Chapter 1: Two Faced Noah

“You had better stay behind Noah at all times. Do not let us see you wandering around like a stray. If you misbehave at this banquet, you won't get food for a week. Do you understand me?”

Clarissa Sawyer’s voice was completely devoid of emotion as she spoke. They were inside a plush limousine that was moving towards the venue of the banquet of the year.

She didn't even bother to hide the disgust as she looked at the boy sitting across from her.  

Tonight, she was dressed in the latest haute-couture piece from the YX autumn collection, paired with this season's latest designer handbag. Afraid that the high-society elite might somehow miss how wealthy she was, she had draped herself in an excessive layer of diamond necklaces, heavy rings, and glittering hairpins. The display was gaudy, and a tad too much for anyone with actual refined taste, but to Clarissa, it was fashion, she simply wanted everyone to know that she could afford these things.

   

Kyle nodded quickly as he hunched his shoulders. He stared down at his lap and clasped his hands together, trying desperately to stop the familiar tremor in his fingers. He did not dare look up. The lesson had been beaten into him during his seventeen years in the laboratory, and then reinforced through starvation in the Sawyer family attic. Never look up when spoken to. You are below others. You are a defective byproduct who shouldn't even exist.

Desperately trying to soothe himself, he rubbed his thumbs together until his knuckles turned white. “I… I promise. I… I won't…”

“Did I give you permission to speak, you stuttering fool?” Clarissa hissed, her eyes narrowing as she glared at him.

Though Kyle was nineteen years old, severe malnutrition and constant, agonizing blood draws made him look barely sixteen. The suit he wore hung loosely on his emaciated frame, emphasizing his protruding collarbones and thin wrists. To the public, he was the tragic, rescued orphan the Sawyers had charitably taken in. Behind closed doors, he was a walking blood bank kept exclusively for their biological son, who needed a blood transfusion every now and then.

“Mom, please don't raise your voice,” a gentle, soothing voice interrupted. “You just recovered from a cold. It really isn't good for your health to get so upset.”

Noah Sawyer smiled sweetly, reaching over to gently grab his mother’s arm. Tonight, Noah was dressed in a tailored, custom-fit suit made of the finest cream-colored silk, paired with a soft pastel-pink tie that perfectly complemented his pale complexion. He looked every bit the fragile and angelic Omega the media adored. The perfect blend of formal, yet radiating pure innocence.

Clarissa’s expression softened instantly when Noah touched her arm. She rubbed her temples in an exaggerated, dramatic manner. “Ah, Noah, my sweet boy, you just don't understand. It has been a long time since we took this creature out in public. What if he throws a tantrum or messes up? Our family will be the ones forced to clean up his embarrassing mess.”

“He wouldn't dare, Mom,” Noah murmured softly.

He turned his head to look at Kyle. Taking a slow sip from the water bottle beside him, the gloating in his eyes was not concealed at all. He was thoroughly enjoying the sight of Kyle sitting there with his head lowered. To Noah, Kyle was just a lab rat, someone his parents had picked up to be his personal blood donor.

“Kyle, it's okay. You can look at me,” Noah said with mock sympathy.

Kyle hesitated for a few seconds, then raised his head slowly.

The moment their eyes met, jealousy within Noah. He clenched his fists tightly, fighting the urge to reach out and claw at Kyle's face. But doing that would make it obvious to the public that Kyle was not treated well by the Sawyer family. They could do anything they wanted to the hidden parts of Kyle's body, but they could not touch his face.

Even though Kyle was underweight, pale, and dressed in Noah's old hand-me-downs, he was still devastatingly beautiful. He possessed a delicate, ethereal facial structure, large, expressive eyes, and a natural, doll-like prettiness that no amount of starvation or abuse could erase. It was the kind of effortless grace that Noah, despite all his expensive beauty treatments and luxury spa sessions, could never truly replicate.

The limousine slowed down and came to a stop in front of the Oakhaven Grand Plaza. Today's banquet was the social event of the year, so every influential family in the country was expected to attend.

 The Sawyer family stepped out from the limousine, smiling warmly at the reporters and photographers that were crowding around the red carpet. Kyle immediately moved behind Noah, walking exactly three steps behind him as he had always been instructed.

    As soon as they entered the grand ballroom, several wealthy socialites and business partners noticed them and walked over to greet them.

“Ah, Mrs. Sawyer! You look absolutely radiant tonight,” a lady with a short bob hairstyle praised, her eyes scanned the jewels on her. She tsked inwardly, trying to hide her disapproval, she turned to Kyle. “Oh, is this the young boy your family adopted from the laboratory? It is so incredibly nice of you to bring him to a grand banquet like this.”

Clarissa let out a laugh she had rehearsed countless times. “We do our best, you know. We just want to make him fit in and ensure he never feels left out. The poor thing has been through so much, so we treat him exactly like our own blood.”

“You are truly a saint, Mrs. Sawyer,” another guest chimed in, nodding in approval. “The Oakhaven Republic needs more charitable families like yours.”

Noah stood by his mother’s side, maintaining his perfect, angelic smile. Clarissa patted Noah's shoulder gently and whispered, “Noah, darling, your friends are over there by the lounge. Why don't you go over and greet them?”

“Okay, Mom,” Noah replied sweetly. He turned around to Kyle. “Let's go.”

Kyle quickly followed him, keeping his head down as they walked toward the group of wealthy, elite children. The moment they saw Noah approaching, they instantly surrounded him, laughing and throwing compliments.

“Noah! You look so beautiful tonight!” one of the girls exclaimed. “By the way, we heard the rumors. How is your finance, President Devon Adler? Have the two families finalized the wedding date?”

Noah’s cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink. He looked down shyly, playing with the edge of his silk sleeve. “Stop it, please… We are not officially engaged yet. Don't say things like that out loud.”

“Oh, come on! Everyone knows his compatibility with you is 48%, which is the highest anyone had ever gotten in the national database,” a boy in pink coloured hair laughed, nudging Noah’s shoulder. “But you definitely will be engaged soon. When you become the lady of the Adler Tech empire, don't forget about us!”

Noah smiled bashfully, enjoying every single second of the attention.

“You brought your adopted brother?” The girl who had spoken first said. It wasn't that they had intentionally skipped over him. It was just that Kyle had a low presence that would make people forget he was there.

“Wow, you guys are really close, huh? He follows you everywhere like a loyal puppy.”

Noah’s eyes flashed with a cold glint, then he concealed it with a smile. “Yes, we are very close. I don't have any biological siblings, so I am really grateful that my parents brought him home to live with us. I try to take care of him wherever we go.”

The group of guys leaned closer, trying to get a better look at Kyle. “Now that I am looking at him without his uniform, he actually seems quite pretty for a Beta. Hey, raise your head, let us see your face clearly.”

Hearing them ask to see Kyle's face made a sudden wave of anger burn inside Noah's chest. How dare they look at this defect? How dare they call a useless, scentless Beta pretty in front of him?

Noah quickly stepped in front of Kyle, blocking their view. He forced a troubled, fragile expression onto his face. “I’m sorry, everyone. My brother is really afraid of large crowds. He gets very anxious and uncomfortable around too many people. Please excuse us for a moment, let me take him outside to get some fresh air.”

The friends immediately nodded, praising Noah for being such a caring, thoughtful brother.

The moment they reached a dimly lit corridor, Noah's gentle expression vanished.

He grabbed Kyle’s arm and violently shoved him to the floor.

Kyle’s thin body hit the ground with a painful thud, he didn't dare to cry out loud, he just looked at Noah in confusion.

“You bastard! You useless, pathetic stray!” Noah hissed fiercely, standing over him with his fists clenched. His face held pure rage. “Why are you always trying to show off? Why do you always have to look pretty? Tell me! Should I just take a knife, scar your face, and make you completely hideous so you finally stop embarrassing me?”

Kyle shrank back, his heart pounding violently in his chest. He didn't know what he had done wrong. He had been so good today. He hadn't spoken a single word, he had kept his head down the entire time, and he had followed exactly three steps behind just like he was told. He was completely confused. What did he do wrong this time? Why was he always the one who got beaten? Out of instinct he crawled toward Noah.

“I…I'm S..orry.” His stutter always got worse whenever he was scared of being hit. “N..oah, please I..I'm sorry, don't h..it m..e.” He trembled as tears blurred his vision. “I'll be g..ood.” Noah's lips curved into an arc, enjoying the way he pleaded. 

The sound of footsteps in the empty corridor made him quickly pull him up.

“Oh dear, you fell again? Sigh, it's okay, I'm your brother you don't have to hide it from me.” Noah said sweetly as

he dusted the invisible dust off Kyle's clothes