Chapter 3

I stood nervously beside the table, watching Charlotte eat the tacos.

But suddenly, she flipped the entire table over.

Looking at the tacos scattered across the floor, I could barely hold back my tears.

Charlotte spat out the taco and pointed at me with disgust. "Stop blindly copying Frost!"

She crazily stomped the tacos into pieces. Her eyes were red, and she looked like she was on the verge of breaking down.

"Frost left because of you! I want Frost back!"

She angrily shoved me, causing the wound on my hand to split open again and start bleeding.

But my heart hurt even more than the injury.

Everyone hurried over to stop the argument.

Vivian grabbed my hand and led me back to my room.

After taking out the first-aid kit, she carefully cleaned my wound.

I softly called her name, "Vivian."

She looked up at me.

Without realizing it, we had moved so close that our bodies were pressed together.

Vivian's gaze grew unfocused, and there was emotion in her eyes.

But just as I was about to lean in and kiss her, I suddenly felt her body tense up.

She abruptly pushed me away and rushed out of the room in a panic.

Confused and lost, I could only throw on a shirt and follow her outside.

To my surprise, I overheard my family talking.

They were gathered around the dining table with serious expressions.

Alice spoke first, "This really isn't Charlotte's fault. It's not just her. I can't accept Frost suddenly disappearing either."

She wiped her face and continued in a trembling voice, "I really can't accept it."

Sophia gently patted the back of her hand and let out a heavy sigh.

"I've kept Frost's room exactly the way it was. If any of you miss him, you can go in and see it whenever you want."

So, the reason they were preparing another room for me was simply because they wanted to preserve every trace the conqueror had left behind.

I clenched my fists so tightly that my whole body trembled.

Even so, I stubbornly believed they just needed time to accept everything.

After all, I was the son they had loved most before.

Gritting my teeth, I returned to my room and noticed an invitation on the desk for tomorrow's piano recital.

Hope immediately filled my heart.

The instrument I was best at had always been the piano.

I firmly believed that if I could give a successful performance, they would see the real me again and remember all the happy times we once shared.

But when I opened the invitation, I discovered that my name had been changed.

It used to say Maverick Kramer. Now it said Frost Kramer.

Arthur and Sophia had given me the name Maverick because they hoped I would grow up to do great things and live a safe, successful life.

A wave of anger and hurt instantly surged through me.

I grabbed the invitation and rushed out of my room, insisting that my name be changed back. But every member of the family opposed me.

It was the first argument I'd had with them since returning.

Heartbroken and wronged, I locked myself in my room.

Not long afterward, loud banging erupted from outside my door.

"Where's Coco? What did you do with Coco?" Charlotte demanded.

I yanked the door open. Her hand almost slapped me across the face.

Coco, the cat Frost had raised, had gone missing.

Everyone in the family was now gathered outside my room.

Charlotte tried to force her way inside, but I blocked the doorway.