Without a backward glance at the stunned crowd, Caelen turned and ran out the door.

The snow had started again.

Caelen clutched his chest, each step an agony.

His chest felt tight, the scene from moments ago replaying in his mind, stabbing at the corners of his eyes.

He couldn’t understand. Before the wedding, he and Liana were deeply in love. The whole community said they were a match made in heaven. How had it all turned to this in just one month?

He walked in a daze, and before he knew it, he found himself back at his father’s house.

Fat snowflakes drifted down from a grim, grey sky.

A light was on inside. Staring at the warm, yellow glow, the dam of his emotions finally broke.

“Dad…”

He ran for the door, but just as he was about to push it open, he heard his father’s hoarse, anxious voice from within.

“Mr. Lee, can you please settle the final payment for that batch of steel we sold six months ago? The timing is critical. The mill has gone private, and I have to cover all the expenses myself. The workers are waiting for their paychecks…”

“The mill is on the verge of bankruptcy. I’m only calling you because I’m truly out of options… Please, just give me a break—Hello? Mr. Lee? Why did you hang up… Damn it!”

A gust of wind howled past. Caelen froze at the door.

Peeking through the crack, he saw that in the mere two weeks since he’d last seen him, his father’s hair had turned completely white. His once-straight back was now bent…

The steel mill was going bankrupt?

How could something so huge happen without him hearing a word about it? How could he possibly burden his father with his own problems now?

Caelen choked back his despair and started walking back, step by step.

He remembered his mother’s heirloom jade pendant, which he had brought to their marital home when they got married.

It was top-grade imperial green jade, worth a fortune… If he pawned it, it should be enough to cover the workers’ wages, right?

His pace quickened, but just as he reached the Croft’s front door, he ran straight into Julian.

The moment Julian saw him, he smugly held up a green jade pendant. “This is some fine quality jade, isn’t it? Caelen, Liana already gave it to me!”

*BOOM!*

Caelen’s sanity shattered.

“That’s the only thing my mother left me! Give it back!”

He lunged for it, but Julian twisted his face into a grotesque smile and whispered, “Caelen, I can’t stand seeing you happier than me!”

“Why wasn’t it you who got lost back then, you motherless bastard? Why did you get to marry someone as perfect as Liana?”

With that, he raised his hand and smashed the pendant against the wall—

“No!”

*CRASH!*

Caelen was too late. He watched in horror as the pendant shattered into a hundred pieces. At the same moment, Julian threw himself backward, tumbling down the steps with a thud.

“Julian!”

Liana burst out of the house, rushing to Julian’s side. She gathered the unconscious man in her arms and, for the first time, glared at Caelen with cold fury.

“You’ve gone too far! Why do you always have to go after Julian?”

Caelen, still reeling, tried to explain. “No, you don’t understand, he’s faking it—”

But Liana didn’t even look at him. She just hurriedly carried Julian away.

The people inside heard the commotion and rushed out, their fingers pointing at him.

“Caelen, you already left. Why did you come back?”

“Making a scene on Grandma’s birthday, ignoring the feelings of both families! You’re getting more and more childish! The steel mill is about to go under, and you’re still throwing tantrums like a princess?”

“The man is sick and dying, and you have the heart to push him down the stairs? How petty can you be!”

Caelen dug his nails into his palms, his mouth opening and closing, but no words came out.

Was he the petty one, or had they all lost their minds?

Night fell slowly.

Caelen hugged himself, forcing himself to wait in their bedroom for Liana to return.

He couldn't ignore his father's crisis. Liana worked in a government office; maybe she had a way to help…

He never expected to wait all night.

By dawn, Liana still hadn’t come back.

The first hint of grey appeared in the sky. Waiting any longer was pointless.

Caelen, haggard from a sleepless night, left the house with a heavy heart. But just as he stepped out of the development, a man ran toward him in a panic. “Caelen, bad news! A mob went to the mill to protest! They beat up your father!”