Lucien Alexander Ashford, heir to an English aristocratic family with wealth surpassing that of a kingdom, has grown up a spoiled and rebellious child since his mother's death. A teenage scandal—impregnating a commoner—leads him to being expelled from an elite school, forced to be homeschooled, and constantly confronted by his cold father, Duke Alexander Alistair Ashford. When a baby named Elias is born and his mother dies in childbirth, fifteen-year-old Lucien finds himself a single father. On his seventeenth birthday, the Duke plans to erase the family's shame by recognizing Elias as simply a "little brother." Rejecting the lie, Lucien flees to America with only a fraction of his fortune—leaving behind fame, luxury, and billions of dollars untouched. Seattle became his first refuge. In this city, Lucien learned to be a father in his own way: headstrong, free-spirited, and chaotic. Elias grew up smart, sarcastic, and too much like his father—making their relationship filled with both silly arguments and deep affection. It was here that Lucien also found a circle of friends who would become his "second family." In New York, Lucien reunites with his friends Marcus, Daniel, and Sophie, along with Daniel's girlfriend, Lena. Lucien tries to build an indie game company from scratch with his old friend Marcus. City life brings laughter, friendship, ambition, and even a reunion with Sophie—his unrequited youthful love. But the higher Lucien climbs, the closer the shadow of the Ashford family looms, threatening everything he's fought for. Now, the biggest choice awaits: will he submit to the authority of the nobleman who raised him, or maintain the simple world he built with Elias—Ashford's biggest secret?