets or in a juvie house. And once he's in the juvie house, the same cycle happens again. The abuse, the beating, and fleeing. He no longer trusted any foster parent that was introduced to him, until he saw grandma. 

He saw warmth in her eyes. Yeah, a kind of warmth that never faded even after she took him home. The warmth that comes from a mother's heart -- that's grandma. Though, unlike the other foster parents, Grandma was not that rich. She's of the commoners, maybe the of the upper commoners. She has a nice old cabin in the countryside. She's not poor yet not rich, just enough for them both to live a decent life. Grandma's love for him was exactly the kind of warmth he needed in this cruel world of his. 

"Who's the son?" 

The voice of the doctor dragged back his drifting thoughts. 

"I am, doc,"  Henley responded. 

The doctor removed his mask, and there he saw his sad, regretful face. 

" Your grandmother has a serious fatal heart condition. I am sorry to say but this hospital lacks resources and equipment to cure her,"   the doctor told him. 

Henley felt like his hope was melting. 

"Though I really like to help the patient that is beyond what this hospital can offer,"  the doctor added. 

"Where else can I bring my grandmother, doctor?"  he asked. 

The doctor breathed heavily first before answering. Henley comprehended there might be another problem. 

" There's only one hospital in the Red Coast Country that is allowed and caters to diseases like of your grandmother,"  said the doctor. 

" What h-hospital, doc?" 

"That one hospital in the Elite City,"  the doctor replied. 

Hearing that, Henley felt like the world had crumbled to his feet. It was like saying he'll just wait for her grandmother to die for there's no way he could get to that hospital in the Elite City. Even stepping foot in there would mean death or treason for commoners like them are not allowed even just to look at its city entrance, how much more of getting confined to the hospital in there? The doctor told him that the health system and medical facilities in Elite City are advanced and of more quality than the hospitals here for the commoners. 

The doctor sadly tapped his shoulder and excused himself to leave. For now, her grandmother was given medicines but that would not last long. 

Anxious, and depressed, Henley went out of the hospital without knowing where to go. Money! This is his problem. He needed not just money to pay for the hospital bills but a huge amount of money for him to be able to have access to Elite City. Yeah! He wanted to be a resident of Elite City for her grandma to be able to be confined in the hospital there! But how? 

Henley strolls around the empty street, thinking, overwhelmed with self-pity and mixed emotions. All his life has been a struggle! 

And now I'm even more f** up! If not of that red-taped letter! It wouldn't be this hard! Urgghh! 

He screamed as he kicked the empty can he stepped on. 

Then he paused as he passed by a certain bar for a familiar figure had caught his attention. 

Was it Naomi? Henley thought to himself. 

He saw that familiar figure of his girlfriend entering the bar with some guys, based on the guys getting up he could tell that they weren't commoners. The other guy's arms were even placed around her girlfriend's waist. Henley gritted his teeth. 

What a day! Now I'm seeing my girlfriend cheating right to my face! 

So, he followed them. 

But then he was blocked by the bar attendant at the entrance later did he notice it was a high-end bar, not for the commoners. One can only get in once accompanied by a resident of Elite City. Helpless, he ended up shouting for his girlfriend's name hoping she would hear him. Now, he's making a scene, yet as the tension escalated, his girlfriend noticed him, and so did the other guys she was with. 

"What are you doing here?" Naomi could only whisper. 

She's trying not to be found being associated with him. 

"Do you know her, Nao?"  

Henley heard the other guy ask. 

Naomi shook her head, and forced a smile, " Of course not!"  she said. 

Now, the other guys walked near him. 

Their stares are full of contempt. One of them even pushed him. 

"Can't you see only those who are clean are allowed in places like this? Why are you bothering my girl?"  said one of the guys. 

My girl? 

It was like a bomb was dropped on his ears. Is this guy claiming his girlfriend as his girl? Sh**! Henley looked at Naomi. His eyes were asking, demanding an explanation but she keep her act of not knowing him. 

"I really don't know him. Let's go now inside, Adder!"  

He heard Naomi say. 

And she throw her one last glance before Adder ordered the bouncers in the bar to drag him away from the premises. 

Clean my ass! Just because you are rich and settlers of the Elite City you are now regarding yourselves clean! F*** you all up! 

Henley was screaming in his thoughts yet that's the only he could do to suppress all the anger he felt inside. 

Adder. I won't forget that name! He told himself. 

He gets on his feet after the bouncers throw him on the ground. 

Maybe he'll just sleep all the bullying and humiliation he has got today. That's what he always does anyway. He's used to this. This isn't the first time. And that bar isn't the first place. That's nothing compared to all the struggles he had endured. 

A Month After

Morning. 

Henley's eyes slowly opened. Yet his sleepy head was forced to wake when he saw a notification on his phone. 

"What?" he muttered with eyes wide. 

[ You've got a system! 100 Million Dollars was deposited in your account. Spent it in 3 days to grow your money! ]

He laughed. 

"Is this a f*** joke? You need to spend the money to grow it?"  he muttered and went to sleep again. But then his phone beeped again, now it was his bank informing him of the authenticity of the One million dollar deposit. 

Maybe the bank was just having trouble. He thinks, still not believing. 

But then after a while, a representative from his bank called him asking him to go to the bank right away, to withdraw the money. 

Am I dreaming? 

He slapped himself. 

Ouch! It hurts! No this isn't a dream!