“It’s fine—call it a cut. I’m about to be an influencer. Gotta manage my physique.”
Hearing that, I stopped hovering. The next day they continued, and in just three days they’d worked through his entire mouth.
Maybe it was the extractions, but in those three days Ryan seemed to transform—sweeter-tongued, almost like a different person entirely.
Over the next month he stopped messing around and threw himself into everything with total focus. He not only unlocked his potential, he suddenly “discovered” other talents—after just a few art classes he could compose and paint oil pieces on his own.
Ryan was thrilled, convinced his natural gifts were finally shining through. I, however, found it strange—how had I never seen such dazzling talent before?
His whole style changed. He spent more and more time with Claire. She not only bought him a car, she gave him a studio, and on his birthday she hosted a banquet—calling in every connection she had and introducing him to everyone.
I attended too, but standing in the crowd, I barely recognized the polished, radiant man as my once-hopeless little brother.
Only when Ryan walked over and greeted me did it click.