1 After graduating from The Elite Grooming Academy, my brother, Liam, swore he would marry into wealth. To orchestrate a 'chance' encounter, he took my brand-new car, intending to deliberately rear-end Victoria Thorne, the formidable heiress of the city's old money. I slammed on the brakes in time, telling him the Thornes weren't fools, and that car would bankrupt us even if we sold everything. Later, Victoria Thorne held a luxurious wedding that made headlines nationwide. My brother was consumed by insane jealousy. He railed that if I hadn't stopped him, he would have been the groom. In his bitter resentment, he ran me over with his car, killing me. I opened my eyes again, sitting in the passenger seat. Liam's lips curved into a confident smirk, his eyes fixated on the luxury car ahead. "Once she sees me, Victoria Thorne will be absolutely smitten." He adjusted his tie, his gaze lingering on the sleek vehicle. "And when that happens, I won't be caught dead driving this piece of junk." This time, I didn't stop him. He floored the accelerator. Our car slammed violently into the fifty-million-dollar supercar in front of us. Under the fierce impact, the supercar slid a short distance before finally coming to a halt. The colossal crunch echoed through the street, drawing numerous onlookers to a standstill. The supercar was severely damaged; its rear spoiler had crumpled off, and the body itself was deeply dented. My brother, Liam, paid no mind to any of it. He quickly recovered from the jolt, primping his appearance in the rearview mirror. His dark fringe was artfully mussed, his eyes rubbed just enough to glisten with a hint of tears, creating a perfectly subtle, vulnerable gaze. If I hadn't witnessed his deliberate actions, I too would have believed he was a startled little rabbit. After pulling his gaze from the mirror, Liam darted a glance at me. Seeing my composure, sitting still and unperturbed, he looked visibly surprised. Earlier, he had strategically placed two thick cushions in front of himself for impact absorption and had intentionally accelerated when he thought I wasn't looking. If I hadn't been prepared, gripping the grab handle tightly, I would have slammed into the dashboard, nursing a bloody nose and bruised face by now. He'd been like this since childhood, always contriving situations to embarrass or diminish me, just to make his own serene perfection shine brighter. "Victoria Thorne rarely makes public appearances. Just follow my lead, don't screw this up for me," he hissed, dipping a finger into some foundation. Without asking, he smeared it over my lips, leaving them a ghastly white. "Once I'm the young master, I'll have you work as a servant at the Thorne estate. The pay will be much better than what you earn now." With that, Liam tugged down the collar of his tight knit sweater, revealing more of his chest, and pushed open the car door. In my previous life, Liam believed I had derailed his path to wealth, so he blamed me for every miserable turn his life took thereafter. This time, I was keen to see if his machinations would truly alter his destiny. Liam's emergence caused a ripple of commotion; several women on the sidewalk raised their phones, snapping pictures. He had always been immensely proud of his physique, and with the tight-fitting top accentuating his chest muscles, he naturally drew plenty of admiring glances. Victoria Thorne didn't get out of the car. Only a sharply dressed chauffeur circled the supercar once. He walked to the driver's side window, bent down, and spoke a few words to Victoria. Liam, however, bypassed the driver who was about to approach him, and knocked directly on Victoria's window. As he spoke, he dabbed at his eyes with a finger, his dark hair ruffled by the wind, giving him a perfectly 'broken' appearance. A moment later, Victoria Thorne pushed open her car door and glanced in my direction. Then, her gaze settled on Liam. The legendary Thorne heiress was rumored to be mysterious and low-key; countless male models and aspiring celebrities had tried to get close to her, but opportunities were rare. Liam lowered his head, his exquisitely manicured hands twisting together. Then, as if making a momentous decision, he pulled out his phone, ready to dial the police. I saw Victoria Thorne wave a dismissive hand, signaling Liam to put his phone away. She stepped out, her long legs carrying her towards my car. With the ghastly white foundation Liam had smeared on my lips, and a week of non-stop overtime, I must have looked utterly pale and bloodless. Through the car window, I saw Victoria Thorne up close for the first time. It was August, yet she still wore a silk scarf around her neck. A scar snaked upwards from beneath the scarf, reaching her left cheekbone. Despite meticulous reconstructive work, the skin remained uneven and pitted, a stark testament to the original wound's depth. Liam hurried over, his voice laced with feigned concern: "My brother suddenly had a terrible stomachache, and I was rushing him to the hospital. I accidentally mixed up the gas and brake pedals, so..." He wrung his hands. "Regardless, it's all my fault. I promise I'll compensate you for all damages." This scenario seemed to touch Victoria Thorne. Her cold expression softened slightly, and she calmly said there was no rush. "Take your brother to the hospital first," she instructed. "My driver, Mr. Hayes, will handle the rest." As Victoria Thorne turned to leave, Liam nervously stepped in front of her, offering a business card. "This is my contact information. I won't shirk responsibility." Victoria Thorne's gaze fell to the white card in Liam's hand. It stated Liam was a partner at a pet clinic and a visiting lecturer at the Southern Coast Hospitality College. She surveyed Liam from head to toe, her gaze unwavering, then pulled out her phone. "No need for all that. Let's just exchange numbers." 2 Victoria Thorne departed in a waiting Maybach, while a tow truck hauled away the supercar. My car's hood was mangled, and one headlight was shattered. "This was my new car, just picked it up yesterday. What are we going to do now that you've wrecked it?" I demanded as we drove home. Liam ignored me the entire ride. The moment we walked in, he immediately linked arms with Mom, telling her I was giving him a hard time. My mother, Brenda, dotingly patted Liam and then told me to deal with it myself. "Bickering with your brother over something so trivial? You're hardly acting like an elder brother." Liam had insisted on driving this morning. He didn't even have a license; he'd failed his driving test five times. Brenda, worried about his safety, had practically forced me to go with him. My stepfather, Gary, emerged from the kitchen carrying a fruit platter. There were only three forks on it. They were all happily munching on melon and berries, acting as if I wasn't even in the room. "Victoria Thorne stared at me, didn't even blink," Liam boasted, eyes gleaming. "I thought the Thorne heiress would be so hard to win over. Turns out she's no different from any other woman." He finished, then smugly pulled out his phone, displaying Victoria Thorne's contact. "When Liam marries Victoria Thorne, we'll be family with the Thornes!" Gary clapped his hands, and Brenda likewise drifted into a daydream. Then Liam's tone shifted. He picked a piece of durian and offered it to Brenda. "Mom, I still owe 300,000 for my Academy tuition." Brenda's brow furrowed slightly; she didn't immediately agree. Our family relied on the small business downtown. In recent years, urban development had bypassed our street, leaving business dismal. That so-called Elite Grooming Academy charged 500,000 per person, guaranteeing a cross-class marriage into wealth. Liam, three years out of college, had been too busy with cosmetic procedures, photo shoots to cultivate his 'gentleman' persona, and hadn't worked a day. The previous 200,000 tuition fee had already drained Brenda's savings. "Brenda, Liam joined that Academy for your sake, so you could have a better life," Gary said bluntly, pushing up the chunky gold chain on his wrist. "If you won't even fork out this much, don't expect to bask in Liam's glory later. Besides, isn't someone else still working? Family should help each other out." He was hinting that I should pay. In my past life, because of Liam's wealthy aspirations, our family accumulated endless debt. Collectors showed up at my office, causing a scene and costing me my job. Furthermore, they seemed utterly oblivious to Victoria Thorne's supercar, convinced she wouldn't make Liam pay for the damages. I wouldn't be like them, pinning my hopes on a flimsy dream of wealth. So, before they could even ask, I preemptively announced I was moving out. "I've already found a place, and I'll transfer my registration out of this address when I move." Gary scoffed, saying I was jealous, unable to stand Liam becoming a 'kept man of wealth'. "The most important thing for a man is a handsome face, to marry a rich woman. Ethan, your jealousy won't change a thing. With your paltry salary, trying to move out? That's hilarious." My phone vibrated; a colleague informed me of an urgent meeting. I went back to my room to gather documents, preparing to head back to the office. Liam casually remarked that I was worrying for nothing, earning barely three thousand a month, working myself to death wouldn't compare to his little finger. Brenda, in an even more condescending tone, added: "Ethan, you need to start buttering up Liam now. If Liam's happy, he might just gift you an apartment. Then you wouldn't have to rent." Liam flashed a magnanimous smile, waiting for me to bow and submit. I tightened my grip on the documents, my gaze sweeping over the three of them one by one. "The Thorne family's money isn't Liam's. And the money I earn will always be mine," I stated, my voice firm. "Good looks are indeed an advantage, but if you have nothing else, it's a disaster waiting to happen. You might want to look up what kind of car Victoria Thorne drives first." 3 The urgent company meeting was about the Clearwater Resort project, a collaboration with the Thorne family. The Thornes were responsible for development and construction, while Ambiance Media handled marketing and promotion. Five years ago, I joined Ambiance Media through campus recruitment. As a global leading media and advertising firm, Ambiance Media's work was indeed demanding, but the compensation was top-tier. However, what I told my family was that I was just a low-level grunt at Ambiance Media, earning a mere 3,000 a month. Gary and Liam already looked down on me, so they readily believed my 3,000-a-month salary. After introducing the progress, the director stated solemnly: "The Thorne family's representative for this project has changed to Victoria Thorne. This is the first project she's personally handled as the Thorne heiress." He then added that Victoria Thorne was not satisfied with the current proposals. We needed to prepare two alternative proposals for a review meeting with her in two weeks. "The Thorne heiress is very particular about details and has cut down on a significant portion of the budget. Everyone, perk up!" After the meeting adjourned, colleagues gathered in the breakroom, gossiping about the Thorne family. "I heard Victoria Thorne was disfigured as a child, which is why she rarely appears in public." "Disfigured? Who would dare disfigure her?" "Don't know. My mom was a journalist back then; she secretly took pictures of her going to the hospital, but her editor made her delete them all." "There's no telling what kind of things happen in elite family feuds. Victoria Thorne's sister's death was also suspicious. A little girl playing by the ocean in the middle of the night?" "The elder Mr. Thorne had three wives and four daughters. Victoria Thorne is the youngest, yet she's become the successor. Her methods must be extraordinary." "Let's just focus on our own work. Didn't you hear the director say Victoria Thorne is extremely demanding?" I recalled the face I saw through the car window; even with the scar, she was undeniably striking. But the profound aura emanating from her was like a vortex, impossible to decipher. She was certainly not the easily swayed, infatuated woman Liam claimed her to be. Sipping my coffee, I instinctively opened my social media, only to find Liam had updated with a new set of photos. He was wearing a designer suit, sipping red wine on a hotel balcony, surrounded by lavish bouquets of flowers. Also in the frame were two foreigners with distinctly aristocratic bearing. The caption read: "Another rare vintage from the Italian vineyard has arrived. The aroma fills the palate, coating the entire mouth and nasal cavity with a truly romantic essence. Gents, you really ought to stock up on some high-end wines." Outside the frame, there were probably a dozen more finely made-up young men waiting. The Elite Grooming Academy provided its students with standard photo props: luxury cars, designer goods, jewelry, ocean-view villas, and so on. The goal was to create an image of a privileged background and refined taste. Wealthy individuals, unaware of the deception, were inevitably drawn in by these images. Furthermore, to avoid being looked down upon, they also pretended to be successful businessmen. Liam's purported partnership and professorship were merely fabrications concocted by the training agency. The real estate agent had sent me two more listings to choose from. My savings from these past few years were enough for me to buy a two-bedroom apartment near the office. I needed to sever ties with my family as quickly as possible, lest I get dragged into their mess. Three days later, the video of Liam's car crash had gone viral. Comments beneath hailed him as a once-in-a-millennium natural heartthrob, and simultaneously disparaged current popular idols, claiming that if he entered entertainment, half the young stars would be out of a job. Immediately after, someone pulled out Liam's social media photos, effusively praising his family background and refined taste. This way, it would be hard for Victoria Thorne not to notice him, and his burgeoning fame was the perfect stepping stone into the elite circles. I had to admit, the Academy's efficiency was truly impressive. After signing the apartment purchase contract, I returned home to pack my belongings. Gary opened the door, giving me a dismissive glance, and asked which 'slum' I'd managed to rent a place in. Brenda didn't even look at me. She was excitedly hovering around Liam, as if she'd just won the lottery. "It's Victoria Thorne! Victoria Thorne messaged me first!" Liam exclaimed, eyes wide. "Madame Celeste said, once you get the woman to make the first move, I'm practically there!" Liam closed his eyes, held the phone to his chest, and only after a few seconds did he tap to open it. The three of them stared at the phone, silent for a long time. I put down my suitcase and walked over for a look. Victoria Thorne's message read: "The car needs to be sent back to Sweden for repairs. The cost is $1,570,000."
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