Chapter 2

He could never have envisioned this life five years ago. He had been a regular guy then, holding a simple job, trying to make ends meet for his mother.

His life was not glamorous, but it was honest. Everything changed that night at the charity gala.

It had been a hot summer evening, and Adrian had been working at a charity gala hosted by the prestigious Sinclair family, one of the richest families in the city of NewOak.

He was there to serve drinks, clear tables, and fade into the background as every other hired hand did.

Rich and wealthy people like the Sinclairs never noticed people like him, and it was quite all right with Adrian. He just wanted to do his job and leave.

Everything was going fine. people clinked their glasses together accompanied with laughter. That was until Gregory Sinclair, Jane's father collapsed.

The whole moment seemed unreal to him. Just a moment earlier, Gregory was merrily entertaining a bunch of posh guests, and the very next minute, he lay on the floor clutching his chest.

My Gregory had been suffering from a heart condition and frequently had issues with his health.

Suddenly, it was chaos. Some people were shouting for help, while some guests backed away in panic.

Adrian froze for a nanosecond, almost forgetting the tray of drinks in his hand.

However, it quickly occurred to him that Mr. Gregory was in need of CPR.

Without thinking, Adrian surged forward, pushing through the crowd to reach Gregory.

He fell to his knees and felt for a pulse. There wasn't one.

The room had filled with the murmur of voices, but nobody else sprang into action.

Adrian did not waste any time. He immediately went into chest compressions, concentrating on maintaining a regular rhythm while trying to forget that the eyes of several dozen people were now on him.

For what seemed like an eternity, Adrian worked on Gregory until the paramedics arrived. By the time they took over, Gregory had started to breathe again, and the tension in the room began to ease.

That single moment changed the course of his life.

Jane had looked for him after the event, grateful, emotional, and insistent on thanking him personally.

After the death of their mother, Gregory Sinclair was the only parent they had.

What began as an awkward encounter between a wealthy heiress and a humble waiter became something more.

He saw in her-something real-and Adrian found himself swept up in her world.

When Mr. Gregory offered him a job as his driver and paid him much more than what he would ever earn as a waiter, he couldn't refuse.

He was also kind enough to offer him and his mother accommodation in their mansion, and down the line, Jane fell in love with him, and they got married.

However, he slowly started to regret his decision. He stared over at the mansion as he rinsed the car down, reflecting on how promising it all had initially seemed.

Initially, Jane really did seem different than the rest of her family. She treated him as though his opinion mattered. For the first time in his life, he truly believed love could conquer such extreme differences between them.

That remained his belief for a very short time.

The Sinclair family had never accepted him fully. Yeah, they tolerated him because he saved Mr. Gregory's life, but that was not the same as respect; rather, that was the reason for which they allowed him to enter their world-like some act of charity they had bestowed on him.

It usually started with jabs. Little insults from Evelyn, Jane's older sister, about not belonging and how fortunate he was to have married into the family.

Then, Ethan, Jane's older brother and the first son of Gregory Sinclair, would constantly find reasons to beat him up.

As months went by, Adrian expected Jane to rise to his defence but found her increasingly silent. It was as if she, too, had become ashamed of him

He finished washing the car, his body aching from the relentless hard work.

He couldn't help but think about his mother. She had been in bad health for the last year, and the doctors hadn't really given him much hope.

Every day, it seemed her health kept getting worse.

Adrian cleaned his greasy hands with a rag, then went inside the mansion.

Even after living here for five years, he still felt out of place.

From its marble floors to its ornate chandeliers, everything in this Sinclair estate screamed of its wealth and power. For Adrian, it was more of a prison.

He climbed the stairs to his mother's room, tapped lightly on the door, and entered. She lay in bed, propped up on pillows. Her face was pale and drawn, a shadow of the woman she used to be.

"You're back," she whispered. "You've been working too hard, Adrian. You need to rest.

"I'm fine, Mother," he replied as he sat down beside her, reassuring her. He took her cold hand. "How are you today?"

She managed to give him a slight smile, one that didn't reach those weary eyes. "I'm alright, just a bit tired. There's nothing to be alarmed over."

Adrian swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew it wasn't just tiredness.

It was the illness-the one that had slowly been gnawing at her for months.

"You should go out sometimes, get some fresh air," she said gently. "You've been cooped up in this house for too long.

He nodded, though he had no intention of moving one step away. How could he, when she was all that remained of his world?

His time with his mother was quickly interrupted by a shrill voice.

"Adrian!"