"Yeah, I never thought I could come here."Robert chuckled. He was tapping the tabletop gently with his hand. He continued, "It was just over two months ago. Just a few days before I invited you... Few days before the graduation ceremony. I was sitting here at this table. It was then my first time in such an upscale hotel."

Sophia was taken ab ack as she listened. She wondered,"Doesn't the director own this hotel? How come he had never been here before?"

Robert picked up his knife and fork, slicing through the steak. He asked, "Do you find it unbelievable?"

"Yes." Sophia nodded.

"Heh, I also found it unbelievable." Robertplaced a sliced steak into his mouth and continued, "At that time, a girl sitting across me told me that there are certain things in life that you're born without and will never have. She made it very clear about the gap between us. She carried a bag worth over 2,000 dollars, while at that time, I only had tens of dollars under my name. She broke up with me right then and there, while a fine man came in and took her away. That man was Kendrick."

Sophia's mouth dropped open. Her eyes were filled with disbelief.

She knew some things between Robert, Kendrick, and Marilyn but never knew about this incident.

Robert shook his head and poured himself a glass of red wine."My heart felt like ashes at that moment. When I saw Kendrick in his suit, I didn't even dare to imagine when I could afford such expensive clothes. Up until now, I still don't know what brand he wore then. Afterward, a waiter who came over to clean up also made some mocking remarks toward me. Do you know what I did?"

Robert put the wine in front of Sophia.

Sophia shook her head.

Robert picked up his knife and fork again. He continued to cut the steak."I was furious, and I felt insulted. So, I flipped the table... It shattered the utensils all over. At that moment, I did feel a sense of relief, but a single remark from the waiter brought me back to reality. She asked me if I knew how much I had to compensate. When I heard about the compensation, fear filled my heart. I knew I had caused trouble for my family. I knew I had done something that I couldn't bear the consequences of, heh."

Robert finished cutting a piece of beef and set it aside before continuing."Later on, my dad arrived. I thought he would give me a good beating, but he suddenly told me that this hotel belonged to our family and that I was the young master of Zabinski Group. It was at that moment that I discovered I was a scion. Then, my father handed over all the family business to me, and he and my mother went abroad. As for the time spent dealing with the business, you and I should be around the same."

Sophia listened to everything Robert was saying with her mouth wide open as if it could fit an egg inside.

Robert lowered his head. His hand's movement continued as he spoke, "Upon learning about my family's wealth, I felt a sense of relief, but at the same time, there was more fear. It was similar to your feeling when you obtained those documents from Zupiter Finance. I was just an ordinary man in the first 20 years of my life. I didn't think I could handle it well. But there was no turning back for me, and I didn't want to turn back because I had experienced extreme poverty. I was so poor that even expressing my anger would have consequences I couldn't bear. So, I didn't want to continue living in poverty."

Robert's cutting speed increased, and his words

came out faster."Every night, I stand in front of the mirror like an actor. I practiced my gaze and my tone of voice. The words I say to my company employees and my gestures while speaking are all rehearsed in advance at home. I don't want to make any mistakes. I don't want to return to that previous life, where I could not dare to pursue someone I liked because of my family's poor financial situation. I keep practicing gestures, reading books, watching videos, and learning new ways of living. Cutting steak is something I recently learned."

As Robert said this, his knife and fork collided. It made a soft clink. He then placed them on both sides of the plate. There were neatly sliced pieces of beef on his plate, distinct and perfectly cut, piece by piece.