Waking up the next day, Lucas stretched lazily in bed before heading downstairs. He grabbed a quick breakfast, ate in comfortable silence, and settled a few remaining matters. After handling everything on campus, Lucas booked a ride and headed straight back to Dustford.

Silvermont wasn’t particularly far from his hometown. After a little more than an hour on the road, the familiar streets of Dustford gradually came into view.

Looking out the window, Lucas felt a strange sense of nostalgia.

Ever since entering Ashford University, he rarely had the chance to return home. Between classes, part-time jobs, and constantly worrying about money, every day had felt like a battle for survival.

But now things were different.

Very different.

The car finally stopped outside Dustford First High School, right beside his family’s breakfast shop.

Lucas paid the driver and stepped out.

The moment his feet touched the ground, the familiar smell of fried dough, noodles, and hot soup drifted into his nose.

It instantly brought back countless memories.

Many nights, he had watched them work until exhaustion just to earn enough money to support him and Aria.

His gaze softened.

Just then, he saw his mother outside wiping down one of the tables.

Elena looked up casually.

The moment she saw Lucas walking toward her, surprise immediately appeared on her face.

"Lucas?"

"What are you doing back here?"

A warm smile appeared on Lucas’s face.

"Mom, I’ve already finished most of my courses. I didn’t have anything important to do, so I thought I’d come home and visit."

Elena rolled her eyes.

"Visit?"

"Good timing then. We’re about to close the shop. Your father is cleaning up inside. Go help him."

Lucas laughed helplessly.

As expected.

The moment he came home, he was immediately put to work.

Still smiling, he walked inside.

The breakfast shop wasn’t large.

A few tables.

A small kitchen.

Old furniture that had clearly been used for years.

Everything looked simple.

Yet somehow, it felt more comfortable than any luxury hotel.

Inside the shop, Noah was already wiping down the cooking area.

The moment he saw Lucas enter, a smile appeared on his face.

"You brat."

"When did you get back?"

"Just now."

Noah nodded before asking,

"You haven’t eaten yet, have you?"

"Give me ten minutes. I’ll stir-fry a few dishes."

Lucas quickly waved his hands.

"Dad, I’ve already eaten."

"Besides, you’re almost done here."

"Let’s just go home."

Noah looked around.

Indeed, there was barely anything left to clean.

It was already approaching two in the afternoon, and there would be no more customers.

A few minutes later, the family locked up the shop and began walking home together.

Their apartment wasn’t far away.

It was located in an aging residential building that had clearly seen better days.

The entire apartment measured barely eighty square meters.

Ever since Aria entered high school, the family had lived there to stay close to her school.

As Lucas followed his parents upstairs, he couldn’t help looking around.

The peeling paint.

The cracked walls.

The rusty railings.

Everything looked worn down.

His chest tightened slightly.

For years, his parents had worked themselves to the bone just to support the family.

Meanwhile, he had been worrying about how to survive each month at university.

But now?

Everything had changed.

The first thing he wanted to do was improve their lives.

If he could stay in luxury suites at the Fingal Hotel, how could he allow his parents to continue living here?

As they entered the apartment, Noah suddenly asked,

"Lucas, did you come back because of your graduation plans?"

Lucas sat down on the sofa.

He knew exactly what his father meant.

Originally, he had planned to take the civil service examination after graduation and try to secure a stable government position.

Daniel Cruz happened to have some connections in the local finance department.

Nothing particularly powerful.

But enough to help open a few doors.

If Lucas performed well enough on the exams, there was a decent chance he could secure a position.

For ordinary families in Dustford, becoming a civil servant was practically the dream.

Stable income.

Good benefits.

Respectable status.

It was the path most parents hoped their children would take.

Unfortunately...

Lucas had absolutely no interest anymore.

Not even a little.

Forget becoming a government employee.

Even if someone offered him the director’s position tomorrow, he probably wouldn’t care.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Dad, you don’t need to worry about my job."

"I actually came back for another reason."

"Oh?"

Noah looked curious.

"What reason?"

Lucas glanced at both parents before speaking.

"I want to buy a house."

Silence.

Both Noah and Elena froze.

Their eyes widened slightly.

After several seconds, Elena finally spoke.

"Lucas..."

"Did Jessica ask you to buy a house?"

Lucas almost choked.

Of course.

That would be their first thought.

Jessica had visited their home several times over the years.

Although she had always acted polite on the surface, Noah and Elena had never been particularly fond of her.

She was too materialistic.

Too concerned with appearances.

Every time she visited, she tried to hide it, but the subtle look of dissatisfaction in her eyes never escaped them.

If not for how much Lucas used to like her, they would have spoken up long ago.

Seeing his mother’s worried expression, Lucas couldn’t help laughing.

"Mom."

"Jessica and I already broke up."

The room instantly fell silent again.

Both parents stared at him.

The couple exchanged glances. Although neither of them had liked Jessica very much, hearing that the relationship had suddenly ended still left them feeling somewhat regretful.

After all, they had assumed she would eventually become part of the family.

Fortunately, Lucas appeared calm. He wasn’t showing any signs of heartbreak or sadness, which eased their concerns considerably.

After a moment, Noah changed the subject. "Forget Jessica for now. Why are you suddenly talking about buying a house? Housing prices in Dustford have been dropping recently. There’s no need to rush."

Lucas smiled.

"Dad, the reason I’m not worried is because I’m paying for it myself."

The words stunned both parents.

Elena stared at him. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Noah stared at him.

For several seconds, neither knew what to say.

Finally, Noah asked carefully, "Paying for it yourself? Lucas... where exactly did you get that kind of money?"

Lucas had already prepared an explanation.

"I’ve been doing some investments recently and made quite a bit of money. More importantly, I don’t want you and Mom working so hard anymore."

His expression became serious as he looked at them.

"You’ve spent your entire lives sacrificing for Aria and me. Waking up before dawn every day, working until afternoon, then worrying about bills and expenses. Enough is enough."

Neither parent spoke.

Lucas continued.

"We’ll sell the breakfast shop. Then we’ll buy a better house. A bigger house. From now on, you two can finally relax and enjoy life instead of exhausting yourselves every single day."

The room fell completely silent.