Chapter 1: Silence Above the City
In the apartment at One Hyde Park, silence reigned so deep that the muffled hum of the city far below the windows was barely audible. Christmas London was waking up—street lights still glowed, shop windows smelled of luxury and fake snow—but up here, the world was different. Detached. Perfect.The silence was suddenly broken by the ringing of a phone. Sebastian stirred in bed, let out an irritated sigh, and cracked one eye open."Oh, come on… who the hell is bothering me this early," he muttered.He reached for the phone, squinted at the screen… and rolled his eyes."Damn it… Lukas."He answered. "Lukas, what the hell are you doing calling me at this hour?" he said, bored.On the other end came a cheerful voice. "Sebastian, don't forget—your birthday's coming up. And you promised you'd visit our cousin Elizabeth."Sebastian smirked, threw off the duvet, and sat on the edge of the bed. "Look, bro… don't even ask that of me," he laughed. "I'll send her an invitation, but showing up in person? No way. She hangs out with all sorts of riffraff. And you know I'm allergic to that."Lukas gave a short, ironic laugh. "Jesus, Sebastian… when are you going to change? They're people."Sebastian laughed louder, confidently, almost amused. "Maybe. I won't deny it. But my ego and my nature won't let me understand it. The world has two layers—the rich and the poor. And I belong to the first one. End of story. I'm not discussing this, and don't ruin my mood. I'm flying to my parents in an hour. See you tomorrow at my birthday party. Bye."He ended the call without another word.He stood up and walked to the huge mirror. He stared at his reflection—tall figure, dark brown hair with natural lighter streaks, perfectly groomed, piercing gray-green eyes. A man used to winning.He smiled at himself. "Yeah… us rich people hold on tight," he said aloud. "We could live just fine without the poor. It's their fault they live like that."The phone vibrated again. Sebastian barely glanced at the screen."Marina…" he sneered. "Guess I broke her heart when I dumped her. Whatever. There'll be another one."He turned the phone off completely.In the bathroom, he showered quickly and dressed with the natural elegance of a man who never had to try to impress—expensive but understated clothes, everything perfectly matched.He had breakfast and opened the newspaper. Headline: People Should Help Each Other at Christmas.Sebastian snorted, flipped the page, and started reading stock reports.After a while, he tossed the paper aside in boredom.Beside him stood Eduard—the old family servant, loyal for decades."Eduard," Sebastian addressed him without looking up. "What are you doing for Christmas? It's in three days."Eduard smiled, joy flashing in his eyes. "I'm looking forward to it, sir. I'll send gifts to my grandchildren. Otherwise, I'll be here on duty. I have vacation in January… you didn't give me time off for Christmas this year, even though I asked."Sebastian raised an eyebrow."Yes. I need you. Your son can't replace you—he's not as perfect as you are. And I need perfection."Eduard exhaled quietly. "I understand, Mr. Sebastian. Your car will be ready in five minutes."Sebastian gave a slight smile. "Exactly what I needed to hear. You've got a lot of work—don't let me keep you."He stood up and strode toward the exit with quick, confident steps.Sebastian stepped into his luxury car—a dark black Rolls-Royce Phantom with tinted windows reflecting the morning London fog. The driver silently closed the door, and the car glided quietly toward Farnborough Airport, one of those places ordinary people never set foot in.The ride was peaceful. Sebastian leaned back, crossed his arms, and watched the city wake up to Christmas spirit. Lights, shop windows, people with bags in their hands. To him, just scenery.At the private terminal, his Gulfstream G700 already waited, gleaming like a jewel. The captain stood by the stairs, impeccably groomed, with a slight bow of the head."Good morning, Mr. Ravenscroft."Sebastian nodded."Stretch the flight a bit. I want to rest."The captain smiled faintly. "Of course, sir. We'll extend the route by an hour."Sebastian boarded. The cabin smelled of wood, leather, and silence. He poured himself a glass of fine whisky, draped his jacket over the backrest, and sank into the wide leather seat.