Abandoned Heir Reborn: I'll Shine Without You のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 10

Christian Ashwood sat slumped in a chair inside Janverton Central Hospital, his face blank. In his hand was a freshly printed medical report that he clutched so tightly the paper had crumpled. On it was a string of words—severe heavy metal poisoning with levels massively above the limit.His mind dragged itself back over the past three years since his reunion with the Ashwood family. He had grown up believing he was an orphan up until three years ago, when his biological parents suddenly appeared.Christian had been overjoyed. Most kids in orphanages had an obsession with their birth parents; he was no exception. He'd followed his parents home in high spirits.At 15, he thought he'd finally been saved. He never imagined that what awaited him wasn't the warmth of a family, but a prison. No—what he was trapped in was worse than a prison.His birth parents and three older sisters were like the twisted inmates in a prison cell, always finding new ways to torment him. The family's adopt

Christian felt like he was standing in a massive control room, his body light as a feather."I died, didn't I? Where is this?" he muttered, staring at the countless tiny pixel-like blocks floating around him, curiosity burning in his chest.His gaze swept over the pixels until a familiar scene suddenly snapped into focus."This is…?" He moved closer to the image he recognized and froze. "Isn't this the scene of my suicide?"The sight before him left him utterly stunned. He couldn't understand why the moment he'd killed himself would appear here. If this was his suicide scene, then what were all the others?Christian turned to look at the surrounding images. There were countless scenes, each playing out a different life. The endings were all the same—death—but the paths were wildly different.In some, he died young. In others, he lived to old age. Some lives were full of hardship and wandering, while others were peaceful and wealthy."So these are all the paths I could've taken a

Christian heaved a sigh of relief when he and Roger walked out of the school. At least the most pressing matter had been settled. Since he would be studying here in Kellington, so far away from the Ashwoods, they probably wouldn't come looking for him anymore.Roger patted him on the shoulder. "Come on, let's go to the restaurant where I work and get your job settled. Then, we're all set.""Roger, don't tell Mama that I'm studying here just yet. I'll tell her myself once everything is set in stone," Christian reminded him.Roger froze for a second, then asked stiffly, "You… you didn't tell Mama you're going to school here?""Look at you, all scared." Christian tried to reassure him. "It's fine. I'm already in Kellington; out of sight, out of mind. Worst case, she beats me up when I go back.""Don't talk to me. Let me process this. Meanwhile, go get me a stick. A thick one." Roger rubbed his forehead, waving Christian off."What do you need a stick for? You can't walk? I can help

Christian cleared his throat. "First question. The Ashwoods are the richest family in Janverton, worth tens of billions. Logically, a family like yours would've protected their kids at all costs. So how did I go missing in the first place?"Second question. After I disappeared, did you actually put any effort into looking for me? The orphanage I was in was right there in Janverton. With your family's influence, there's no way you couldn't find it."He paused, as if something had just come to mind, then went on, "I remember a few years ago, a father came to our orphanage looking for his lost child. He said his kid had been missing for seven years, and he'd ridden his motorcycle all over the country just to find him."We asked him what he would do if he never found his kid. He said he would keep looking. Finding his son was the only reason he was still alive."Thinking of that father stirred something in Christian's chest. He truly admired the man's greatness. He was in a totally dif

Roger puffed up with pride. "See? You're not blind, after all!"Christian could only look at him helplessly. Roger had also grown up in the orphanage, but unlike the other kids, he always had this guileless, almost goofy streak about him. He was a real oddball among the orphans.The two of them headed back to the kitchen. The staff members there immediately crowded around, bombarding them with questions. Christian and Roger brushed them off with a few casual excuses.Christian thought that would be the end of it. Unexpectedly, the very next day, George and Jennifer showed up again. This time, Imelda wasn't with them.Christian stared at them, so fed up that he was tempted to throw a litany of curses at them. They were like a pair of leeches—once they latched on, there was no shaking them off.George took in Christian's scowl and the open disgust in his eyes. He felt his own temper spike. He was the chairman of Ashwood Group; wherever he went, people bent over backward to please hi