Chapter 2

2、

After leaving the house, I stood on the curb for a long time before calling an Uber to the National Grand Theater.

My puppets were still in the backstage storage, and I needed them back.

Those puppets weren't just heirlooms.

They were the only complete set of Qing Dynasty shadow figures left in existence, worth a fortune to collectors.

I had already made a deal with the National Museum to display them for a week-long exhibition.

In the car, I messaged my contact at the museum, asking him to meet me at the theater in an hour.

When I reached the backstage area, I saw Seraphina leaning into Jaxon's chest.

"Cassian isn't even worth one of Jaxon's hairs. All he does is play with those dusty scraps of leather. A national stage? In his dreams!"

The people around them laughed, and the sound made my vision go red.

Thinking of my grandfather's regret and my parents' disappointment, I marched toward the stage area.

What I saw next stopped my heart.

My antique wooden crate, the one holding the puppets, was being used as a stand for a messy, leftover spicy hot pot.

Red oil was smeared all over the wood.

Some of the grease had already started seeping through the cracks of the lid.

"Get away from that!" I roared, lunging forward to push Seraphina aside.

These puppets were centuries old and made of delicate, treated hide.

If that oil touched them, they would be ruined forever.

I knelt down, frantically wiping the oil off the crate, but before I could check inside, Seraphina kicked me hard in the back.

"Cassian! How dare you push Jaxon? He's a star! If he gets hurt, you couldn't pay his medical bills in ten lifetimes!"

I stood up slowly, looking at her with pure contempt.

"This set is a protected cultural heritage. It was supposed to go into the National Museum tomorrow. If you've damaged it, you're the one who won't be able to pay the price!"

The room went silent for a beat, followed by an explosion of laughter.

Jaxon stepped up to my face.

"Man, listen to this guy talk! Someone check if there's a bull flying outside, 'cause he's full of it!"

"The National Museum wants your trash? If it was that valuable, would you leave it sitting back here like junk?"

"Jaxon's right," Seraphina added. "You're just desperate for attention."

The rest of the band joined in the mocking, looking at me like I was a delusional loser.

I didn't care about their insults; I just needed to get the puppets to a safe place and check the damage.

They were the only things I had left of my grandfather.

But my silence only made Seraphina angrier.

"Cassian, I gave you a chance! I don't know what I ever saw in a useless failure like you!"

"You're going to spend the rest of your life hugging this pile of trash. Honestly, you'd be doing the world a favor if you just disappeared."

I felt nothing but cold indifference toward her now.

I was just glad I found out who she really was before I actually proposed.

As I reached down to lift the crate, Jaxon suddenly swung his foot and kicked the box over.

"No!" I screamed.

The crate hit the floor with a heavy thud, the old lock snapping open. The puppets spilled out across the floor.

Jaxon ignored my cry and stepped onto the crate, leaning down to grab one of the figures.

He started tugging at its delicate limbs with a sneer.

My heart climbed into my throat.

"Jaxon, stop! If you break that, you're in serious trouble!"