Chapter 1
As I renewed the last of my shared bike monthly passes, I turned to look at Violet Lane.
She was standing by the roadside, blowing on a two-dollar street taco wrapped in recycled paper.
My heart ached for her. I thought about my Lamborghini, gathering dust in the underground garage. I really should take it out and give her a ride.
Violet looked up at me, her eyes as clear as if they'd never been touched by money. "Alex, when I get rich, I'll treat you to a taco with an extra sausage."
I took a deep breath, about to say, "Actually, I'm the heir to a trillion-dollar conglomerate," when my dad's call came through.
"Get your ass back here for a blind date. The girl's the heiress of Lane Enterprises. If you don't show up, I'll donate all your damn sports cars."
When I pushed open the door to the private room at the five-star hotel, I was still clutching my bike-share helmet.
And there she was, a woman in an haute couture gown, decked out in diamonds, elegantly slicing into top-grade wagyu beef.
That face was unmistakably Violet, the very same girl who, just moments ago, was sharing half a street taco with me.
Her golden fork slipped from her hand and hit the plate with a crisp "ding."
"Alex, care to explain that cabinet full of instant noodles you've got stashed away?"
*****
The late autumn wind cut across my face like a cold knife, making it sting.
I shrugged my neck deeper into my faded hoodie, zipped it up to my chin, and climbed onto a shared bike.
Violet perched on the back, clutching the hem of my hoodie so hard that her fingertips turned pale.
"Alex, slow down. The rattling chain is freaking me out."
Her voice was soft, slightly nasal, and it hit me right in the feels.
Who would've thought the sole heir of Carter Holdings would be feeling self-conscious just because his bike chain was running dry?
I pedaled harder. The chain protested with a loud, grating squeak that echoed down the empty street.
"Violet, just hang in there. The hot dog up ahead has a deal: spend twenty, get five off. We can save enough for a bottle of Coke."
Violet buried her face in my back and mumbled, "Alex, you're so good. It's rare to find someone as down-to-earth and grounded as you these days."
My hands trembled on the handlebars.
Down-to-earth? Really?
Images of my 20-thousand-square-feet mansion and the wall lined with keys to all my limited-edition sports cars flashed through my mind.
To escape the suffocating smell of money at home and chase after real love, I had pretended to be poor for an entire year.
Violet was something else. She said she was an orphan working her way through college, riding an old junker bike every day to hand out flyers, getting blisters on her feet but refusing to take a taxi.
The day we first met, we were both ducking under an overpass to escape the rain.
She broke her only granola bar in half and gave me a piece. The look in her eyes screamed, "We're fellow sufferers, stuck in the same boat."
In that moment, I honestly thought she was the one.
The street vendor's stall glowed dimly and yellow, with clouds of steam rising up and blurring everything around.
I picked out two limp onion rings and a hard‑boiled egg with a cracked shell and handed them to Violet.
"Eat a bit more, get some strength back."
Violet took the egg, peeled it carefully, and then held it up to my mouth.
"You must be tired from biking. Here, you eat first."
Seeing her little hands red from the cold, I almost teared up.
She was my destined one. I would never have forgiven myself if I'd let her slip away.
Just as I was about to bite into the egg, my phone started buzzing like crazy in my pocket.
I pulled it out and saw "The Old Man" flashing on the screen.
I quickly hung up and shot Violet a guilty look.
"It's just a spam call. So annoying."
The phone started ringing again, like it was gonna keep calling forever unless I picked up.
I slipped behind a utility pole to get out of the wind and finally hit answer.
"You little punk, still alive out there?" My father's roar nearly blew out my eardrums. "The blind date with the Lane family is at eight tonight, in the Grand Hall at the Nova Luxe.
"If you dare skip it, I'll donate every piece of land under your name to the city. You won't get a cent."
I gritted my teeth and lowered my voice. "Dad, I've got a girlfriend. We truly love each other, and she doesn't care if I'm rich or not..."
"Truly love? Is that gonna fill your stomach? The Lane heiress just got back from abroad, educated, well‑bred, a perfect match.
"If you don't show up tonight, I'll cut off every single card you own and see how you like living under a bridge, begging for scraps!"
After I hung up, I watched Violet quietly sipping her soup nearby, and my heart felt heavy as a rock.
"Violet, something came up at work. I have to go in for some overtime."
Violet looked up, her lips red from the spicy broth, and nodded understandingly. "Go on, don't keep your boss waiting. You need to make a living."
I turned and flagged down a cab.
As I shut the door, I pulled out that gold-embossed black card from my pocket, my gaze turning icy.
"Nova Luxe. Step on it."
The driver looked at my worn‑out clothes, then at the card, as if I was some lunatic who'd just robbed a bank.