Just then, Lionel posted a video update.

In the footage, their father handed him inheritance agreements to sign, one after another, while their mother held a bowl of herbal soup, spooning it into his mouth.

The caption read: "Grateful to Mom and Dad for giving me their best."

I let out a bitter laugh.

And here I'd been worried about creating conflict with my brother over the family assets. I'd worked myself to the bone building my own company from nothing. I'd actually been naive enough to think our parents would be proud of what I'd accomplished.

But watching how they doted on him now, I suddenly felt like a fool.

They'd never really seen me as their son.

After all, from the time we were kids, anything Lionel wanted, they made me give up for him. Anything Lionel said, they believed without question.

To them, I was just a good-for-nothing deadbeat. A waste of space with no ambition.

In their eyes, I probably ranked below the family dog.

My phone buzzed with a message from one of my people.

"Mr. Dickerson, we've smoothed things over with the tax authorities regarding Dickerson Corp. But they're saying the company evaded a significant amount this time, and there's a crackdown coming in the next few days. We'll need twenty million to plug the hole before it becomes a problem."

I shook my head. "Forget it. Put that twenty million toward the new project instead."

"But what about Dickerson Corp...?"

"Dickerson Corp has an heir now. It's not my place to bail them out anymore."

After leaving the hospital, I'd planned to head back south.

But the trains had stopped running unexpectedly—wouldn't resume for another week.

With nothing better to do, I decided to swing by Dickerson Corp.

Back when I was building my business, I'd quietly funneled a multi-million dollar contract under the company's name. I'd meant it as a surprise for them down the road.

But now? There was no point.

Sales and finance operated independently, so the accounting department would just assume the sales team had landed the deal. If I wanted to reclaim it, I'd need to verify the revenue figures first.

But the moment I walked in, I ran straight into Lionel.

He sauntered over, smirking. "Well, well. Dad said you'd have nowhere else to go and would probably show up here. Didn't think you'd actually do it."

He'd finally dropped all pretense with me. No reason for me to keep playing the dutiful brother either.

"You went through a lot of trouble for that future CEO title," I said flatly.

A smug grin spread across his face. "Can't help it. You've always been better than me. Without a few tricks up my sleeve, I never would've stood a chance against you."

Then he leaned in close, his smile widening.

"Oh, by the way—Dad already told the Galloways about me becoming the heir. Day after tomorrow, I'm getting engaged to Myrtle Galloway."

"You've had a thing for her since we were kids, haven't you? How does it feel now, brother?"

Looking at that self-satisfied expression on his face, something inside me snapped.

Here I'd been trying to salvage our relationship.

And all along, he'd been scheming to take everything from me.

I grabbed him by the collar.

But at that exact moment, our parents appeared at the top of the stairs—just in time to see it happen.

Mom's voice rang out, sharp with fury.

"What do you think you're doing? Let go of him this instant!"

She rushed over and shoved me hard, pulling Lionel behind her like a shield. Her eyes locked onto mine, cold and hostile, as if I were some kind of enemy.

"Lionel earned his position as heir through his own merit, and here you are trying to hurt him again! How did we end up with such a vicious son?"

Then she turned to Lionel, her tone shifting to anxious concern. "Sweetheart, are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

Lionel shook his head, his expression wounded and pitiful.

"It's okay, Mom. He's just upset that I'm the heir now. He's always been better than me at everything, so I understand why this is hard for him."

"He's just having trouble accepting this. Please don't blame him."

At those words, Dad looked at me with disappointment.

"Luke, when will you ever have even half of Lionel's capacity for forgiveness?"

Mom glared at me, teeth clenched. "Him? Forgiving? It'd be a miracle if he wasn't scheming against Lionel behind our backs."

Then she pointed at me. "You'd better shape up. Otherwise, don't blame me for disowning you."

With that, she didn't spare me another glance and left with Lionel.

I could still hear her comforting him as they walked away.

"Lionel, you wanted a dog, didn't you? I bought you a Labrador."

Dad looked at me, sighed, shook his head, and followed after them.

I watched their figures disappear, my expression cold, before finally looking away.

The office was empty by now—everyone had gone home.

It took me hours of digging before I finally confirmed the exact situation with that project.

But in the process, I discovered something else. A year ago, to keep Lionel happy, my parents had diverted company funds to buy him a yacht.

He'd gotten bored of it later and sold it.

Only, that transaction had been hidden from the books.

The deeper I dug, the more I found. Deals like this, buried one after another.

God knows how much tax they'd evaded.

Last year, a friend had tipped me off that the Dickersons were dodging taxes. I'd spent a fortune covering it up for them.

But this time? I wasn't sticking my neck out again.

The train south wouldn't depart for a few more days, so I checked into a small hotel.

The next evening, my parents somehow tracked down where I was staying.

I'd barely stepped outside when they blocked my path.

The moment she saw me, Mom let out a scornful laugh.

"Without us propping you up, this is the best you can do—some dingy little hotel."

"At the end of the day, you're just a useless nobody who can't survive without the family."

I ignored her and turned to leave.

But Lionel stepped in front of me.

"Hey, we're family. There's nothing we can't work out." He put on an earnest expression. "I brought Mom and Dad here because I want you at my engagement party tomorrow. Me and Evelyn."

"I already talked them into giving you a tenth of a percent of the company shares."

"So stop making a scene and just come home with us."

Dad sighed. "Luke, Lionel's offering you those shares out of the goodness of his heart. You should be grateful to have such a considerate brother."

"A tenth of a percent?"

"I don't want it."

I shoved Lionel's hand away. He stumbled back and fell, scraping his palm bloody.

Mom immediately exploded.

"If it weren't for Lionel's engagement tomorrow—if it weren't for the family's reputation—you think we'd actually want to bring you home?!"

"You've bullied him since you were kids, and now you have the nerve to shove him right in front of us? We never should've bothered!"

"Fine! You don't want the shares? Then you get nothing!"

"Let's see how long you last without our support!"

Hearing that, I almost laughed.

"Do you even hear yourself?"

"When—when—have you ever actually seen me bully Lionel?"

"Every single time, all he had to do was point a finger at me, and you'd punish me without a second thought!"

"In elementary school, he threw away his own backpack and told you I tossed it in the river. You made me go a whole day without food."

"He flipped up a girl's skirt and told you I put him up to it. You beat my back raw and made me apologize in front of the entire school."

"Later, he stole money from home. But you believed his sob story—said I was a bad influence as his older brother. You threw me outside in the freezing cold with nothing on, while you bought him a cake to make him feel better."

"This time, you tricked me for three years just to make him the legitimate heir—and dismissed everything I've ever done!"

"That's what you call support?!"

"Shut your mouth!"

Mom raised her hand to slap me.

But this time, I caught her wrist and shoved her back.

Lionel rushed to steady her, his voice cracking as he turned to me.

"Luke, Mom raised you through so much hardship. Is this how you repay her?"

"Apologize to her right now!"

Then he turned to plead on my behalf.

"Mom, he didn't mean it. He's just upset that you gave the company to me. After all, I'm only the adopted son."

"Maybe I should just give the inheritance back to him."

But Mom stopped him, her face hard. "Lionel, don't speak for him."

"He's nothing but an ungrateful bastard. If I'd known he'd turn out like this, I should've let him freeze to death outside!"

Dad walked over, his expression stern. "Luke, you went too far today. You shouldn't have upset your mother like that."

"And you shouldn't have said those things about Lionel. You owe them both an apology."

"Here's what you'll do. Bring a proper gift tomorrow to Lionel's engagement banquet. Apologize to him publicly, and we'll put this behind us."

I lowered my head. A laugh shook through me.

"You really are a family, aren't you."

Dad nodded at that.

"A family—and that includes you."

"Tomorrow, after you arrive, we'll witness Lionel's happiness together."

I forced myself to stay calm. Lifted my head. Smiled.

"Sure. I'll be there tomorrow. And I'll have a surprise for you."

"Good. Prepare something decent. Don't disappoint Lionel."

I watched their car pull away. The corner of my mouth curved up.

Then I hailed a cab and headed for Galloway Group.

The next day, the city's largest hotel was decked out in lights and banners.

News of the Dickerson-Galloway union dominated every headline.

Business titans packed the venue.

Inside, Lionel stood tall, basking in the praise showered on him from all sides.

Mom's eyes glistened. "Seeing Lionel this happy—that's all I could ever ask for."

Dad beamed with pride. "Having a son like Lionel is my greatest honor."

Then he frowned. "The ceremony's about to start. Where's Luke?"

"Should I call him?"

Disgust flickered across Mom's face.

"Don't bother. He's probably off wasting time somewhere. Having a son like him is an embarrassment. If he doesn't show today, I'm cutting ties with him for good."

The words had barely left her mouth when an employee rushed over.

"Mr. Dickerson, we have a problem. An inspection vehicle just pulled up outside company headquarters. They're saying we've been evading taxes—they want you to come in for questioning."