Chapter 9

Yanny lowered her head in disappointment. When she saw that Hayes still hadn’t said anything, she turned and walked away.

Hayes’s breath caught in his throat as he watched her walk toward the orphanage. Her head hung low as she took small steps.

Suddenly, he climbed down from the slide and called out, “Wait!”

Yanny stopped in her tracks, turned around, and was suddenly pulled into his arms.

She froze and asked in a childish voice, "Hayes?"

This was the first time Hayes had ever held her.

He closed his eyes tightly, feeling constricted in the throat, and squeezed out his words through clenched teeth: "Listen, life for rich people isn't as easy as you think. They’ll take you in, but that doesn’t mean they’ll truly care for you. You have to protect yourself. If anyone bullies you, fight back the way I taught you."

"Whatever they ask you to learn, study it diligently and become the best at it. Whether it's piano, dance, or drawing, you must do your best to master every lesson they assign you."

"You're different from your mother. You can have a better life than she did. You’re smart. When you grow up and become strong enough, we won’t have to worry about whether the people around us love us. We won't have to rely on anyone. Do you understand?”

Yanny listened, a bit confused, but she took these words to heart.

Suddenly, she felt a pang of sadness and reached out to hug him. “Will we ever see each other again?”

Hayes was her favorite.

He furrowed his brow and his eyes glistened with tears. He nodded heavily. "We will. I’ll work hard. I’ll fight my way to the top. We’ll meet again at the very top.”

Yanny’s nose stung, and she looked up at him. “How far is the very top?”

Hayes paused for a moment, then quickly turned his face away. “Go find your brother.”

He didn’t answer her.

Unable to bear the parting, Yanny sniffed and hugged Hayes tightly.

She didn’t say a word; she just held his slender frame close.

Hayes’s lips trembled slightly. He buried his face in her shoulder for a moment. Then, as if making up his mind, he gently pushed her away.

“Just go.”

Yanny’s face was streaked with tears. She said nothing more and turned to walk away.

Jace stood in the corner, watching it all unfold.

Yanny didn’t look back; she knew she looked a mess, all tear-streaked.

Of course, she didn’t see Hayes silently watching her tear-streaked back.

Jace snorted coldly.

Just as he’d predicted.

He’d said long ago that the guy Yanny needed to watch out for most in her future was this kid.

He was a thorn in his side, no matter how he looked at it.

Luckily, the kid was an orphan, so she wouldn't have to see him again.

All the paperwork was finished. Yanny was still quietly sobbing in her teacher’s arms as she said goodbye to everyone one by one.

When it was time to leave, Hayes still hadn’t shown up.

Yanny followed Jace, carrying her small bag, and looked back at the orphanage.

With tears in her eyes, her teacher waved at her. “Yanny! Don’t ever come back here!”

Through her blurry, tear-filled eyes, Yanny saw four tall figures and felt helpless.

Was she really never coming back?

Her heart was full of longing, but she never saw Hayes come to see her off.

He stood alone in a corner, watching Yanny get into a beautiful Maybach minivan and disappear from his sight.

His heart felt hollow, and he looked around in a daze.

Yanny was gone.

Gone was the girl who, when she first saw him, had shyly poked her head out of the crowd to size him up.

Gone was the little girl who secretly poked his palm with her finger and looked up at him with a pleading smile.

He turned around, his mind a blur.

Suddenly, the sound of brakes screeching echoed from the orphanage entrance.

Hayes turned around in surprise, but what he saw was not the van from earlier.

It was a Rolls-Royce.

His teacher froze as two bodyguards stepped out of the luxury car, followed by an elderly gentleman with a stern expression. Leaning on his cane, he slowly made his way into the orphanage, one step at a time.

Hayes’s expression changed, and he instinctively clenched his fists.

The teacher stepped forward to greet him. “Hello, who are you here to see?”

The elderly gentleman’s calm gaze swept across the crowd, finally settling on Hayes.

"I'm here to pick up Hayes," he said. "He is my grandson."

Everyone's expression shifted, and they all turned to look at Hayes.

Hayes’s eyes betrayed obvious wariness.

The old man, however, appeared completely at ease.

Their gazes met in the air as if sparks were flying.

The old man scrutinized Hayes from head to toe. "You're quite handsome. You're tall and well-proportioned, and you have a sharp gaze. Come with me. From now on, you’ll be the heir to the Garcia family business. Whatever you want, you’ll have.”

Hayes gave a cold smile and turned to leave.

Suddenly, he stopped and shot the man a frosty glance. “Do you know the Youngs and the Shanes?”

Mr. Garcia stared back impassively. “Which Shane family? Which Young family?”

Hayes replied, "The most powerful one."

Mr. Garcia’s eyes flickered slightly. His bodyguard whispered, "Hayes must be referring to the Shane family—the one Andrew belongs to—and the Young family, who are allied with them through marriage."

Mr. Garcia raised an eyebrow and nodded. "How could we not know them? We’re old friends. Why do you ask?”

These three families were the most prominent in Michigan.

Hayes thought for a moment, then laid out his terms. “If I go back with you, will I have the chance to meet the children of the Shane and Young families?”

Mr. Garcia found this somewhat puzzling. "Of course. I’ll host a dinner for you and introduce you to all the younger members of our social circle. You’ll be the eldest grandson of the Garcia family.”

Hayes’s gaze deepened. "You said I could have anything I wanted."

Mr. Garcia grew impatient. "All right. If you want a star, I’ll buy it for you. If you want an island, I’ll buy that for you too. I’ll buy you yachts and cars. Can we go now?”

The boy straightened his back and declared haughtily, "I only want the daughter of the Shane family."

Mr. Garcia was completely confused.

A person?

Mr. Garcia finally began to look at Hayes with genuine interest.

His grandson was quite intriguing.

He was nothing like his good-for-nothing son.

In fact, he reminded Mr. Garcia more of himself in his youth.

Raising an eyebrow, he said, "If the Shane family agrees, then so be it. Whether you want to take care of her or marry her someday is up to you.”

Hayes didn’t say another word. “Get in the car,” he said.

Mr. Garcia’s mouth twitched slightly. He exchanged a glance with his bodyguard; their eyes were fixed on Hayes’s cold, haughty, retreating figure.

But where would the Shane family get a daughter?

Didn’t they only have three sons?

Inside the car, Yanny sat stiffly, staring blankly out the window at the scenery rushing by.

Andrew sat across from her, frequently returning his gaze to her. “Don’t you have anything you want to ask me?”

After changing his mind time and again, only to bring her back in the end, didn't she have a single word to say?

Yanny snapped out of her daze and shook her head. "No."

Mom had told her not to ask questions she shouldn't.

Besides, she didn’t really want to know.

Andrew frowned. "I brought you back not because you're my daughter, but because I know your uncle—your mother's brother."

Jace chimed in from the side. "Your mother had four brothers and one sister. That sister is my mother. Did you know that?”

Yanny thought for a moment, recalling the name her mother repeated over and over whenever she was drunk:

Vivian.

She pressed her lips together. "I know."

A mocking expression crossed Jace’s face. "Your mom must have cursed my mother quite a bit, right?"

Yanny paused, then shook her head. "Mom would curse sometimes, but most of the time, she would just cry."

Andrew’s gaze turned cold. “What was she crying about?”

She whispered, "She was crying and calling out, 'Sister.'"

The car fell instantly silent.

Yanny sensed the icy atmosphere and shrunk her neck. “Did I say something wrong?”

Gabriel Shane broke the silence. "In any case, your mother and my mother didn't get along at all. You should also know that your mother once tried to kill her but failed. So, you absolutely must not show your face to her. As her daughter, you are a mistake in and of yourself. Do you understand?”

Forrest Shane, the second of the three brothers, snorted coldly. His tone was blunt. “To put it simply, if you dare show your face to our mother, we’ll get rid of you immediately.”