The Lamborghini sped along Georgetown Pike, its engine a low, steady hum along the serene roads. Kasra’s hands rested comfortably on the steering wheel, his eyes focused ahead, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.

  Seven, in the passenger seat, glanced at his companion, his curiosity piqued. “You don’t seem familiar with The Cliffs.” His casual words broke the silence between them.

  Kasra’s grip eased slightly, a faint smile crossing his face. “Good eye,” he admitted, shifting his posture slightly. “Except for Sana, we all have our own properties. My parents bought the place a few months back. Sana fell for it the minute she saw it, so they jumped on it.

  “We moved in a couple of weeks ago. I haven’t had anything to do with the house. The entire east wing we toured earlier was also the first time I’d been there.”

  A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “We’re still settling in. My parents wanted to make it cozy before our relatives show up for Thanksgiving.” He trailed off, shrugging lightly. “With Sana’s situation, we’ll probably be there a while.”

  Seven’s expression softened. “Your family seems tight-knit. If Kate and Kimi do end up together, I’d be relieved. She’d have a warm, harmonious family to belong to.”

  Kasra blinked, snapping his head to Seven, studying his face for a brief moment. “You know, Seven, I’m honestly in awe of you.”

  Seven arched a brow. “What? Why?”

  Kasra leaned back, letting out a soft sigh. “You’re exceptional. But more than that, you’re selfless to a fault. Even my parents were singing your praises over breakfast this morning.”

  He added thoughtfully, “Though our family is very protective of Sana, I’m rooting for you two. Your background, or the lack of one, doesn’t matter at all. It never will.”

  Seven’s grip on his knees relaxed, moved by Kasra’s words. It was unexpected, but they hit home. “I appreciate that, Kasra,” he said evenly, keeping his emotions in check. “But I’ve never been driven by money or material things. My biggest splurge was paying off my dad’s mortgage. I do alright, but I don’t need much for myself. Anything extra, I set aside for Kate and donate the rest.”

  “That’s a good way to live.” Kasra nodded thoughtfully. “So… are you saying your lifestyle makes you feel incompatible with Sana?”

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Seven didn’t respond immediately. His gaze wandered to the passing autumn scenery, the leaves blurring into streaks of orange and gold as they sped by. “I’ve never had to worry about money because I know many ways to make it. But with Sana… I just don’t know how much is enough. How much would it take to give her the lifestyle she’s used to?”

  His fingers dug deeper into his knees, tension threading through him. “And in chasing that, would I lose sight of who I am? I can comfortably live off the grid if I choose to.”

  Kasra tilted his head slightly, appreciating the weight of Seven’s honesty. “Hey, I get where you’re coming from. Money’s important, but believe me, it’s not everything, and it sure as hell doesn’t define your worth to Sana.”

  He paused, searching for the right words, trying to bridge the gap. “Maybe after visiting The Cliffs, you’d think I’m being hypocritical,” Kasra said with a wry grin, “but it’s just a byproduct of the fruits of our labor.”

  His gaze flickered back to the road as he continued, “We put a portion of our profits toward causes that matter to us, too. It’s just that we do it through our businesses. In addition to helping our beneficiaries, we can also claim certain tax breaks. It’s a win-win, wouldn’t you say?”

  As Kasra explained the mechanics of corporate philanthropy while benefiting from tax breaks, Seven’s attention sharpened. It stirred something in him, a realization that business could be more than just about entrepreneurship and personal wealth accumulation.

  Kasra’s expression brightened, sensing a shift. “You’re not just anyone, Seven. You’ve already proven you care more about the person Sana is than the lifestyle she was born into. Trust me, that counts much more than any bank account balance.”

  Leaning back in his seat, Kasra pressed on, his tone casual but sincere. “As you get to know her, you’ll see she’s not materialistic. Even though she could live the high life if she wanted, that’s not her vibe at all. I mean… she doesn’t even know what’s in her closet.”

  He laughed softly, memories of his little sister surfacing. “She’s a geek and prefers flying under the radar. Not many people knew who she was until she started working at Data Dynamics; she even used our mother’s maiden name before that.”

  Seven raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued, as if he had just been handed a new puzzle to solve. “Tell me more.”

  Kasra inclined forward, eager to share. “When she wanted to go to MIT, she had to twist our parents’ arms. She was just fifteen, so you can imagine how reluctant they were to let her go. Luckily for her, Kimi and Kayan were at Harvard. They promised to take care of her. She eventually wore them down.

  “They thought she’d come back after her undergrad, that her harrowing experience being trafficked would rattle her enough to return home. But she argued that it happened while she was on an exchange in France. She ended up sticking around for her master’s at both MIT and Harvard. She was away for six and a half years… it damn near broke my parents.”

  A grin spread across Seven’s face as he absorbed Kasra’s words. “She’s a go-getter, huh?”

  Kasra nodded, pride swelling in his chest. “She can be quite headstrong, but that’s what makes her so awesome.”

  “And cute, too,” Seven added, drawing a chuckle out of Kasra.