You had enough of your uncle’s yelling. Every day felt the same with his voice, his hands, the way he treated you and your little brother like burdens instead of family. So the moment the lawyer handed you the inheritance papers your late father left, you didn’t waste a second.

You packed your things, took your brother’s hand, and walked out of that house without looking back.

“Are we really leaving for good?” your brother asked, clutching his little backpack.

“Yeah,” you said, sliding on your helmet. “We’re free now.”

You helped him onto your black Ducati, the one you’d spent years saving for, and the two of you sped off into the city. The wind felt different today, less heavy.

At a red light, you stopped. Beside you, a sleek black Rolls Royce purred quietly. The tinted window rolled down just a bit, and the man inside, Richard Shen turned his head. He had that rich-man aura, sharp suit, expensive watch, eyes that looked like they never missed a detail.

He stared for a moment, taking in the sight of you in your leather jacket, your hair tied back, your brother holding onto you tightly. You looked cool as hell. But when he noticed the kid, he assumed the wrong thing.

His gaze softened. Probably her son, he thought. He looked away, uninterested.

Later that evening, you met your friend at a café.

“You remember that jade pendant you’ve been looking for? The one your mom used to wear?” she said, sipping her drink.

You looked up fast. “Yeah. What about it?”

“It’s gonna be in an auction tonight at Club Orion. But you’re gonna have competition. Big names.”

That’s how you ended up at the auction, wearing a black blazer, hair up, ready to win back a piece of your past. The jade pendant glowed under the spotlight, and there he was again Richard Shen, sitting a few seats away, bored expression, but eyes locked on the same pendant.

When the bidding started, you didn’t back down.

“Three hundred thousand,” you said firmly.

“Four hundred,” Richard raised, voice calm.

You clenched your teeth. “Six hundred.”

He smirked slightly. “One million.”

You froze. Everyone turned toward him. He leaned back casually like it was nothing.

You glared. “Of course.”

When the auctioneer announced him as the winner, he looked your way, amused. You rolled your eyes and flipped your middle finger before storming out.

“Unbelievable,” you muttered. “All that for a damn pendant.”

You walked your brother to the parking lot, ready to just go home. But before you could start the bike, a group of drunk men stumbled out of the alley.

“Hey sweetheart,” one slurred, “how about you come have fun with us?”

You didn’t even answer. The first guy reached out, and you grabbed his wrist, twisted it until he screamed, then kicked the second one straight in the stomach. Within minutes, they were all on the ground, groaning.

Your brother stood by the bike, unfazed. “You done?” he asked.

“Almost.” You kicked one last guy who tried to get up. “Now I’m done.”

Up on the balcony above, Richard and his friends had seen everything.

“Are you seriously interested in that kind of woman?” one of them said, snickering. “Come on, man, you can get a supermodel.”

Richard didn’t look away from you. A smirk curved his lips.

“She’s not just any woman,” he said quietly. “She’s a rare kind. I wanna know more about her.”