"So you really can't change, huh?"

My heart instantly dropped into the deepest dark. My sister’s sharp accusation had cut the very last bit of our family ties between us.

I pulled the corner of my mouth in a bitter smile. “Yeah… I can’t change.”

Slap!

Before I finished speaking, my sister raised her hand and gave me a hard slap. Her eyes were full of anger and disappointment.

“Why did I even have a brother like you?!” she shouted.

I stayed silent for a moment. Then I covered my face and laughed coldly. “I don’t understand why I have a sister like you too.”

“You—!” Her hand was shaking as she pointed at me. She was too angry to talk.

Before she could hit me again, I dropped to my knees and bowed before her. “Thank you for dropping out of school to take care of me. From now on… you won't have me as your brother.”

Then I stood up, pulled out Dad’s old things from under the bed and decided walked out of the house. Suddenly, she grabbed the photo and the ring from my hand with a cold expression.

“These belonged to Dad. You have no right to take them!”

Fine. I nodded in resignment and got ready to continue walking away.

Behind me, she shouted in a low, trembling voice, “You’re a criminal! Without me, what can you even do? Starve on the streets?”

I didn’t stop walking. “No need to worry about me.”

After leaving home, I sat around the neighborhood all day. This time, my sister didn’t come after me. It was clear that she must be completely disappointed… tired of me.

I had no money, so I tried to find a job with food and a bed included. But once they heard the rumors I had been in prison, no company wanted me.

In the end, I went to a construction site.

The boss looked me up and down and frowned. “You're so thin? Our work is pretty heavy. Can you even handle it?”

I smiled carefully. “Let me try, Sir. I may look thin, but I’m strong.”

The boss didn’t believe me at first. But after I started working quickly, he saw what I can do and finally agreed for me to stay.

“Food and bed included. One hundred a day. But the project is short—only one month,” he said.

I smiled. It was enough. One month later, Rosetta would get out of prison and I would have somewhere to go.

I worked at the construction site for more than twenty days. When Renata found me again, she almost didn’t recognize me.

My hair had grown messy, like a bird’s nest. My clothes were covered in dust; every step made dirt fall off. She stood from afar, watching me. Her eyes slowly turned red.

After a long time, she ran over and grabbed my wrist.

“What are you doing here? Rein, do you know how long I’ve been looking for you? Come home with me. You can’t do this kind of work!”

I pulled my hand away, lifted a stack of bricks and pretended not to know her. She pressed her lips together, then turned and spoke to my boss.

After a while, my boss walked toward me with a dark expression.

“Reinhart, why didn’t you say you were in prison for stealing? We can’t keep someone like that. You’re fired! You won't get your pay either. Leave now!”

I panicked and begged him. “Bos, I was framed! I never stole anything. Please let me stay!”

“That woman is your sister, right? Why would she lie about you?” The boss cut me off with a mocking tone. “We can’t hire criminals. Now go!”

My boss pushed me away with impatience. I easily stumbled backwards and almost fell to the ground. However, the pain never came...

Renata had caught me firmly from behind.

“See? You can’t survive anywhere. You must come back to me.” A smug smile played on Renata's lips as she shoved a phone into my hands. “Rein, we’re brother and sister. The path I arrange for you is the best one.”

She reached out and touched my messy hair and soon her hand became covered with dust. She seemed happy when she grabbed my hand. “Come on, go home with me. Don’t disappear again.”

I didn’t move and that caused her to turn. Upon meeting my icy gaze, she got confused.

“Renata, what do you want me to do so that you'll finally let me go?” I asked.

Obviously, she didn’t think she did anything wrong. Her smile disappeared. “What do you mean, ‘let you go’? Haven’t I treated you well? I’ve been looking for you for more than twenty days. I ignored my company! Do you know how much money I lost?”

She didn’t give me a chance to speak and just pulled my arm hard. “Come home with me!”

She pushed me into the car and took me back again.

On the way, she answered a call. The moment we reached home, she hurried to the company and told Leonhart not to let me run away.

As soon as she left, Leonhart’s face changed. “She actually brought you back home again? Ah, so she still cares about you in the end?”

I fought the urge to punch him and asked the question I had kept inside for years. “Why did you frame me for stealing your watch? I treated you pretty well before, didn’t I?”

Leonhart let out a cold laugh. Malice was completely reflected in his eyes. “Because you told her not to spend money on me. She already said her company will be yours someday. Nothing for me.”

“You have such a good sister taking care of you, yet you still didn’t want her to spend money on me. Why should you get everything?” he sneered.

I clenched my fists. “Do you even know how she earns that money? She never went to college. People in the company look down on her. She has to work twice as hard to move up.”

“Those old businessmen force her to drink with them. She throws up and then has to keep drinking. Several times she even threw up blood!”

“And you? You always ask for millions like it’s nothing. I told her not to give you too much, what’s wrong with that?”

“So what?” he said, staring at his new shoes with no shame. “Even if she drinks herself to death, her company still won’t be mine. Only if you disappear can I get anything.”

I stared at him in disbelief as chill running down my spine. I used to think he framed me because he wanted my sister’s attention. But no! He only cared about money!

“You’re really a heartless bastard,” I said through my teeth and walked toward my room.

Behind me, Leonhart laughed again. “I framed you once, I can do it a second time, a third time even! Just wait, Reinhart. I’ll get you kicked out again without you noticing!”

I stopped walking and looked back at him for a long moment. Then I turned off the voice recording on my phone.

“No need. I’ll leave this place on my own.” I said. Afterward, I sent the voice recording to Renata.

I had learned from my mistakes and would not let Leonhart frame me again.

I had already turned on the recorder on my home with Renata earlier. Leonhart didn’t realize that and maybe he thought I was just being angry. In the end, he laughed loudly as he returned back to his room.

My phone started buzzing soon after. Renata was messaging me again and again, the texts anxious and panicked. I glanced at them but didn’t reply.

Instead, I took Dad’s belongings from under the bed, put them in my pocket and left the house again.

Rosetta would be released from prison soon. I needed to pick her up.