The rain in the capital was cold, but it wasn't as cold as the hearts of the people standing inside the Lu Family manor.
Ethan Lu stood in the center of the grand hall, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Around him, his relatives—uncles, aunts, and cousins—watched him with expressions of mockery and fake "pity."
On the table lay a stack of documents: forged bank statements and manipulated project reports. They all pointed to one thing: Ethan had allegedly embezzled $50 million from the family's latest real estate venture.
"Grandfather, I'm telling you the truth," Ethan's voice was steady, but his heart was racing. "I didn't touch that money. I was framed. My cousin, Marcus, was the one who—"
"Enough!"
The patriarch of the family, Old Man Lu, slammed his cane against the marble floor. The sound echoed like a gunshot. He didn't look at Ethan. His eyes were fixed on the distance, his face a mask of granite.
"The evidence is irrefutable. You have brought shame to the Lu name. From this moment forward, Ethan Lu is stripped of his inheritance and removed from the family registry."
Ethan felt as if the floor had vanished beneath him. "Grandfather... you're really doing this? Over a lie?"
"You are to leave the capital tonight," the old man continued, his voice cold. "Do not use the Lu name. Do not contact us. For five years, you will live as a commoner. If you survive, perhaps you will realize the weight of your sins."
The security guards moved in. They didn't treat him like the young master anymore. They grabbed his arms roughly, dragging him toward the exit. As he passed his cousin Marcus, he saw the man's lips curl into a triumphant smirk.
Ethan was tossed out into the storm. His designer suit was instantly soaked, clinging to his skin like a second layer of shame. He had nothing but his wallet and the clothes on his back.
He walked for hours, his mind a whirlwind of anger and confusion. He had worked so hard for the family, only to be thrown away like trash the moment his cousins saw an opportunity.
"Experience the mortal world?" Ethan laughed bitterly, looking up at the dark sky. "You just wanted an excuse to get rid of me."
By midnight, he found himself in a gritty part of the city, far from the skyscrapers of the elite. He walked into a dimly lit bar called The Last Stop. The smell of cheap tobacco and spilled beer hit him, but he didn't care. He sat at the bar and threw his last few hundred dollars on the counter.
"Give me the strongest bottle you have," he told the bartender.
He drank until the anger turned into a dull ache. He drank until he could no longer see the smirking face of Marcus or the cold eyes of his grandfather.
Stumbling out of the bar, Ethan checked into the small, run-down motel next door. The carpet was stained, and the light in the hallway flickered, but he just needed to sleep.
He fumbled with the key to Room 302. Just as he pushed the door open, a frantic figure blurred past him from the shadows of the hallway.
Before he could react, he felt two soft, trembling arms wrap around his waist. A woman's body pressed against his back. She was burning hot—so hot he could feel the heat through his wet shirt.
"Please..." she whispered, her voice a desperate, melodic whimper. "Close the door. Don't let them find me."
Ethan spun around, his head swimming from the alcohol. The woman was breathtakingly beautiful, wearing a silk dress that had been torn at the shoulder. Her face was flushed a deep, feverish red, and her eyes were glazed with a hazy, unnatural light.
"Lady, you're... you're sick," Ethan stammered, trying to steady her.
"No..." She clutched his shirt, pulling him closer. Her breath smelled of expensive wine and something sweet—the scent of jasmine. "They drugged me... I can't... it's too hot. Please... help me."
She pushed him into the room and kicked the door shut. The lock clicked. In the dim light of the motel room, she looked at him with a mix of agony and plea.
"I don't even know your name," Ethan muttered, his own blood beginning to hum from the proximity.
"It doesn't matter," she gasped, her hands trembling as she reached for his collar. "Just... stay with me. Please."
That night, in a room that cost forty dollars, the destiny of the Lu Family's "discarded" heir was tied to a woman he didn't know—and a life he never expected.