Part 3My Stolen Future

My dad quickly placed me in my mother’s arms and whispered the whole bizarre story to her.

My mom, still recovering from childbirth, listened intently and then delivered a swift, stinging slap across my father’s face.

He stared at her, dumbfounded.

“Are you insane?” she hissed. “This kid tries to kidnap our daughter, and your first thought is to pay for his sister’s medical bills?”

“‘Future husband’? At his age, he’s already plotting to swap out his own sister for a wife. The boy is a manipulative little monster.”

“If he really loved our daughter,” she continued, her voice rising, “he wouldn’t be planning a life where she has to suffer for him!”

My dad, a gentle giant built like a bear, let out a wounded whimper.

Jordi knew the game was up. He glared at my mother, his voice dripping with a chilling mix of scorn and hatred. “Ma’am, I can guarantee you, one day your daughter will be madly in love with me.”

“You refuse to save my sister now. But in the future,” he snarled, “I will make your daughter pay for your cruelty. I’ll make her hate you, just as much as I hate you right now.”

With that, he slammed the door and was gone.

My parents exchanged a worried glance. Dad ran a hand through his hair, his voice laced with anxiety. “What if she really does grow up to hate us?”

Mom gently pinched my chubby cheek, her voice fierce. “If she turns into some love-obsessed idiot, then she’s no daughter of mine.”

But her hands were trembling, and a deep-seated fear clouded her eyes.

I wriggled in their arms, patting their hands to comfort them and blowing bubbles with my mouth.

Don’t worry, Mom and Dad. I’m not going to be a fool for love. I’m not going to suffer for anyone.

I had suffered enough in my last life.

I was an orphan, fighting for scraps in an overcrowded orphanage. When it closed, I became a child laborer and died before I turned fifteen.

I don’t know why I retained the memories of that life. But I was grateful. This time, I had been born into the life I’d always dreamed of, with a mountain of wealth and parents who adored me.

I wasn’t about to throw that away for some boy.

When my grandparents heard about the near-kidnapping, they nearly had heart attacks.

My paternal grandfather, a titan of industry, gifted me a subsidiary of his company. The skyscraper that housed its headquarters made me the youngest billionaire CEO in the Guinness World Records. My grandmother adorned me with so many heavy gold bracelets and jade necklaces that I could barely breathe.

My maternal grandfather, a political giant and a "founding father" of our modern nation, assigned me a 24/7 security detail. My grandmother, a brilliant scientist, gave me her black card, linked to the royalties from her patents. It had a string of zeros I’d only ever seen in astronomy textbooks.

Surrounded by the scent of old money and the sound of my family’s laughter, I drifted off into the most peaceful sleep of my life.

The next time I saw Jordi Croft was three years later.

I had accidentally cut my wrist with a fruit knife and was rushed to the hospital. As we arrived, the familiar stream of comments flickered back into view.

「Our ML works so hard. He should be in school, but he’s here at the hospital, taking care of his sister day and night.」

「He’s smart enough to be in the sixth grade already, but at eight years old, he hasn’t even started first grade. My heart aches for him. He’s so thin, he’s nothing but skin and bones.」

「If only Lucy were here. She adores him. She would find a way to make money to support his education. She’d starve herself just to make sure he had enough to eat.」

「God, Lucy is so annoying. And selfish. If she hadn’t cried that day, Jordi wouldn’t be suffering like this. It’s all her fault.」

…

A cold laugh escaped me. So, Jordi’s miserable life was my fault now? How had I ended up with the blame for that?

As the comments grew clearer, Jordi himself came into view. He was tall for his age, lean and wiry, with sharp, monolidded eyes that held a chilling indifference. He didn’t even glance in my direction, rushing past me to a small, worn-out cot in the hallway.

A pale, fragile-looking girl lay on it, her tiny hand bruised purple from countless IV needles. She looked as if a strong gust of wind could blow her away. The coldness on Jordi’s face melted into a sea of tenderness, his eyes overflowing with a fierce, protective love.

The Chat was ecstatic.

「What is Lucy even staring at? Talk about unrequited love. Our boy won’t even give her the time of day.」

「Serves her right for crying back then. Now, even if she’s fallen for him at first sight, he has no time for her.」

「Don’t be so harsh, guys. She was just a baby, she didn’t know any better. We should give her a chance to make it up to him. She’s the real heiress now; she can help him a lot.」

「We’re just teasing! She’s his future wife, after all. Even if we don’t give her a chance, he’ll find a way to let her atone for her sins.」

The moment that last comment appeared, Jordi stood up from his sister's bedside. His gaze fell on my bandaged wrist, and he slowly walked towards me.

His tone was far from polite.

“Hi. My sister has a serious heart condition. You just have a little cut on your wrist. Can you give her your private suite?”

I blinked, momentarily stunned. I tilted my head, half-wondering if robbery and extortion had suddenly become legal. Why else would someone so brazenly demand I give up the expensive VIP room my parents had paid for?

But the sour, entitled tone of the comments confirmed I hadn’t misheard.

「Awww, the ML is already going easy on her! Just asking for the room and that’s it?」

「He’s the only one who truly feels for her. He knows she suffered for three years because of him, so he’s letting her off easy. Lucy, you should just drop dead and let me take your place!」

「Seriously, what is she just standing there for? He’s practically gift-wrapped an apology for her. Just move your stuff already!」

Jordi was growing impatient. He forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Lucy Vance,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, “you’re not going to be so selfish as to say no, are you?”

He leaned in closer. “You should know, there’s nothing I hate more than selfish people.”

Was he trying to guilt-trip me? Oh, I was done being polite.

I looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. “Wow,” I sighed dramatically. “I really envy your skin.”

He was momentarily confused. “What do you mean?”

I let out a sharp, exaggerated laugh. “It’s thicker than a castle wall.”

His face instantly contorted, flushing a deep, furious red.

5

The Chat exploded with outrage before he could even speak.

「Is Lucy insane? How could she say that to him? Does she not want to be his darling wife anymore?」

「My poor, sweet boy! He was already willing to forgive her and build a future together, and she just tramples all over his heart. I think I can hear it shattering.」

「Everyone calm down. Our girl loves him more than anything. She would never hurt him on purpose. This has to be a tactic. Playing hard to get!」

「That makes sense! She missed out on three precious years with him. She must feel so guilty and unworthy. She’s probably too scared to believe he’d forgive her, so she’s taking the ‘bad girl’ route to get his attention. A forced romance is still a romance, right?」

After reading their twisted analysis, I secretly rolled my eyes. Jordi, however, seemed to have an epiphany. A wave of relief washed over his face.

He stopped pressuring me for the room and returned to Lily’s bedside, his eyes fixed on me with a thoughtful, calculating expression.

I had a bad feeling about this. I slammed my door shut, cutting off his probing gaze.

Back in my luxurious room, I flopped onto the soft bed, kicking my feet in the air and propping my chin on my hands as I video-chatted with my parents. They were in Europe for a massive business deal and had been frantic when they heard I’d been hurt. My father was so distraught he was practically sobbing into my mother’s shoulder.

My mother carefully inspected my bandaged wrist through the screen before letting out a sigh of relief, though her face remained stern.

“Lucy Vance, you are forbidden from playing with knives ever again.”

I nodded obediently. Ever since the incident at my birth, my parents had been hyper-vigilant about my safety, terrified that I would get hurt or, worse, be taken from them. I was their precious treasure.

With parents who loved me this much, how could I ever follow the script and abandon them and this life of incredible privilege for a poor boy with a persecution complex?

But even though I wanted nothing to do with Jordi, it was clear he wasn’t done with me. Just as I was drifting off to sleep, dreaming of my bright, CEO-filled future, a series of frantic knocks echoed from my door.