Chapter 8

Hendrick snapped his head up in utter disbelief. "You know full well this was my dream too! You know how many years I've poured into this! And now you're telling me to hand my slot over to him?"

By what right?

"I will never agree to this."

Lexie frowned again. "It's just a single slot. What's the big deal? Cameron isn't like you. He's terrified of the surgery and just wants to fulfill a small dream before he goes onto the operating table. As his older brother, can't you even grant him this much?"

Hendrick clenched his fists tight. How could she dismiss it so casually?

It was as if everything he had ever worked for meant absolutely nothing.

As long as Cameron wanted something, he was expected to surrender it.

"I've already agreed to give him my heart! Are you going to let him steal my life's work now too?" Hendrick demanded, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

A sharp pang struck deep inside Lexie's chest.

Outside the door, Cameron's choked, weeping voice broke the silence. "If you don't agree, I won't do the surgery! The surgery is so dangerous. What if I go in and never come back out? I just want to fulfill one tiny dream. If you won't let me have even that, I might as well just die right now!"

Panicked by his words, Adrian frantically shook his head. "Silly, how could you say something like that? You have it! You have my word!"

With that, Adrian strode up to Hendrick and ordered, "You are giving this slot to your brother!"

His tone left zero room for discussion.

Hendrick refused to back down. "The organizers invited me! That collection is my sweat and tears!"

Adrian's face darkened instantly.

He bellowed in harsh reprimand, "Cameron is your brother! Can you stop being so selfish? Do you want to drive him to his death before you're finally satisfied?"

With bloodshot eyes, Hendrick stubbornly refused to cave.

"Fine! Fine!" Adrian barked the word repeatedly before pulling out his phone and glaring straight at Hendrick.

"Refusing to obey, are we? Then you can say goodbye to that pathetic little company of yours. I can have my people acquire and tear down your business this very instant.

"You care so much about your life's work, don't you? Think carefully about what matters more—your entire company or that runway slot."

A violent shudder ran through Hendrick's body as he stared at the man in utter disbelief.

This was his father, the very man who repeatedly used his weaknesses against him to hurt him and force him to give in.

Hendrick clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He knew Adrian was fully capable of following through on his threat.

Lexie chimed in from the side, urging him on, "There'll be other slots in the future. Just give this one up to Cameron for now. Don't be so stubborn."

Tears trickled down Hendrick's face, yet a sudden laugh escaped his lips.

He looked at the people gathered before him. Every single one of them was his closest kin.

His wife, his father, his child… All of them sided with Cameron.

"Fine. He can have it."

After Hendrick said that, he cast a vacant look across the room. "Are you all satisfied now?"

A collective sigh of relief washed over everyone, and they immediately turned their attention back to Cameron.

Only Hendrick tilted his head back, closing his eyes as hot tears spilled uncontrollably down his cheeks.

The last flicker of light in his eyes dimmed bit by bit until it extinguished into total darkness.

As night fell, Lexie returned carrying a bowl of seafood chowder.

It was his favorite dish, rich and fragrant, yet Hendrick felt no appetite whatsoever. He just lay motionless on the bed like a corpse.

Inside the trash bin lay the design sketches he had thrown with his own hands.

Lexie lifted a spoon of chowder right up to his lips, but Hendrick gave no response, merely turning away with icy indifference.

After a long silence, Lexie set the bowl down. "Eat it yourself, then."

Silence claimed the ward once more.

Hendrick stared at the bowl sitting on the nightstand, raised his arm, and swept it directly into the trash bin.

The next morning, he spotted Cameron waiting for him out in the hallway, his eyes dripping with triumphant arrogance.

"So what if you're talented, Hendrick? In the end, the opportunity still belongs to me."