"Listen, I make 50,000 dollars a year. That's more than enough to take care of you. At your age, you should be thinking about settling down while you still have the chance. In a couple of years, it'll be harder for you. You might not have many options left. Hey—are you even listening to what I'm saying?"
Robin jerked in surprise. Her eyes flew open as she stared at everything around her, stunned.
The air smelled strongly of fresh coffee. Warm sunlight poured through the bright windows and spread across the table in front of her.
The café was quiet and calm. Every now and then, someone tapped on a keyboard. Soft laughter and low conversations drifted through the room.
Everything felt peaceful. Normal.
But just moments ago, her best friend Zelda Field and Noah Goodman had pushed her straight into a swarm of zombies. Pain had ripped through her body. Rotting mouths had torn into her flesh. Blood had filled her vision...
Robin slowly looked away from the room and focused on the man sitting across from her. He wore a neat suit. His huge belly pressed against the table, and the hair on the top of his head was thinning.
"You are...?"
His face looked somewhat familiar. Robin moved her lips slightly. After surviving ten years in the apocalypse, she had learned how to stay calm no matter what happened. Even though this situation made no sense, she quietly picked up her phone and checked the screen.
August 14, 3026.
4:00 p.m.
Which meant—
Ten years ago! She had returned to ten years in the past.
Robin Neel forced herself to stay calm, despite her emotions running high. In her previous life, on August 24, 3023, Jeblea ignored warnings from the United Nations and dumped nuclear wastewater into the ocean. They confidently claimed it would cause no harm to Earth.
But three years later, on August 24, Earth fought back. Humanity faced Earth's retaliation for that reckless decision.
A zombie virus that only affected humans spread across the world. Animals and plants mutated and became highly aggressive. The weather turned extreme. Natural disasters followed one after another. The world humanity had built over thousands of years fell apart almost overnight.
And today was exactly ten days before the apocalypse.
Once Robin realized that, she couldn't sit still.
Ten days. That was all she had left.
"Sorry, I need to leave."
She stood up at once, not caring about anything else. The man across from her suddenly changed expression. He grabbed her wrist. "What's your problem? Was anything I said wrong? Do you know how popular an elite like me is in the dating market? You should appre—AH!"
Before he could finish, he let out a loud scream.
Robin could feel the warm, sticky touch on the back of her hand. Holding back her disgust, she twisted his wrist and pinned it firmly to the table. Her eyes turned sharp. "What do you think you're doing?"
It was pure instinct. Even though her current body was weak, she used a clever grip. The man couldn't break free.
The quiet café atmosphere shattered. People turned to stare.
Robin looked at the man's round face and then thought about the timing. Suddenly, it clicked. A cold smile slowly appeared on her lips.
Right. She remembered now.
His name was Jim Patton. He had originally been the blind date arranged for her "best friend." But Zelda claimed she felt sick and begged Robin to go in her place. She even reminded Robin that Jim had been introduced by her Aunt Mabel, so Robin needed to be polite.
Robin had followed that advice. During the whole meeting, she stayed polite. Jim said several ridiculous things; she kept smiling and remained respectful.
But Jim saw her politeness as encouragement.
That very night after the date, he tried to drag her to a hotel. When she refused, he wouldn't stop harassing her for days. On top of that, he secretly spread rumors that the two of them had slept together, which caused Robin a lot of trouble at the time.
The memories came rushing back. Robin slowly loosened her grip. A strange look flickered in her eyes.
She smiled softly and said, "Come to think of that, you know, I should thank you."
In her previous life, if Jim hadn't sneaked into her apartment on the very day the apocalypse began, trying to force himself on her, she wouldn't have panicked and accidentally stabbed him with a fruit knife. Later, when a massive group of zombies surrounded the building, she used Jim's body as bait to lure them away. That gave her, Noah, and Zelda the chance to escape.
In a way, if Jim hadn't been the unlucky sacrifice, Robin might have died during that first zombie siege.
So when it came to an old "benefactor," she should at least show a little courtesy.
Jim quickly pulled his hand back and shouted at the top of his lungs. "Everyone, look at this! This is unbelievable! I made time out of my busy schedule to come on this date, and she suddenly attacked me! I've never met someone like her before!"
"Didn't you grab me first?" Robin said darkly.
"Besides, I'm not interested in you. Isn't it normal for me to leave?"
Jim shouted angrily, spitting as he spoke. "You—you're not interested in me? Do you have any idea how rare it is to catch a man like me in the dating market?!"
Robin fell silent for a while before she asked evenly, "What, do you think you're some kind of rare prize?"
"Huh?"
People around them froze for a second. Then several of them burst out laughing.
Jim finally realized what she meant, and his face flushed red. "I'm warning you—don't look down on a young man like me just because I'm not rich yet!" he snapped. "If your aunt hadn't set this up, you'd never even have the chance to meet a guy like me!"
"Young man?" Robin's gaze slid slowly over his bald head.
"Are you sure you're not middle-aged?"
"So it starts with don't look down on a poor young man," Robin mocked lightly. "Then what—don't look down on a poor middle-aged man? And later, ‘don't look down on a poor old man?"
The thought seemed to amuse her, and she gave a small laugh.
She concluded sarcastically, "Guess some people are just destined to stay poor their whole lives."
"Y-you bitch!" Jim exploded with anger. Suddenly, he raised his hand.
"I'm going to teach you some manners on behalf of your parents today!"
No one expected him to lash out so suddenly. People in the coffee shop gasped and shouted, and the place instantly turned chaotic.
Seeing Jim's red, twisted face, a cold light flashed in Robin's eyes. Before his hand could come down, she moved first.
Smack! Her slap landed fast and hard.
Jim spun in place from the force before crashing down onto the floor. His head buzzed loudly, and the world seemed to spin around him.
After a few seconds, he finally snapped back to his senses and shouted hoarsely, "Y-you... what did you just do?! When I get home, I will tell your aunt everything! What kind of family raises a daughter as rude as you?!"
"Go ahead and say a few more things," Robin replied casually, shaking her slightly numb hand.
She didn't even bother looking at him. "You should complain to your mom too. Otherwise, who's going to stand up for you? I've already paid for my coffee," she added lightly. "Just helping you keep your pride. No one can say I bullied a poor middle-aged man."
With that, she picked up her bag and stood up.
Jim roared from the floor, "Stop her! This is outrageous! Somebody stop her!"
Robin paused slightly. "Are you sure you want to keep me here?"
When Jim met her icy gaze, he instinctively looked away. A strange fear rose in his chest.
For some reason, in that brief moment, the way Robin looked at him made him feel like she was staring at a dead man.
What Jim didn't know was that in her previous life, he had died by Robin's hand.
Seeing how cowardly he looked now, Robin let out a quiet scoff and walked away without even turning back.
...
Robin returned to the place she remembered from her previous life. She took a slow breath and pushed the door open.
It was a three-bedroom apartment in the heart of the city. The location was great, and transportation nearby made it easy to go anywhere.
But Robin didn't have time to dwell on the strange feeling of being back. She quickly reviewed everything she owned. Over the years, she had saved a little more than 2,000,000 dollars, along with this apartment and three percent of Neel Group's shares.
Of course, that money didn't come only from her paycheck from the zoo. Robin was the adopted daughter of the Neels. She didn't have much standing in the household, but every year she still received a decent amount of dividend money from the company.
After a moment of thought, she grabbed a piece of paper and started listing the supplies she needed.
When the apocalypse arrived, the biggest problem would be a lack of resources. In her last life, she had seen it many times—people fighting until their heads were bleeding just for a small amount of food. Once society collapsed, the darkest side of human nature came out without restraint.
Robin shook her head and opened the Amazon app on her phone. The first thing she looked for was instant noodles in different flavors.
Normally people called them junk food. But in the apocalypse, instant noodles easily beat rice and pasta and became one of the most practical survival foods.
If you had hot water, you could cook them. If you didn't, you could eat them dry. They filled your stomach quickly, came in many flavors, and soon turned into a rare luxury.
Robin had just chosen several boxes and was about to place the order when—Beep!
A sudden sound rang in her mind. Then a mechanical voice spoke.
"Greetings, honored host. System Assistant Bell is here to serve you.
"I have detected that you intend to spend money. Please feel free to spend as much as you like. For every 1,000 dollars you spend, you will receive 10 square feet of storage space. Once the ‘Big Spender' feature is unlocked, you will also receive one lottery draw as a reward.
"Countdown: 167:59:59."

Chapter 1 The War Goddess Returns

A baby's cry cut through the sterile room.

Just once.

Thin. Fragile.

Then silence.

Fear surged through Scarlett as she strained against the chains binding her wrists and ankles to the hospital bed.

"Where's my baby?" she asked, her voice barely steady.

The nurse hesitated.

Then, quietly, "We're sorry. He didn't make it."

....

"Commander?"

Scarlett opened her eyes.

The private jet cabin sharpened into view.

For a brief second, her breathing remained uneven. Then the emotion vanished, buried beneath the same calm control she had worn for years.

Howard stood a respectful distance away.

"We'll be landing any minute now."

Scarlett turned toward the window.

Below, the city stretched beneath the clouds-the same skyline that had once destroyed her.

Her reflection stared back at her in the glass.

Cold. Composed. Untouchable.

Outside-

"Clear the terminal!"

The command rang across the airport.

Within seconds, armed personnel moved into position with flawless precision, locking down the arrivals hall and forming two rigid lines along the center path.

On the tarmac, military helicopters circled overhead while black armored SUVs stood in perfect formation. Officials, business leaders, and decorated officers waited in silence.

No one spoke.

No one moved.

Every eye remained fixed on the private jet as its door opened.

Then she stepped out.

She moved through the aircraft doors in black tactical gear, the tailored fit sharp against her frame. Every step was measured, effortless-yet the quiet authority in her presence made the entire crowd hold its breath.

She looked far too young for the kind of power that followed her.

But the instant her boots touched the tarmac, no one questioned who she was.

"Commander Hayes."

The senior officer nearest the runway lowered his head.

In the next breath, every soldier dropped to one knee.

The sound rolled across the airstrip.

Scarlett paused, her expression unreadable as she took in the display.

Then her gaze shifted to the man behind her.

"Howard," she said, calm but unmistakably displeased, "I asked for discretion."

Her voice was quiet.

It carried anyway.

Howard straightened at once.

"My apologies, Commander. I wasn't aware they planned this."

For a brief moment, the tension in the air sharpened.

Then Scarlett looked away.

"Stand them down."

"Yes, ma'am."

Within minutes, the helicopters peeled off, the vehicles cleared, and the officials dispersed.

The spectacle vanished as quickly as it had formed.

Howard stepped closer.

"Where to now?"

Scarlett's gaze remained fixed on the runway ahead.

"Prison."

For the first time, Howard faltered.

"...Prison?"

She didn't answer right away.

Her expression remained still, unreadable.

Five years ago, she'd been dragged back into a family that had never wanted her.

Raised far from the city, she was treated like a stain on their polished reputation-the forgotten daughter they only acknowledged when it suited them.

She spent years trying to earn their acceptance.

Trying to be enough.

Trying to belong.

So when they told her to marry James Whitmore-the heir to one of the city's most influential families-she agreed.

She thought maybe, just maybe, that if she played the role they wanted, things would finally change.

She was wrong.

On the day of the wedding, everything unraveled.

James had already been sleeping with her stepsister, Sadie.

Together, they accused Scarlett of infidelity.

They claimed she was pregnant with another man's child.

That was when Scarlett realized the truth.

The man she had spent the night with weeks earlier-the one she believed was James-had never been him.

It had all been arranged.

Every detail.

And when Sadie staged a miscarriage to make it look as though Scarlett had attacked her, the family turned on her without hesitation.

Her parents never asked for the truth.

They never cared.

They made their choice.

Scarlett was beaten, humiliated, and thrown into prison.

Later, Sadie came to visit.

Smiling.

She admitted everything.

The pregnancy had been fake.

The blood had been staged.

The miscarriage had never happened.

It was all a performance.

Scarlett had lunged at the glass, desperate to tear her apart.

But bars and chains had a way of making fury useless.

There was only one reason she survived those months.

The child growing inside her.

The child whose father she had never known.

And then, after a brutal labor in a prison infirmary-

the baby died.

She never got to hold them.

Never saw their face.

James took the body.

And that was the end of it.

Or at least, that's what they thought.

Because fate had other plans.

A classified military recruitment program identified Scarlett's combat aptitude during her incarceration.

She was transferred under sealed orders.

What followed was years of war zones, black-ops missions, and survival in places designed to break people.

Instead, she rose.

She became one of the most decorated commanders in modern military history.

She built an intelligence and security network powerful enough to rival governments.

And she earned a reputation that made enemies surrender before she ever stepped onto the battlefield.

Now she was home.

And this time, she wasn't coming back as the girl they destroyed.

She was returning as the woman they would fear.

Howard cleared his throat carefully.

"You don't have to go back there."

Scarlett turned to him.

Her expression was calm.

Too calm.

"You face the place that broke you."

Then she added, almost quietly-

"And you make sure it never can again."

...

At the correctional facility, Scarlett changed into a plain prison uniform, stripped of anything that made her recognizable.

No medals.

No rank.

No armor.

She wanted to see who would come for the version of her they thought still existed.

When she stepped outside, two people were waiting.

James Whitmore.

And Sadie Hayes.

Of course.

Her mother was nowhere in sight.

James approached first, holding a folder in one hand.

He looked at her with open contempt.

"Sign the divorce papers. You'll receive five hundred thousand dollars as settlement."

Scarlett glanced at the folder, then at him.

A laugh slipped out-low and cold.

"Five hundred thousand?"

She tilted her head.

"That's what you think my silence costs?"

James's jaw tightened.

"Don't make this difficult. I'm marrying Sadie. We're giving you more than you deserve."

Scarlett looked at him for a long moment.

Then her gaze shifted to Sadie, who stood smugly at his side.

"So this is generosity?"

Her voice sharpened.

"Tell me, James... can you return the child you stole from me?"

Neither of them answered.

"Can you give me back the five years I lost?"

His face hardened.

"That child was a mistake. An embarrassment. You should've been grateful we cleaned it up."

The world seemed to stop.

Howard, standing at a distance, felt the temperature in the air drop.

Scarlett's fingers curled into a fist.

When she looked back at James, there was nothing human in her eyes.

Only judgment.

Only death.

Slowly, she reached for the divorce papers.

James smirked, assuming victory.

She signed.

Then, with one swift motion, she slapped the folder across his face so hard it sent him staggering backward.

The crack echoed through the parking lot.

He stared at her in disbelief.

Scarlett stepped closer.

"This divorce?"

Her voice was razor-sharp.

"You don't get to request it."

She met his eyes without blinking.

"You were never worthy of me."

A pause.

Then-

"I'm the one leaving you behind."

***

Chapter 2 The Difference

James looked like he was seconds away from snapping.

"Scarlett... Hayes."

Her name came out through clenched teeth, each syllable heavy with barely contained rage.

Just as he was about to lose control, Sadie reached out and gently tugged on his sleeve.

"James... maybe I should talk to her," she said softly, her voice trembling. "At the end of the day... I'm the one who hurt her first."

The sight of her teary, guilt-stricken face made his chest tighten.

In his eyes, Scarlett had wronged Sadie over and over again-she had even cost them their child.

And yet Sadie had never blamed her.

Instead, she blamed herself-for "taking him away," for everything that had happened.

How could someone be this selfless?

"Please... let me talk to her," Sadie whispered, fragile and pleading.

James hesitated for a moment, then finally stepped aside.

The second she stood in front of Scarlett-

Everything about her changed.

The tears disappeared. In their place came a cold, mocking smile.

"Scarlett, that prison uniform really suited you," she said with a sneer. "Honestly, you should've stayed locked up for life."

Scarlett's eyes narrowed, irritation flickering across her face.

"I'm not in the mood for your games," she said flatly. "But don't worry-you won't have to wait long."

Her lips curved slightly.

"I heard your wedding's in three days. I'll be there."

A brief pause.

"To settle the score."

Sadie's heart skipped.

For just a split second, unease flickered across her expression.

What was Scarlett planning?

But the feeling vanished as quickly as it came.

She scoffed, her gaze full of disdain.

"As if you could do anything," she said with a laugh. "Go ahead. Try."

Her tone sharpened, turning vicious.

"Let me make one thing clear-no matter what you do, you'll always be nothing more than a rat living in my shadow."

"James is mine."

"Your mother? Mine too."

"You've already lost, Scarlett. Completely."

Scarlett looked at her the way someone might watch a clown on stage.

One brow arched slightly, her expression lazy, almost amused.

"Don't you think you're celebrating a little too early?"

"Oh? Still not giving up?" Sadie smirked.

Then, glancing quickly at James-making sure he wasn't watching-

She lifted her hand and slapped herself.

SMACK-

Instantly, her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry, sis!" she cried, her voice shaking. "It's all my fault! I shouldn't have taken James from you! I-I didn't mean to... I just love him too much... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

Scarlett felt a wave of disgust watching the performance.

And yet-

There were always fools willing to believe it.

James rushed forward, pulling Sadie into his arms.

"Sadie! Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine..." she whispered weakly. "Don't blame her... it's my fault..."

Her trembling voice and tear-streaked face only fueled his anger.

He spun around, glaring at Scarlett, his eyes blazing.

"Scarlett! How can you be this cruel?! If you're angry, take it out on me! This has nothing to do with her!"

Scarlett's gaze drifted lazily toward Sadie.

"I didn't touch her."

"You're still denying it?!" James snapped, his fists clenching.

Scarlett let out a quiet, almost amused breath.

"I can prove it."

Prove it?

Both James and Sadie froze, confusion flashing across their faces.

How could something like that even be proven?

Before either of them could react-

Scarlett raised her hand.

Then-

CRACK-

Her arm lashed out like a whip.

The impact was explosive.

Sadie spun in place like a top, stumbling in circles before crashing hard onto the ground, limbs sprawled.

Her hair fell into complete disarray.

The right side of her face swelled almost instantly, turning an ugly shade of red.

When she opened her mouth-

Blood poured out.

Along with several teeth.

She looked utterly wrecked.

Sadie stared at Scarlett in shock, her jaw slack.

James stood frozen, his mind completely blank.

No one had expected-

That Scarlett would actually hit her.

And certainly not like that.

In the suffocating silence, Scarlett gave a faint smile.

"See the difference?" she said lightly. "That's what it looks like when I hit someone."

If they insisted on framing her-

Then she'd make it real.

Not just real-

Unforgettable.

James's hands trembled with rage.

"You need to apologize to Sadie!"

Scarlett let out a soft scoff.

"Idiot."

Even after that, he still couldn't tell?

She didn't bother sparing him another glance.

Turning on her heel, she walked away.

"Don't ignore me!" James roared, lunging forward and grabbing for her shoulder.

Scarlett stopped abruptly.

Her eyes darkened.

Cold. Sharp. Dangerous.

Without even turning fully, she shifted slightly-effortlessly dodging his hand.

Then she moved.

Fast.

She caught his wrist, twisted, and-

In one smooth motion-

Flipped him over her shoulder.

James flew through the air in a clean arc before slamming face-first into the ground.

Hard.

A sickening crack echoed.

Blood gushed from his nose.

Sadie's face drained of all color.

She had expected James to defend her-

Not... this.

Her neck turned stiffly toward Scarlett, disbelief written all over her face.

Since when was she this strong?

James staggered to his feet, wiping the blood from his nose.

The way he looked at Scarlett now-

Was pure hatred.

Scarlett casually raised her fist, a wild grin tugging at her lips.

"What? Want more?"

She took a step forward.

James immediately backed away-again and again-putting distance between them.

Scarlett let out a mocking laugh.

"Pathetic."

Humiliation burned through him, but he didn't dare move.

Not after that.

Scarlett turned and walked toward the car parked by the road.

Without looking back, she lifted a hand in a lazy wave.

"See you at the wedding in three days."

She didn't have time to waste here.

There were people she needed to see-

Her adoptive parents.

Her brother.

Five years.

It had been five long years.

"Damn it!"

James ground his teeth so hard it felt like they might shatter.

He had always been the one standing above everyone else-untouchable.

And today?

He had been humiliated like never before.

Not only that-

He was supposed to go to the airport with his father to welcome an important figure.

Instead, he came here to force Scarlett to sign the divorce papers.

And what did he get?

Nothing.

He missed everything.

All because of her.

Scarlett.

His expression darkened.

Fine.

If she wanted to show up at the wedding in three days-

Perfect.

He'd make sure she paid for everything.

But remembering her terrifying strength, his eyes narrowed.

He'd need backup.

This time-

He'd make her kneel.

Beg.

...

Inside the car, Howard glanced at Scarlett through the rearview mirror. She had changed into civilian clothes. Her eyes were closed, resting.

"Where to, Commander?"

"My adoptive parents' place," she replied calmly. "And from now on, call me Boss. I don't want my identity exposed."

"Understood."

Just then-

A child suddenly ran into the road.

"Shit-!"

Howard jerked the wheel sharply.

The car screeched, barely avoiding the roadside barrier.

Scarlett's eyes snapped open, her hand gripping the overhead handle.

"What happened?"

"A kid ran out!"

Without hesitation, she pushed the door open and stepped out.

A small boy lay on the ground ahead, struggling to push himself up.

He looked about four or five years old.

"Hey-are you okay?" she asked, hurrying over and helping him to his feet.

Then-

She froze.

The boy's face...

Why did he look so much like her?

The child's eyes widened.

He stared at her, bright and clear.

For a few seconds, he said nothing.

Then slowly, uncertainly-

"...Mommy?"

Chapter 3 Monster

That single word-

"Mommy..."

It hit Scarlett like a shockwave.

Her heart jolted.

For a split second, she was dragged back four years... back to the tiny life she had lost the moment it entered the world.

If her child were still alive-

He'd be about this age now.

The thought tightened painfully in her chest.

As she looked at the boy, her gaze softened without her realizing it.

A storm of emotions surged through her-

Longing. Grief. Guilt. Tenderness.

Feelings she couldn't quite name... all tangled together.

At that moment, Howard walked over, his eyes flicking between Scarlett and the boy.

"Bo-Boss... is that your kid?" he blurted, stunned. "He looks just like you. Same eyes, same face-it's like a copy-paste."

Good grief.

The leader of Obsidian Unit... the infamous War Goddess...

Had a child?

If word of this got out, it would send shockwaves through the entire underworld.

Scarlett shot him a look.

"I don't know him," she said evenly. "He's probably just scared and mistook me for someone else."

Still, she studied the boy more closely.

There was a resemblance.

But lookalikes weren't exactly rare...

And deep down, she knew-

It wasn't possible.

Her child...

Was gone.

The boy's expression crumpled the moment he heard her answer.

The light in his eyes dimmed, replaced by quiet disappointment.

"Let me check if you're hurt," Scarlett said, her voice softening.

But before she could move-

A harsh shout cut through the air behind them.

"There he is! Grab him!"

The boy's small body stiffened.

His eyes widened in fear as he stared at the group rushing toward them.

"Hey... it's okay," Scarlett said gently, resting a hand on his head. "I've got you. No one's going to hurt you."

The warmth of her touch-

It steadied him almost instantly.

Without thinking, he leaned into her, clinging to that rare sense of safety.

Scarlett rose slowly, her expression turning ice-cold as she faced the group closing in.

"Get over here!" the scar-faced man barked at the boy.

Terrified, the child instinctively wrapped his arms around Scarlett's leg, holding on tightly.

That was when she noticed-

Bruises on his arms.

Fresh wounds along his neck.

Some still bleeding.

Her eyes darkened instantly.

The air around her seemed to drop in temperature.

They did this...

To a child?

Disgusting.

Before she could speak, the scar-faced man sneered.

"Stay out of this if you know what's good for you," he growled. "Or I'll put you in the ground."

Howard almost laughed.

Put her in the ground?

The person capable of that probably hadn't even been born yet.

Cracking his knuckles, he stepped forward-

Only for Scarlett to stop him with a raised arm.

"I'll handle it."

Her expression was cold. Merciless.

Like a judge passing sentence.

Four years ago, her child had died.

Back then, she'd been powerless.

Too weak to protect him.

But now-

She would never let something like that happen again.

Howard glanced at her, half amused.

"Boss, these guys aren't even worth it. Using you on them is like bringing a missile to a street fight."

Scarlett ignored him.

She gently guided the boy toward him.

"Keep him safe."

Then-

She moved.

A blur.

Fast as lightning.

Before anyone could react, she was already in front of them.

Her leg snapped out-

BAM-

The impact was brutal.

The man she struck let out a guttural scream as several ribs cracked on the spot. Blood sprayed from his mouth before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed.

Out cold.

The rest froze.

Fear crept across their faces.

What the hell was she?

Even they weren't this ruthless.

She broke bones without hesitation-

Without even blinking.

Scarlett turned slowly, her face expressionless.

Her voice was calm.

Cold.

Lethal.

"Who hurt him?"

A pause.

"Break your own arms."

Arrogant.

Unbelievably arrogant.

"Damn it! You've got a death wish!" the scar-faced man spat. "You think you can take us on alone?"

He waved his hand sharply.

"Get her! I don't care how strong she is-she's still just one person! The client's paying a hundred grand each if we bring that kid in!"

That was all it took.

Money lit a fire in their eyes.

"Boss is right! No way we lose to one woman! Get her!"

Fueled by greed, they charged forward, steel pipes raised high.

The boy clenched his small fists, his body tense as he watched Scarlett surrounded.

His eyes filled with worry.

Scarlett, meanwhile, remained perfectly calm.

She rolled her neck.

Cracked her knuckles.

Pop. Pop.

A steel pipe swung straight toward her head-

She raised her hand-

And caught it.

Effortlessly.

The man holding it froze.

He had swung with everything he had.

And she just... stopped it?

But what happened next-

Was worse.

Scarlett tightened her grip.

Creeeak-

The metal started to bend.

Right before their eyes.

Warping. Twisting.

Until-

It folded.

The harsh grinding sound echoed through the sudden silence.

Everyone stopped dead.

No one dared take another step.

Scarlett bent it into a perfect right angle-

Then casually ripped it from his hand and tossed it aside.

Silence.

Heavy.

Suffocating.

Someone swallowed hard.

"Monster... run! RUN!"

Panic broke out instantly.

They scattered in every direction.

Scarlett's gaze darkened.

The boy's injuries flashed through her mind.

And then-

Her own child.

If he had lived...

He'd be about this age.

Her eyes narrowed.

Run?

Not happening.

She crouched, scooped up a handful of small stones-

And flicked her wrist.

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-

The stones tore through the air with deadly precision.

"AAAGH-!"

One by one, the fleeing men collapsed, clutching their legs, screaming in pain.

The boy's eyes lit up.

She was incredible.

So strong.

So cool.

She had to be his mom.

He remembered-

He'd dreamed about this before.

A dream where he was in danger, and his mom appeared just in time to save him.

And now-

It was real.

But then-

The scar-faced man, still on the ground, pulled out a gun.

The barrel aimed straight at Scarlett's head.

"Mommy! Watch out!" the boy screamed, his face going pale.

The trigger was pulled.

BANG-

The bullet fired.

The day Rowan Thatcher divorced me, he brought his pregnant mistress to the courthouse, made me pay for the filing fee, and told me I should thank him for setting me free.

I stared at the woman clinging to his arm — Sienna Cole, his college ex — and watched her rub her belly with a smug little smile that made my blood run cold.

"Don't look so heartbroken, Elara," Sienna said sweetly. "Rowan was never really yours to begin with."

Rowan didn't even flinch. He just signed the papers, slid them across the table, and said, "You can keep the apartment. Consider it severance."

Severance. As if our six-year marriage was an employment contract he was terminating.

What Rowan didn't know — what none of them knew — was that the apartment he so generously "gave" me was one of thirty-seven properties I owned across the country.

He also didn't know that Pinnacle Group, the corporation he'd been desperately trying to land a contract with for the past eighteen months, was mine.

Every email he'd sent begging for a meeting had landed in my inbox.

I signed the papers without a word.

"That's it?" Rowan frowned, clearly expecting tears, begging, a scene. "You're not going to say anything?"

I looked at him — really looked at him — for the last time. The man I'd loved since I was nineteen. The man I'd quietly built an empire around while he thought I was just a housewife with a "little online shop."

"Good luck, Rowan," I said. "You're going to need it."

Sienna laughed. "Is that a threat? From a woman who spent six years doing nothing but cooking and cleaning?"

I smiled at her. It was the kind of smile my CFO said made grown men sweat in boardrooms.

"It's not a threat. It's a weather forecast."

I walked out of the courthouse, got into the black Maybach waiting at the curb, and told my driver, "Take me to Pinnacle headquarters."

My phone buzzed. A message from my assistant, Margot: *"The Thatcher Group contract request is on your desk. Want me to shred it or frame it?"*

I typed back: *"Neither. We'll deal with it when the time is right."*

In the rearview mirror, I watched Rowan and Sienna celebrating on the courthouse steps. He lifted her up and spun her around like he'd just won the lottery.

He had no idea he'd just signed away the only thing keeping his company alive.

My phone buzzed again. This time, it was a name I hadn't seen in two years.

**Callum Blackwood.**

The message was just four words: *"I heard. I'm coming."*

My heart did something it hadn't done in six years.

It skipped.

His hand struck my face so hard my vision went white.

I gasped, my head whipping to the side as blood filled my mouth. The metallic tang coated my tongue, but I didn’t cry. I’d learned long ago, tears only made it worse.

“You disgusting little wretch!” my father snarled, grabbing a fistful of my hair and yanking my head back so hard my n**k cracked. “Feeding the prisoners now? What are you, their little savior? Pathetic!”

“I—I was just trying to—”

His boot slammed into my ribs, stealing the breath from my lungs. I crumpled to the floor, gagging, my hands still bound behind my back. Pain bloomed in waves, sharp and hot, as I fought to suk in air.

“You what? Thought I wouldn’t find out?” he spat, towering over me. “I gave you shelter, blood, a name, and you repay me by feeding those caged low-life?!”

I wanted to speak. To say it wasn’t betrayal, just mercy. But there was no point. Not with him.

My father wasn’t a man. He was a monster dressed in skin, and I was just the mistake he couldn’t kill fast enough.

He knelt beside me, shoving my face into the cold floor. “You are nothing. A shame to your bloodline! I should have ended you the day you were bor—”

“Alpha! We’re under atta—!”

The guard’s voice cut in, panicked. But it was too late.

His body slammed into the wall beside us, blood spraying across the stone. His n**k had been snapped before the last word left his l**s.

The storm wasn’t the only thing breaking in tonight.

I looked up, barely a second before lightning ripped the sky apart, lighting up the woods outside like a warzone. And there they were.

Wolves. Dozens. Charging in like death had finally come collecting.

My father let out a savage snarl and snatched a fistful of my hair, yanking me off the ground like I weighed nothing. Then, without a word, he hurled me straight at the door like I was bait.

His bones cracked mid-motion as he shifted, fur tearing through his skin in an explosion of rage. One breath later, he was gone, his massive wolf form smashing through the back door like a cowering r*m.

I didn’t have time to think. Two bodies tackled me from opposite sides, arms like iron vices locking around me as I kicked and screamed.

The shock burned off fast and terror took its place.

“Restrain her,” a voice snapped, low, cold, absolutely in command.

Before the design competition, Ronald Pierce's childhood sweetheart, Tiffany Robbins, was seriously injured in a car accident and ended up in a coma.

All the evidence pointed straight at me.

But Ronald never doubted me. He stayed by my side and witnessed me win the championship in glory.

I thought our love was unbreakable.

But then, someone exposed me for plagiarism.

Everyone turned against me, and I ended up getting kidnapped.

The kidnappers asked Ronald to hand over the money. "If you don't pay, she's dead."

On the other end of the line, all I heard was Ronald's mocking snicker. "Lucy, now you know how helpless Tiffany felt back then, don't you?"

So, he always believed I was the one responsible for Tiffany's accident, and that was why he married me.

He stole my manuscript and was the one who reported me for plagiarism.

Also, he was the one who set the kidnappers on me.

I finally felt regret for everything.

And then, I traveled back to the day Ronald confessed his love to me.

There he was, that sunny, handsome guy, holding a bouquet of lisianthus, his eyes full of hope as he looked at me. "Lucy, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?"

I answered calmly, "Sorry, I don't feel that way about you."

*****

"Lucy, why are you zoning out? Ronald's confessing to you right now," Tiffany called out, snapping me back to reality. My eyes went wide as I looked around in a daze. It took me several long seconds to realize that I really had traveled back.

Before I could react, Tiffany grabbed the bouquet from Ronald and stuffed it into my arms, giving me an innocent little wink and a playful grin. "Lucy, everyone's watching. Don't put Ronald on the spot."

The sun was blazing overhead, but I felt like I'd been plunged into an ice bath.

Ronald's young face started to blur into the cold, heartless one I remembered. My face turned pale as a sheet, and I dropped the bouquet without even thinking.

"Sorry, I don't like Ronald," I said.

Ronald's smile stiffened on his face.

Everyone was left speechless.

Tiffany was totally floored. "Lucy, seriously? Are you joking right now? I literally saw you writing Ronald a love letter last night. How could you not like him?"

Tiffany was Ronald's childhood friend, and she was also my roommate.

She was the very first person to find out about my secret crush on Ronald.

On registration day, she accidentally knocked over my bookshelf and spotted my photo album.

She was totally shocked. "Lucy, how do you have pictures of Ronald?"

I was so flustered that my face turned bright red. "Tiffany, you know Ronald?"

Tiffany picked up the album and handed it back to me, her laughter ringing out like a bell. "Of course, I know him. He is my neighbor. We grew up together."

"Oh, I see." I lowered my head even more, speaking so quietly that it was almost inaudible.

I never thought my feelings would be revealed like this.

Tiffany noticed how shy and awkward I was, so she patted my shoulder and said, "Come on, Lucy, I'll introduce you to Ronald. He's not hard to get at all.

"Actually, never mind. Girls are the cutest thing on earth. Let those guys chase after you. Trust me, you are definitely Ronald's type."

Tiffany was right about that.

The first time Ronald saw me, he was so shy that he couldn't even look me in the eye.

After spending six months together, everyone in the design and physics departments assumed we were a couple.

But neither of us ever said it out loud.

Last night, Tiffany came up to me all mysterious and said, "Lucy, don't go to your part-time job tomorrow. Ronald's got a surprise for you. Trust me, you're gonna love it."

I was pretty sure Ronald was going to confess to me.

So, I got up early, slipped into my prettiest dress, and did my makeup extra carefully in front of the mirror, all for this big moment.

No one ever expected I would reject Ronald right in front of everyone.

Without bothering to explain, I turned and headed straight for my dorm, without looking back

*Have found only 25 chapters on crush and 30 chapters on editors, but looking for full novel*

Also found alt titles "Consistency you gave me confusion" and "The day love betrayed me never the plan"

Chapter 1 Woken Before The Apocalypse

Ten years into the apocalypse , darkness spread like a sinister blanket , suffocating the world . Moss - covered skyscrapers swayed in the thick black fog , while mutant plants tore through cracked concrete , climbing upward . Freezing winds howled across the barren landscape , echoing like vengeful spirits . The streets felt haunted , every alley thick with the stench of decay . The entire world was lifeless , filled with nothing but endless despair . Chloe Yates stumbled backward on a ruined wasteland , her bare feet scraping over sharp debris .

Blood seeped from her soles , leaving faint trails behind . Her short , uneven hair was a tangled mess , clumped together in dirty strands and reeking of rot . Years of survival had ravaged her face , making her almost unrecognizable . She wore a filthy , torn military coat , trembling in the freezing wind . Ragged cotton poked through the holes , stained with dried blood . " Honey , you're really being naughty ," Shawn Taylor said , moving closer . His voice was eerily soft , sending a chill down her spine . " Ten years of marriage , and aren't you going to let me go ?

" Chloe rasped , her voice as rough as sandpaper . She staggered back , a sharp stone slicing her foot . Blood dripped , soaking into the ground . Shawn glared at her with utter contempt , his stained teeth bared in a vicious grin . " Sophie's pregnant . She needs your heart - blood to keep her strong ." Chloe lifted her gaze to the churning clouds , defiance burning in her chest . When she looked back , her eyes blazed with rage . A dozen powered humans burst through the darkness , their eyes gleaming with savage hunger .

They licked their dry lips , looking more like starving wolves than human beings . Sophie Gilmore stepped out from the protective circle . Her delicate figure shivered helplessly , her flawless face streaked with tears . 15:02 Sun , Dec 21 Chapter 1 : " Chloe , I'm sorry . Shawn and I really love each other . Please , just let us be ," she begged . ( 75 10 vouchers Chloe felt a wave of disgust and bitter irony . " These two cheaters want me dead to make their little romance work ? How shameless ! ' Shawn pulled Sophie into his arms , his voice full of concern . " You shouldn't be here .

You're pregnant ; be careful . " He shot Chloe a deadly glare . " Stay away from Sophie , you freak . " Chloe suddenly laughed , her voice so distant it sounded like it came from another world , as if her last spark of fight had finally died . " Shawn , give me back the emerald bracelet , and let's just call this a divorce ," she said wearily , wanting nothing more to do with him . Panic flashed in Sophie's eyes . Instinctively , she clutched the emerald bracelet on her wrist . " This one's mine . Yours was lost years ago ." Her overreaction only made her look more guilty .

Her friends started giving her suspicious looks . Shawn barked , " What are you guys waiting for ? Kill her , and you'll have real meat for dinner tonight . " The powered humans locked their crazed stares back on Chloe , like starving wolves eyeing fresh prey in the frozen wasteland . Suddenly , Chloe laughed maniacally , her eyes gleaming with a wicked light . " Fine , let's all go to hell together . " " Everyone , run ! " Shawn screamed , panicking as he dragged Sophie away . But it was already too late . The bombs Chloe had planted exploded with a thunderous roar .

Instantly , a nauseating mist of blood enveloped the wreckage . When it cleared , only shredded body parts were strewn across the ground . 15:03 Sun , Dec 21 Chapter 1 75 10 vouchers In the eerie darkness , zombies began howling like maniacs , their screams growing closer and closer . Shawn's legs were blown off . He dragged himself forward , his eyes filled with blood and terror . Behind him , Sophie's screams abruptly stopped as the zombie horde devoured her .

In the end , he watched helplessly as the zombies tore into him , ripping flesh from his bones , his eyes wide with terror until his final breath . In a luxurious villa , the first sunlight slipped through the window , landing softly on Chloe's sleeping face . For a moment , everything seemed perfectly still . Suddenly , the phone alarm on the nightstand blared , shattering the silence . Chloe's long lashes fluttered , and her eyes snapped open , sharp , cold , and deadly . The room's temperature seemed to plummet instantly . As she took in her surroundings , confusion flickered in her eyes .

' Did someone save me ? Ten years into the apocalypse , and there's still a place this clean and fancy ? But why does it feel so familiar ? ' Chloe thought . Suddenly , her eyes widened , her breath catching . " This is ... my home . " She froze . Her voice was ethereal and crisp , nothing like the raspy one from the apocalypse . She glanced at the wall mirror and saw a stunning young woman with ruby lips , pearly teeth , and flawless skin . Every subtle expression was captivating . Her face was untouched by the rough , blackened cracks and bleeding wounds .

She lacked bulky muscles , thick calluses , or a filthy , decaying body reeking of stench . Chloe stared blankly at her reflection , her eyes holding a sorrow from another lifetime . She slapped herself hard , the searing pain snapping her back to reality . She fumbled for her phone , her lashes trembling , breathing carefully . 15:03 Sun , Dec 21 Chapter 1 It was October 1st , 2024 . She gasped . She'd returned more than four months before the apocalypse began . 75 10 vouchers On Christmas Eve , at midnight , a crimson rain would spread the zombie virus .

Anyone caught in it would develop an endless fever . Most people would become mindless zombies . But one in ten thousand would awaken special abilities , becoming the first powered humans of the apocalypse . Chloe wasn't one of the lucky ones . But later , she'd been bitten saving Shawn , barely surviving to become a strength - powered human . Thinking of Shawn ignited pure hatred in her eyes . Deadly energy swirled around her , the kind of deadly aura forged through countless battles .

Staring at her reflection , Chloe parted her red lips , her voice hauntingly beautiful and eerily menacing . " Shawn , Sophie , I've come to collect your souls . " ***** In a pasta restaurant on a bustling food street , Chloe devoured her meal , empty plates piling up in front of her . A couple nearby , Harry Hoffman and Mandy Woodward , stared in disbelief . " Wow , that gorgeous girl in designer clothes can really eat . She's kind of adorable , " Harry said , swallowing hard . Chloe's massive appetite made him feel hungrier . He waved to the waiter and ordered another plate of pasta .

Chapter 1

[Why does the supporting girl insist on searching that warehouse? She's doing it on purpose!]

[Don't open that door! They're at a critical moment, don't interrupt them, ugh!]

I thought I was hallucinating. Shaking off the strange lines of text, I pushed the door open.

"Grant? Any supplies in here?"

The warehouse went silent for a moment, followed by the sound of rustling.

Grant emerged from behind a row of shelves, his hair messy and a look of discomfort on his face.

I managed a small laugh. "What's with you? If I didn't know better, I'd think..."

My voice trailed off as I saw Kaylee following behind him.

Her shirt wasn't even fully buttoned. Seeing me, she looked away guiltily.

Thinking of the chat comments, my heart sank. "What are you two doing in here?"

Grant looked at me as if I were being ridiculous.

"What else do people do in a warehouse? Scavenging for supplies, obviously!"

"Did you think Kaylee and I were having an affair?"

Kaylee chimed in immediately:

"Sienna, don't misunderstand us. I just tripped over a shelf, and Grant was helping me up."

But I clearly saw the hickey on Grant's collarbone.

A piercing shade of red.

The strange chat comments flickered again.

[Interrupted at the peak! Her legs must be like jelly lol! Look at how weirdly she's walking!]

[The male lead's eyes are glued to her! Hey! Where are you looking!]

I subconsciously looked at Grant; he was indeed staring at Kaylee.

And Kaylee was walking with a strange, crossing gait, as if trying to hide something.

So, the comments were real.

[Alright, here comes my favorite part!]

[As soon as the supporting girl leaves, the lead is gonna pin her down and go for round two!]

[Why is she just standing there? Just leave already! You're ruining the vibe for our girl!]

It wasn't just the chat pushing me. Even Grant frowned at me.

"Have you checked the pharmacy on the west side yet?"

"I haven't finished here. I'll catch up with you later."

I didn't move, staring at Kaylee's flushed face.

Suddenly, because I hesitated for a second, Grant's expression darkened completely.

"You don't seriously think something's going on with me and Kaylee, do you?"

"There are zombies everywhere, and this is the only thing in your head?"

He shoved me out of the warehouse, and I walked straight into a zombie.

If I hadn't instinctively raised my hand to split its skull, I would have been its dinner.

But Grant, standing behind me, was still fuming, scolding me harshly.

"If you act out like this again, it won't just be one zombie!"

The door slammed shut, followed by a short, sharp gasp from inside the warehouse.

The chat exploded.

Chapter 2

[Aww, poor Kaylee, that must have been so uncomfortable! That other girl is so annoying!]

[Damn! The male lead is a beast! The shelves literally flipped over! Kaylee's voice is going hoarse!]

I froze, hearing the faint, sweet sounds drifting through the cracks of the door.

So in this story, I am the meddling, loathsome supporting character.

They are the soulmates, and I am the one holding them back?

But Grant and I crossed over to this world together.

We were a couple back in the modern world. During the first year of the apocalypse, we were both terrified.

In a peaceful society, we had never seen rotting, limping monsters that chased and bit people.

It was Grant who held me in his arms, hacking through zombies one by one to keep me safe.

He transformed from a college student into a formidable leader of the Sanctuary.

Back then, he said: "Sienna, I know you don't like crowds, but we have to build a base to keep you safe."

"The thought of you being caught by zombies because you're sleeping in the wild makes me go crazy."

So, he built the Sanctuary for me, taking in survivors.

And Kaylee was one of them.

She was found at the gates of the base last month.

She was barely alive then, and Grant didn't want to let her in.

I checked her, saw no bite marks, and begged Grant to let her stay.

Grant pinched my cheek and said, "You're too soft-hearted. Fine, I'll let her stay for your sake."

I never imagined that my kindness would facilitate their romance.

The chat kept scrolling.

[Whoa! The male lead is so rough, Kaylee literally fainted!]

[Man, the only 'hardship' she's gonna face from now on is him.]

[Hardship or his 'hard wood,' I'll be the judge of that! lol]

I felt like vomiting.

Just as I was about to burst in and expose them, a comment caught my eye.

[This is nothing! Once they get back to the modern world, they're gonna go for three days straight!]

Back to the modern world?!

We have a chance to go back?

[I remember the original plot: the supporting girl catches them, Kaylee gets slapped a few times, Grant gets mad and locks the girl in the warehouse.]

[She starves for three days, faints, and eventually gets eaten by zombies.]

[Speaking of which, the day she dies is the same day as the Celestial Alignment, and the leads go back home.]

Seeing that last comment, my hand stopped right before pushing the door.

Seven days, right?

Fine, I'll let these two live for one more week.

1.Chapter 1 The Downpour

Rain poured down on Riverstone all day, turning the ground into a soggy mess. Jewel Moreno's belongings lay scattered across the front steps, tossed out by her adoptive mother, Lorelei Moreno.

""Get out of here!"" Lorelei yelled, glaring at Jewel. ""We've given you the best of everything, and this is how you repay us? You're not even our biological child, yet we've treated you like our own. How could you do this to Samantha?""

Lorelei's rant continued, ""Tristan broke up with you and got together with Samantha ages ago. And out of jealousy, you pushed her into the water. Don't you have any conscience?""

With a flourish, Lorelei pulled out a bank card and tossed it at Jewel's feet. ""If it weren't for Samantha pleading on your behalf, I wouldn't let you off so easily.There's 10 thousand dollars on there. Consider it compensation.""

Jewel's face remained impassive throughout the outburst. Without even glancing at the card, she reached into her backpack and pulled out another, tossing it back to Lorelei. ""There's one million dollars on this one. Consider it my thanks for raising me all these years.""

Lorelei stared at Jewel in annoyance. The sum was more than the entire Moreno family could earn in a year, yet Jewel acted as if she could hand it over without a second thought. Lorelei doubted how Jewel could casually produce such an astronomical amount.

Without another word, Jewel slung her bag over her shoulder and walked away. Her back was straight as an arrow, projecting unwavering dignity, while her rain-soaked hair betrayed her pitiable state.

Samantha Moreno watched the scene unfold from the rooftop, a sly smile spreading across her face. 'Jewel, you've had it easy for over twenty years,' she thought to herself. 'It's time for that to come to an end.'

*****

Jewel hadn't gone far when her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and answered, recognizing the familiar voice.

""Jewel, is it true the Moreno family kicked you out?"" the caller asked.

Jewel's tone was flat as she confirmed with a simple ""Mm.""

The caller's voice grew agitated. ""This is outrageous! I saw the video of what happened before Samantha fell into the water. She clearly tripped on her own. If you hadn't jumped in to save her, she would've drowned!""

After a pause, the voice continued, even more heated. ""The Moreno family is a bunch of ungrateful wolves. As soon as their biological daughter shows up, they toss you out like trash. If we'd known it would come to this, you should never have bailed out their company.""

Jewel let out a soft chuckle, her composure a stark contrast to the caller's agitation. ""Listen to you, getting all worked up. Anyone would think you were the one who got kicked out.""

""I'm just angry on your behalf!"" the caller insisted.

""Alright, alright,"" Jewel said. ""Just come pick me up, will you? I've been trying to hail a cab forever, and I'm about to turn into a drowned rat—""

Her words were cut short as a blinding light suddenly shot towards her. She instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes. The screech of brakes pierced the air, but on the rain-slicked roads, it was futile. The car slammed into her before she could react.

The impact sent Jewel flying into a nearby flowerbed, her head cracking against a rock. She struggled to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over her, and she lost consciousness.

As she fell back, the necklace around her neck slipped into view.

The driver scrambled out of the car and rushed to check on the victim. Panic was evident in his voice as he reported back to his passenger. ""Mr. Snider, I think she's passed out.""

Calvert Snider, the man in the back seat, gazed down at the unconscious woman, his expression unreadable. He issued a single command. ""Take her to the hospital.""

As Jewel was lifted into the car, Calvert's eyes were drawn to the necklace around her neck. His brow furrowed as he leaned closer to examine it. In the dim light of the car's interior, he could make out the shape of a moon pendant.

With sudden urgency, he pulled out his phone, scrolling through his gallery until he found a particular photo. The sun pendant in the image was a perfect match for the moon around Jewel's neck.

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. This woman was his childhood betrothed—the long-lost girl of the Turner family.

*****

When Jewel came to, she found herself surrounded by a chorus of unfamiliar voices. As her vision cleared, she locked eyes with a silver-haired elderly man. Behind him stood four strikingly handsome young men.

The old man's eyes welled up as he spoke. ""My dear, you're awake.""

Jewel's brow furrowed in confusion. ""I'm sorry, but who are you?"" she asked, trying to make sense of the scene.

Franklin Turner's voice quavered with emotion as he explained, ""My dear, I'm your grandpa. These three are your brothers – Lachlan, Caspian, and Jackson Turner. And this fine young man is your fiancé, Calvert.""

He paused, his voice thick with regret. ""It's all my fault. If I had kept a closer eye on you back then, you would never have been taken from us.""

Jewel's confusion deepened. One minute she was getting kicked out of the Moreno family, and the next she had a grandfather, three brothers, and even a fiancé. This had to be some kind of wild dream.

Sensing Jewel's bewilderment, Lachlan stepped forward, gesturing to the necklace around her neck. ""You see that necklace? It's the Turner family's heirloom – the Sun and Moon set. Grandpa placed it around your neck himself the day you were born.""

Jewel's hand instinctively went to the necklace. Her father – or rather, the man she had believed to be her father – had given it to her on her eighteenth birthday, claiming he had bought it back at great expense from an auction.

Lachlan continued, his voice laced with guilt. ""It's our fault – we were too busy fooling around back then and didn't watch over you properly. That was how those lowlifes managed to snatch you away.""

""Hold on,"" Jewel interrupted, trying to process this flood of information. She looked at each of them skeptically. ""Isn't it a stretch to claim I'm family based on just a necklace?""

Franklin's eyes softened as he gazed at her. ""There's no doubt in my mind. Your eyes are the spitting image of your mother's. I'd stake my life on it – you're my granddaughter, through and through.""

Before Jewel could object, a deep, cool voice cut through the air. ""There's no need for speculation. I've already sent a sample of your hair for DNA testing. We'll have concrete proof soon.""

Jewel turned to face the speaker – Calvert, her alleged fiancé. His piercing eyes and chiseled features were undeniably handsome, but his demeanor was ice-cold, warning others to keep their distance.

Despite herself, Jewel's gaze lingered on his face a moment too long. She had always been a sucker for a pretty face.

Calvert's eyes swept over her, and he suddenly raised his hand to button up the top of his shirt. Jewel blinked in surprise, wondering what had prompted that reaction.

Franklin, noticing the subtle interaction, cleared his throat and addressed the three Turner brothers. ""It's getting late, boys. Why don't you help me back to my room?""

""But Grandpa, I can stay and look after—"" Lachlan began, but seeing his grandfather's meaningful look, he quickly caught on.

Jewel was at a loss for words, completely unimpressed by their terrible acting.

""Calvert,"" Lachlan said, ""we'll take Grandpa back. Mind looking after our sister for us? Thanks, man.""

Jewel opened her mouth to protest, but to her surprise, Calvert nodded.

Once the door clicked shut behind the others, Calvert turned to face Jewel. His eyes bore into her with an intensity that made her breath catch.

""Now that everyone else is gone,"" he said, his voice low and serious, ""we need to discuss breaking off our engagement.""

2.Chapter 2 Family Reunion

Jewel didn't hesitate, blurting out her agreement before Calvert could continue. ""Sure, I'm in.""

Calvert was taken aback. His scrutinizing gaze fell on her face, his brow furrowing. He wondered how this woman could agree so quickly, questioning if she knew his identity.

""Do you know who I am?"" he asked.

Jewel shook her head, unfazed. ""No, and frankly, I don't care to know."" She added, ""Whether I'm the Turner family's long-lost girl or not is irrelevant. I'm not interested in you, so I'd be happy to call off the engagement.""

She paused before continuing, ""But I'm guessing my agreement alone isn't enough to cancel it, right?""

Calvert's eyes narrowed, his gaze icy. He should have known there was a catch to her quick agreement. She had been waiting for this moment.

""I'll explain the situation to both families,"" he said, his voice laced with disdain. ""Just play along when the time comes.""

Jewel raised an eyebrow, readily agreeing. ""No problem. Now, can you leave?"" She was done with his stone-cold stare and frosty demeanor.

Calvert was stunned by her request, instantly thinking she was playing hard to get. 'Typical of a woman from a humble background - always with an ulterior motive,' he thought. As he looked at her, his disgust only deepened.

Seeing that he wasn't budging, Jewel turned her back on him and pulled out her phone. She texted: [Look into the Turner family for me and check on someone named Calvert Snider.]

As she was typing, she heard the door close. She sighed with relief. 'Thank God, that ice-cold man is finally gone,' she thought.

Just then, her phone rang.

""Jewel, are you okay?"" came a voice from the other end.

""I'm fine,"" Jewel replied reassuringly. ""Did you find anything?""

""Yeah, I did,"" the voice said. ""The Turner, Snider, Rowse, and Shelton families are known as the four major families of Riverstone. They're not just wealthy, but also incredibly influential. And Calvert is next in line to lead the Snider family.""

After listening to the rundown, Jewel asked, ""Is there a girl from the Turner family who went missing over twenty years ago?""

""I think there was something like that, but it seems to have been hushed up somehow.""

""Alright, got it.""

The next morning, the DNA test results confirmed it – Jewel was indeed the Turner family's long-lost girl. Overjoyed, Franklin immediately arranged a grand welcome party, and Jewel was officially renamed Ash Turner.

The day before the party, Ash's birth parents, Josh and Brooke Turner, rushed home, accompanied by a young woman around Ash's age.

""Ash, come meet your father and mother,"" Franklin said.

Ash walked over and politely greeted them. ""Dad, Mom.""

As soon as Josh and Brooke saw her, their eyes brimmed with tears.

""Is it really you, Ash?"" Brooke asked, her voice trembling. ""Oh, my dear, we've finally found you!"" She pulled Ash into a tight embrace, her voice choked with emotion.

But Ash didn't know how to react at the moment. Growing up with Lorelei and Dexter Moreno, she wasn't used to such affection. They had never been the huggy type, and Ash had always assumed it was because she wasn't good enough.

So she had pushed herself to excel, only to be met with lukewarm responses like, ""Isn't this what you're supposed to do?""

Now, she realized that people without blood ties would never truly be close.

Brooke cupped Ash's face, taking in her exquisite features. ""You've suffered all these years,"" she said, her teary eyes fixed on Ash, who was her mirror image.

Josh wiped away his own tears, his voice cracking as he said, ""It's wonderful to have you back, Ash. Truly.""

The family reunion was heartwarming, but one person stood out – the young woman who had returned with Josh and Brooke. Her gaze was fixed intently on Ash who could feel the weight of her stare.

As soon as Ash turned her head, their eyes locked, and she was struck by the girl's piercing gaze. It was like looking at the sharp edge of a knife.

Caught off guard by Ash's sudden attention, the girl quickly averted her eyes and, as if nothing had happened, approached with a smile. ""Hi, Ash, I'm Jade,"" she said, extending her hand.

But Ash didn't reciprocate. She just stared at Jade, her expression unreadable. Jade's smile faltered, and she awkwardly withdrew her hand.

Brooke jumped in to smooth things over. ""Ash, this is Jade, the daughter we adopted. She's your younger sister. You might not know her yet, but you'll get to know each other soon.""

Jade's smile returned, but it was clear that the word ""adopted"" had struck a nerve. All her years of effort had been reset in an instant by Ash's return.

Suddenly, a voice cut through the crowd, dripping with disdain. ""Hmph, people from humble backgrounds really have no manners,"" Caspian sneered, his eyes filled with contempt.

Ash turned to see who was speaking and spotted Caspian, his face twisted in disgust.

Jackson elbowed him, trying to silence him, but Caspian persisted. ""Am I wrong? Jade's been holding out her hand forever, and look at her attitude!""

Ash was taken aback by the sudden hostility. She hadn't expected to make enemies so quickly in her new family.

Jade explained, her voice smooth as silk, ""Caspian, Ash is just not used to our family customs yet. Don't be so harsh.""

But Caspian wouldn't relent. He sneered, ""I don't think it's about being used to it. Jade, you'd better watch out—"" His grandpa and parents cut him off before he could finish.

Jade quickly ran to Caspian's side, tugging at his clothes and shaking her head. Though Caspian fell silent, his face showed his discontent.

When the tension eased, Jade turned to Ash with a smile. ""Ash, don't mind him. Caspian has always been blunt, but he's a good person.""

""Oh,"" Ash said, her expression neutral, before turning to Franklin. ""Grandpa, I'd like to go back to my room now.""

Franklin nodded. ""Go ahead.""

After a quick word to her parents, Ash headed straight upstairs.

Franklin tapped his cane on the floor, his voice resolute. ""From now on, if anyone in this family dares to pick on Ash, don't blame me for losing my temper!""

*****

Upstairs, Ash was unfazed by the recent events. She sat at her computer, reviewing clothing designs submitted by her designers.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Before Ash could respond, Jade had already pushed it open and walked in. ""Ash!""

""Did I say you could come in?"" Ash asked, her voice cold.

Jade, startled, quickly apologized. ""I'm sorry. I'm just used to that. I...""

Ash saw right through Jade's trick. She stood up, her eyes narrowing. ""Drop the act with me, Jade. I'm not interested in whatever game you're playing, got it?""

Ash appeared calm, but there was an undeniable air of authority in her every move.

Embarrassed, Jade pressed her lips together tightly. Just as she was fumbling for words, she spotted the clothing designs on the computer screen. ""Ash, do you like Dream Couture's clothes too? I'm a VIP there. I can have some sets sent over for you tomorrow.""

3.Chapter 3 Change

""No need,"" Ash said, dismissing Jade's offer. After all, she owned Dream Couture, so a few pieces of clothing were hardly worth mentioning.

But Jade persisted. ""It's no trouble. I'm going shopping with Calvert tomorrow anyway, so I can pick up a few outfits for you.""

""Are you done?"" Ash cut her off bluntly. ""I'm going to bed.""

Jade struggled to maintain her composure, but her expression betrayed her. ""Alright then. Sleep well,"" she said, her voice quavering.

Without looking back, Ash returned to her seat at her computer. ""Don't forget to close the door behind you,"" she said.

Jade bit her lip, glaring hatefully at Ash's back before leaving. In the hallway, she ran into Caspian, who was just returning to his room. In an instant, her expression changed completely.

""Jade, why are your eyes red? Did she mess with you again?"" Caspian demanded, about to storm into Ash's room.

Jade quickly grabbed his arm, her eyes brimming with tears. ""Caspian, I'm fine. Please don't confront Ash,"" she pleaded. ""She didn't mess with me. I just feel like she doesn't like me.""

Caspian ruffled her hair affectionately. ""So what if she doesn't? You're too good for her anyway. You don't need to try so hard to please her. You'll always be my precious little sister.""

""You're the best, Caspian,"" Jade cried, throwing herself into his arms as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Caspian comforted her tenderly, completely missing the terrifying gleam in her eyes as she stared at the closed door of Ash's bedroom.

The next morning, Ash rose early. She'd noticed irregularities in yesterday's reports and needed to visit Dream Couture's physical store. It was also a chance to pick up gifts for her newfound family.

As she descended the stairs, she encountered Jade and Brooke.

""Ash, are you going shopping?"" Jade asked, her voice saccharine. ""Calvert and I have plans - why don't you join us?""

Hearing this, Brooke's brow furrowed slightly. She cleared her throat, concern evident. ""I'd like to accompany you instead, Ash.""

Ash sensed Brooke was hinting at something but didn't want to get involved. Shaking her head, she said, ""No need, Mom. I'm just meeting a friend.""

""Alright then, have fun,"" Brooke said, producing a credit card and pressing it into Ash's hand. ""Here you go. No limit.""

""Thanks, Mom."" Ash accepted the card and then left.

Once Ash was out of earshot, Brooke fixed Jade with a pointed look. Her voice was low but firm. ""I know you're fond of Calvert, but Ash's return changes things. Your relationship with him needs to end.""

Jade's eyes widened in disbelief, her voice quavering. ""Mom, if you knew about my feelings for Calvert, why would you try to separate us?""

Brooke flashed Jade a smile, but her tone brooking no argument, ""Jade, even if Ash hadn't returned, you were never in contention for this marriage. Don't worry, I've raised you for eighteen years and won't let you down. But Calvert is off-limits.""

Jade bit her lip, nails digging into her palms. Despite her inner turmoil, she forced a smile. ""Got it, Mom.""

""You're always the sensible one, sweetheart. Alright, I'm off. See you tonight!"" With that, Brooke headed out.

As Brooke left, Jade's expression turned glacial, her eyes burning with barely concealed rage.

At Dream Couture's store, an employee greeted Ash. ""Hello, Boss.""

Ash glanced around, her tone softening as she recognized her friend. ""Drop the act, Bailey. Isn't today your day off?""

Bailey Field's shoulders sagged, her voice laced with frustration. ""Tracy switched shifts with me. I told her last week I had plans today, but she still scheduled me for this shift.""

""Is everything okay? Your mom isn't doing well?"" Ash asked, concerned.

Bailey nodded. ""She's having surgery today. I'm really worried about her.""

Ash plucked off Bailey's name tag and pressed it into her hand. ""Then why are you still here? Go. I'll cover for you.""

""Oh my god, you're the best boss ever! I owe you one,"" Bailey exclaimed, hugging Ash and planting a quick kiss on her cheek.

Ash wiped her face in mock disgust. ""Ugh, you got lipstick on me.""

Bailey grinned sheepishly, said a quick goodbye, and dashed out. Ash shook her head with a wry smile and turned to check on the store's recent limited-edition items.

Just then, a familiar voice reached her ears. ""Tristan, what do you think of this outfit? Does it look good on me?"" Samantha asked.

""It's pretty. Why don't you try it on?"" Tristan Ford replied gently. He called out, ""Excuse me, could we get this in her size to try on?""

As Ash approached, both Samantha and Tristan looked surprised to see her.

""Jewel? What are you doing here?"" Samantha asked, her voice dripping with disdain. Before Ash could respond, she continued, ""Don't tell me you're working as a sales clerk now?""

Ash's face turned icy, her blood-red lips curling into a chilling smile. ""Oh? Dropping the act already? I thought you'd at least try to keep up appearances in front of Tristan.""

Samantha's expression faltered, her eyes darting nervously.

Tristan quickly stepped in front of her protectively. ""Hey, Jewel, no need to be that harsh, okay?""

""What else did you expect? Oh, should I grovel at her feet with eternal gratitude?"" Ash laughed bitterly. She then turned to Samantha. ""FYI, Dream Couture's sales associates make more in a month than your two-month allowance. Not just anyone can work here, so what exactly are you looking down on?""

In fact, the employees here went through a rigorous selection process. Their etiquette often surpassed that of many upper-class families.

""Whatever. Just pick out an outfit for me. I'm attending the Turner family's welcome party tonight."" Samantha couldn't resist adding, ""You know, the event you were supposed to attend before you screwed up.""

Ash's lips twitched, her voice turning glacial. ""I'm surprised the Turner family even invited you two.""

""What's that supposed to mean? Our family has quite a reputation in Riverstone,"" Samantha began defensively.

""Is that so? I wasn't aware. Though I do know your family has quite the reputation for being shameless,"" Ash retorted coolly.

""What—"" Samantha sputtered, at a loss for words. She turned to Tristan, her eyes brimming with tears.

Tristan wrapped Samantha in his arms. ""Jewel, I know you hate Samantha because of me, but we're in love. Why make things difficult for yourself?""

He then added, ""Back then, when you pushed Samantha into the water and she nearly drowned, she still defended you. And now here you are, saying such vicious things to her. Jewel, when did you become like this?""

As Ash locked eyes with Tristan, her gaze landed on the crisp white shirt he was wearing. Memories came flooding back of the boy in the white shirt who had vowed to protect her no matter what, as they basked in the warm sunlight.

But life had a way of changing people, and the boy she once knew was now a distant memory - the man standing before her was a different story altogether.

Ash gazed at him for a long moment, a frosty smile playing at the corner of her lips. ""Tristan,"" she said, her voice level and cool, ""how many years were we together?""

4.Chapter 4 Five Years

Tristan hesitated, his eyes darting away from Ash's piercing gaze like a guilty man caught red-handed. ""Five years,"" he whispered.

Ash let out a bitter laugh. She couldn't believe that after all this time, Tristan's trust in her could be shattered so easily. She silently thanked Samantha for revealing Tristan's true colors.

""You really love Samantha, don't you?"" Ash asked, her voice deceptively calm as she watched Tristan's reaction.

""Yes, I do,"" he said, his tone laced with annoyance. ""What's your point, Jewel?""

Ash's laugh was cold and mocking, her eyes glinting with a mix of hurt and disdain. ""I hope you won't regret it.""

Tristan tightened his grip on Samantha's waist as he declared firmly, ""I'll never regret it!"" He then added with forced politeness, ""Now, can you help Samantha find a dress or not?""

Ash's face became an emotionless mask as she gestured around the store. ""The cheapest piece here costs seven figures. Are you sure you can afford it, Mr. Ford?""

As far as she knew, while Tristan's family was well-off, the luxury items here were still beyond his casual credit card swipes.

Tristan bristled at the jab but. Unwilling to lose face in front of Samantha, he pulled out his credit card with a flourish. ""That blue dress from earlier. We'll take it.""

""Certainly, sir. One moment."" Ash reached for the card with a smile.

Tristan's fingers gripped it tightly, but he reluctantly let it go after a brief tug-of-war with Ash.

Ash swiftly swiped the card through the POS machine and then handed it back to Tristan. ""Mr. Ford, your total comes to 590 thousand dollars. Here's your receipt.""

Samantha squealed with delight, clinging to Tristan's arm like a vine. ""Thank you so much, Tristan! You're the best!""

Tristan forced a smile despite the pain evident in his expression. ""Anything to make you happy,"" he murmured.

As soon as the couple was out of sight, Ash crumpled into a chair, her eyes glazing over. She knew she shouldn't waste her tears on Tristan, but the ache in her chest was a harsh reminder that she wasn't as immune to pain as she thought.

Betrayal had a way of cutting deep, no matter how tough you pretended to be - and Ash was no exception.

As she fought back tears, a shadow loomed over her. A handkerchief suddenly appeared in her line of sight, jolting her out of her thoughts.

When Ash realized the man standing before her was Calvert, her eyes widened in shock. ""What brings you here?"" she blurted out.

Today, he was dressed in a black suit that accentuated his refined and polished demeanor. There was an air of innate nobility about him that commanded attention, making it hard to look away.

""Dry your tears,"" he said, his voice low and gentle.

Seeing her brow furrow in confusion, Calvert quickly explained, his words spilling out in a rush, ""I don't usually eavesdrop, but I overheard your conversation. That guy's not worth your tears.""

Ash's tone was light, almost teasing, as she regained her composure. ""And what kind of guy is worth my tears, Mr. Snider?"" she asked, a hint of playfulness in her voice.

However, an awkward silence fell between them, the air thick with unspoken tension.

Calvert's face darkened, misinterpreting her words. ""Ms. Turner,"" he said stiffly, ""your grandfather will likely announce our engagement at tonight's welcome party. I hope you'll keep your promise to cooperate.""

Before Ash could respond, Calvert strode out of the store, leaving her staring after him in bewilderment. She shook her head, chuckling wryly, ""Did he really think I was talking about him? Talk about an inflated ego.""

Later that afternoon, Bailey returned with the good news about her mom's successful surgery. Ash, relieved, invited Bailey to the evening's party, deciding to be upfront about her new identity.

After picking out gifts for her parents and grandfather, Ash got dressed, applied her makeup, and headed to the venue with Bailey in tow.

As they arrived at the venue, Ash spotted Tristan, Samantha, and her adoptive parents near the entrance. Lorelei was gushing over Samantha's dress, praising Tristan's generosity in sweet tones.

""You know how good Tristan is to you, sweetie? Make sure you're on your best behavior tonight and try to befriend the new Turner girl,"" Lorelei said.

""I know, Mom,"" Samantha replied.

While chatting, Samantha noticed Ash first, her eyes widening in surprise. ""Mom, Dad,"" she called out, ""isn't that Jewel?""

Lorelei marched over, her face twisted in anger. ""Jewel, what are you doing here?"" she hissed, eyeing Ash's elegant dress. ""Where did you get that dress?""

Samantha gasped dramatically, ""Did you steal it from Dream Couture? How could you do that, Jewel? You're just a sales associate there.""

Lorelei's voice rose in pitch. ""Jewel, how dare you!""

""Watch your mouth!"" Bailey started to defend her friend, her fists clenched at her sides, but Ash held her back with a gentle touch. A small crowd had gathered, drawn by the commotion.

Dexter, mortified by the scene, snapped at Ash, his face red with embarrassment. ""Cut the drama and leave!""

Ash was baffled by their anger. It was as if she'd committed some terrible crime just by showing up.

Samantha chimed in a sugary voice, her eyes gleaming with false sympathy, ""Jewel, I know leaving our family upset you, but you can't crash events like this using our name. You don't belong here.""

""Get lost, now!"" Lorelei demanded, her patience wearing thin.

Just as Bailey was about to blow her top, a well-dressed man rushed out of the hotel. People nodded respectfully as he passed, murmuring greetings. He approached Ash's group and bowed slightly, his eyes locked on her.

""Miss,"" he said with a warm smile, ""everyone's been waiting. Please, come inside.""

Lorelei and Samantha eagerly stepped forward, their faces aglow with anticipation. ""Are you here to escort us in, sir?"" Lorelei asked.

Although they had no idea who he was talking about, they were sure of one thing—he definitely wasn't here for Jewel.

The man gave them a disdainful look, his lip curling slightly. ""Who are you? I'm here for this young lady,"" he said, gesturing to Ash.

Lorelei exclaimed, ""What? There must be some mistake.""

""I know exactly who I'm supposed to escort,"" the man said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Lorelei and Samantha stared at Ash in shock, their faces pale.

""Mom,"" Samantha whispered urgently, ""how does she know anyone from the Turner family? I heard Franklin has been a widower for years. You don't think Jewel has hooked up with..."" Her implication hung in the air, unspoken but clear.

Tristan's face darkened at Samantha's tactless words, his gaze fixed on Ash.

Catching wind of Samantha's nasty gossip, Ash stopped in her tracks and muttered something to the guy who'd shown up to escort her.

He nodded respectfully, his expression serious. ""Understood, Miss.""

Bailey, looking utterly lost after hearing Samantha's words, couldn't help but ask, ""Jewel, did you really...""

5.Chapter 5 Kidnapping

Bailey bit back the words that were about to spill out. She reminded herself that Ash, as the owner of Dream Couture, was likely to rub shoulders with high-society people.

Shaking her head, she chided herself, ""No way, you're not that kind of person.""

Ash chuckled, playfully pinching Bailey's cheek. ""You know me too well. Otherwise, you might've fallen for Samantha's drama.""

Afraid of offending her friend, Bailey quickly apologized, ""I'm sorry, Jewel. I shouldn't have doubted you.""

""It's fine,"" Ash interrupted gently. ""We've been friends for years. But from now on, don't call me Jewel anymore, okay?""

Before Bailey could wrap her head around this, the Turner family's butler approached with a slight bow. ""Miss Turner, Mr. Franklin Turner requests your presence.""

""Okay,"" Ash replied and had someone look after Bailey.

Even after Ash walked away, Bailey was still floored - the bombshell that Jewel was actually the Turner family's young lady left her head spinning.

Meanwhile, outside the hotel, the Moreno family's earlier scene had left them feeling embarrassed, with sharp gazes cutting into them from all sides. Heads hung low, they tried to enter the venue but were stopped by security.

Lorelei, already fuming, lost it. ""What do you mean we can't enter? We're on the guest list!""

The man who had escorted Ash inside earlier came out, a slight smirk on his face. ""You offended our young lady. That's why you're not welcome at today's party.""

He summoned more security to surround them, instructing, ""If they try to force their way in, throw them out on the spot.""

Red-faced, the Morenos hightailed it out of there. Dexter slunk back to their car while Samantha looked on with green eyes as Ash waltzed into the grand hall, admirers in tow.

In a fit of frustration, Samantha stomped her foot, losing her balance. With a cry of pain, she tumbled over, her 590-thousand-dollar dress tearing on the rough pavement. Her anger towards Ash intensified as she realized her chance to show off was ruined before it even began.

*****

As the party reached its peak, Franklin took the stage to speak. Just as he wrapped up introducing Ash and she started heading for the stage, the lights suddenly went out.

Chaos broke out in the darkness. Screams and shouts filled the air as people stumbled around in a panic.

Ash, pushed around by the scared crowd, tried to make her way to her grandfather. Out of nowhere, a strong hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her away.

Before she could react, she was being led through the darkness by someone who seemed to know the hotel inside and out.

When the lights flickered back on, the ballroom was a mess. Franklin, shaken up by the commotion, had been taken upstairs to rest.

Brooke was the first to notice Ash was missing. ""Where's Ash?"" she asked, her voice shaky.

They looked everywhere, but Ash was nowhere to be found. Caspian grumbled, ""She's probably never dealt with anything like this before. Who knows where she's hiding?""

""Shut up,"" Josh snapped, smacking Caspian's head. ""Keep looking. If your grandpa finds out about this, you're in hot water."" He added as he turned to Lachlan, ""Get someone to show the guests out.""

Brooke stood off to the side, on the verge of tears. ""My dear Ash,"" she whispered, ""I've only just found you. Are you leaving me again?""

Jade, unable to stand seeing Brooke so upset, tried to comfort her. ""Mom, don't worry. I'm sure she's okay.""

""Of course you're not worried. She's not your daughter!"" Brooke snapped, immediately regretting her words but too upset to apologize.

Jade flinched, her expression a complex mix of emotions.

Calvert, standing behind her, gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. ""Why don't you go check on your grandpa? There's not much more you can do here.""

Jade nodded, giving Calvert a quick hug. ""I'm so glad I have you, Calvert,"" she murmured.

*****

As the last guests cleared out, Ash was still nowhere to be found. Even the security cameras drew a blank on her exit.

Calvert, puffing away thoughtfully, figured hotel staff must've had a hand in it. His eyes landed on a bracelet tossed in the corner—one he kinda remembered Ash wearing. It was lying near a staff-only door which was left slightly open, backing up his hunch.

At first, Calvert thought about letting the Turners deal with the mess. He was gonna call off the engagement soon anyway. But then Jade popped into his mind. If Ash didn't turn up tonight, tomorrow's news would paint Jade as the suspect.

For Jade's sake, he decided to poke around, clutching the bracelet as he made for the staff-only door.

*****

Meanwhile, Ash came to in a moving car, her head fuzzy from whatever they'd doped her with. As she shook off the fog, the bumpy ride told her they were heading to the boonies.

When she tried the door, the man beside her pressed a knife to her throat. His breath was hot on her ear as he growled, ""Stay put.""

Ash tensed up, her mind in overdrive. ""Who are you? What's this about?"" she asked, fighting to keep her voice level.

The man sneered. ""You know damn well. The Turner family's princess must be worth a pretty penny. Play nice, and you won't get hurt.""

His words set off alarm bells—how did he know she was the Turner family's young lady when it wasn't public knowledge? This reeked of an inside job. Ash let out a chilly laugh that caught her captor off guard.

""What's so funny?"" he snarled, pressing the knife closer.

""How much did she pay you?"" Ash asked coolly.

""Mind your own business!"" the man spat.

Ash raised her hands in apparent surrender. As the man eased up, she turned to face him. ""I'll triple your pay to let me walk,"" she offered, her voice low and tempting.

The man scoffed. ""Cut the crap! You just returned to the Turner family. Where would you get that kind of cash?""

""We're in the middle of nowhere,"" Ash pointed out, her voice taking on a sultry edge. ""If I'm bluffing, you two can easily take me down. Right?""

Her half-smirk and tempting gaze set the man's pulse racing. He grinned sleazily, lowering his knife.

In that split second, Ash pounced. Quick as a flash, she grabbed the weapon and held it to his throat. ""Pull over. Now!"" she ordered, her voice icy and firm.

Lena Drake spent three years as Ethan Cross's contract wife. She cooked his meals, managed his penthouse, smiled at his family, and never once complained — not even when he brought another woman home and called her "the love of my life" right in front of her.

But when she heard him tell his mother, "I'm divorcing Lena. Serena is the only woman I'll ever love," something inside her finally cracked.

She didn't scream. She didn't cry. She pulled off her wedding ring, placed it on the kitchen counter, and walked toward the door.

His voice stopped her cold.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?"

***

Twelve hours earlier, the morning had started like every other.

Lena woke at 5:30 a.m. She prepared Ethan's favorite breakfast — poached eggs, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and avocado toast with exactly the right amount of sea salt. She ironed his shirt, set out his cufflinks, and placed his briefcase by the door.

By the time Ethan came downstairs, everything was perfect. He barely glanced at the table.

"I won't be home for dinner," he said, adjusting his tie in the hallway mirror. "Serena's flying in tonight. I'm picking her up."

Lena's hand tightened around her coffee mug. "Of course."

She had heard the name Serena Blake a thousand times. Ethan's college sweetheart. The one who left him to pursue her modeling career in Paris. The one whose photo he still kept in his wallet — not Lena's. Never Lena's.

"Also," Ethan added, his tone casual, almost bored, "my mother's coming for dinner tomorrow. Make sure the house looks presentable."

"It always does," Lena said quietly.

He didn't respond. The front door clicked shut behind him, and the penthouse fell silent.

***

Lena stood in the kitchen for a long time, staring at the untouched breakfast. Three years. She had spent three years perfecting every detail of this man's life, and he couldn't even say thank you.

Their marriage had been an arrangement — a contract designed by Ethan's grandfather, who believed Lena's quiet, dependable nature would "stabilize" his reckless grandson. In exchange, Lena received financial support for her younger brother's medical treatment. It was supposed to be simple. Clinical. Temporary.

But somewhere along the way, Lena had made the fatal mistake of falling in love with her husband.

She'd hidden it well. She never confessed, never pushed, never asked for more than he was willing to give. She told herself that if she was patient enough, kind enough, useful enough, he might eventually see her.

He never did.

Her phone buzzed. A text from her best friend, Maya.

[Girl. Have you seen this?]

Below the message was a link to a tabloid article. The headline screamed:

**ETHAN CROSS SPOTTED AT AIRPORT WITH MYSTERY BRUNETTE — PASSIONATE REUNION KISS!**

The photo showed Ethan holding Serena in his arms, his lips pressed against hers, his eyes closed as though the rest of the world had ceased to exist.

Lena's chest tightened. She zoomed in on the image, her fingers trembling.

He was wearing the tie she had ironed that morning.

***

That evening, Ethan walked through the door with Serena on his arm. The woman was everything Lena was not — tall, striking, effortlessly glamorous. Her laugh filled the room like music, and Ethan looked at her the way he had never once looked at Lena.

"You must be Lena!" Serena said brightly, extending a perfectly manicured hand. "Ethan's told me so much about you. It's so sweet that you've been helping him manage the house."

Helping him manage the house.

Not "his wife." Not even "his partner."

Just the help.

Lena shook her hand, her smile frozen in place. "Welcome."

Ethan didn't even look at her. His attention was fixed entirely on Serena as he guided her to the couch, his hand resting on the small of her back.

"Lena," he called over his shoulder, "make some tea for Serena. She likes chamomile."

Lena turned toward the kitchen, her vision blurring.

She had prepared chamomile tea for him once, early in their marriage. He'd pushed it away and said, "I don't drink this."

Now she knew why he remembered the flavor.

It had never been for him.

It had always been for her.

***

That night, lying in her cold, separate bedroom, Lena heard laughter drifting through the walls. Ethan and Serena were in the living room, talking, sharing wine, their voices warm and intimate.

Her phone lit up with another message from Maya.

[Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay.]

Lena typed back three words:

[I'm leaving him.]

*Snippet found on lereader*

Chapter 1 Love Locked Away

Pain dragged Whitney Harrington awake.

She blinked, staring at the shabby, leaky ceiling and then at her foot. Blood mixed with rainwater on the floor, each drop sharpening the ache.

'Wasn't I dead?' she wondered. 'I died because of Emily, that fake heiress who stole my family and took everything from me. I died at the hands of the family I longed for, the ones I gave up everything to please.'

Even now, she could feel the pain from the crash. Afterward, the Andersons dragged her, who was on the verge of death, aside and tortured her.

That was definitely no nightmare.

"Whitney!" Suddenly, an angry voice cut through the rain.

She looked up. A handsome, dangerous-looking man stepped into the shed, dripping wet.

He didn't glance at her bleeding leg but snapped, 'Whitney, I didn't make you look bad in front of the cameras earlier. You scraped Emily's leg. Why can't you apologize? And you dare to sulk about it?'

It was Chase Anderson, Whitney's fourth brother, the one who grabbed Whitney by the throat and smashed her head against the wall when she was barely clinging to life, only to show that Emily Anderson was the only sister he'd care about.

Whitney stared at him, her eyes intense. Then, slowly, her lips curved into a wide, unsettling smile.

With the rain pouring down, that smile looked downright eerie, chilling enough to make people's skin crawl.

'I'm back,' Whitney thought. 'I'm alive again. It's one year after I was brought back to the Anderson residence.'

Looking back on everything from her previous life, Whitney found it all ironic and pathetic.

She thought that by returning to her real family, she could finally have the family love she'd always craved.

She thought she could finally have her own parents and brothers.

So she gave up everything, groveling to every single member of the Anderson family, hoping to finally be accepted.

But in the end, in the Andersons' hearts, there was only a place for Emily.

Emily was the one they'd loved as their real daughter and sister for nineteen whole years.

They'd even go out of their way to humiliate Whitney and treat her like she didn't exist, trying to make Emily feel good.

And every time Emily cooked up some lame scheme to frame her, they'd always back Emily up, scold Whitney for being wrong, and force her to apologize to Emily.

As long as Emily was there, Whitney would always be nothing more than a foil, a stepping stone, a pawn the Andersons used to please Emily.

Just like right now. She was on a reality show called Real Survival.

The whole thing was set up to fulfill Emily's dream of being a star. Chase, the top trending idol who could sing, dance, and rap, was roped in to team up with Emily.

And Whitney was the ultimate sucker, the unlucky scapegoat, shoved in to make Emily look good.

Real Survival was kind of like one of those wild survival shows. It was streamed live for everyone to see.

The contestants were sent to a secluded island, completely cut off from the outside world.

They could exchange whatever supplies they managed to find on the island or complete challenges set by the producers to get what they needed.

Survival shows were never easy, after all. There was always some risk.

Whitney's foot was left bloody and raw because, during a challenge with the other contestants at a steep slope, Emily schemed against her and tried to shove her off.

Whitney caught on to what Emily was up to and dodged instinctively.

But because she dodged, Emily lost her balance and almost tumbled down the slope. So Emily grabbed Chase at the last second.

Whitney didn't care what would happened to Emily, but the thought of Chase getting hurt was something she couldn't stand.

She managed to avoid Emily's trap, but she couldn't escape her own dumb instincts.

In the end, to save Chase, she took the fall herself.

And because Emily got a scrape, Chase totally lost it.

Off-camera, he blew up at Whitney, accusing her of deliberately hurting Emily, and forced her to apologize.

When Whitney refused, Chase even demanded the crew forbid the doctor from treating her injured foot.

He let her bleed and faint from the pain.

Whitney sneered inwardly, 'See? This is the so-called family love I've been chasing after all this time.

'For this so-called family love, I gave up everything, even my pride. Are they even worthy? Absolutely not!'

"What's so funny?" Chase stared at Whitney, whose eyes locked onto him, hollow and deep.

Her gaze was like a vortex in a bottomless pool. It felt as if she was drawing him into it little by little. He couldn't explain it, but a suffocating feeling crept over him.

He was irritated. 'What gives this meek girl the right to look at me like that? Getting gutsy, huh?' he thought.

Whitney lifted her injured foot, the bright red blood had covered her instep, making her foot look pretty disturbing.

"Are you blind?" Whitney's voice was icy. "Can't you see I'm the real victim?"

Chase hadn't expected Whitney to snap back at him. His expression shifted as he glanced at her foot, but he still stubbornly said, "You brought it on yourself."

Whitney let out a cold laugh. "Why don't you get your head on straight before you talk to me? I fell because I pulled you back. Otherwise, you'd be the one lying here. Who are you to say I deserved this?

"And you wouldn't let the crew treat me. That's what people call biting the hand that feeds you."

Chase looked uneasy, a flicker of guilt crossing his face.

He knew well that if Whitney hadn't grabbed him in time, he would've been the one tumbling down the slope.

But he'd always acted like he was above Whitney, and he was used to her groveling and bending over backwards for him.

Even if he was in the wrong, he'd never admit it. "This is payback for you having it out for Emily."

Whitney looked at him with pure sarcasm, like he was a moron.

She didn't waste her breath arguing with Chase.

It was pointless to argue with him about right and wrong. The Andersons would only believe Emily.

"Yeah, I really deserved it," Whitney said.

'In my previous life, I lost my life because of my own choices. Isn't that exactly what I deserved?' Whitney thought. 'I had to chase after the family love I was so desperate for and endure the Andersons' nonstop mind games.

'Though I knew there was never a place for me in the Anderson residence, I still foolishly believed that if I poured out my heart, I could somehow warm theirs.

'I'd been a fool all my life, and that stupidity cost me everything. This time, I won't waste a single hope on the Andersons ever again.'

Chase looked at Whitney.

Her face was utterly expressionless. Her indifference was like still water, calm, cold, and distant. It was directed at Chase, her own brother.

Chase couldn't shake the faint sense of panic in his heart, as if something important was quietly slipping away from his life.

Chase frowned, his tone softening a bit. "Whitney, apologize to Emily, and I'll get someone to treat your foot right away," he said.

Whitney spat, "Get lost."

Chase's face darkened instantly as he said, "Don't take my kindness for granted. If you keep stalling, your foot might end up beyond saving. The Anderson family would never accept a cripple."

Chapter 2 Not Family Anymore

Whitney found Chase amusing, and she almost sneered at her own stupidity in her previous life.

Obviously, Chase knew how much she cared about the Anderson family, which was why he could use it as leverage against her without worrying about her retaliation.

"Doesn't matter," Whitney said, her voice emotionless. "After all, you never treated me as family."

She lifted her gaze, her calm eyes meeting Chase's, which were gradually widening in disbelief.

"In this case, let's not be family anymore," she added.

Chase never expected Whitney to say something like that. His handsome face turned cold in an instant.

To him, Whitney had always been like a pet, always desperate for his approval, hoping he'd look her way.

He couldn't stand the idea of the pet he kept getting out of control.

Chase's voice was thick with anger. "Fine. Don't regret this, and don't come back, begging me to call you my sister again."

He thought, 'Does she think threatening to cut ties would bother me? She's not Emily. She was the one who forced her way into the Anderson residence.

'She's the one who's trying to mess up my family. Does she think acting out like this would get to me? Not a chance.'

"Did you ever treat me like your sister?" Whitney sneered. "You always said your sister would only be Emily."

Chase's face twisted with anger as he said, "Glad you finally get it."

With that, he walked away as he grumbled under his breath, "I must be a fool for coming here, trying to give you a chance to make things right. Since you don't appreciate it, stay here on your own."

He walked into the pouring rain, never once looking back.

In the past, Whitney would've never let Chase get drenched like that. Even limping, she would've dragged herself after him to apologize.

But now, Whitney only scoffed.

In her previous life, she'd spent years degrading herself for him and even thrown her life away.

Now, she only gave him the cold shoulder once, but he couldn't stand it already.

'Well, from now on, he and the rest of the Andersons will have to get used to it,' she thought.

The rain kept pattering outside.

Whitney glanced up at the shabby shelter she found herself in. It was one of the shelters the production crew had set up.

She'd injured her leg trying to save Chase and ended up as the last contestant to make it back, so she had to stay in the shabbiest shelter.

The production team hadn't expected such a heavy downpour, and the shelter couldn't handle it. One corner even collapsed.

They'd planned to find Whitney another place to stay.

But when Chase saw Emily's scraped leg, he lost it and forced Whitney to stay in that rundown shelter as punishment.

Meanwhile, he picked up Emily and headed for the winner's suite: the luxurious spot reserved for first place.

Whitney remembered how, when she tried to hold onto Chase and ended up tumbling down the slope, he didn't hesitate, scooped Emily up in his arms, and walked away.

He did that so he could seize first place and give Emily the winner's comfortable suite.

He acted as if her life meant nothing to him. His indifference was even colder than the pouring rain outside. It chilled her to the bone.

Back when her mind was messed up, Whitney would feel hurt and miserable, but most of all, she'd blame herself for not being good enough, as if it was her fault that Chase hated her so much.

But now, she didn't care about his coldness anymore.

Once she finally let go and saw things for what they were, she felt a weight lift off her shoulders.

But she couldn't afford to ignore her foot.

Without Chase's permission, the production team wouldn't dare risk offending the Andersons or Chase, their VIP, by letting the on-site doctor take a look at her foot.

If she kept waiting, it wouldn't only be about losing too much blood. She might miss the best window for treatment.

She sure as hell didn't want to end up a cripple in this life.

She swung herself down and stood up.

As soon as her foot touched the ground, a ripping pain shot through her, as if it was tearing through her foot and flooding her whole body.

She frowned, but she could grit her teeth and bear it.

Compared to the torture she went through before dying in her previous life, this pain was nothing. Back then, it was thousands of times worse.

Whitney borrowed an umbrella from the crew and stepped into the wild woods.

The crew watched as Whitney, pale as a ghost, left blood wherever she walked, until she disappeared from their sight.

They felt a bit spooked, secretly sighing to themselves, 'This girl is hardcore. So young, but she's absolutely ruthless with herself. Even with injuries like that, she didn't make a peep.

'Meanwhile, Emily, the one Mr. Anderson brought, acted like a tiny scratch was as bad as a broken leg. If the doctor had been any slower, her cut would've healed on its own. That little princess was bawling louder than the rainstorm.

'Even though we've only been filming for two days, Whitney's already impressive. She breezed through every challenge we set up, acting like the wild island was her own backyard. But every time, Emily got all the praise.

'Whitney is a regular contestant with no background. Meanwhile, Emily is the Andersons' little princess, with Chase, the hottest star, always watching her back. That's the difference between the rich and a nobody.'

The crew could only shake their heads in resignation until they suddenly realized Whitney was gone.

It was a wild island. All the cameras were shut off now. She could run into danger or lose her bearings. Everyone started to panic.

*****

Meanwhile, Whitney held her umbrella and trekked through the dense woods, heading to a spot about 1,600 feet away from the shelter the production team had arranged.

Yesterday, while she was out searching for food, she'd noticed a huge field of medicinal herbs in this direction.

This was a wild island. There were plenty of natural treasures growing here.

She quickly found the herbs she needed in the wild.

Ignoring the heavy rain, she crouched down, crushed the herbs, and applied them to her injured foot.

She ground and applied the herbs at the same time.

The umbrella resting on her shoulder began to slide off to the side.

She held the crushed herbs in one hand, pressing them onto her injured foot with the other.

Just as she was about to tilt her head and try to hold the umbrella between her shoulder and neck, a shadow loomed overhead, and a hand caught the umbrella before it could slip away.

Whitney froze, her hands pausing mid-motion as she slowly lifted her head.

A black umbrella was held firmly above her, shielding her from the rain.

She glanced to the side and saw a pair of slender hands.

Those hands took hold of her umbrella, gently lifting it off her shoulder.

Whitney glanced over.

Amid the relentless rain, a tall guy appeared at her side.

He was dressed in a white T-shirt and black pants.

Even in such basic clothes, he still radiated that effortless, aristocratic cool, like he was born to stand out.

His face was sharp and clean-cut, with a cool, almost unreal aura.

No one in the whole entertainment world, or even all of Centlandia, could hold a candle to him.

Whitney knew right away who he was: Ryan Pierce.

He was the true superstar of the entertainment world, with brilliance and honors unmatched anywhere in Centlandia.

And most importantly, he was the heir to the Pierce Group, the leading force in Roynfort's business world, born into the highest echelon of society.

Chapter 3 Her Real Family

Whitney didn't really have much of an impression of this guy.

The reason she could recognize him instantly, besides his jaw-dropping good looks, was that his face was so distinctive.

There was another reason. Ever since Emily met Ryan, she always acted like she had him in the bag.

But Ryan never bought into Emily's act. He never showed her any warmth from start to finish.

Emily ended up in tears more than once because of Ryan.

As for the Anderson family, they wouldn't dare mess with Ryan, who was basically royalty in Roynfort. No matter how much they doted on Emily, there was no way they'd stick their necks out for her and risk ticking Ryan off.

Plus, Ryan's health wasn't great. When he came to the show, he had bodyguards trailing him in the shadows. Every single one of them was a former special forces soldier.

The Andersons wouldn't dare go head-to-head with him.

Emily cried a few times, but in the end, she had to give it up.

Later, probably fed up with Emily constantly pestering him, Ryan left before the show was finished filming. He claimed he was feeling unwell.

Of course, Ryan's early exit pissed off a ton of his fans.

Emily had been throwing herself at Ryan during the livestream, which annoyed Ryan's Fans. As soon as Ryan left, a tidal wave of insults crashed down on her online.

How did the Andersons deal with it in the end?

That was when Whitney, the designated fall guy, got thrown under the bus.

The Andersons didn't give her a heads-up. They paid for a planted story and had someone posing in a staff member's name, claiming Whitney had stripped naked and tried to seduce Ryan off-camera, which made him leave in a rage.

It wasn't hard to guess what would happened next. Whitney was torn apart online.

And the Andersons asked for more, forcing her to swallow all the hate to protect their reputation.

Thinking about it, Whitney's eyes grew cold.

Ryan was a last-minute addition to the show, joining on the second day of filming, which was today.

She'd hurt her leg and passed out, so she hadn't crossed paths with him.

She never expected that the guy everyone said was icy and out of reach, like some kind of deity, would be the one holding an umbrella for her right now.

"Thanks," Whitney said to Ryan.

He replied coldly, "It's okay."

His casual tone, deep and magnetic, felt even more captivating in the endless rain.

Whitney's long lashes quivered softly. She lowered her eyes and silently tended to her injured foot.

Once she'd finished bandaging her foot, Whitney straightened up.

With a handful of wet herbs in one hand, she extended her other hand toward Ryan.

Ryan raised an eyebrow.

"My umbrella," Whitney said.

Ryan's thin lips curved slightly.

For a split second, his aloof, elegant face seemed to light up the whole world.

"My umbrella's big enough," he said.

His deep, husky voice carried a hint of ambiguous amusement. It was as if he'd just discovered an intriguing prey.

If it were anyone else, getting invited by Ryan to share an umbrella would have them over the moon, maybe even passing out from excitement.

But Whitney reached out with a cool expression, took her umbrella back, and walked away without a second glance.

That move made the smile on Ryan's elegant face grow even wider.

His deep, aristocratic gaze lingered on Whitney's back, a subtle ripple of emotion flickering in his eyes.

Whitney could feel his gaze lingering on her, almost burning into her back.

She pressed her lips together, acted like she didn't notice a thing, and kept walking.

'Were all those stories about him fake?' Whitney wondered.

But in her memory, this guy was so icy that the whole crew would get all nervous and respectful around him, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

"You know medicine?" Ryan's deep, husky voice suddenly sounded from behind her.

He had somehow caught up and was now walking behind her.

Maybe it was the rain, but even though they weren't that close, his voice still felt like it was right by her ear.

'This guy is so charming,' Whitney thought.

Whitney replied politely, but with a hint of indifference, "I know a bit."

Whitney picked up the pace.

Even with the herbs numbing the pain, she still limped along, her steps far from steady.

A hand appeared in front of her. It was long and slender, almost luminous in the rain. Each finger was distinct, the joints clear and refined.

Whitney was stunned.

"Need a hand?" Ryan offered, his gaze lingering on her injured foot.

"I can manage," Whitney said.

She dodged his hand and kept limping forward.

As she walked past Ryan, Whitney couldn't help but sneak a sideways glance at him.

His captivating face showed barely any emotion.

She had no idea what he was trying to do.

Anyway, she wanted to keep her distance from him.

Her refusal came as no surprise to Ryan.

His legs carried him after Whitney. "You don't seem like someone who only 'knows a bit,'" he remarked.

Whitney didn't reply, simply lowering her gaze.

She was truly more than "a bit" knowledgeable.

Before she was brought back to the Anderson residence, she'd always stayed by her mentor's side.

Her mentor was a great doctor, renowned far and wide.

During those years, she picked up countless skills from him and even outshone him.

When the Andersons came to bring her home, her mentor gently patted her head and said, "Whitney, you're more gifted than any of my other students.

"No matter what you learn, you pick it up effortlessly. If it weren't for your real family waiting for you, I truly wish you could inherit everything from me."

Thinking of her mentor and the fellow students who always doted on her, Whitney felt her eyes grow hot with emotion. Regret flooded her heart.

For the so-called family, a bunch of losers, she actually walked away from the people who truly loved her, who treated her like family.

In her previous life, she really had shit for brains, like she was cursed or something. She threw away her pride, lost herself, only to chase after a "family."

Her mentor and the fellow students were real family.

Ryan followed Whitney, keeping an appropriate, steady distance.

His gaze lingered on her slim back, and he quietly watched her.

He could sense that a wave of sadness washed over her.

He followed Whitney all the way to the shelter.

Whitney closed her umbrella and realized Ryan was still behind her. "It's pouring. Shouldn't you be in your own cabin? Why are you still following me?"

Ryan was the reigning superstar backed by the Pierce family in Roynfort, and he'd only landed on the wild island today.

He didn't have to compete in any challenges or pick a room like everyone else.

He got his own private room right when he arrived.

'Why would he leave his own solid, weatherproof cabin with all the comforts to hang out in my rundown shack?' Whitney wondered.

Ryan glanced up at the roof, which was still dripping with rain. "I can help you."

Whitney knew what he was getting at.

If he said the word, she wouldn't have to tough it out in this miserable, leaky shack anymore.

She'd have a professional doctor take care of her foot, and she wouldn't have to give a damn about what the Andersons thought.

Chapter 4 Only You Can Cure Me

Whitney said, "I don't need anything."

She slowly lifted her gaze. Her deep eyes now flickering with a hint of mesmerizing brilliance.

That light was so unwavering that anyone who met her eyes would trust her.

"A bet's a bet. I'll accept the outcome," she said, her voice cool. "I lost this time, so I'll follow the rules."

She paused, the light in her eyes growing even stronger. "But I won't lose again." That was her promise.

Ryan met her gaze. He could sense the fierce determination radiating from her.

He wasn't the type to meddle in other people's business.

If he hadn't had his own reasons, he never would've set foot on this wild island or bothered with this boring reality show.

But now, he was actually glad he came.

He remembered watching her step into the pouring rain, walking through pools of blood. The scene was truly striking.

Her silhouette looked so slender and gentle.

Yet, he could sense an incredible strength in her.

It was as if no matter what hardships she faced, nothing could break her unyielding spirit.

That unwavering resolve reminded him of a moment from his own memories.

By instinct, he followed her, shielded her from the rain with his umbrella, and wanted to help.

He'd never felt this kind of impulse before or acted like this.

It felt like some mysterious force was drawing him to her.

Whitney narrowed her eyes, giving Ryan a puzzled look.

'His stare is getting stranger by the second,' she thought.

Honestly, "strange" was the only word for it.

From what Whitney remembered, he ignored Emily every time, and she wasn't on his radar either.

From the moment he joined the show until he left, he and Whitney hadn't exchanged a single word.

'So why is this famously cold, ascetic guy suddenly trailing after me? What's he up to?' Whitney mused.

Whitney felt a bit helpless. She pressed her lips together before saying, "Mr. Pierce, thanks for your kindness."

Her chilly tone was a subtle way of telling him to back off.

But Ryan smiled. "Actually, I need your help."

"You need my help?" Whitney pointed at him and then at herself, her tone full of disbelief.

When Ryan nodded, she couldn't help but laugh. "Me? A nobody? What could I possibly do for you?"

Whitney purposely used the word "nobody" to highlight the gap between them, making it clear she wasn't in any position to help him.

Ryan said, "I'm sick."

"What?" Whitney stared at him, clearly confused.

Ryan looked dead serious. "I'm sick, and I need you to cure me."

Whitney was speechless. Then, she finally gave Ryan's ridiculously handsome face a proper look.

And immediately, she noticed something off. There were dark, grayish shadows under his eyes, like he was haunted by death itself.

Looking closer, his whole face and even the corners of his lips had this faint, bluish-white pallor. Something was indeed off.

"I've been sick ever since I was born. I tried every specialist I could find, but none of them could help me," Ryan said slowly.

Whitney rubbed her chin, thinking.

'So Ryan really is sick. That whole delicate, fragile beauty vibe isn't just an act. It's actually true,' she thought.

"With your background and status, getting a top doctor, even Davis Russell, the president of the Medical Association, to treat you should be no problem," Whitney said.

She couldn't believe that, with all the power Ryan had behind him, he'd come to her for help because she could identify a few herbs. That was absurd.

Ryan's perfectly sculpted brows lifted with a hint of a smile, and his gaze on Whitney became even deeper.

He chuckled softly. "I've already been to see Davis. He told me himself that he couldn't help."

Whitney was a bit surprised.

She knew full well what Davis was capable of.

If even that old man couldn't do anything, then Ryan's illness must be really tough.

But Whitney didn't agree right away. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "If even Davis, the top doctor in the country, can't help you, what makes you think I can?"

Ryan said, "Just a gut feeling."

Whitney was speechless. 'Honestly, his gut feeling is spot on,' she thought.

"I'm going to rest now," Whitney said, turning away. She clearly had no intention of talking to Ryan anymore. She was dismissing him without hesitation.

Ryan wasn't in any rush for an answer. He nodded slightly. "Go ahead and rest."

But he still didn't move.

Whitney ignored him.

'If he's so sick, why's he sitting out here in the cold? If things get worse, that's on him,' Whitney thought.

She settled herself in a dry corner of the shelter, away from the dripping rain, and slowly closed her eyes.

Meanwhile, Ryan watched Whitney intently. Her face, even smudged with dirt, still radiated a striking, vibrant confidence.

His thin lips quirked into a slow, subtle smile.

With one hand in his pocket, he looked up, gazing at the relentless downpour overhead.

He remembered what Davis had told him. "There's only one person in this world who might be able to cure you: my mentor."

Ryan had no idea who Davis's mentor was. Davis wouldn't say a word about his mentor.

He had to rely on the Pierce family's secret network to get a tip: Davis's mentor would be showing up on this wild island. That was why he ended up here.

He couldn't keep dragging it out. His health was getting worse.

*****

Night fell, and suddenly, a burst of noise broke the silence.

Whitney opened her eyes and saw the area ahead lit up, with people bustling around.

They were all crew members from the show.

The rain had stopped at some point.

"You're awake?" Suddenly, a clear and mellow voice came from right beside her ear.

Startled, Whitney instinctively swung her fist toward the source of the voice.

But her fist didn't hit anything. Instead, a long, elegant hand firmly caught it mid-air.

Ryan was somehow sitting next to her, side by side.

They were very close. Whitney could even catch a whiff of his scent: a subtle, cedar-like fragrance that was cool and distant.

'Why is he still here?' Whitney thought. 'I actually slept so soundly in front of a total stranger?

'I didn't even notice when he got this close. When did my guard get so low?'

Whitney gave her hand a tug to free herself from his grasp.

Ryan released her wrist as soon as she pulled away. "The rain's stopped. The crew was about to start shooting again."

Whitney pulled her hand back, stood up, and stepped away from him. "Why are you still here?"

Ryan didn't answer. Instead, he looked down at her feet.

Her injured foot had already stopped bleeding, and it didn't hurt anymore.

She'd stepped away from Ryan just fine.

Whitney glanced at her foot, already knowing what Ryan was thinking. "My injury isn't serious," she said.

'So it's no surprise a few herbs did the trick,' she thought. 'Stop looking at me like I'm some genius doctor. Even if you see me as one, I'm not going to treat you.'

Whitney carefully moved her foot, testing the injury.

She could walk just fine, but if she overdid it, the wound would still sting.

It would take at least two days for her to fully heal.

This wild island survival show made her burn through a ton of energy every day.

And there were plenty of dangerous missions to tackle, too.

Whitney couldn't help but wonder if her foot would actually hold up through all of it.

Chapter 5 Emily Pulls Her Old Trick Again

Just then, a staff member walked over, heading straight for Ryan. "Mr. Pierce," he said.

He called out to Ryan, but his eyes flicked over to Whitney.

Ryan lifted his eyelids slightly, his expression calm.

The staff member said, "We're about to start filming. Mr. Pierce, would you like to head back to your room for now?"

Ryan had arrived while the show was on a break. His presence hadn't been officially announced yet.

So he wasn't supposed to appear on the livestream alongside Whitney, who was a regular participant, especially considering she was already infamous from day one.

"No need," Ryan replied, looking indifferent.

The staff member didn't press further. As he left, he couldn't help but glance at Whitney again.

He thought, 'She's so lucky. She actually scored a backer like Ryan. Being seen on camera with Ryan is like winning the lottery. She's going to be famous.

'All the hate she's gotten these past few days on the livestream is about to disappear because of Ryan.'

Whitney was confused, thinking, 'He's a superstar. Why does he keep following a nobody like me?'

Since Ryan stubbornly refused to leave, the production team had no choice but to keep Whitney's livestream off for now.

They decided to wait until the show was back on, stir up some buzz, and then unleash Ryan, the superstar and traffic generator.

Whitney looked at Ryan, her expression deadpan. "So if I don't agree to treat you, are you going to keep sticking to me like glue?"

The dazzling lights wrapped Ryan's tall figure in a subtle golden aura.

His face, already otherworldly, now seemed even cooler and more distant, like that of a celestial being.

When his thin lips curled into a smile, his sculpted brows and eyes lit up with charm. "Miss Harrington, do you not like me?"

Whitney was speechless. 'Isn't that obvious? Honestly, if he didn't have that face, this would totally count as harassment.'

"What can I do?" Ryan's gaze lowered, a touch of quiet allure shimmering at the corners of his eyes. "I value my life, and it's rare to meet someone who might save it. To stay alive, I'll have to shamelessly stick to you."

Whitney shot back, "Do your fans know you're this shameless?"

'Turns out, all that hype about being aloof and untouchable on camera is an act,' Whitney thought.

"Whitney!" Suddenly, a soft and sweet voice rang out from not far away.

The tone was laced with worry and urgency.

But when Whitney looked up, she saw a girl in a white dress, gentle and graceful, nestled limply in Chase's arms.

Chase was supporting her, helping her take tiny steps toward Whitney's booth.

She was moving so slowly that even a snail would have left her in the dust.

Her eyes would get teary after a few steps.

Chase was so worried that he kept wanting to carry her, but she refused every time with surprising determination.

Whitney's eyes suddenly narrowed. Her hands at her sides subconsciously tensed up a bit.

Here came Emily, the girl who had took over her whole life, stole her family, and in the end, taken her life.

Emily would never let slip any opportunity to make Whitney look bad in front of the Andersons.

The stream had barely resumed, and she couldn't wait to show up and start her drama of "caring brother, devoted sister."

She was deliberately making Chase look worried about her to get under Whitney's skin, so Whitney would lose it in front of the cameras.

Emily was always pulling this trick in Whitney's previous life.

Seeing this scene would have broken Whitney's heart. But now, she was totally over the Andersons. She didn't expect anything from them, didn't feel a thing, and kind of wanted to laugh.

Watching Emily put on that pathetic act, she thought, 'Only the Andersons would buy this crap.'

"Whitney, who are you hanging out with? You two look pretty cozy when you whispered in each other's ear. Careful, the livestream's about to start. You don't want to get caught on camera," Emily said.

From afar, she caught sight of Whitney and a guy glued together by the booth.

She snuggled into Chase's arms, trying to hide the excitement and the grin that she could barely hold back in her eyes.

Even her usual slow, unsteady steps sped up.

She purposely raised her voice, acting like she was being thoughtful and giving Whitney a friendly warning.

But she had two camera crews following right behind her. One was her own, and the other was Chase's.

In other words, both of their livestreams were up and running.

With that shout, she was basically making a scene for everyone to see.

The production team wasn't about to miss out on all that buzz.

And just like that, the camera crew trailing behind Emily turned their cameras on Whitney.

As Emily got closer and finally saw who Whitney was cozying up to, her sweet, innocent mask shattered in an instant.

"M-Mr. Pierce..." Emily's eyes widened. She was so stunned that she could barely get a word out.

'Ryan? How could he be here? Why is he with Whitney? Of all people, it has to be him!' Emily thought.

She thought about Ryan's top-tier status in the entertainment world and how his family was on a different level compared to the Andersons. It was enough to make Emily's delicate frame, still curled up in Chase's arms, tremble.

Right then, the viewers in Emily's livestream completely lost their minds when Ryan's icy figure appeared on screen.

Their shock was every bit as intense as Emily's.

[Damn! It's Ryan. The Real Survival team is legendary. They actually managed to bring in Ryan.]

[I knew there was going to be a surprise guest, but I never imagined it would be this epic.]

[Help! I'm so hyped that I can barely breathe.]

In just a few seconds, the news that Ryan showed up on Real Survival took over social media.

And thanks to Ryan, Whitney, who was right there beside him, blew up online too.

It was all because Emily yelled out like that.

[Who's that woman next to Ryan? Are they getting all cozy? Are they whispering in each other's ear?]

[Ryan's never had a woman by his side. This is literally the first time.]

[@Jamie, I need all information you can find about her, ASAP.]

The chat was buzzing with curiosity about Whitney's identity.

No catfights or hate. Nobody was trashing Whitney.

Emily finally snapped out of her shock. When she remembered what she'd just said, resentment burned in her chest, and her fists balled tightly.

If Emily had known the man Whitney was getting close to was Ryan, she would've never let them share the same frame.

'The only woman who deserves to stand next to Ryan is me, and me alone!' she thought.

The moment that anonymous message appeared on her phone, she decided to bury her husband herself.

My husband slid the wedding ring off my finger and onto my sister's—on stage, at our fifth anniversary gala, in front of four hundred guests—and called her "the woman I should have married," while the execution order for his unpaid debts sat unsigned in my purse, because the only reason Vincent Castellano still had a heartbeat was that I had loved him.

He'd been stealing from me for two years.

He didn't know that.

He didn't know anything about me at all.

"Everyone, I have an announcement." Vincent gripped the microphone, his movie-star smile blazing under the chandeliers. "Tonight is supposed to celebrate five years of marriage. But I believe in honesty."

Four hundred faces turned toward the stage. Judges. Developers. City councilmen. Half the power brokers on the eastern seaboard.

"The truth is—I've found my real partner. In life and in love." He extended his hand toward the side of the stage. "Sofia, come up here."

Sofia.

My younger sister. Twenty-four years old. The girl I'd raised after our parents died—fed, clothed, put through college with money I earned in ways she'd never understand.

She climbed the stairs in a red dress I'd bought her last Christmas. Her smile was rehearsed. Triumphant.

"Sofia and I have been together for over a year," Vincent said, pulling her against him. "I know this is unconventional. But when you find the one—you know."

A year. Twelve months of her living in my guest house, crying about being lonely, while she was in my husband's bed.

"Elena and I will divorce," Vincent continued, casual as a property closing. "She'll be taken care of. She's a sweet woman. She's just… too boring. Too plain. Too quiet. Sofia is—" He laughed. "Sofia is everything Elena isn't."

Too boring. Too plain. Too quiet.

The words landed like bullets.

Sofia leaned into the microphone. "Elena, I hope you don't hate me. I never planned this. It just… happened."

She gave me that smile. The same one she wore when she "borrowed" my car and wrecked it. When she maxed out the credit card I gave her "for emergencies." When she hugged me last Thanksgiving whispering you're the best sister in the world while her perfume still smelled like my husband's cologne.

The room waited.

I set down my champagne. Smoothed my dress. Walked toward the exit.

"Elena, don't make this dramatic—" Vincent called.

I stopped at the door. Turned.

"You said I was too boring." My voice carried across the silent ballroom. "Remember that, Vincent. Remember you said that."

His face flickered. Annoyance. Dismissal.

I walked out.

In the parking garage, my phone buzzed.

A message from a number that existed on no network, routed through no server, traceable by no agency on earth.

Regina. We have a problem. Castellano has been skimming from Russo Holdings. $200 million. The families are asking questions. We need you. Tonight. —Marco

I stared at the screen.

The world knew me as Elena Castellano—quiet, obedient, invisible wife.

No one knew I was La Regina—the anonymous leader of the Russo Syndicate, the most powerful criminal empire on the eastern seaboard.

My organization controlled shipping ports, construction contracts, judicial appointments, and the land beneath every skyscraper Vincent had ever built.

His entire empire existed because I allowed it.

And he had just humiliated me in front of four hundred people while stealing my money to fund my sister's jewelry.

I dialed Marco.

"I'm coming in. Pull every file we have on Vincent's accounts."

"What are we doing, Regina?"

"What I should have done two years ago." I started the engine. "Burying him."