Chapter 1

"Ronan, it's just donating a kidney to your brother. It's not like you're going to die. Why are you making such a fuss?"

The one speaking was Ronan Vance's second sister, Bella Vance, her face twisted with impatience.

"Thomas's condition is deteriorating. If he doesn't get a transplant soon, he won't survive. You've been back in the Vance family all this time, and we've never expected much from you. You're the only one who's a match. What reason do you have to refuse?" his father, Dominic Vance, said in a low, heavy voice.

"Nooo…" Ronan shook his head desperately, powerless and terrified. The anesthesia finally took hold, robbing him of even the strength to speak as he was pushed toward the operating room.

…

Inside the operating room, the Vance family's adopted son, Thomas Vance, lay on the other table.

"Doctor, I want to say a few words to my brother," he said.

"The chief surgeon hasn't arrived yet. Make it quick," one of the doctors replied.

Thomas propped himself up, leaning close to Ronan.

On that gentle, harmless-looking face, a twisted, triumphant grin slowly spread.

"My dear brother, let me tell you the truth… my condition was never serious enough to need a kidney transplant. I've already bribed the surgeon. He'll make sure you die on the operating table.

"Ronan, why didn't you just die out there before they found you? Why did you have to let our parents drag you back? Everything in this family belongs to me. I won't let you take any of it.

"Just accept your fate. I promise to think of you once every year… Oh, and the Reinman heiress? She's mine now too…"

Ronan's vision went blood-red. He thrashed, desperately trying to sit up.

Watching Ronan struggle, unable to do anything, Thomas laughed.

But as the chief surgeon finally walked in and the operation began, Ronan's vision blurred. The bright surgical lights dimmed before him.

Hopelessness, like a bottomless abyss, swallowed every last fragment of light and hope in his world.

…

"Ronan! I don't care what you think. Tomorrow, you're going to that meeting. If you refuse, then get out of the Vance family!"

The furious voice drifted toward him as if from a great distance.

Ronan's unfocused eyes slowly gathered clarity.

The stifling scene before him was painfully familiar.

He stood frozen, staring at the Vance family sitting on the sofa.

Wasn't he dead?

Yet this… this was exactly one week before he was forced onto the operating table.

The Reinman family had proposed a marriage alliance with the Vances, offering to marry their daughter to his younger brother, Thomas.

Rumor had it that the Reinman family's heiress was hideously ugly and weighed over two hundred pounds.

Of course, Thomas refused and suggested that Ronan marry her instead.

Ronan had no desire to be forced into a marriage, but no one cared about his objections. They arranged everything without asking him.

But things changed later. For some reason—coincidence or something else—Thomas happened to meet the Reinman family's heiress. She was nothing like the rumors. She was stunningly beautiful.

He regretted everything on the spot, but the engagement was already set.

So, to reverse things, he told their parents that his condition was worsening, bribed a doctor, and insisted he needed an immediate transplant.

That way, he could rightfully marry the Reinman family's daughter instead.

And to achieve this, he had schemed to take Ronan's life on the operating table.

And now—here was that scene unfolding once more.

"Are you deaf? Speak!" Dominic snapped, frowning.

"Ronan, don't be ungrateful," Bella said coldly. "The Reinman Group is on equal footing with the Vance family. Marrying into the Reinman family is a huge opportunity for you."

Looking at these people who called themselves his family, Ronan felt nothing but disgust.

As a child, he had been abducted by traffickers. After his adoptive parents died, he spent nearly ten years in an orphanage.

He had thought he would spend his whole life alone until his biological parents found him. He had been overwhelmed with joy.

To him, this regained family bond was precious. He treated it with the utmost care.

But to his four older sisters, his return only brought resentment and hostility.

Their words were always the same. "So what if he's our real brother? The one who grew up with us is Thomas, not him."

After Ronan was kidnapped, his parents had adopted a child—Thomas.

The entire family adored him, showering him with affection. If he wanted the stars, they would try to pluck them from the sky for him.

Even after Ronan returned, nothing changed. Their attention and love remained solely on Thomas. He was their everything.

As for Ronan—their flesh and blood—he barely existed at all.

Ronan's mind replayed Thomas's final words from his previous life. His fists clenched tight.

In that life, when doctors discovered that Ronan's kidney was a match, Thomas immediately told their parents he wanted Ronan's kidney.

And his parents and sisters agreed without hesitation. They even said that Ronan wasn't as capable as Thomas, and if it cost his life, so be it.

Of course, Ronan refused.

The Vance family had money. Thomas could afford to wait years for a suitable donor.

Besides, he had already met the Reinman family's heiress, and both families were discussing the marriage.

So, the Vances reluctantly agreed to delay the transplant.

However, the next day, Thomas bribed the doctor and faked his symptoms, forcing an immediate operation.

Ronan tried to escape but was locked up and dragged to the operating room.

As for the marriage alliance, the Vance family simply ignored it.

In the Vance family… what was he? A puppet for them to manipulate.

"A great opportunity…" Ronan sneered. "If it's so wonderful, why don't you let Thomas go?"

Everyone froze, staring at him in disbelief.

It was the first time they had ever seen Ronan like this.

Sitting beside their mother, Thomas's eyes flashed with something dark before he lowered his voice and said softly, "Ronan, if my health weren't so bad, I would definitely marry the Reinman family's heiress. I'm sorry… this is all my fault…"

He lowered his head, looking utterly remorseful.

The sight instantly made the whole family rush to comfort him, their hearts aching with distress.

"Ronan, what kind of attitude is that?!" Dominic slammed his palm against the mahogany coffee table.

"Can't you be reasonable for once?" Bella snapped. "Since you came home, what have you ever done for this family? Your expenses are fully paid for by the family, but you won't even do this one thing?"

His fourth sister, Denise Vance, added coldly, "We never should have brought him back. He has no conscience."

"My expenses?" Ronan laughed softly, his expression full of mockery. "In the two years since I returned, I haven't spent a single cent that wasn't my own. I've never caused trouble for any of you."

"Lies!" Denise snapped. "Your tuition—who paid it? The clothes you wear—who bought them? Stop making things up! You don't even bother coming up with believable lies!"

Ronan let out a snort. "My tuition came from the part-time jobs I worked during school breaks. As for clothes? Aside from my school uniform, I have only one set that I bought for two dollars at a street stall."

"That— that's impossible!" Denise protested loudly. "When you first came home, didn't Dad tell Bella to give you five thousand for living expenses?"

"Five thousand?" Ronan's voice turned cold. "I never saw a single cent of it."

Everyone turned toward Bella.

She pressed her lips together, guilt flickering across her face. "I… I must have forgotten…"

If it hadn't been mentioned today, she probably never would have remembered.

The entire family fell silent.

So for the past two years… Ronan really hadn't spent even a penny of the family's money?