Chapter 1

My adopted brother, Oliver Bilson, was diagnosed with leukemia right after I paid off Dad's debts from when he declared bankruptcy. To pay Dad's debts, I had to sell off the luxury items that my parents had given me as compensation for the last two years and the patents that I hadn't published yet.

I worked myself to the bone to earn enough money to pay Oliver's medical bills. Even so, our family still ended up in millions of dollars in debt after he made a full recovery.

Every day, after finishing my shift as a driver, I would prepare my family's meals for the next day before cleaning up and turning in for the night.

I would make my way to the subway station at exactly 5:00 a.m. every morning to sell breakfast. I would then go through my daily routine until it was late at night.

I received a delivery order on New Year's Eve. The client had specifically asked for me to deliver the item, which led me to assume that they had been satisfied with my service from a previous order. It was why my heart felt warm even though I had to brave the freezing winds to make the delivery.

Plus, since the client had specifically asked for me to make the delivery, I would earn more than usual for their order.

I pulled out my phone and sent a message to the family group chat while I was waiting for the traffic light to turn green, wanting to share the good news with them.

"We'll be able to pay off the last of our debts once I complete this delivery tonight!

"Didn't Olly mention that he wanted to eat steak a few days ago? Let's take him to a steakhouse once we're debt-free."

As usual, no one responded to my message.

But I knew that Mom, Dad, and Oliver were busy working to pay off our debts, just like me. They didn't have time to respond to me.

Besides, they always kept the leftovers warm for me whenever I returned home late at night.

It was why I didn't feel even a trace of dissatisfaction even though we were saddled with countless debts after Oliver made a full recovery.

A biting gust of wind billowed past, stinging my face. Still, I had no intention of slowing down and taking a break.

I was terrified of getting a bad review from the client if I exceeded the estimated delivery time. I didn't want the big order to fall through.

It was difficult, but I managed to make it to the affluent villa area in the city. I was told that electric vehicles weren't allowed in the compound, so when I finally made it to my destination, I was freezing from head to toe.

Ignoring the frostbite on my fingers, I rang the doorbell. I did my best to get my breathing back under control.

The person who opened the door was a scion who looked about the same age as me.

He was wearing a high-quality sweater, and there were pieces of colorful confetti in his hair. It was obvious that it was warm and lively within the villa.

The man crossed his arms over his chest as he looked down at me from the tip of his nose, scoffing when he took in the thick and old-fashioned cotton coat that I was wearing.

"Who gave you permission to loiter on my doorstep, you loser?" he sneered.