Chapter 1

Evan's POV

Seeing how determined I was, my grandfather, Boris Gardner, reached out with a trembling hand, trying to stop me. But in the end, his hand remained suspended in midair.

"Evan, have you really thought this through? That's Nambara we're talking about. It's the territory of the Sullivan family's resident devil himself."

I didn't look back. Tears spilled over my cheeks and fell onto the floor the moment I turned away, but my voice remained eerily calm.

"Grandpa, I've made up my mind," I said. "As long as I can get away from here and never have to see those women again, I don't care where I go."

I walked out of the study and leaned against the cold wall, slowly sliding to the floor. My mind kept returning to what I'd witnessed at the private club just 30 minutes earlier.

…

Today was my 23rd birthday. As was tradition, it should have been the grandest party of the year among the elite of Belford.

I was the youngest son of the Gardner family, and Kaia Olsen had always doted on me.

But tonight, the private room was eerily quiet. Dressed in a bespoke suit, I sat at the head of the table like a complete joke, waiting for one hour, then another.

The group chat on my phone remained silent. Not one of my childhood friends, Isabelle Cox or Anna Lovell, nor my fiancée, Kaia, had said a word.

Then, I came across a photo Seth Zimmerman had posted on social media.

The background showed another private room at the club. The caption consisted of just one word—Winner.

In the corner of the photo was a hand wearing the Patek Philippe watch I'd given Kaia.

I straightened my collar and rushed toward that private room like a madman. As I stood outside the door, I heard bursts of laughter coming from inside.

"Kaia, that's Seth we're talking about. Make sure you get his shoe nice and clean!"

"Exactly! If that wine stain seeps into the leather, the shoes will be ruined."

Through the slightly ajar door, I saw something that made my blood run cold.

Kaia, the woman who usually panicked at the slightest frown from me and always said I was the most precious person in her heart, was now kneeling before Seth. She carefully wiped the wine stains from his leather shoes with an expensive silk handkerchief, looking utterly submissive.

She treated the task with such reverence that it was as if she were polishing a priceless treasure.

Seth lounged on the couch, swirling a glass of red wine in his hand. He looked nonchalant, a hint of impatience flickering in his eyes.

"That's enough, Kaia. Stop putting on a show."

Kaia lifted her head, her eyes blazing with an obsession and fervor I'd never seen before.

"Seth, if you'd just look at me properly once, I'd do anything for you," she pleaded. "I'd even call off my wedding. I mean it! I'm sick and tired of that useless crybaby."

The gift box in my hand slipped and hit the floor with a clatter.

Inside was the necklace Kaia had always wanted, a one-of-a-kind piece I'd spent six months persuading a designer to create for me.

The air in the room froze. Everyone turned to stare at me.

Panic flashed across Kaia's face when she saw how pale I'd become. She instinctively rose to her feet, but the moment her eyes met Seth's mocking gaze, that flicker of panic gave way to indifference and disgust.

"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly, frowning. "Since you're here, there are a few things I want to make clear to you anyway."

I bit down hard on my lip until I tasted blood.

"Kaia, today's my birthday."

Kaia scoffed and tossed the stained silk handkerchief onto the table.

"Your birthday? Evan, how old do you think you are? Do you expect the whole world to revolve around you just because it's your birthday? Why can't you learn from Seth and grow up a little? Stop acting like a child who hasn't been weaned."

"Evan, don't take this the wrong way," Isabelle chimed in, her voice laced with irritation. "Seth just returned from abroad, and he's under a lot of pressure starting his own business. What's wrong with us keeping him company? Can't you be a little more understanding?"

Anna nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We spoiled you because you were young. Now it's obvious we've spoiled you rotten.

"You can't even handle the slightest setback. How are you ever going to stand on your own two feet, shoulder the Olsen family's responsibilities alongside Kaia, and become the head of the family?"

I looked at the people who had once sworn to protect me for the rest of my life.

When did everything start to change?

It all started on the day Seth returned. He didn't ride around in luxury cars. He rode a motorcycle.

He didn't drink warm water. He drank hard liquor.

He didn't spend his days admiring flowers in a greenhouse. He fought tooth and nail in the business world.

He was a wild wolf, while I was a flower raised in a greenhouse.

And so, my sensitivity became a sin, and every time I expressed dissatisfaction, they dismissed me as being dramatic.

I took a deep breath, my fingernails digging into my palm.

"So, is this the birthday present you've all prepared for me?"

"If you're here to make a scene, then leave." Kaia waved her hand impatiently. "Don't ruin everyone's evening."

Seth raised an eyebrow.

"Mr. Gardner, Ms. Olsen is only trying to help you," he said, his voice cool and detached. "Flowers raised in a greenhouse really can't withstand a storm."

At that moment, something deep inside me finally snapped.