The leather of the Maybach’s backseat was perfectly chilled, but my patience was wearing thin. I checked my diamond-encrusted watch for the third time in two minutes. High school dismissal lines were an absolute circus, a sea of loud, ordinary people, but I endured it for exactly one reason. ​"Relax, Oviya," Mason said from beside me, his voice smooth and calculated—the exact tone that made him the most feared defense attorney in the state. He didn't look up from his tablet, but a slight smirk played on his lips. "He’ll be out in five minutes." ​"I know," I said, my voice dropping its usual icy edge. To the rest of the world, I was the cold, untouchable heiress who had amassed more wealth than my entire family line combined. I didn't care about being liked; I cared about power, control, and what belonged to me. ​But Jax? Jax was different. ​The thought of him softened the rigid posture I kept for the public. He was sixteen, a brilliant prodigy whose mind operated on a level that rivaled the top legal minds in our firm, yet he remained entirely oblivious to how rare he was. He had this innocent, eager-to-please energy—like a puppy that hadn't been ruined by the world yet. Mason and I had agreed months ago: Jax belonged in our world, under our wing, as our son. Not stuck in the cramped, leaking apartment his mother struggled to afford. ​Thinking of his mother, Karen, made my jaw tighten. My "friendship" with her was a necessary calculation. She was sweet, broke, and entirely incapable of giving a mind like Jax's the future he deserved. She didn't see his potential the way Mason and I did. She just saw her sweet boy, while we saw a legacy. ​"There he is," Mason murmured, nodding toward the school gates. ​I leaned forward, my eyes locking onto Jax as he walked out of the building. He was clutching a stack of heavy textbooks, looking entirely too small for the chaotic crowd around him. ​I rolled down the tinted window just enough to catch his attention. "Jax," I called out. ​He blinked, turning toward the sound of his name. When his eyes landed on the luxury vehicle and he recognized me, his entire face lit up. That pure, genuine smile was exactly why Mason and I were willing to orchestrate whatever it took to rewrite his custody. ​Jax hurried over to the car, his expression a mix of shock and delight. "Auntie Oviya? Uncle Mason? What are you guys doing here?" ​"Get in, Jax," I said, offering him the rare, genuine smile I reserved only for him. "We're taking you out for lunch. Consider it a surprise." ​"But my mom thinks I'm taking the bus—" ​"I already texted Karen," I lied smoothly, the corporate lawyer in me executing the falsehood without a single blink. "She knows you're with us. Slide in, it's too hot outside for you to be standing around." ​As Jax climbed into the pristine interior, looking around with wide, innocent eyes, Mason closed his tablet and offered him a warm grin. I watched Jax settle into the leather seat, completely unaware of the wealth, influence, and meticulous planning rewriting his future behind the scenes. ​He was exactly where he belonged.