Ultimate Tycoon: Building the Richest Empire with System and Heroines Chapter 19: Making Parents Proud

Back at ho,Ethan stepped inside, his shoes clacking lightly against the cracked tiles. He looked happier than usual like a kid who knew a secret no one else did.

Ethan walked in with a wide grin on his face. The mont he stepped through the door, his mom looked up from peeling potatoes. His dad was half-lying on the sofa, remote in hand, bored out of his mind.

His mom peeked from the kitchen. "Ethan? You’re early today."

"Mm-hm," Ethan said, dropping his bag onto the dusty sofa. "I have sothing to tell you."

His dad, lounging in a worn-out tank top, glanced over. "What is it now? You didn’t get into trouble again, did you?"

"Nope."

His dad smirked. "Hah. Did a girl confess or sothing?

"No. Sothing good this ti." Ethan grinned. "I bought a lottery ticket."

His mom ca out, wiping her hands on her apron. "Lottery ticket? What for?"

"It’s a draw by a real estate company. First prize is a luxury house."

His dad let out a dry laugh. "Pfft. And second prize is a ticket to heaven, I guess?"

His mom sighed. "Ethan, stop chasing these fantasies. You think life’s gonna hand you a house just like that?"

"I’m not kidding," Ethan said. "I feel like we’re going to win. Like... seriously. Just this once."

His dad shook his head. "We couldn’t win a free onion from a market stall, and now you think we’re winning a mansion?"

His mom sat beside him. "Sweetie, even if it’s fun, don’t get your hopes up. That kind of luck doesn’t happen to people like us."

Ethan just smiled, leaning back on the old cushion with holes in it. "Let’s wait and see."

Later That Night

The living room was dim, lit only by the flickering television. A lottery jingle played on Ethan’s phone.

He stared at the ssage that popped up.

> Congratulations, ETHAN Bond! You are the Grand Prize Winner of Maple Nest Estate’s Lucky Draw!

He didn’t react at first.

Tch! It’s going to be hard, but ti to bring a boscar worthy performance.

"Mom. Dad."

His voice was too calm.

They turned.

Ethan held up his phone. "We won."

His dad leaned forward, squinting. "Won what?"

"The house."

His mom stared at the screen, her mouth slightly open. "You’re not joking?"

"Nope. We really... won."

For a few seconds, no one said anything.

His dad blinked rapidly, then sat back, hand on his forehead. "No way..."

His mom put the knife down slowly. "This... this can’t be true, right?"

His dad grabbed the phone. "What in the—?"

Silence.

His dad read the screen out loud. "Grand... prize... winner."

His mom blinked. "Ethan... is this a joke? Tell you’re not getting scamd."

"It’s real," Ethan said, calmly. "They contacted directly. I’m going to their office tomorrow to verify."

His father sat down slowly, eyes still on the phone. "We... we won a house?"

"Yup," Ethan grinned. "And not just any house. A mansion."

His mom clutched her heart. "We... we’ve been living in this broken place for fifteen years... and now..."

His dad looked like soone had unplugged his brain.

Ethan laughed. "Alright, co with tomorrow. See it for yourself."

The Next Day

When the taxi pulled up to the gates, his parents went silent.

The house was like sothing out of a dream. Cream-colored walls. Giant glass windows. A trimd lawn. A real fountain.

They really did a good job, everything is perfect.

"This... is not a joke," his mom whispered.

His dad stared up at the roof. "Do we have to clean all this? Who the hell even reaches that high?"

Ethan chuckled.

Marco opened the gate, dressed in a sleek suit. "Mr. Ethan. Welco. This is your ho now."

His mom hesitated at the doorway. "We can’t possibly afford to keep this place running...This... this place must cost millions."

Marco smiled politely. "Don’t worry, ma’am. All maintenance, cleaning, even groceries—covered for the next one year. A full VIP sponsorship."

Ethan gave Marco a small, thankful nod behind his parents’ backs.

They walked in.

Polished floors. Chandeliers. Marble kitchen. A staircase that looked like it belonged in a drama show.

His mom ran her fingers along the kitchen counter. "This... this is too much. How could we ever deserve this?"

His dad stepped into the living room, looked around, and flopped onto the sofa like it was sacred.

They both turned to Ethan.

Ethan shrugged. "Maybe life finally decided to throw us a bone."

His dad stood up.

And before Ethan could react, he pulled him into a tight, clumsy hug.

"I don’t care if it’s luck, fate, or the universe," his dad said softly. "You... you’ve done sothing I couldn’t in twenty years. I’m proud of you, son."

Ethan froze.

Those words hit harder than a system reward.

In his past life, he never heard them. Not even once.

For the first ti, he felt what it was like to be hugged by a father who was proud.

To be seen as more than a burden.

His mom walked over too, wiping her eyes. "We raised a miracle boy..."

Maybe this is what I ca here for, Ethan thought. Not money. Not skills. Just this...

Later – University Campus

Ethan sat in the middle of class, chin resting on his hand, staring out the window.

The sky was clear. Birds flew past.

Everyone around him was busy chatting. So were talking about club activities. Others gossip. Normal, peaceful stuff.

He leaned back in his chair. The new house, his parents’ smiles, his dad’s hug—it all played like a slow movie in his head.

Feels unreal, he thought. But I’ll protect it.

Just then, the classroom door creaked open.

Lucien walked in.

But today... he wasn’t with his goons.

Beside him was a tall, sharp-looking guy. Calm expression, but sothing about him made people quiet down.

The way he walked. The way Lucien stayed a step behind him.

Ethan turned to look at them casually.

The new guy glanced at the class, scanning each student slowly.

Then, for a split second, their eyes t.

But Ethan’s instincts kicked in.

Lucien smirked at the back. Almost like a servant now, not the boss.

Ethan leaned back in his seat, heart slowing down.

So this is the third one.