The transition back into his family's empire was far more difficult than Vincent had anticipated. After his years as an idol and actor, the sudden shift back into the world of high-stakes business was jarring. It wasn't just about the money, the influence, or the power—it was about the countless expectations that came with the title of heir. Vincent had been raised with the knowledge that one day, he would lead the family empire. But the truth of it hadn't truly sunk in until he found himself back in the boardrooms, making decisions that affected millions.
His every word was weighed, every decision analyzed by his family and their associates. They watched him closely, waiting to see if he was the same child prodigy they had groomed all those years. His father, especially, was a figure of constant scrutiny. Although his father's stern, calculating nature was well-known, Vincent couldn't help but feel a sense of tension when he entered the same room as him. There was a subtle disappointment in his father's eyes, a quiet judgment that Vincent could never quite shake. His father expected greatness, but more importantly, he expected obedience.
But while Vincent had always been the golden child in the eyes of his family, his brother had never been far behind. Vincent's older brother, once seen as the weaker, less intelligent son, had now grown into a formidable man—one who was far more capable than anyone had given him credit for. His brother had always wanted to be the heir, to take over the family's empire, but Vincent had given that up willingly. He had done it out of love for Anastasia, knowing that he couldn't balance his duties as heir with the life he wanted to build with her.
Still, it was difficult not to feel a sense of betrayal every time he saw his brother. They had once been close, sharing the same blood, the same ambitions. But now, there was a distance between them that couldn't be bridged. His brother had never fully understood why Vincent had made the decision to step aside. To his brother, it felt like Vincent had betrayed the family, abandoned his duty for a fleeting dream. Vincent knew, deep down, that his brother would never forgive him for it.
As the days passed, Vincent found himself constantly pulled between the two worlds—the family he was born into and the family he hoped to build with Anastasia. It wasn't just about the business anymore. It was about the legacy of power, of influence, and the unspoken rule that the heir could never be distracted by love. To his family, Anastasia was nothing more than a distraction, a dangerous entanglement that would undermine everything they had built. But to Vincent, she was everything.
The more he immersed himself in the family business, the more he felt the pressure mounting. He was being groomed to lead, but at what cost? Every decision he made felt like a betrayal of his true self. He wanted to be an actor again, to lose himself in a world where he could simply create, where his worth wasn't defined by his ability to control an empire. But that dream was slipping further and further away. As long as he was the heir, he would be shackled to the responsibilities that came with it.