David did not delay.
The moment breakfast ended and the table was cleared, he rose from his seat with a calm decisiveness that left no room for argument. Without even returning to his office, he pulled out his phone right there in the living room and drafted an email to William's father.
Short.
Clear.
Irreversible.
The engagement was cancelled.
No room for negotiation.
No room for persuasion.
Noah's decision was final.
That single act sent an invisible wave through the entire household.
The atmosphere shifted.
It wasn't loud, nor chaotic, but it carried weight.
Because Noah… had spoken.
And not just spoken,
He had rejected.
For as long as anyone could remember, Noah had always been the quiet one.
The obedient one.
The one who never raised his voice.
Never questioned.
Never refused.
At the breakfast table, he barely spoke unless spoken to.
When David made decisions, Noah accepted them without hesitation.
When something upset him, he swallowed it.
When someone wronged him,
He endured.
Silently.
So the Noah they saw today…
Was unfamiliar.
Unpredictable.
And strangely,
Reassuring.
David leaned back in his chair after sending the email, his gaze lingering somewhere distant.
A thought crossed his mind, quiet yet profound.
'My son has grown up.'
It was a realization that came with both pride…
And guilt.
Because only now did he recognize it,
He had never truly asked Noah what he wanted.
He had assumed.
Decided.
Controlled.
All under the belief that it was for Noah's own good.
But today…
For the first time,
Noah had pushed back.
And David realized,
That was not rebellion.
That was growth.
What David didn't know...
Was that Noah had already lived through more years than this body allowed.
Though he stood there as a nineteen-year-old…
His mind carried the weight of twenty-one.
Experience.
Pain.
Lessons carved into his bones.
William had made sure of that.
After their marriage in the previous life, Noah's world had shrunk into something suffocating.
He was no longer a son of a powerful family.
No longer someone cherished.
He became...
A possession.
"Learn to fight."
"Learn to cook."
"Learn to clean."
"Learn to behave."
Every day, there was something new.
A new demand.
A new expectation.
A new humiliation.
William dismissed every servant in the house.
Said he preferred "privacy."
But in truth,
It was control.
Noah cooked.
Cleaned.
Washed.
Served.
From morning until night.
Like a shadow.
Like someone whose existence revolved entirely around another.
And through all of it,
He never complained.
Not to his parents.
Not to his siblings.
Not to anyone.
He endured.
Until the day he couldn't.
That day,
Became the last day of his life.
But even within that darkness,
There was something he gained.
Something valuable.
Something he hadn't realized until now.
Capability.
Noah could fight.
He could cook.
He could manage a household.
He could survive,
On his own.
And this time,
He would use that strength differently.
"Noah! Come here!"
The familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
His mother.
"Coming!" Noah responded quickly, his tone light as he stepped out of his room.
He had been cleaning again.
For the second time.
Not because it was necessary,
But because it gave him something to do.
Something to control.
As he descended the stairs and entered the living room,
His steps faltered.
Just for a moment.
'William.'
He was standing there.
As if he belonged.
As if nothing had happened.
The warmth that had filled Noah's chest earlier,
Shattered.
"Why did you call me?" Noah asked, turning toward his mother instead, as if William didn't exist.
"He said he wants to talk to you," Sheli replied.
But she didn't move.
Didn't leave.
Didn't give them space.
From the moment Noah rejected William,
The man had lost all favor in this house.
To them, he was no longer a guest.
He was an intruder.
A crow eyeing something precious.
Noah finally turned to William.
His gaze,
Cold.
Flat.
"What is it?"
Even Sheli blinked in surprise.
'When did my gentle boy learn to look at someone like that?'
But instead of concern
She felt pride.
"Noah…" William forced a strained smile. "Can we talk alone?"
His voice carried a hint of desperation.
But his eyes,
Burned with suppressed anger.
Noah didn't even pause.
"If you have something to say, say it here."
"I'm listening."
Upstairs, two pairs of eyes widened.
Lily.
Lia.
They exchanged glances.
William's expression flickered.
For a brief second, his mask slipped.
What changed him?
For over a month, Noah had been nothing more than quiet compliance.
Soft-spoken.
Easy to handle.
Predictable.
And now?
Sharp.
Unyielding.
Untouchable.
'Playing hard to get?'
A smirk almost formed in William's mind.
Fine.
'Let's see how long you last.'
"Aunty…" William suddenly turned to Sheli, his voice trembling. "Can you talk to him? I treated him well… I don't understand why he rejected me."
His tone softened further.
"I love him so much. Please… tell him not to abandon me. I can't live without him."
Silence.
Even Noah felt a flicker of disbelief.
Shameless.
William, who had never lowered his head to anyone,
Was acting like this?
Pathetic.
"Look, son," Sheli's voice came, calm but firm. "If Noah says he doesn't like you, then that's enough."
Her eyes hardened slightly.
"I suggest you don't come here again."
That was it.
No negotiation.
No sympathy.
No second chances.
For the first time in a long time,
William stood there…
Embarrassed.
Powerless.
His jaw tightened.
His pride burned.
But he couldn't retaliate.
Not here.
Not now.
Without another word,
He left.
But as he stepped out,
His thoughts darkened.
'Fine.
Wait.
I'll make you come back to me yourself.'
Inside,
The tension dissolved the moment the door closed.
"Hey, you baby!"
Lily's voice rang from upstairs.
"You were so cool just now! Learned that from me, didn't you?" she added with a wink.
Noah burst into a soft laugh.
"No. I learned it from Mom."
He tilted his head slightly. "Also, You? Acting cool? Since when?"
"You-!" Lily froze.
Then stomped down the stairs, her face flushed.
"You brat!"
"That's enough," Sheli interrupted smoothly, pulling Noah slightly closer. "My son learns from me, not you."
"Mom!! You too?!"
Lily turned dramatically and marched back upstairs.
"I don't want any of you!"
"It's okay, you have me," Lia said gently, patting her shoulder.
Noah chuckled.
"Sis, I didn't know you could act cute."
"You, just wait!" Lily pointed at him accusingly. "Don't come to me when you're hungry at night!"
"Night?" Sheli's brows furrowed.
Silence.
Noah stiffened.
Lily froze.
A secret.
A very secrety secret.
In the past,
Noah had a habit of getting hungry late at night.
And since he couldn't sleep,
He would sneak into the kitchen.
With Lily.
They would heat leftovers.
Cook instant noodles.
Eat quietly.
Laugh quietly.
Hide everything.
Until one day,
The household started talking about...
A mysterious food thief.
And thus,
The two of them became professionals.
Silent.
Efficient.
Undetectable.
"Ah- I just remembered something!" Lily suddenly said, turning away. "I have to go!"
And she fled.
Noah let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Thankfully,
The secret remained safe.
"Mom," Noah spoke again, changing the topic smoothly. "When will Mark come back?"
"Next week," Sheli replied.
Next week.
Noah's heart stirred.
Mark was the only one he hadn't seen yet.
The only one still missing from this restored world.
"I see…"
Later, back in his room,
Noah sat by the window, his expression thoughtful.
The first step,
Was complete.
The engagement was broken.
William had been pushed away.
But that wasn't enough.
Noah's eyes darkened slightly.
In his previous life,
He had wasted everything.
Married.
Trapped.
Used.
This time,
Would be different.
He had dreams.
Wishes.
Things he had buried before.
Like growing his hair.
A small thing.
A trivial thing.
But it mattered to him.
Back then, William had forced him to cut it.
Said it was "unnecessary."
"Unattractive."
So he obeyed.
But now,
Noah ran his fingers through his hair.
It had already grown past his neck.
Soft.
Free.
Untouched.
A faint smile formed.
This time,
He would keep it.
Then,
There was something more important.
His future.
In the past, he had given up on his dream of becoming a veterinarian.
Because his family said it was dangerous.
Because they were worried.
Because they loved him too much.
So he stayed.
At home.
Protected.
Sheltered.
Like a fragile thing.
But now,
Noah's gaze sharpened.
"I won't stay still anymore."
If not veterinary,
Then something else.
Something meaningful.
Something useful.
Business.
If he learned business management,
He could help his family.
Stand beside them.
Protect them.
But,
There was a problem.
They won't agree.
Noah leaned back slightly, exhaling.
He knew them too well.
They would reject it immediately.
So,
He needed a plan.
A way to convince them.
A way to step forward,
Without being stopped.
Just as he began to think,
A faint, knowing smile touched his lips.
"…William."
Maybe
Just maybe,
That man would be useful one last time.
After all,
Some things…
Were easier to achieve
When chaos helped pave the way.