Chapter 1

The room fell silent. Lilian froze in place, the foot she'd used to kick the door still raised.

Ezra stood there for several seconds before clenching his jaw, his eyes reddening.

"Maybe I remembered it wrong... I was so worried Wallace wouldn't acknowledge me that I got confused." He lowered his voice, then added, "I just didn't expect Wallace to hate Grandpa's old watch that much..."

My mother immediately pulled him to her side and shielded him.

Lilian's expression darkened. "Even if he didn't steal the watch, what kind of attitude was that toward Ezra? He went out of his way to give you something, and you just tossed it aside without a second thought?"

I looked up in confusion. "Did I throw it away?"

My mother sighed. She patted Ezra on the back and gave me a weary look. "You just got back, and you've already scared Ezra half to death. He's lived with our family for 18 years, and overnight, you're taking away the identity he's had all this time. Of course he's scared. Can't you be a little nicer to him?"

I thought about it, then nodded. "Okay."

Lilian stared at me. "Then apologize to Ezra right now!"

"Sure," I answered without hesitation.

But instead, I lay back down and continued scrolling through my phone.

I had no idea how much time passed.

A vein throbbed twice at Lilian's temple. "Why are you still lying there?"

I looked up at her innocently. "I agreed to apologize. I just haven't decided when I'm going to do it yet."

Lilian took a deep breath, but my mother pulled her away before she could say anything else.

…

That evening, Ezra knocked on my door with an earnest expression. "Wallace, Dad told you to go to his study and get a box. He said it's a welcome gift he prepared for you. It's on his desk."

I put down my phone and sat up. "Okay, okay. I'm coming."

Ezra smiled, then turned and walked away. His footsteps quickly faded down the hallway.

I turned around and went back to unpacking my packages.

I had just returned to my wealthy family, so of course I could finally buy everything I had been wanting!

I hadn't even finished opening them when I saw Ezra hurry downstairs.

His face was deathly pale, and even his voice sounded different. "Dad! Wallace went through your study... That bloodstone seal you paid 111,000 dollars for at auction..."

The expression of my father, Victor Bowie, changed instantly, and he started to get up.

Then the butler, Leonard Linch, spoke calmly from the doorway. "Sir, Mr. Wallace has been sitting in the living room unpacking packages for the past hour. He hasn't gone upstairs once."

He paused. "We can pull up the living room security footage."

Ezra froze. Silence settled over the living room for several seconds.

My parents pulled up the security footage.

On the screen, I could be seen crouched on the floor, unpacking packages the entire time. I hadn't even stood up once.

Ezra quickly lowered his head, his voice tense. "I must have remembered it wrong... Maybe one of the maids put it away by mistake. I was just too nervous. I'm sorry..."

Mom pulled him close and patted his shoulder before she turned to me. "Look at how insecure Ezra is because of you. Can't you be more mindful of how you treat him so he'll feel secure?"

I sat on the couch, still holding the pair of headphones I had just unboxed.

I nodded. "Okay. I'll be more mindful."

Then I looked at my parents and Lilian. Everyone had gathered around Ezra to comfort him, and the whole situation felt a little strange.

Even so, it didn't matter. I didn't give it much thought.

Not long afterward, Ezra's bedroom door slammed shut with a loud bang.

A moment later, something shattered inside.