Chapter 1

Beside the trash cans at the hotel’s rear exit, Seraphina Vance pressed the last of her cigarette against the wall until it went out.

Red wine dripped from the tips of her hair into her collar, leaving her in a state of utter humiliation.

Three hours ago, in the most secluded booth of this very bar, she had overheard Xavier Sterling’s circle of friends laughing over their raised glasses.

"Seraphina Vance? Isn't she just the pawn Xavier kept around to take the heat for Sienna?"

"Once Sienna officially enters the Vance family, that imposter better pack her bags and get lost."

Now, the very people who had said those words were surrounding her, clutching half-empty bottles of wine.

"Oh, Miss Vance—wait, I should say Former Miss Vance."

The woman leading them laughed so hard her whole body shook. "How does it feel to be tossed out like trash after Xavier got bored of playing with you?"

Seraphina slowly lifted her eyelids.

In the next heartbeat, she lunged forward, grabbing the woman’s wrist and twisting it back with a violent snap.

The wine bottle shattered against the ground, shards flying everywhere.

Before a scream could even escape, Seraphina had grabbed the woman by her hair and slammed her face hard onto the damp lid of the trash can.

"Three years ago, when your father begged me to spare your family’s company..."

Her voice was as cold as forged ice. "You cried exactly like this. Did you forget?"

The other two stood frozen, not daring to step forward.

Seraphina let go, wiping her fingertips on the woman’s expensive dress.

As she turned, she saw a figure standing in the shadows of the alleyway.

Xavier Sterling stood there in a sharp black suit, his silhouette tall and imposing, yet the look in his eyes suggested he was staring at a stain that needed to be scrubbed away.

"Had enough of this drama?"

He walked over and gripped her wrist. "Come back with me."

"Back for what?"

Seraphina wrenched her hand away and let out a sharp laugh. "To go back to being your plaything? To let your precious Sienna walk all over me as she enters the Vance estate?"

Xavier’s brow furrowed deeply. "What kind of madness is this now?"

"Madness?"

Seraphina pulled the diamond ring he had "forgotten" to take this morning from her bag and hurled it directly at his face.

"Xavier Sterling, that ring in your pocket engraved with 'SYN'—that’s for Sienna, isn't it?"

Her voice began to tremble, yet she kept her head held high. "Three years ago, when I was drugged, you 'saved' me. You said you would protect me, told me to trust you... and I did."

She took a step forward, nearly pressing against his chest.

"But now I know that even the DNA test that kicked me out of the Vance family was forged by your own hands!"

Xavier’s pupils contracted sharply.

His Adam's apple bobbed several times before he finally uttered four words: "What if it was?"

As he spoke, he actually raised his hand, attempting to brush a stray lock of hair from her face, just as he had done countless times over the last three years.

Seraphina swung her arm and slapped his hand away.

"So, in these three years, was there ever a single second where you actually felt something for me?"

She knew she shouldn't ask.

But she wasn't reconciled. This was her last, pathetic shred of hope.

Perhaps the warmth of those late-night embraces had been real; perhaps his occasional lapses in concentration weren't just an act; perhaps...

Xavier remained silent for a long time.

Long enough for a car’s headlights to sweep across the alley, illuminating the frozen wasteland within his eyes.

"No," he finally spat out. "From the very beginning, the only one I’ve ever loved is Sienna."

"You were nothing more than the most convenient pawn in my game."

Seraphina nodded slowly.

Then, with every ounce of strength left in her body, she swung her palm across his face.

The slap echoed with a sharp, stinging crack.

Xavier’s head snapped to the side. When he turned back, a surge of raw violence flickered in his eyes.

He lunged, pinning her against the wall by her throat. "Seraphina Vance, you’re looking for a death wish—"

"Then kill me."

She smiled, her eyes burning red. "Because if I walk away from this, the first person I’m going to destroy is your precious Sienna."

His fingers tightened, but he abruptly let go the moment he saw the glint of tears in the corner of her eyes.

Seraphina slid down the wall to the ground, gasping for air, her gaze filled with bloodshot fury.

"Xavier Sterling, you played with my heart and destroyed my reputation. I’m marking this debt down!"

She braced herself against the wall and stood up slowly, word by word. "I’ll just consider these last three years as time spent being bitten by a dog."

"But remember this—"

"Everything you owe me, I will take back. With interest. Every single bit of it."

"Take it back?"

Xavier acted as though he had heard a joke. "Why do you think that DNA test was accepted by the Vance family so easily?"

"It was because from start to finish, nobody actually cared about you!"

His tone was absolute. "Seraphina, you have no money and no power. How exactly are you going to take anything back?"

"You’d be better off behaving yourself. Considering you’ve shared my bed for three years, I’m not opposed to giving you some compensation."

A loud ringing filled Seraphina’s head.

A chill surged up from the soles of her feet, instantly freezing her to the core.

He was right. Her biological mother had died young, and her father had married her stepmother for profit.

Once the stepmother had her own child, there was no room left for Seraphina. Her father’s heart was occupied by his "white moonlight" from a poor background; he had never shown anything but indifference toward the daughter of his deceased wife.

She had lived on thin ice in the Vance household, walking with extreme caution until she met Xavier.

She thought she had finally found a piece of driftwood to keep her afloat, never imagining that the wood was merely bait designed to drag her into the abyss.

Now, all her past grievances and her reliance on him had become the very chips he used to gamble against her.

He was certain no one cared for her.

He was certain no one would seek justice for her.

She dug her nails into her palms until the sharp pain cleared her mind.

"Even if it means we both burn, I will drag you all down with me!"

Without another look at Xavier, she turned and walked toward the end of the alley.

Just a few steps out, headlights cut through the dark.

A black sedan pulled up slowly in front of her.

The window rolled down, revealing a face of aristocratic elegance.

The woman held out a document, her voice as calm as a still lake.

"Get in."

"Let's make a deal."

Chapter 2

Seraphina didn't move. She merely looked at Margaret Vance inside the car and curled her lip.

"What are you doing here?"

Margaret’s critical gaze swept over Seraphina’s soaked collar, her disheveled hair, and finally settled on the wine stain on her cheek. She let out a scoff.

"Without the title of the Vance family’s Eldest Daughter, you’ve reduced yourself to this?"

Seraphina frowned, but before she could speak, Margaret pushed the folder further toward her.

"I did raise you for all these years. It’s time you repaid the family."

"The Thorne family is looking to partner with the government for the South Haven district development. They only have one condition—that the second son of the Thorne family, the one with the crippled legs, gets a wife to his liking."

"The moment you agree to marry him, the Thornes will sign the contract."

"As compensation," Margaret tapped the folder with her finger, "this is an asset transfer agreement worth fifty million. Sign it, and the money is yours."

Seraphina stared at the document and suddenly began to laugh under her breath.

"Fifty million?" She looked up, her eyes cold. "Are you handing out scraps to a beggar?"

Margaret’s expression darkened. "How much more do you want?"

"I want half of the Vance family’s entire estate!"

"Seraphina Vance!" Margaret’s voice rose sharply. "You are an outsider! You don't deserve—"

"Why don't I?"

Seraphina interrupted her, her voice quiet but every word distinct.

"Legally, I am my father’s legitimate daughter, the lawful heir to the Vance fortune. You want me to trade my marriage for the family’s profit, yet you only deign to offer me this pocket change—"

She paused, suddenly flashing her phone screen.

A few thumbnails of photos were visible.

"In that case, I might as well be generous and give the media a free scoop: news of how you and my father have both raised illegitimate children in secret while maintaining a sham of a marriage for years."