Luke returned to their dorm room, slammed the door behind him after he entered and dropped onto his bed. He should have had class today, but after what happened in the cafeteria, the thought of leaving the room felt impossible.
His eyes, heavy and restless, landed on the picture frame on his bedside drawer.
Veronica.
Their first anniversary.
Her smile seemed to mock him now, a cruel reminder of what he'd just lost. Without thinking, he grabbed it, stared at her face for a long, bitter moment, then ripped the photo from the frame and tossed the glass into the trash.
A faint, painful smile crossed his lips as he traced her face with his fingers.
"Is that it? Am I just trash to you? Cannot be compared to Richard?"
He had wanted to ask her earlier, but fear of the answer had silenced him. Now, alone, he let the anger and sadness mix freely.
He tore the photo to pieces and threw those into the trash as well. A promise to himself formed in the pit of his stomach: he would start forgetting Veronica. Not easy, he knew, but necessary.
A long exhale, and he sank fully onto his bed, staring at the ceiling for what felt like an eternity. Half an hour passed before he finally reached for his phone.
He dialed his grandfather's number. Duncan.
"Luke! How's my boy? Thinking of coming back to the Manor?" came the booming voice after a few rings.
Luke smiled despite himself. His grandfather's energy was infectious. He missed him more than he cared to admit.
"I'm… okay," he replied, but his voice betrayed him.
Duncan laughed knowingly and said in a melodious tone, "Aha, don't try to lie to your grandfather. I know you're not okay."
Luke froze. Of course Duncan had already heard. Zachary, the family's top security and his personal guard masquerading as a janitor at his university, had surely reported everything.
Luke's chest tightened. "Sorry, Grandpa, if I disappointed you."
Choosing the right woman was a cardinal rule in the Cruise family. It didn't matter if the family wasn't rich—as long as she loved him for him, not his inheritance. That was the point of the poverty training, and Luke had just finished three grueling years of it.
But now, he had just failed.
"No, no," Duncan said warmly. "You're only twenty. Plenty of time to find the right woman. Don't rush."
Luke smiled faintly. "Thank you, Grandpa." He paused for a brief moment before continuing, "Actually… the reason I called was to tell you that I want to start my business training. I guess... it's time."
He had completed the poverty training months ago but stayed at the university to keep up the facade of being poor. Now he was ready to move on to the next stage of their family training: the business training.
There was a brief silence on the line.
"What is it?" Luke asked, but he had already guessed why.
After a long pause, Duncan finally said, "You can start your fifth training... but you still have to keep your profile low as it is now. You know it, don't you?"
Luke nodded while he sat, wiping away the faint traces of earlier tears. He understood perfectly. Unlike his cousins, who could fully leverage their identities after the poverty training, he had to remain limited.
That was all due to his and Veronica's break-up. He needed to first find the right woman who could cherish who he is. But for him it feels like he has gone back to the start, back from scratch.
"I understand. I'll find the right woman when the time comes," Luke said, glancing at the trash bin again.
Duncan chuckled. "With your looks, anyone would fall for you. Even without your status."
Luke smiled wryly. If that were the case, Veronica shouldn't have broken up with him.
"But alright, your training will start soon," Duncan continued. "I've already prepared the company where you'll begin. It's the ENDX Corporation and there's a branch there in Quezon. That's where you'll start."
Luke's eyes widened after hearing this. ENDX? The billion-dollar automotive giant? Owned by his family? He'd grown up knowing they were rich, but this was on a completely different level.
"Are you serious?" he stammered. "This isn't a joke?"
Duncan laughed. "Why would I joke? ENDX is just one of our companies. It's fourth in net worth among our holdings. Not even that big."
Luke's mind reeled. Fourth? Their family had even more wealth than this? He could feel his jaw drop.
Duncan's voice cut through his shock. "When can you come?"
Luke steadied himself. "I… I can go today, Grandpa."
Duncan smiled. "Good. I'll inform Bernard. He'll know you, so meeting him will be seamless. I'll also forward his number to you."
Luke froze again in shock.
Bernard Bautista. The president of ENDX Corporation. One of the most famous and respected businessmen in the country.
He worked for Cruise family?
"Y-yes, Grandpa. I'll be there," Luke said, barely able to form words.
Duncan laughed heartily before hanging up.
Luke stared at the wall in silence, then laughter bubbled up from him, uncontrollable, filling the dorm room. As if he had already forgotten that Veronica had broken up with him just a while ago.
The absurdity of it all struck him, though. All this time, he had let others bully him, belittle him, and insult him. All while sitting on top of unimaginable wealth.
If he had been a vengeful man, he realized, the list of people who would pay for underestimating him was endless. Lucky for them, he wasn't yet. But it would probably come someday.
He pulled himself together, determination hardening like steel. Standing, he left the campus without a backward glance. He hailed a taxi and gave one simple destination: ENDX Corporation, downtown.