Chapter 4

The guy on the other end of the line instantly went cold. "Isaac, seriously? You're broke? I... I'm strapped for cash too. My dad froze my card. Sorry, man."

Then the line went dead.

Isaac tried another number.

"Hey, Anthony..."

"Oh man, my signal's crap. Hello? Hello? Can't hear you! I'm hanging up!"

Isaac kept calling, but it was the same story every time.

Either they said they were broke, or they just didn't pick up.

When things went south, he would finally find out who his real friends were and who was just here for the party.

Out of options, Isaac's mind went straight to Tiana.

He thought that even if Tiana was all about the money, she did love him.

He hurried over to her luxury apartment, the one he'd been paying for all this time.

But he couldn't even get inside.

Tiana stared at him coldly through the intercom. "What are you doing here? We're done."

Isaac pleaded, "Tiana, please, just hear me out. My mom's just mad right now. She'll let me come back soon! Just give me a little more time!"

Tiana scoffed. "Time? Why should I give you time? Isaac, look at yourself. You're like an abandoned dog. Let me spell it out for you. I'm marrying into money, not running a charity. You're out of the game. Don't bother me again!"

With that, she hung up the video call.

Isaac stood downstairs, numb and empty, like someone had drained every ounce of strength from his body.

His last hope had shattered.

It dawned on him, slow and numb. Without the status of the Huber family heir, he was worthless.

*****

At Tessara University, I attended the Huber Elite Scholarship award ceremony as chairperson of the Huber Charity Foundation.

The auditorium was packed with top students.

I spotted Ryan in the crowd instantly.

He sat in the corner, back perfectly straight, quietly listening to the speakers. He didn't whisper or joke around like the other students.

When his name was called, he walked up in a clean but obviously too-big school-issued suit.

He took the certificate from me, gave a deep bow, and said in a clear, steady voice, "Thank you, Mrs. Huber. Thank you, Huber Group."

He carried himself with quiet confidence, his gaze steady and bright.

After the ceremony, I had my assistant invite him to the lounge.

"Ryan, have a seat," I said.

He seemed a bit tense, but followed my instructions and sat down, his posture still perfectly straight.

"I've checked out your background. You're really impressive. How about an internship at Huber Group?" I was straight to the point.

He paused for a moment, surprise and excitement flashing in his eyes. But he quickly pushed it down.

He shook his head. "Thanks for the offer, Mrs. Huber. But I still have a year before graduation, and I've already got a few part-time gigs lined up. I need to..."

"You need the money, right?" I cut in for him.

He pressed his lips together and nodded, a little embarrassed.

I said, "What if I told you the internship would pay way more than all your part-time gigs put together? And I'd personally mentor you."

Ryan's head shot up, his eyes full of astonishment.

This kid had nerves of steel. Faced with a huge offer, his first reaction wasn't to jump for joy, but to wonder if he was up to the task. That was impressive.

I smiled and handed him a contract. "Take a look. This isn't your usual internship. Think of it as a mentorship program. I need someone to help me with private investments and family trust business.

"I'll show you the ropes, you'll have my back. It's for one year. If you nail it, you get to choose any job you want at Huber Group after you graduate."

Ryan's hands shook a little as he flipped through the contract, page by page, reading every word carefully.

After a long pause, he looked up, his gaze unwavering. "Mrs. Huber, I don't get it. Why me?"

I said, "Because you're smart, you're tough, and... you've got Huber blood in you. I'm your grandfather's cousin's wife. Technically, you should call me... your aunt."

Ryan was completely stunned.

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out for a long moment.

I continued, "You don't have to decide right now. Take three days to think it through. When you're ready, come see me at the Huber Group penthouse office."

Without another word, I stood up and walked out.

I didn't mention anything about Isaac.

I wanted his decision to be his own, not out of pity or any other reason.