Theodore Lucas had wasted no time. The morning after the confrontation in the study, Robert—Emily—was taken from her high school and plunged headfirst into the rigorous education of a Lucas heir.
Her days were now a grueling cycle of private tutors, financial textbooks, and visits to the company's vast jewelry vaults. She spent hours memorizing the intricate grading of diamonds, the sourcing of sapphires, and the fickle trends of the global gem market.
The work was brutal, but Emily welcomed it. It was a distraction from the constant terror of discovery. More importantly, it was a battleground where she could finally fight Ethan on equal terms.
Ethan, who was two years older, had always been given this education as his birthright. He was lazy and overconfident, relying on his name and his mother's schemes. Robert, however, approached every lesson like a soldier studying a map of the enemy territory.
One afternoon, in the company library—a dizzying room smelling of old leather and wealth—Robert was hunched over a treatise on supply chain logistics. Ethan suddenly slammed a heavy jewelry catalog down on the table, making the wood jump.
"Still reading, Rob?" Ethan sneered, using the shortened nickname like a rusty knife. "Why bother? You're never going to get the real secrets. They're passed down, generation to generation. Things even Grandfather doesn't write down."
Robert slowly lifted his gaze, careful to project the bored arrogance she'd been practicing. "If you'd spent less time learning to sneer and more time learning the basics, you might actually know what a supply chain is, Ethan."
Ethan's face twisted in fury. He leaned in close. "You think you're smart? You're just a novelty. A skinny little boy our mother will crush the moment she feels like it. You don't belong here."
"I belong here more than a spoiled brat whose only claim is an accident of birth," Robert countered, letting a small, cold smile touch the corner of her lips.
This hit too close to the truth—Charlotte had had to trap William to get Ethan. Ethan's rage boiled over. He grabbed Robert's collar, pulling the fabric taut around her neck. It was a dangerous moment; the physical struggle was where her disguise was weakest.
"Say that again!" Ethan hissed.
The door to the library swung open with a quiet, powerful authority. Theodore Lucas stood there, his eyes instantly taking in the scene.
"Ethan!" Theodore's voice was low, but it stopped Ethan cold. "Release your brother."
Ethan dropped Robert's collar, breathing heavily. He didn't look at Theodore; he glowered at Robert.
Theodore didn't need an explanation. He just pointed a trembling finger at Ethan. "Go to the office. You will spend the rest of the day analyzing the Q3 revenue report. Without leaving. You will learn to use your mind, not your fists."
Ethan stomped out, defeated. Theodore turned to Robert, his expression softening into something close to pity.
"The greatest tool you possess, Robert, is your focus," Theodore said, his tone heavy with advice. "Your brother will always rely on brute force. But a true Lucas relies on precision. Keep your eyes on the work. Don't let his hatred distract you."
Robert nodded, pushing down the surge of fear and relief. She understood. Her only safety lay in her professional superiority. She had to become so essential, so capable, that no one—not even Charlotte—could politically afford to get rid of her.
That night, she pushed the textbooks away and pulled out a stack of documents Theodore had given her earlier: the company's internal report on the Dormitory Program. It was a small residential building the company maintained for promising young employees and key associates, a place where business ideas were forged outside the family's intense social politics.
Move to the Dormitory, Emily realized. Separate yourself from the house. Prove you don't need the Lucas name to succeed.
A single handwritten note was attached to the program folder. It was from Theodore: "The strongest diamonds are cut by the sharpest minds. Go learn."
Emily looked at the address. It was far from the mansion, a chance to escape the suffocating gaze of Charlotte and Ethan. But it also meant living in extremely close quarters with young men she didn't know.
She looked at the reflection in the window—a slender boy with serious eyes and a fearful resolve. Robert Williams Lucas would have to become sharper than any diamond if she was going to survive this.