Chapter 3

On the day Jason was discharged from the hospital, he suddenly turned to my adoptive parents and asked, "Why aren't we having a welcome-home party?"

My adoptive parents exchanged confused glances, clearly having no idea what he was talking about.

Jason frowned as though the answer should have been obvious. "Our family has a huge name in the industry. Now that you've found your biological son, shouldn't you throw a party to announce my identity to the entire city? Why haven't you done that for me? Is it because Daniel won't allow it? Is he afraid I'll steal his spotlight?"

I'd been resting in the passenger seat with my eyes closed, but I opened them as soon as I heard that.

Both my adoptive parents had lost their jobs when they were younger and had supported my education by running a street stall. It wasn't until I'd made a name for myself in business and taken the Miller Group public that I brought them to live with me so they could enjoy their retirement.

Our family had started poor, so we'd never paid much attention to the customs and formalities of high society. Jason's request caught us completely off guard.

Still, after giving it some thought, I figured he was only 20, still a young man. Maybe he just wanted a small ceremony to make up for lost time and give himself a sense of belonging.

"Alright," I said. "Let's go to the Hilton. I'll book a private dining room, and we can have a nice family dinner together."

Jason let out a smug snort. "That's more like it."

Little did I know, this was only the beginning of another ridiculous spectacle.

When it came time to order, he deliberately chose the most expensive items on the menu.

"Coral Coast lobster, king crab, and a bottle of '82 Lafite." Jason pointed at the menu with all the swagger of a nouveau riche show-off.

The waiter glanced at me politely for confirmation, and I nodded. "Go ahead."

Jason turned to me with a smug smile. "You don't mind, do you, Daniel? I spent 20 years suffering in an orphanage. There's nothing wrong with treating myself to some good food, is there?"

"Not at all," I replied calmly. "As long as you can finish it."

Throughout the meal, Jason continued filling my adoptive parents' heads with his twisted theories.

"Mom, Dad, you have no idea how shady those imposters can be. They act all sweet and innocent to your faces, but behind your backs, they're busy moving money around and putting assets in their own names. You'd better keep a close eye on your bank accounts, property deeds, and financial records."

My hand paused as I cut into my steak.

Bank accounts? Property deeds?

My adoptive parents did own an old, rundown apartment, and they probably had a few tens of thousands of dollars in retirement savings. But the mansion, luxury cars, and company shares we had now were all under my name.

My adoptive parents awkwardly lowered their heads and focused on their food, too embarrassed to respond. Their silence, however, only encouraged Jason to keep going.

"By the way, Daniel, what's your position at the company? How much do you make? When I join the company, you'll have to help me settle in and show me the ropes. After all, it's only a matter of time before the company is handed over to me."

I set down my knife and fork and wiped my mouth.

"I do odd jobs around the company. As for handing it over to you, we'll talk about that after you graduate from college."

"What kind of attitude is that?" Jason slammed his fork onto the table. "I'm the only biological child in this family. I'll join the company whenever I want!"

To ease the tension, Dad suggested we take a walk by the nearby swimming pool.

I had just turned to speak to my adoptive parents when Jason suddenly let out a startled cry.

"Help!"

Before I could react, a pair of strong hands grabbed my arm and yanked me backward.

Jason had slipped and was losing his balance, falling toward the pool, but he clung to me with all his strength, clearly intending to drag me into the water with him!

A massive splash erupted as we plunged into the pool, whose water was bitterly cold in the late-autumn weather.

I knew how to swim, but I was wearing a heavy trench coat, and once it was soaked through, it weighed me down like lead.

Worse still, Jason wrapped himself around me like an octopus, screaming as he desperately tried to force me underwater.

"Help! Somebody help me! Daniel's trying to kill me!"

He thrashed wildly in the water, digging his fingernails into my neck as he struggled against me. I swallowed several mouthfuls of water, and my lungs burned with pain.

Fortunately, the hotel lifeguards reacted quickly, jumping into the pool and hauling us both out.

Soaked from head to toe and looking utterly miserable, I sat on the edge of the pool, gasping for air.

Jason looked even worse, his hair a tangled mess as he sat there dripping like a drowned rat.

Yet he somehow still had plenty of energy. The moment he climbed out of the pool, he rushed over to my adoptive parents, who had hurried to the scene, pointed at me, and screamed, "Mom! Dad! He pushed me! He was trying to drown me!

"If I hadn't reacted quickly enough to grab him, he would've pushed me into the pool and drowned me!

"How could he be so heartless? Just because I said I wanted to join the company, he tried to kill me to keep me out of it!"