Billionaire

Chapter 241

Connor stared up at the tiny figure perched in the tree, his brows knitting together in deep thought.

The little girl sat on a branch, her chubby legs swinging back and forth. “The river’s really chilly at night, you know. It’s not a good feeling.”

She might have looked young, and her voice carried that innocent lilt, but her words had a sharpness that didn’t match her age..

“Go away,” He snapped at her. Connor was just ten years old and already burdened with

anger.

By then, his heart was already in pieces. Even at ten, the weight of being the family heir had aged him beyond his years.

It was around that time he had just

the darkest, most twisted secrets of his

family. On top of that, he had to deal with Claire’s cruelty.

He had ended up in the hospital because Claire had pushed him into the pool, knowing he was terrified of water and couldn’t swim.

He fought for his life in the water, the air in his lungs running out little by little. He sank slowly to the bottom of the pool while Claire just stood there, watching from the edge.

From the bottom, Connor looked up at her. Even through the swirling water, he could see the cold indifference in her eyes.

At that moment, Connor felt completely hopeless. Death seemed like it might have been a

relief.

But ultimately, the butler found him and pulled him out. By the time he was rescued, he’d been suffocating for several minutes.

Marian had cried as she rushed him to the hospital. When he woke up, Claire was standing right there beside his bed.

Connor lied, saying he couldn’t remember what had happened. The doctor suggested he might have had temporary amnesia from the suffocation.

But Connor remembered everything. He remembered Claire pushing him into the pool. He remembered calling out for her to save him as he struggled, but she just watched, doing

nothing. He remembered the despair and helplessness as he sank deeper. And most of all, he remembered the look of hatred and disdain in Claire’s eyes.

After all, he was only ten. Suddenly, life felt meaningless, and he saw no hope. He felt like he shouldn’t have been born. It was like he was tainted with filth and sin from the start. His existence seemed like a stain, an indelible mark of shame and darkness for his family.

He wasn’t born out of love but as a punishment for everyone. Maybe it would be better to die.

15:15

Chapter 241

Everyone would be relieved if he did.

He even started to feel a bit vengeful. Claire had pushed him into the pool. What would she think when she found his body in the river at sunrise? Would she be shocked, feel justified, or maybe even a little sad? Would she shed a tear for him?

That day, ten–year–old Connor was ready to jump into the river if it hadn’t been for

five–year–old Chloe’s appearance.

Despite Connor’s angry demand for her to leave, little Chloe didn’t back down. Instead, she jumped down from the tree and bounded over to him. “If you jump, I’ll save you,” she

declared with confidence.

Connor frowned at her. “You’re too small. Don’t overestimate yourself.”

“I am overestimating myself. And I’ve just learned to swim, so I’m not very good. If I try to save you, we might both drown.”

A flicker of shock crossed Connor’s face. “I don’t want you to save me.”

“But I can’t just stand here and watch you die.”

Connor watched the small girl standing in front of him, feeling a confusing mix of emotions. A stranger, a little girl, said she couldn’t stand by and watch him die. Yet his own sister, his own flesh and blood, could so easily consign him to hell.

In that instant, Connor felt a deep sadness. He stood silently, staring at the river’s calm surface, though his heart was anything but calm

The girl continued, “Why do you want to die?”

Connor sighed. Maybe it was because no one puts up walls against a five–year–old, so he said, “Because I can’t find a reason to live.”