Chapter 6: Going To School

    Kyle walked out of his dark attic room dressed in one of Noah’s old hand-me-downs. It was an oversized, faded grey sweater and a pair of loose black trousers. Because he was so thin and malnourished, the clothing hung off his emaciated frame, making him look small and pitiful. He moved quietly down the stairs and entered the dining room and did not dare to go near the table, so he simply stood in the corner of the room, keeping his head lowered as he stared at his feet.

A few moments later, Noah came down the stairs. He was wearing an expensive, luxury cream-colored cashmere sweater, tailored white casual trousers, and sparkling gold cufflinks. He looked soft, elegant, and completely clean. He gave Kyle a brief mocking glance, before smoothly pulling out a chair for himself. He sat down at the long table, not bothering to say a word to Kyle.

Next, Clarissa came downstairs. She was fully dressed up to go out for the morning, wearing her expensive jewelry. She took her seat at the head of the table.

Noah immediately smiled at her and said, “Mom, you look stunning as always.”

Clarissa’s strict expression softened and she smiled warmly at her son. “Thank you, my good boy.”

The maids began serving the hot plates of breakfast. Clarissa and Noah chatted happily about the university, enjoying their meal together. No one looked at Kyle, after all, in this house, he was an blood bank, only needed whenever Noah’s body need him.

Kyle stood in the corner with his head hung low as he nervously fiddled with his fingers. He silently waited for them to finish eating. This was a normal occurrence in the Sawyer family. Whenever the Sawyers were in a good mood, they would let him have some food. But if they were in a bad mood, he could forget about getting even a single sip of water from them. Because Clarissa believed that yesterday’s sudden stock drop had something to do with Kyle, she felt it was only right that he go the whole day without a single meal or a drop of water. Kyle knew this, so he remained completely still.

After Noah finished his breakfast, he stood up and walked over to his mother, he gave her a gentle peck on the cheek before heading toward the front door. Kyle quickly moved from the corner and followed behind.

The family chauffeur was already waiting outside by the luxury car, holding the backdoor open. In his heart, Noah hated the very thought of going to school in the same car as Kyle. He would much rather watch Kyle walk all the way to the campus on foot. But Noah knew that if other people saw Kyle walking, it would arouse suspicion. After all, the family always claimed to the public that they loved Kyle like their own blood. To protect their high-society reputation, Noah had no choice but to sit in the same vehicle with the bastard.

As the car pulled out of the mansion gates, the sweet look completely vanished from Noah's face. He turned his head and looked at Kyle, his eyes brimming with deep hatred.

“You had better keep your mouth shut,” Noah hissed in a low, vicious whisper. “If you dare tell my parents that I was the one who gave you that alcohol last night, you are absolutely doomed. Do you understand me?”

Kyle’s heart trembled with fear. He nodded his head frantically, shrinking his shoulders back against the leather seat. “I… I won't… I promise…”

“Good,” Noah sneered, turning his face back toward the window.

When the car finally reached the grand entrance of the Oakhaven National University, the gates were crowded with luxury vehicles dropping off students. Noah instantly turned his angelic persona back on. He smiled beautifully and stepped out of the vehicle. He purposefully left his door wide open. Kyle had no choice but to crawl across the backseat and exit from the exact same side, his oversized grey sweater dragging against the leather seats.

As Kyle stepped down, Noah reached up and placed his hand gently over the car door frame, making sure the surrounding students could see him.

“Careful, Kyle. Don’t hurt your head,” Noah said softly, pretending to protect him from bumping against the car.

Leo, one of the students walking nearby saw this interaction and let out a soft sigh. “Sigh, Noah, you are always so nice to your brother.”

Noah turned around, feigning surprise. “Leo! You’re here.” He let out a modest sigh and smiled gently. “Well, what can I do? He is my brother after all. It’s only right that I take care of him.”

Several other students quickly crowded around Noah. They all wanted to suck up to the potential marriage partner of the great tycoon, Devon Adler. They greeted Noah and walked with him toward the lecture hall leaving Kyle behind. Kyle dropped his head trailing behind, in his two arms were his bag and Noah’s bag..

When they reached the building of the business administration department, the group finally stopped. Noah turned around and looked at Kyle, who was standing a few steps behind them with his bags.

“Thank you, brother,” Noah said sweetly, taking his designer bag from Kyle’s hands. “You really didn't have to carry this all the way here for me.”

Kyle’s fingers trembled as he handed over the bag. He kept his eyes glued to the floor, his voice breaking into a stutter. “It’s… it’s n…o problem, Noah.”

Without waiting for a reply, Kyle quickly turned around and scurried away toward his own department. He was studying botany, a quiet and isolated field that dealt with plant research and greenhouse management. It was the only place on campus where he felt a tiny bit of peace.

He hurried into his lecture hall, walking all the way to the very back row. He sat down in a dark corner where no one would notice him. He carefully brought out his notebooks and pens, preparing for the morning lesson to begin.

but just as he had finished arranging his stuff on the table, the heavy front door of the lecture hall swung open and a university administrator stepped inside, she stood at the front of the hall and scanned it, her eyes actively scanning the rows of students. “Is Kyle Sawyer in this room?”

Kyle felt a sudden wave of nervousness. He slowly raised his thin hand, his face turning pale. “Y…es. I am h..ere.”

The woman looked at him, her expression unusually polite. “The Dean wants to see you in his office immediately. Please follow me.”

Kyle became extremely anxious. He couldn’t think of why the dean would want to see him, nevertheless he packed his books back inside his bag and followed her out of the classroom.

When they reached the top floor, they stopped in front of a pair of large, heavy wooden doors, with the name Dean written on it. The administrator stepped forward and knocked on the door.

A muffled "Come in" was heard from the other side.

The woman turned to Kyle, gesturing with her hand that he should enter the room. Then, she turned around and left the hallway, leaving him all alone. Kyle let out a shaky sigh to calm his racing heart before reaching out to push the heavy door open. As soon as he stepped inside, he froze in shock.

The grand office was completely silent. The Dean of the university was sitting behind his desk,  he was sweating nervously, pulling at his collar with a pale face. Nestled comfortably on two guest chairs right in front of the desk were the nation's top two tycoons.

Hugo Keagan was leaning back casually, his long fingers absentmindedly fiddling with the calendar on the table. Right next to him sat Devon Adler, his expression completely calm as he slowly played with a sleek, silver lighter in his hands.