The phone buzzed, snapping Samuel out of his thoughts. He picked up. "Yes?"

Asher's voice was full of confusion. "I thought Amanda was handling this trip. Why are you in Boston yourself? When Luke told me, I thought he was lying".

"Something came up," Samuel said.

"What kind of thing?" Asher pressed. "Another blind date?"

"I'm done with blind dates".

"What about your uncle's birthday gala?" Asher asked. "Your relationship is strained as it is. If you skip, the Old Boss will think there's a family feud".

"I'm catching a flight back this afternoon," Samuel replied.

Asher grumbled. "Flying out in the morning and back by the evening... you're certainly devoted to this project".

"It's fine," Samuel said. "I'm hanging up".

He lowered the phone and looked up. Julian's silhouette had already vanished into the distance.

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It was Julian's final day on campus. Tomorrow, he would move out for good. He was packing that afternoon when a knock sounded at the door.

He opened it to find a student standing in the hall. "Julian Hale? You have a delivery".

The boy held a massive, expertly arranged bouquet. A card was tucked into the blooms: Happy Graduation.

"Flowers for Julian?" The roommates swarmed the door. "Who are they from? Are they from you, kid?"

"No," the boy said, shaking his head. "I'm just a courier".

Julian took the flowers, his mind a blank slate.

"A secret admirer?" one roommate teased.

"How cowardly," another scoffed. "Not even showing up in person?"

Jordan chimed in. "Exactly. You give flowers, you take a photo. What's the point of hiring a courier?"

The flowers were beautiful, but Julian couldn't take them with him. When he left the dorm the next morning, he left the bouquet on top of a bin for anyone who wanted them.

But he kept the card. He tucked the Happy Graduation note into a pocket of his backpack, a faint guess forming in his mind.

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Samuel arrived at his Uncle Benedict's birthday gala in New York City at 8:00 PM. He had already missed the main ceremony.

The air was thick with gossip. "I heard the Frost children don't get along," a voice whispered. "Look at the eldest branch—not a single person showed up".

"Really? I heard Harold Frost values family above all. Sunday dinners are mandatory".

"That's just for show. The internal friction is deep".

"What friction? Care to elaborate?"

A cold, clinical voice cut through the chatter. The speaker turned and went pale. "Mr. Frost... it was just idle talk. Please, don't take it to heart".

Samuel, in a charcoal black suit, swept his gaze over the crowd. "The Frost family values its partners, but we also expect respect. Do not attempt to drive wedges between us".

The gossips bowed their heads until Samuel walked past. Once he was clear, they finally exhaled.

"So that's the heir? Terrifying. No wonder the Old Boss chose him".

"A tragic figure, really," another added. "Lost his father young, raised by a grandfather, saddled with a 'burden' for a brother. And his mother, Catherine? She's already moved on with someone else".

"What's tragic about inheriting billions?" a man laughed. "I'd dream of that kind of misery".

Samuel had grown up in the shadow of such whispers. He entered the main hall and ran into Asher.

Asher sighed in relief. "You're finally here. Your family was about to eat me alive".

Samuel offered a sharp nod. "How is it going?"

"Your uncle is putting on a show," Asher said. "He found a piece of Imperial Green jade. Made a bracelet for your grandmother and a pendant for Harold. They're thrilled".

"He's still gambling on stones?"

Asher grinned. "He calls it 'investment.' Serious jade business".

"Don't look down on him," Asher added, his tone turning serious. "I heard the Old Boss spoke with him for two hours last night. Your aunt got an hour too. You've been fighting Harold on these blind dates—be careful, or someone might steal your seat".

Samuel went silent, then nodded. He headed for the private suites.

Inside, he found Harold Frost. The old man was wearing the Imperial Green pendant.

"Seen your uncle?" Harold asked.

"I have. He gave me this brooch," Samuel said, gesturing to his lapel.

Harold hummed. "Fifty years old and he's finally acting like a Frost".

Samuel didn't reply.

"I heard you're keeping a boy?" Harold shifted gears, his voice like grinding stone. "I don't care how you play, but clean up your mess before the wedding. I won't have a 'flag at home and colorful ones outside' situation".

"We aren't in that kind of relationship," Samuel said, his voice hard.

"He is an analyst I am training. He is diligent, driven, and has a future. Nothing more".

Harold, who had struggled for every cent of his empire, appreciated a self-made man. His tone softened slightly. "I don't care about your hobbies. Just do your duty. Ms. Gu is here tonight. Go see your grandmother and meet her".

"Grandfather, I don't want to do this," Samuel said after a pause.

"Are you refusing to marry?"

Samuel stayed silent.

"You know my rules," Harold warned. "You are my chosen heir, but if you do not form a family, I will not hand over the group".

Samuel looked up, his composure finally wavering. "So to you, I am only an heir?"

Harold laughed. "You've enjoyed the benefits for fifteen years. Now you want to 'pursue your life'?"

"I will work for the family," Samuel said. "I simply will not sacrifice my marriage".

Harold rubbed his jade pendant. "I spent a lot on you, but you aren't the only option. Until you've thought this through, the Noning Real Estate acquisition is off your desk. Your uncle will handle it".

Samuel lowered his eyes. "I understand, Grandfather." He turned and left the room.

Asher was waiting outside. "What did he say?"

"He gave the Noning project to my uncle".

"The gambler?" Asher was stunned. "He gave a major acquisition to that man?"

Samuel shook his head. "Harold won't let it fail. He's just putting me on notice".

"What did you say to him?"

"I refused the dates."

"That's it?"

"I said I won't marry yet. Or rather, I want to marry someone I actually like".

Asher stared at him as if he had grown a second head. "I assumed you weren't the type to care about romance".

Samuel didn't answer. He had always assumed he would follow the Frost blueprint: a marriage of consolidation and a legacy of duty. The family was a shield, but it was also a web. He had been content to be its bone and its silk until the day a butterfly flew into his path.

He had reached out a hand, but he knew that if he caught the butterfly, the web would consume it. He had stopped his hand and let it fly away.

But Samuel could no longer weave the web. He had seen the butterfly.

After the gala, Samuel opened social media. Julian had posted a grid of nine photos. The one of the two of them together was missing.

The final image was of the flowers, the card resting on the petals:

Happy Graduation.