Chapter 1 Chapter 1

The night was as black as ink. A gut-wrenching scream came from the warehouse at the backyard of the Daugherty mansion. Adina Daugherty’s face was pale, and her cracked lips bloodless. She suffered a contraction, and blood gushed out of her private parts. She had just been pregnant for eight months, so why did she feel like she was about to give birth… Was she going into preterm labor? It was extremely dangerous to give birth when she was only pregnant for eight months… The moment that thought entered her mind, she didn’t waste a single second more and crawled to the door on all four, then slammed her fists against it. “Mr. Granger, I’m about to give birth. Please send me to the hospital. I’m begging you…” A man in his forties sat outside the door while smoking. “Miss Adina, you don’t even know who the father of your children is,” he said coldly. “Do you think the master and madam will send you to the hospital so that everyone could see how much of an embarrassment you are? Just stop causing a ruckus and stay quietly inside!” Adina started weeping uncontrollably. Eight months ago, reporters caught illicit pictures of her in a hotel, and she became the biggest laughing stock in the city. Then, she discovered that she was pregnant. Her father found her an embarrassment to him and tried to force her to abort the babies, but before the operation she suddenly jumped off the operating table and fled. She would rather die than abort her babies. After that, her father ordered the servants to lock her in the warehouse, where she had to stay all by herself. She was locked up for eight months and didn’t get to step out even once during that time. “Mr. Granger, I’m begging you. Please save my children, or they’ll die… Please, help me…” Searing pain surged through Adina’s abdomen, and her pleas grew weaker. But the man in front of the door acted as if he did not hear her. He continued to smoke in a relaxed manner. Blood continued rushing out of Adina’s private area, and her dress became drenched. She was now sitting in a pool of her own blood. In despair, she grabbed the door handle and started throwing herself at the door. She could not let her babies die in her womb! She refused to! “Are you mad?! What are you doing?!” Mr. Granger opened the door in anger and annoyance. He ignored the blood and grabbed Adina by the hair to drag her deeper into the warehouse and away from the door. But then… “What’s going on?” a cool voice asked from nearby. Mr. Granger’s hand froze in the air. He turned around and greeted the woman respectfully, “Miss Dew.” Adina looked up and saw the woman walk into the warehouse. It was Dew Daugherty, her sister! They had grown up together and were really close to each other. Adina latched onto her like a drowning man onto a floating log. “Dew, please, help me. Save my babies…” Dew sneered at her and said coolly, “Mr. Granger, this is the eldest daughter of the Daugherty family. How could you drag her around like a dying dog?” Mr. Granger immediately understood what she meant and said even more respectfully, “Miss Dew, I didn’t cross any boundaries. Miss Adina just didn’t know what’s good for her and wanted to run to the hospital. If any outsiders learned that she’s pregnant with bastards, it would ruin the Daugherty family’s reputation. I was only doing it for the family.”“Not bad,” Dew praised him. “I’ll tell my father to increase your wages later.” She turned around, and her gaze landed on Adina’s stomach. “Your babies sure cling to life like cockroaches. When Father told you to abort them, you insisted on keeping them despite being told that the Daugherty family won’t take care of them. If they survive, we’ll have to consider them having unrivaled tenaciousness. But it’d be so much better if they just died. The Daugherty family would then get to retain its spotless reputation.”“No, my children cannot die…” Adina could sense Dew’s hostility, and she crawled back while covering her abdomen. She was bloody all over, and her dress was drenched as well. Even her hair and face were covered in blood and sweat. Her lips were so dry that they had cracked open, and it looked like she was crying tears of blood. Those who didn’t know the whole story would think that she had crawled out of a garbage dump. Dew laughed at the sight of the most beautiful woman of Sea City being reduced to this state. “Adina, do you know why you slept with a man eight months ago?” She bent down and sneered mockingly. “It’s because I made arrangements for that.”“What?!” Adina was stunned. At the same time, she experienced another contraction, and more blood gushed out. Dew smiled in satisfaction. “You were always the princess of the Daugherty family. You had half of the Daugherty Corporation’s shares, and on your eighteenth birthday, you became the heiress of the Daugherty family. Do you have any idea just how jealous I was? If you’re so pure that you stand above everyone else, then I will turn you into a whore who sleeps with everyone!”“Y-You!” Adina was in disbelief. She had considered countless possibilities, but not once did she think that her beloved sister could be the person who had planned that event, which ruined her life. “In the eight months you’ve been locked here, I became the new heiress of the Daugherty family. Adina, from now on, you’re only the woman with the worst reputation in Sea City. You’re a whore who gave birth to b*stards, who’ll never even know who their father is! Your life is ruined! Hahaha!” Great pain surged through Adina’s stomach as she listened to her shocking words, and she felt as if her private region had torn apart. She was in so much pain that she nearly fainted. “Aaaaahhhh!” A scream tore through her throat, and she fell on the floor. Her pale face stared at the ceiling, and she opened her legs instinctively. Waves of blood gushed out from her private region. Something pushed at the area between her legs, and she felt as if she had been torn into several pieces. It felt like centuries passed by, but in truth, only some time went by when, suddenly, the cries of babies rang out in the warehouse.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Adina drew a sharp breath from the pain. She looked down and lifted her blood-soaked dress. Then, she saw two babies. They were covered in blood, and they clenched their fists as they wailed. They were her children, twins. Before Adina could rejoice, they suddenly stopped crying. Their faces turned black and blue. “Don’t be scared. Mommy’s here…” Her heart clenched as she crawled over. She extended her hand toward her children to gather them up, but Dew stepped on the back of her hand. “You’re amazing, Adina. I can’t believe you gave birth to twins.” Dew stared at the children coldly. “But unfortunately, your b*stards didn’t get to live long. They only survived for a few seconds.”“Shut up! My babies aren’t dead!” Adina’s heart ached at the sight before her. She reached out once more to hug her babies, touch their faces, and pat their butts. But before she could touch their soft bodies, a maid walked over and grabbed the two children from the floor with an aloof expression on her face. “Miss Dew, what am I supposed to do with the dead infants?” Dew did not care about the two babies’ survival. If they died, she would get to see Adina’s face painted in grief, which would give her a lot of joy. But even if the two babies survived, it would be just as good. Adina would never be able to rise to power again if she had to take care of two bstard children. Dew’s gaze landed on the two babies, and she froze. The twins looked exactly the same. Since their mother had suffered from malnutrition, their faces were thin, and their bodies skeletal, but the lines of their faces were clear. Their little faces reminded her of Duke Winters, the demon who could do whatever he wanted in Sea City. Then, she remembered something. The day after she set up Adina, the Winters family had started searching for a woman all over the city. Could it be that Adina had a one-night-stand with Duke Winters? My God… Dew’s eyes went wide in shock, and she could not say a single word for a while. “Dew, we’re sisters. Please send them to the hospital. They’re not dead yet. They’re alive… The doctor will definitely save them!” Adina grabbed the hem of Dew’s dress and begged her to save her children. “I’ll do whatever you want. As long as you save my children, I’ll give you the shares and won’t fight you for the status of the Daugherty family’s heiress…” Dew snapped out of her thoughts, raised her leg, and kicked Adina away. “Your bstards are dead. No hospital can revive the dead,” she said coldly. “Bring them out and bury them somewhere.”“No!” Panic flooded Adina’s mind, and she crawled to the maid. But Dew kicked her away once more. “Adina, you just gave birth to twins, so you should rest. Look at you, you’re still bleeding. Father won’t send you to the hospital if you lose too much blood. Do take care of yourself.” After saying that, Dew left the warehouse with the maid and shut the door behind herself. “No! Dew! Dew Daugherty, don’t do this! Give me back my babies!” Adina grabbed the metal bars of the door and screamed in rage. Her bloodshot eyes were filled with grief. Then, hatred like she’d never felt before rose in her cold eyes. If her children died, then Dew would be their murderer! Her gaze was so fierce that Dew shivered when she saw it. Animals who lost their cubs always took revenge. So, if Adina survived, Dew would have to face a powerful enemy… Adina still had the shares of the Daugherty Corporation in her hands, after all. She might also end up working together with Duke Winters, which might ruin all of Dew’s plans… Dew turned to the guard coldly. “Mr. Granger, we will have an important guest visiting us in a few days. Just serve the guests. There’s no reason to waste time standing guard here anymore.” ‘Hah! ‘Your children died right after being born, so now your body is weak from childbirth and your mind is weak from the heavy mental blow. You’re probably going to go through another major loss of blood because of it. ‘And there’s only one outcome for those who lose too much blood, and that’s death! ‘I didn’t want to kill you, Adina, but you just had to sleep with the most powerful man in Sea City… ‘l have to kill you now.’ Dew picked up the lock and locked the metal door. Right when she started walking away, the maid returned. “Miss Dew, the two b*stards aren’t dead yet. They’re crying again! Should we still bury them?” Dew froze up. ‘Her b*stards sure are tenacious. I’m surprised they’re still alive… ‘But if they’re Duke Winters’s children, then they’re the only grandchildren of the Winters family… ‘And as their mother, Adina is the most important woman in Sea City… ‘No, Adina cannot be allowed to live! I must do something!’ Dew took the two dying twins and said coldly, “Don’t tell anyone about what happened tonight.” The maid nodded. Meanwhile, the smell of blood in the warehouse grew stronger…

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

While lying on the blood-drenched floor, Adina did not even have the time to grieve for her twins since the pain of another contraction crashed into her. She was all too familiar with this pain by then. It had come right before she gave birth to the twins earlier. She touched her abdomen, but didn’t sense anything strange. Could it be… that she hadn’t yet given birth to all the children? Adina’s eyes went wide. She did not dare to delay anymore and pushed again, which made blood gush out of her body. Pain flooded her body, as if she was being torn apart, but determination kept her conscious. Otherwise, she would have fainted a long time ago. But Adina knew that she could not faint. If she did, her babies would die of asphyxiation. She bit the tip of her tongue and drew blood. That was the only way she could remain awake. “Waaaahhhh…” Faint cries rose in the air. Adina’s tears mixed with blood as they slid down her face. Her eyes lit up, and with great effort, she pushed herself up to take a look. Two babies! She actually gave birth to quadruplets! It was no wonder her stomach had been so big! And it was no wonder that her appetite had grown so much! So, she had been carrying four babies all along? God had blessed her with four children… But her first two babies were gone… If Dew had delivered them to the hospital, there was no doubt that they would have survived. Adina had never hated the sister she loved for years as much as she did at the moment. When she was locked in the warehouse for eight months, she thought she deserved it, because she had become the embarrassment of her family. But it was only at this moment that she knew that it was all actually the set up of her sister. Dew had done something so incomprehensible just to steal the position of the heiress of the Daugherty family. Adina would not spare the Daugherty family, who let it happen… She forced herself to crawl to her babies. They were a boy and a girl. The two babies were covered in blood, but it could not hide their beautiful eyes. They were her babies, and Adina swore to protect them with all she had. She carefully hugged them to her chest. Soon though, she noticed that the warehouse was getting uncomfortably warm. She looked around and saw the entrance up in flames. Flames mercilessly charged through the gaps in the metal door and surged into the warehouse. There was furniture near the entrance, and it was on fire in a few moments. “No… Someone! The warehouse is on fire! Help!” Adina struck the door in a frenzy. But no one came to help. It took her a moment to understand what was going on. Someone had set the warehouse on fire! Dew had indirectly killed her first two children, and she wanted to kill her, too, because most of Daugherty Corporation’s shares were still in her hands. As long as Adina was alive, she would be the greatest shareholder of Daugherty Corporation and threaten Dew’s heiress position. Hence, she had to die. The situation was great for it, too. If Adina burned alive in a warehouse after being unable to escape due to major blood loss from childbirth, no one would question it. Adina was forced into a corner because of the fire. Her babies sucked on their thumbs while they lay in her arms, completely unaware of the looming danger. “I won’t let any harm come to you, my dears…” Adina narrowed her eyes and looked at the window; it was two meters up. …… The Daugherty family’s warehouse went down in flames in the middle of the night. There were a lot of flammable items in the warehouse, so with the help of the wind outside, the flames quickly ate up the whole building. Firefighters were called right away, but the fire grew quickly, and it spread so fast that half of the mansion was affected. The damages it caused reached hundreds of millions. The firefighters only managed to put out the fire at dawn. A servant went to the master of the house and reported the situation. “Master, the firefighters have cleaned up the area, and they said that someone had started the fire intentionally.” Aaron Daugherty, the master of the family, slammed his fist on the table. “Someone set us on fire? Who would dare to do that?! How brave of them! Find out who it was!” Dew was standing next to her father, and a thought sprung into her head at that moment. She whispered, “Father, this isn’t the time to look for the perpetrator. We should first check if anyone is injured. We have dozens of people in the mansion, and if anyone died in the fire…” The servant shook his head. “The fire started from the warehouse. It was empty at the time, so we have no casualties.” ‘What?! No one died?!’ Dew’s eyes went wide in shock. ‘Adina was in the warehouse! And I locked the door! That fire should have burnt her to death! ‘How could that witch’s body not be there? ‘If she ran away, then my plans will be ruined.’ She sucked in a deep breath and said slowly, “Father, Adina was locked in the warehouse. She went into labor all of a sudden yesterday and begged me to send her to the hospital, but I didn’t agree… Did she fly into a rage and set the place on fire?”“How could I have given birth to a black sheep?! Search for her and bring her back!” Aaron’s face was alight with fury. The flames had consumed furniture and other household items worth hundreds of millions, and also left one billion dollars in liquidated damage. If it were not for the fact that the Daugherty family had a lot of money, they might have gone bankrupt on the spot. At that moment, another servant came into the room in a hurry and said, “Master, we discovered a woman’s corpse in the lake a thousand meters away from the manor. We believe it’s Miss Adina…”“She jumped into the lake and committed suicide because she couldn’t accept her fate? It’s all my fault…” Dew sucked in a deep breath, and tears slid down her face. “She gave birth to two babies last night, but now, they’ve become orphans. What should I do…” Aaron was not at all sad about losing a daughter. He was just angry and impatient. “Why would you keep those two b*stards around?! Send them to an orphanage! Don’t let them stay here and be an eyesore!”“Father, those two children look like Duke Winters…” Dew said slowly. “The man Adina slept with eight months ago might be the master of the Winters family…” Aaron was skeptical. “Duke Winters?” The Winters family was the strongest family in Sea City, and the Daugherty family could only admire it from a distance. “Plenty of people want to work with the Winters family, but never get the chance. Yet now we have Duke Winters’s sons in our hands, so why don’t we use them?” Aaron narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean, Dew?”“I’d like to take the children to the Winters family.”

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Four years later… A fine-dressed man lunged at Adina and pinned her underneath him. He ripped her clothes off and touched every inch of her skin, but she did not have the strength to push him away. She tried to see his face, but it was hidden in fog and appeared blurry. She could only see a pair of eyes. The man’s gaze was as sharp as a hawk’s, and even if they were doing something only couples should do, there were no emotions in his eyes. It frightened her. Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat, and she opened her eyes. “Mommy, did you have a nightmare?” a soft voice asked from right next to her. It was only at that moment that Adina realized that she had fallen asleep in an airplane and dreamt about the night of her coming-of-age ceremony. Five years had passed since she was set up by Dew Daugherty back then. It was something from a long time ago that she had put behind her, so why did she dream of it? When Adina met her son’s clear eyes, she felt a little embarrassed. “I’m fine. The long flight has just tired me out.” Alden handed her a warm cup of water. “Mommy, you’ll feel better once you drink it.” Then, he put a soft cushion behind her back. “You’ll also feel better if you’re comfortable.” Adina’s heart melted away at his care, and she kissed his cheek. “Alden, the two of you are my greatest blessing in life.” She then glanced at the girl sleeping quietly at her side, and a satisfied smile bloomed on her face. Four years ago, she had risked tooth and nail to escape the fire, and in the end, she managed to do it. Her two children had been born premature and were in danger of dying, so the hospital she went to told her multiple times that she was to prepare for their deaths. Alden had a stronger body, so they managed to save him, but the doctors gave up on treating Melody. With no other choice, Adina took her children to another country for treatment. In the end, Melody managed to survive, but… While Adina was deep in thought, the girl woke up. She had beautiful eyes. They were dark and bright, like watery grapes or the stars that hung high in the night sky. But if anyone took a closer look, they would notice that the girl seemed dazed. Adina squashed the regret and sadness in her heart before she chuckled and said, “You’re awake, Mel. Would you like milk or water?” There was no reply. The girl just stared at the clouds outside the window. Her behavior was as aloof and distant as ever. Adina pursed her lips. Melody’s autism was getting worse. It was one of the reasons why she had suddenly decided to return to the country. “I’ll get some milk for you, Sis. Here, hold the handle. Drink this way. That’s right. Don’t dirty your shirt.” Alden handed the milk to Melody and patiently reminded her how to drink it. Even though he received no reply, he still talked to her nonstop. Adina ruffled her son’s head. He was the greatest blessing in her life. If she did not have him around, she did not know whether she could have gotten through the last four years. “Mommy, if you continue ruffling my hair, it will get messy,” Alden grumbled in displeasure. Adina laughed. “You’re still young, kiddo, and you’re already vain?” As the mother and son chatted the time away, the airplane reached Sea City. Adina took her children to retrieve their luggage, but she was stopped by a commotion in the area ahead. A boy of no more than five charged into her arms in a panic. He looked cool with a baseball hat and a suit jacket, and his leather shoes made it clear that he was a son of a rich family. Adina did not want to get into trouble, so once she helped him to his feet, she took a step backwards. But the boy held her hand. “Someone is trying to catch me. If you help me, I’ll do any one thing for you.” Harold Winters stared at the woman in front of him with his chin raised. He gave off an imposing aura despite his age. “Who’s trying to catch you?” Adina asked. She stared into the boy’s eyes, and for some reason, she felt a sting in her heart. Just when Harold wanted to answer, the people caught up and surrounded him. “Master Harold, stop running around! The master will be angry!”“Master Harold, come back with us, please!” The bodyguards pleaded for him to return with grief on their faces. Harold hid behind Adina while tightly holding the hem of her dress. “Let go of my mommy’s dress!” Alden said and pushed Harold away. The bodyguards caught him the moment he was away from Adina. “Master Harold, stop acting up. The master will be here in a moment, so there will be dire consequences if you run away again…” Harold could not move in the bodyguards’ hands, so he just stared at Adina. For some reason, he wanted to see her again. “What’s your name, Madam?” He pursed his lips. “None of your business,” Alden said coldly and took Adina’s hand. “Mommy, our luggage is out.” Adina cast a glance at the unfamiliar child, then left with her children to grab their luggage. In a few moments, they disappeared in the crowd. The usually stubborn and disobedient Harold Winters started to tear up. He pursed his lips and said, “I’ll go back with you, but you must find me everything about that woman within three days.”

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

Harold was brought into a VIP room by the bodyguards. A man with an imposing presence sat on a couch there. He was dressed in a black suit, and looked at them with cold and grim eyes. Even if he said nothing, his air of superiority was enough to make everyone feel inferior. He cast his gaze on his four-year-old son. “Didn’t I tell you that you’re not allowed to leave without permission?” Harold straightened his back defiantly. “I just went out for a walk. Can’t I even do that?”“No.” Duke’s voice was cold, and whoever met his stare felt a chill crawl down their spines. He stood up and walked over to Harold. “Do you have any idea how many people are after you? Do you know what fate may befall you if you run out by yourself?”“No!” Harold turned his head to the side. He remembered the woman he met just now. Once he had her information, he would sneak out again… At that moment, the woman, who had also been sitting on the couch, stood up and walked over. “Don’t be angry, Duke.” She was wearing a fitting long dress that made her appear graceful and a thin layer of makeup that made her look full of life. She squatted down in front of the boy. “Harold, your father is just worried about you, that’s why he’s so mad. You should listen to him and stop going outside to play, okay?”“No! Why should I listen to you?” Harold pushed her hand away. He showed her no respect at all. The woman before him was no one else but Dew Daugherty. She stiffly pulled her hand back, and suddenly, tears slid down her face. “Harold, I’m your mother. Why are you acting like this? I gave birth to you after carrying you for eight long months and suffering great pains. Could you not talk to me that way?”“Hmph!” Harold’s face was full of scorn. He was still young and did not understand what it meant for a woman to be pregnant for eight months, but he knew that he did not like Dew. He absolutely despised this woman who referred to herself as his mother. “Harold Winters, apologize to your mother!” Duke’s eyes turned cold. He was about to blow up. The Winters’ children could be aloof, but they had to respect their elders. A child who did not respect his own mother would be chased out of the family. “Forget it, Duke…” Dew said in a choked up voice. “Even though I’m his mother, I didn’t bring him up properly, so it’s normal that he doesn’t acknowledge me as his mother. Don’t scare him.” She paused for a moment before saying, “Duke, I’m a disposable person to the children since we aren’t married, so there’s no way they would respect me. I’ll show up less in the Winters family’s mansion in the future. Otherwise, my presence might have a negative impact on them…” She wiped away her tears in a sorrowful manner. She knew how to make Duke pity her, and she put on her most pitiful expression. Four years ago, she had brought the children to the Winters family’s mansion, thinking that she would become Mrs. Winters right way. However, Duke only took the children in. He did not agree to marry her. She tried every method at her disposal, but not a single one helped her join the Winters family. In the end, she could only hold onto the identity of Harold and George’s mother. It was the only thing tying her to the Winters family. Her efforts over the four years weren’t in vain, however. Harold might dislike her, but George, the elder son, listened to her every word. George was also made the next heir of the Winters family one year ago, so as long as Dew kept him under her control, she would definitely become Mrs. Winters. As for Harold… Heh, the worse Harold treated her, the more Duke pitied her. One day, they would be together! ...... Adina walked out of the airport with her children in hand and found a car waiting for them at the entrance. It had been there for a long time. “Miss Adina, please get in. The madam has been waiting for you.” Adina nodded and helped the children into the car. They drove to the Xavier family’s mansion. The Xaviers were her mother’s family, and her grandparents were the ones behind the rise of Daugherty Corporation. That was the reason as to why her mother had fifty percent of the company’s shares. When she passed away, those shares ended up in Adina’s hands. With half of the company’s shares, she was doted upon in the Daugherty family and was appointed as the heiress of the family when she turned eighteen. But to everyone’s surprise, reporters took nude photos of her on the second day after her coming-of-age ceremony. After that day, she was locked in the warehouse and had her entirely life destroyed… All of that was arranged by Dew. After Adina fled the fire, she headed to the Xaviers to seek help from her grandmother, but Dew organized a press conference and told the whole world that Adina had given birth to children before wedlock. She also said that after her children died moments after being born, Adina set the Daugherty family’s mansion on fire, which resulted in more than a billion dollars worth of damage. Then, she committed suicide because she was afraid of being punished. This story made Adina into a person despised by everyone online. Since she was the Xaviers’ granddaughter, the reporters also attacked her grandparents. Adina did not want to bring trouble to the Xaviers, so she left. In any case, she was already dead in the world’s eyes. The best thing for her to do was to leave this hotbed of trouble. This was why she had lived abroad for four years. She stayed hidden the whole time and stopped being the eldest daughter who was deceived and framed in the past. The Adina Daugherty of back then was dead. The car soon reached the Xavier family’s mansion.

Chapter 6 Chapter 6

The Xavier family’s mansion was in Lake Bay. The scenery around it was lovely, and it was a quiet place, typical of an area where the rich lived. The servants respectfully led Adina and her two children into the courtyard. “Addy, you’re finally back…” Mdm. Xavier had been waiting at the entrance for a long time. When she saw Adina walking over, she felt as if she was looking at her deceased daughter. Her pitiful daughter had lived a short life, and her pitiful granddaughter’s life was full of hardships… “Grandmother…” Adina rested her forehead on Mdm. Xavier’s shoulder and let herself feel a moment of peace. If she had to name one other person besides her children whom she loved, it would be her grandmother. She had lived in a small town abroad during the four years, and her grandmother had often sent people to persuade her to come back. However, Adina knew that most of the Xaviers would not welcome her, which was why she delayed her return repeatedly. “You must be Alden and Melody. Both of you are such good-looking children.” Mdm. Xavier bent down and touched the children’s faces. Alden smiled. “Great-grandma.” Melody took a wary step back with an aloof expression on her pretty face. Mdm. Xavier knew about the two children and their situation. She sighed and said, “I’ve already contacted a doctor. He’ll drop by and check on Melody a few days later.” Adina did not actually harbor a lot of hope that her daughter would be cured, but she still nodded and led the children into the mansion. The Xaviers were gathered in the living room. They were in the main mansion, so all those who lived in it were direct descendants. Hence, they were all Adina’s uncles, aunts, and cousins. “Mom, why did Grandma ask us to come here today?” Sophia Xavier asked impatiently. She was a twenty-eight years old cousin of Adina, who had married and lived elsewhere, but grandmother had asked her to come back to the mansion. The eldest aunt took a sip of her tea and said, “Your grandmother is already old. Since she asked us to come back so earnestly, I have a feeling it has something to do with her will.”“Will?” Sophia’s eyes sparkled. She was married into another family, but she was summoned back to the main mansion. Did this mean that she would have a part of the Xaviers’ legacy? She was not the only one who was excited. The other people in the living room started considering their positions in the family as well. All of them were concerned about the will. However, just as they were thinking about how much money they might get, Mdm. Xavier came into the room. She was followed by a young and beautiful woman, who wore jeans and a dress shirt. Her hair hung casually behind her back, which matched her simple getup, but everyone in the room was stunned by her beauty. Her elegant and ethereal presence was so unique that no one in Sea City could emulate her. Sophia was sure that she had seen that woman before. “Addy, your uncles and aunts are here. Go and greet them.” Mdm. Xavier pushed Adina forward. Adina put on a relaxed and calm smile. “Uncle Richard, Aunt Morganna, Uncle Henry, Aunt Maple…” She greeted all of her elders. And the living room sank into pin-drop silence. “Addy? Adina Daugherty?” Sophia was in disbelief. “Didn’t you die four years ago?”“What nonsense!” Mdm. Xavier schooled her face. “Adina just didn’t want to attract a lot of attention, so I never told you about her being alive.” The Xaviers were so shocked that their eyes were about to pop out of their eye sockets. But who could remain calm when someone who had died four years ago suddenly popped up? However, judging by Mdm. Xavier actions and words, it was clear that she had known about Adina’s situation from the start. They were just surprised that she had been so tight-lipped about it! Morganna’s eyes landed on the two children. “Addy, did you give birth to two more b*stards?” Her choice of words infuriated Adina. She looked up and said rudely, “Aunt Morganna, when you married into the Xavier family, you were already pregnant with Sophia, so should I call her a b*stard too?”“You!” If looks could kill, Morganna would have killed Adina a hundred times over. “You’re so rude!” She had gotten pregnant out of wedlock, which was something rarely seen among the upper-class in the past, and had resulted in a lot of mockery aimed at her. Everyone had forgotten about it in the thirty years since then, but someone not even of her generation had actually brought it up again! It made her boil with anger right away. Sophia was also furious. “Adina, how dare you say that I’m a b*stard while in the Xaviers’ mansion?! You have no right!”“Enough!” Mdm. Xavier roared, and all of them instantly fell silent. She looked at each person in the living room. “If I hear anyone call Addy’s children b*stards again, I will punish you!” The younger generation of the Xavier instantly hunched their shoulders, but they found this situation unfair. Adina’s mother was Mdm. Xavier’s only daughter and was doted upon since young. When she got married, she was even given twenty million dollars to create Daugherty Corporation. Mdm. Xavier treated her as if she was the most precious jewel in the world and gave her everything good. Then, when she passed away, they thought that Mdm. Xavier would remember them, but to their surprise, Adina became the next target of her affection. They had no idea what Mdm. Xavier had given to Adina over the past four years, but they began to burn with jealousy. Adina knew what they were thinking, but just smiled without saying anything.

Chapter 7 Chapter 7

“Grandmother, I came back to make a business deal with the Xavier family.” Adina opened her bag and took out a set of documents. She placed them on the table and said coolly, “I majored in computer science, and over the past few years, I did postgraduate studies in Harfard and developed a smart chip. It’s not sold in the market yet, and I’m currently searching for business partners. I hope that the Xavier Corporation may become one.”“Hmph. Adina, aren’t you tooting your own horn? Why should we work with you just because you asked us?” Sophia pouted in disdain. “The Xaviers own one of the top ten corporations in Sea City, and plenty of companies want to work with us, but we don’t even spare them a glance! So why should you be any different?” Mdm. Xavier was about to speak, but Richard interrupted her. He took a step forward and said, “Mom, Adina is my niece, and I pity her too, but we can’t do business with her just because we pity her. Right now, Xavier Corporation is trying to enter the IoT market. It’s tough, and we can’t bend the rules just because Addy needs it.”“We’ve already bought a copyright for a smart chip abroad and are about to enter the production stage. Why should we change our business partner just because of what you said?”“Come on, Adina just wants to use this partnership to get money from Grandma. It’s obvious, isn’t it?”“You’re supposed to be dead. Why did you come back here?”“Grandma loves her a lot. Her name is definitely in the will…”“She’s a Daugherty! Why should she have a share? And she even brought so much shame to us in the past…” The family members didn’t shy away from sharing their opinions. They had always been fighting among themselves, but this time, they showed a rare sense of solidarity. Mdm. Xavier had longed for her granddaughter to come back, and after four years, her granddaughter finally came back, but she had to face such animosity from her own family. Mdm. Xavier’s temper flared as she listened to it. However, before Mdm. Xavier could say anything, a soft voice spoke up. Alden was a quiet boy, but he would not just stand by and do nothing when his mother was attacked. He took a step forward and looked at Richard. “Granduncle, did Xavier Corporation buy the rights for Ander Corporation’s MCP12?” Richard frowned. “How did you know?”“I also know that while that chip promises smooth operations, it’s not perfect and can’t receive many commands. However, if you use AMP1 and RIWE-34, it will improve the chip,” Alden stated coolly. “But if you want the company to get a slice of pie in the IoT market, you shouldn’t choose this chip.” He was just four and could not be seen in a crowd of people, but his words made the adults’ expressions change. The younger generation who did not work in Xavier Corporation did not understand what he just said, but Richard did. His assistant had mentioned every single thing the boy said, and he had also thought about modifying the chip, but this was a new market, and even multinational companies could not produce perfect chips. Hence, Xavier Corporation could only make do with the chip they chose. The scorn in Richard’s eyes finally faded away. “H-How do you know so much about it?” When he was four, he was still playing with mud. He did not even know what smart chips were, much less how they worked. “Mommy taught me!” Alden said. “Mommy is known as a chip genius by Harfard lecturers. If you work with Mommy, you’ll have a bright future.” Adina stroked her son’s hair while feeling resigned. Alden was the true genius. He had been interested in computers since birth and was already a hacker at the age of four. Alden had helped her develop the chip. Otherwise, she would not have managed to do it so swiftly. Adina pushed the contract over and said faintly, “Uncle Richard, you should read the deion of my chip in the contract first.” Richard opened the contract with complicated feelings. Then, he froze in place. Xavier Corporation had spent three months and hired more than one hundred programmers to develop their chip, but they faced many technical difficulties. Yet Adina had done it. If the smart chip she developed could really deliver as the contract stated, Xavier Corporation could rise to the top of the IoT market! “Addy, have you sold this chip to any company?” Richard asked with suppressed delight. “Not for the time being,” Adina answered in her usual cool voice. “I’ll sign the contract now!” Richard stated and asked for a pen. Sophia’s eyes went wide. “Dad, have you gone mad? Can’t you see that Adina and her b*stard are just lying to you?”

Chapter 8 Chapter 8

Countless pairs of eyes trained on Sophia after her words. The sharpest stare came from Madam Xavier. There was a warning in her eyes, along with displeasure. If it were not for the fact that there were so many people around, Sophia had a feeling that her grandmother would have actually struck her with the cane. She gulped and took an indignant step back, which made her step on her son, and he started crying from the pain. Enraged, Sophia slapped him. “Why are you crying so much? What happened, are you mourning someone’s passing?” Leo Gardner, her six-year-old son, began to cry harder. “You’re horrible, Mommy! You’re a witch! I hate you the most!” Sophia was already in a bad mood, so when her son said that he hated her in public, she got so angry that she wanted to slap him again. The atmosphere in the living room became hostile from their actions. Madam Xavier’s expression turned dark, and she said, “Addy, once you sign the contract, come to my study room.” Adina nodded. She signed her name on the contract and bent down to speak to her boy. “Alden, take good care of your sister. I’ll be back soon.” Alden nodded in a mature manner and said, “I’ll take care of Mel, Mommy. Don’t worry.” Naturally, Adina was not worried. Alden had grown up to be a sensible boy in the last year and picked up the job of taking care of Melody. Adina could not take good care of them by herself because she had to leave to earn money. On days that she worked during the day, Alden took good care of Melody at home. Even though he was only four years old, he had already learned how to be a good older brother. Adina followed Madam Xavier into the study room. “Addy, you must have lived a hard life over the past four years.” Madam Xavier took Adina’s hand and let out a long sigh. “I thought that you hid yourself out of stubbornness after you left your house four years ago. I never thought that Aaron would lock you up for eight whole months! Addy, after the Daugherty family proclaimed you dead, all of your shares were transferred to your half-sister, but since you came back alive now, the Daugherty family must return the shares to you!” Adina leaned against Madam Xavier’s knee. Her grandmother still loved her as she did when she was young. Part of the reason why Adina brought Melody back was because she hoped that the girl could experience more love. Her grandmother would surely love Melody just like she loved her. She whispered, “Grandmother, you’re already eighty-three years old. You shouldn’t bother about these things. I will retrieve what belongs to me by my own hands. Don’t worry. I’m no longer the ignorant lady of the Daugherty family. I will seek justice for myself and my children who died in vain…” The image of the two blue and black babies lying on the warehouse’s floor rose in her mind. Those were her sons. They had died quietly, and she did not even know where they were buried. Tears pooled up in Adina’s eyes. “Addy, my good girl, it’s all in the past now. Don’t cry…” Madam Xavier patted her back. “Stay in the Xavier mansion from now on. You can treat it as your home.” Adina nodded. Her grandmother was the leader of the Xaviers. As long as she welcomed her, Adina would stay in her home. Besides, she would not be living in the Xavier mansion without giving anything in return. Her chip would help the Xaviers climb further up the social ladder. She did not feel any guilt at all for deciding to stay. After a short while, they heard a loud wail outside. Madam Xavier frowned. “Is Leo crying again?” Leo was Sophia’s son. Every time she came to the Xavier mansion, she brought him with her, and he always caused trouble. Madam Xavier could not be bothered and wanted to continue talking, but Adina had a bad feeling. She got up and went to the door. Right when she opened it, she saw Sophia bringing her hand up and swinging it at Melody. Meanwhile, Melody still had a blank look on her face. She did not seem aware of the impending danger. “Stop!” Adina roared and charged over. Sophia narrowed her eyes and made sure to swing her hand even faster. She had always hated Adina, because even though Adina was not part of the Xaviers, she got all the benefits only a Xavier could get. Meanwhile, Sophia received no limelight, even though she was a true lady of the Xaviers. Later, Adina had a one-night stand with a man and became the main character of practically all nude photos in Sea City, which had delighted Sophia a lot. After Adina gave birth to her bstards and Dew said that she set the warehouse on fire before committing suicide because she wanted to escape being punished, Sophia clapped her hands in joy. But she did not expect that Adina would one day come back alive. And the moment she returned, she started causing trouble for her! ‘Hmph! Even if I can’t do anything to Adina, I can still slap her bstard.’ She swung her hand swiftly toward Melody’s face.

Chapter 9 Chapter 9

Boiling water flew at Sophia and splashed all over her chest. The water was so hot that she jumped, and her palm missed Melody’s face. “Who threw hot water at me?!” Sophia was fuming. When she looked down, she saw Alden holding an empty glass. The moment she saw him, she threw all caution to the wind and ran over to grab him by the collar. Then, she swung her hand at him. Adina grabbed her hand midwing, even if it felt as if her bone was about to be crushed. “Abusing my kids while I’m not around, Sophia? It’s been years since we last met, but you’re as uncivilized as ever.” Adina flung her hand away and bent down to hug Alden and Melody. Sophia was so angry that she felt as if she was about to combust. She pointed at Melody and roared, “Your daughter slapped my son! Either let me slap her, or do it yourself!” Adina looked over and saw the palm print on Leo’s face. But Melody never took the first step to hurt others. “Mommy, it’s not Mel’s fault,” Alden said. “Leo called her a mute and spat at her.” He sounded like he was blaming himself. His granduncle had called him over to talk about the chip, so he had stepped away from Melodie for just a few minutes, but it was enough for someone to bully his sister. It was his fault. He had made his mother worry again. When Adina heard her son’s words, rage stirred in her heart. There were two things she could not tolerate: people calling her children bstards and people laughing at Melody’s condition. Sophia had just done both. Slap! A loud slap rang through the living room. Sophia’s eyes went wide. “You witch, how dare you hit me?! I won’t let this go!” She no longer cared about her image and lunged at Adina like a crazed woman. Her hands were outstretched toward Adina’s throat. Adina avoided her coolly, and Sophia missed. She crashed face-first onto the floor. Blood poured down her face. Sophia had never been in such a pathetic state before, and she wanted to tear Adina to shreds. “Sophia, your son has a foul mouth, so that slap was for him!” Adina said while looking down at her. She then bent down and picked Melody up. Her daughter opened her eyes wide, and her long, curled lashes fluttered. It looked like she had no idea what had just happened. Morganna was so furious that her hand trembled. “Adina, you whre, how dare you hit my daughter?! As long as I’m one of the Xaviers, don’t you dare to even think about staying here!” “Are you thinking about chasing me out of the house, too?” Madam Xavier walked out of the study room with her cane and stopped in front of Adina like a protector. Morganna suppressed her anger and said in a quivering voice, “That’s not what I meant, Mother. You saw what happened just now. Adina has no respect for her cousin and hit her. She’s too arrogant, and it’ll bring unrest in the family. I only want what’s the best for the family…”“You’re the one who’ll bring unrest to the family!” Richard roared. “If you can’t accept Addy, go back to your family!” Morganna felt ashamed after being rebuked by her mother-in-law and husband in front of others, but she did not dare to say anything else. She picked Sophia up from the floor while feeling indignant and grabbed the wailing Leo, then went upstairs. Even though the incident had come to an end, Adina could not calm down. It was just the first day of her return, and they had already started fighting. There was definitely going to be more trouble in the future. Adina was not afraid of Morganna or Sophia, but Melody was still young, and Adina could not possibly watch over her 24/7. The others would definitely find a time to mock and abuse her, which would worsen her condition. It seemed that staying in the mansion was not the smartest decision. Madam Xavier saw through Adina’s thoughts and said, “Addy, you’ve always been opinionated, and I was never able to change your mind once after you’ve made a decision, but could you do this for me? Please, stay in the house I’ll give you. This way, I’ll be at ease.” Addy hesitated for a while before she nodded. “I intend to hold a birthday party for you so that everyone will know that the most beautiful woman of Sea City is alive.” Madam Xavier patted the back of her hand. “After it, you can move out.” Alden tugged at Adina’s sleeve. “I’ll take good care of Mel, Mommy. Don’t worry.” Sophia had acted really aggressively, so Adina was still worried. But then, it had been years since she had last met her grandmother. It would be wrong to not even stay for a few days. She could move out immediately after the party ended. Since Adina was still worried about Sophia abusing her children, she brought them along when she went to Xavier Corporation the next day.

Chapter 10 Chapter 10

Adina went to Xavier Corporation to insert the chip she developed into the company’s products. This way, the data in the chip could be inserted into the programmes of the products. Adina and her children sat in the backseat of the car while waiting to arrive at their destination. “Alden, play with your sister in the waiting room later. Once I’m done, we’ll go back home together, okay?” Alden nodded. “I won’t let anyone hurt Mel, Mommy. Don’t worry. You can just go to work.”“Good boy.” Adina stroked his hair and kissed her daughter’s cheek. The girl’s pretty face was soft, just like cotton candy. Adina could not resist pinching it. “Mommy, why are you bullying Mel again?!” Alden quickly stopped her. Adina felt a little guilty. “Well… Mel is just too cute, you know? I couldn’t resist…” Suddenly, the car came to a screeching halt. The three people in the backseat were all thrown forward. There was a loud noise from the front of the car. “I’m sorry, Miss Adina. I seem to have run into the car in front of us. I’ll go out and handle the situation,” the driver said apologetically and opened the door to get out. Adina checked on her children. They were fine. But suddenly, the usually unresponsive Mel suddenly grabbed the door handle and pushed the door open. It opened by a crack. “Mel, we’re on the road. You can’t open the door, okay?” Adina shut the door. But the girl opened it again. Before Adina could close it again, Mel slipped from her hands and jumped out of the car. A man came out of the car they had rammed in the back. He had an imposing presence. His tall and lean figure was clad in a black suit, and he had a cold look on his face. The Xavier family’s driver did not know him, but he could sense his powerful presence. This man was even more imposing than Richard, the head of the Xavier family. “W-We’ll take full responsibility, Sir. You…” the driver said nervously. Duke’s face was as cold as ice. He usually had a driver to take him around, but today, his driver called in sick, so he chose to drive himself. But someone tailgated him the moment he left his mansion. He could not be bothered to deal with this sort of matter, but he had to. Just when he was about to speak, a small girl suddenly charged at him and crashed into his leg. It immediately ruined Duke’s day. He was a neat freak and hated touching strangers. He took a step back to get away from the child, but the girl followed him and even hugged his leg. His expression darkened. “Let go.” The two words made chills crawl down everyone’s spines. They sounded like pure ice. The driver was so scared that his heart nearly stopped beating. He quickly went over. “Miss Melody, please let go…” He wanted to pick her up, but Melody refused to let him touch her. She turned her head and bit his hand. She bit so deep that the driver’s hand bled. Duke’s expression turned even darker. He had no idea where the child had come from, and she was even aggressive, to boot! He raised his hand and grabbed the girl by the collar. Their gazes met, and her eyes went wide. They were black and shiny, just like the stars in the night sky, while her hair was fluffy, which made her look like a kitten. Duke’s cold heart softened at the sight of her. “Who are you?” he asked. Perhaps it was because his voice was cold and harsh, but the girl hunched her shoulders in fear. Duke felt a second of regret, but before he could figure out why he would feel this way, a fair hand suddenly reached over and grabbed the girl. When the girl left his reach, he felt as if she took a piece of his heart with her. “Sir, I apologize on behalf of my daughter. If she offended you in any way, please don’t take offense to it on the account that she is still a child,” Adina said slowly while holding Melody in a protective embrace. She was really surprised. Her daughter usually avoided strangers like the plague, but she had actually hugged this man’s leg of her own accord. She really wanted to know why, but the man seemed aloof and not like someone she should cross paths with on a normal day. Besides, she found the man slightly familiar. It was as if she had seen him somewhere before… ‘Wait!’ Adina remembered where she had seen him, and she cried out in surprise, “Are you Duke Winters?” Duke sneered. Women had used all sorts of ways to approach him in the past, but this one was rather unique. She had actually sent a child to approach him. “No.” After saying that, he opened his car door and returned to the driver’s seat, then drove away. Adina’s eyelids fell partially shut. She might have left Sea City for four years, but she would never misidentify this man. While she was regarded as the most beautiful woman in Sea City, Duke Winters was known as the richest man in Sea City. Many netizens had photoshopped their pictures together and said that they were the perfect upper class couple… Even though they had never met each other before, she had seen many of his photos, so it was not difficult to recognize him.

Chapter 11 Chapter 11

Adina was absolutely certain that the man they met was Duke Winters. But why did he deny it? She recalled everything that had happened a moment ago, and her expression turned dark. Did Duke Winters think that she used Melody to approach him? Could he be any more narcissistic? Adina rolled her eyes in an extremely unlady-like fashion. Then, she looked down at her daughter, only to notice that Mel’s eyes were still fixed on Duke’s car. “Mel, do you know him?” she asked with surprise. But her daughter did not give her any response. It was only when the car vanished that Mel looked away and hugged Adina’s neck. Adina checked the driver’s hand and said guiltily, “I’m sorry. When Mel gets worked up, she sometimes bites. I’ll bring you to the hospital to get it treated…” The driver waved his hand in dismissal and said, “It’s normal for children to bite people. My son often bites me too. This is nothing. Miss Adina, you should get back into the car.” Adina sighed. She had been trying to correct Melody’s habits, but it didn’t seem to be working. They went on their way, and soon, they stopped in front of Xavier Corporation. Adina brought her children to the waiting room and asked Alden to take good care of his sister before she went to the office. The person who was going to help her upload the chip’s program into the main product system was her cousin, Ethan Xavier. He had gone to study abroad when he was eight and only returned to the country once every year. Before everything, Adina had not known him. But she had to admit, he was really amazing. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to stand out among the dozens of younger members of the Xavier family. “Addy, let me take a look at the code of your chip.” Ethan went straight to business the moment they saw each other and started talking about work. Adina did not delay things either. She sat down in front of the computer and started typing away on the keyboard. Soon, a whole page of code appeared on the screen. Ethan had also majored in programming, so when he saw the string of code on the screen, he was stunned. His cousin had used the simplest programming language of all—C++—to write the most complicated code he had ever seen! If they used this chip in their products, Xavier Corporation’s products would surely rise to the top of the IoT market. It was no wonder why his father had been in such a hurry to sign the contract. “Ethan, I’ve already uploaded the optimized code into the system. You just need to connect it to your internal…” Adina gave Ethan the instructions in an organized fashion without missing out on the tiniest of details. Ethan stared at her with admiration. “If we succeed in launching these products, you’ll be one of our greatest contributors.” Adina smiled and said, “It’s because you and Uncle Richard are willing to trust me that this chip is able to be put to use, no?” Ethan shook his head. He was sure that plenty of companies had contacted Adina before them. If she hadn’t approached them, the Wilheim family, Lorde family, and countless others would fight tooth and nail to work with her. The Xavier family was only able to get this chance because Adina was Mdm. Xavier’s granddaughter. When they got ready to take a look at the company’s prototype, Ethan’s secretary suddenly walked in. “Young Master Ethan, Miss Dew came over to talk about a cooperation.” Adina narrowed her eyes. ‘Miss Dew? Dew Daugherty?’ But that made sense. Daugherty Corporation was built with the help of the Xavier family, so it had deep ties with Xavier Corporation. Even though the Xavier family and Daugherty family had a falling out four years ago, it was not easy to just cut all ties in the business world as well. Adina turned to Ethan and asked, “What sort of business cooperations is Xavier Corporation involved in with Daugherty Corporation?”“The Daugherty family has been wanting to get a share of our smart products and join us in working with them,” Ethan said. “But the Daugherty family has never shown much sincerity, so my father is still considering this cooperation. He hasn’t signed the contract yet.” Adina tapped her finger against the table. “Ethan, if you trust me, could I handle this deal?” Her eyes were calm when she looked at him, but Ethan could guess what emotions were stirring behind that calmness. The day before, he had heard about what had happened four years ago from his grandmother. The Daugherty family had actually killed two of Adina’s children. Honestly, if no lives had been involved, he would have been fine with the Xavier family working together with the Daugherty family. But two lives were lost. Even if he was not close with his cousin, he could not ignore this. “Addy, part of this project’s shares are yours since you provided the tech, so you can make the decision regarding this. I’ll let you handle it,” Ethan said softly. “Thank you, Ethan.” Adina exhaled. Meanwhile, Dew leaned against the couch in the meeting room with an impatient look on her face. She had been waiting for twenty minutes, but the Xavier family did not send anyone over. They actually dared to ignore her like this! Since the Xavier family was Adina’s maternal grandparents’ family, she actually did not want to have anything to do with it! But she had no other choice. She was the heiress of the Daugherty family, and Daugherty Corporation’s business was going downhill. Hence, she had to prioritize the company in anything she did. It would be great if Duke just announced her status to the public. Then, countless people would try to get on her good side. Yet Duke had ordered her to never tell anyone about the children, much less say that she had any ties to the Winters family. This meant that even though she had successfully made Duke believe that she was the children’s mother, she did not get any benefits from the Winters family. This thought always made her fume. Dew finished her coffee in a rage just as she heard the sound of heels outside.

Chapter 12 Chapter 12

The door of the meeting room opened, and a woman in a white suit walked in slowly. She had long black hair falling behind her back and light makeup. Her eyes were long, same as her eyebrows, and her lips were red. “Isn’t your corporation getting arrogant? How could you make your business partner wait for thirty minutes—” Dew turned her head around while mocking the woman, but her voice died away halfway through her sentence. The woman’s eyebrows, eyes, and other features were the exact same as her sister’s! But didn’t Adina die four years ago? She might not have burned alive, but she had jumped into the river and drowned! Why then… Why was she standing in front of her? “A-Are you a human, or a ghost?” Dew’s voice quivered, and her face drained of blood. Even though she did not personally kill Adina, she had engineered her downfall and had nightmares over the past four years of her sister turning into a ghost and coming back to take revenge! “Would you prefer if I were a human or a ghost?” Adina walked over and sat down on the couch. She smiled coldly with a chilling glare in her eyes. Her gaze was razor sharp when she looked at Dew. “Y-You’re not dead!” Dew shivered. “You’re alive! Adina Daugherty, you’re actually alive?!” She did not die from a major blood loss during childbirth! She did not die in the fire! And she did not even die after falling into a river! Why did this witch cling to life so desperately?! “Well, aren’t you sorely disappointed?” Adina said airily. “We’re sisters. Shouldn’t you be happy that I’m alive?” She raised her chin, and her gaze was as sharp and aggressive as ever. For some reason, Dew suddenly thought of Harold Winters. He often did that, too, and his expression was identical to Adina’s! If Harold ran into her… the consequences would be dire! Dew’s heart raced, but she clenched her fists tightly and quelled her fear. She blinked, and tears spilled down her face. “This is great, Adina! You’re not dead… Do you have any idea how much I regretted my actions over the past four years? I shouldn’t have left you alone in the warehouse that night. Dad misses you a lot, Adina. Why don’t you come back and visit him? If he were to learn that you’re alive, he’d be really happy…” Adina sneered. Before she turned eighteen, she really thought that father loved her. But after her nude photos came out on the second day after her coming-of-age ceremony, he slapped her. A father who truly loved his daughter would not lock her in a warehouse after she suffered a major mental trauma nor would he leave her alone for eight months. All the love he showered upon Adina since her birth had to have been because of her shares. “Dew Daugherty, you’ve been living the past four years in peace. It’s about time that peace comes to an end.” Adina’s voice was laced with burning hatred. “I’ll take back all that belongs to me.” Her gaze terrified Dew, and she took an unwitting step back. The first thing she thought about were the two twins in the Winters family! ‘Does she want to steal them from me?’ “And I’ll make you pay for my children’s deaths!” Adina declared slowly. Each word cut into Dew’s heart like knives, but then she froze. ‘That’s right! The two children are already dead to her! She thinks they died right after being born! ‘So, Adina can’t possibly have come back to steal the twins from me!’ Dew had never felt so fortunate before. Thank goodness Duke Winters had never publicly announced the children’s existences before, or Adina would definitely figure out the truth. If that time came, Dew would not be able to hide anything. However, even if Adina didn’t know about the children, she could not be allowed to live! The sinister look in Dew’s eyes faded away, and she said, “Adina, your children died the moment they were born. I’m their aunt, so how could I possibly have killed them? I buried them four years ago and even set up tombstones for them. I also sweep their graves every year during their death anniversary. How could you say that I killed them?” Adina stood up swiftly and grabbed Dew’s collar. “Where did you bury them?”“In the cemetery in the suburbs east of the city… It’s hard to describe the exact location, so why don’t I take you there tomorrow?” Dew said tentatively while hiding the scheming look in her eyes. Adina had dreamt of her two bluish-black children over the past four years and longed to see them again. Even if she could only go to their graves to visit them, it would still soothe her pain a little. Despite that, she would not forgive the people who caused their premature deaths…

Chapter 13 Chapter 13

Adina’s return made Dew forget her purpose for coming to Xavier Corporation, and she left the company in a panic. Alden followed Dew's figure as she passed by the first floor’s waiting room. She was his mother’s half-sister and the person who, four years ago, had forced his mother to go to another country. ‘Dew Daugherty, the heiress of the Daugherty family, huh? ‘Hah!’ Alden scoffed. He turned to the computer in the waiting room and walked over to it. Melody was reading a picture book on the carpet and did not notice that her brother had left. She was completely immersed in her own world. Alden turned on the computer. It was a little low in specs, but it was still capable of doing what Alden needed it to do. He started typing away on the keyboard, and the screen turned blue. Rows of code appeared. His mother was an expert programmer, while he was an expert at deciphering already written code. In other words, he was a hacker. He easily hacked into Daugherty Corporation’s website. He copied all the information about the company’s clients he found on the website, then used a foreign IP address to upload that information on a certain website. Then, he changed some symbols in the Daugherty Corporation’s official website’s code, and it crashed! They lived in the age of the internet, and if the official website of a major corporation crashed, it dealt a severe blow to the company’s image. Before tech specialists of Daugherty Corporation could fix the website, they heard another piece of bad news from foreign news outlets. Their clients’ information had been leaked! In half an hour, Daugherty Corporation’s stocks fell by ten ticks. Alden calmly watched the news online with a cold sneer on his lips. This was just a small lesson. If they offended his mother again, he would make the Daugherty family pay an even greater price. Suddenly, someone drew closer to him. Alden turned around and saw that Melody had come over at some point in time. Her eyes were huge and watery, like a lake. At that moment, her gaze was fixed on the computer screen. But there was nothing interesting about financial news, so Alden decided to turn off the computer screen. However, Melody grabbed his hand and stopped him. She moved his hand away and drew closer to the computer screen. It was only at that moment that Alden noticed that the video had changed because of auto-play, and an aloof face was now on the screen. ‘Isn’t this man… the person we ran into on the road just now? ‘Mel seems to be really interested in him…’ “Mel, do you know him?” Alden asked slowly. But he received no reply. Melody just pawed at the computer screen, as if she wanted to pull the man out from it. Alden’s eyes fell partially shut as he pondered over her actions. He quickly took a screenshot of the man and uploaded in sauceNAO. Soon, all the information about him showed up. Duke Winters, 28 years old, the CEO of Winters Corporation. Alden was certain that Melody did not know this person. So, why would Melody want to get closer to a stranger? ‘Wait!’ In a flash, Alden remembered something the doctors once said. “Autistic children will reject all strangers except their own blood relatives…” ‘Could this man be our… ‘But that’s ridiculous!’ Alden had asked Adina about his father before, but she always changed the topic, so he stopped asking after a while. He had thought that her refusal meant that his father was dead. But… Alden scrutinized the man’s features and noticed that his sister had similar eyes and mouth. If things were really as he speculated, then he had to find a way to do a DNA paternity test. The Daugherty Corporation's misfortune was snowballing into a major problem. Aaron was exhausted from doing damage control. “It’s clear that someone is attacking us from the shadows. You’re trash! How could you not have found them yet?! Did we hire you to sit here for fun?!” The people in the meeting shivered and did not dare to even breathe loudly. “Don’t be angry, Dad. We should focus on how to handle the situation right now…” Dew said. “Tech department, repair the website asap. Customer service department, contact our major clients to appease them. Public relations department…” She gave orders calmly, and the people in the meeting room began to carry them out. Dew then looked at her furious father and said calmly, “Dad, do you know why Daugherty Corporation suddenly faces this crisis?”“Why?”“Because Adina is back.”“What?!” Aaron stood up. “I thought that jinx died a long time ago?”“I went to Xavier Corporation today and saw Adina. She’s alive and kicking.” Dew bit her lip. “She also said that she’ll take back everything that belongs to her. There’s a possibility that she’s the one who leaked the information about our clients today… Dad, I’m really worried about her knowing that the twins are alive… She’s their mother, so they should return to her side… “But they also have Duke Winters’ blood flowing in their veins. If Duke were to learn that we lied to his family for four years, what do you think would happen to us?” Aaron sucked in a deep breath. Had had gone to Winters Corporation to make himself known as the grandfather of the twins more than once, but Duke Winters never showed him any respect. If he learned that they had been lying to him… Aaron would be done for! Daugherty Corporation would also be done for! “Dad, I thought of a way to solve this problem once and for all, but I need your help…”

Chapter 14 Chapter 14

Spring mornings were quite cold, so Adina asked Madam Xavier to take care of her children before she went to the cemetery. When she was about to leave, Alden called after her. “Mommy, you have to be careful outside today.” The boy had a frown on his face, and his eyes were full of worry. For some reason, he had a bad feeling. Adina smiled at him. “It’s fine. I’ll come back the moment I’m done.” She did not tell Alden that she was going to the cemetery. The two deceased twins were the greatest secret she kept from her children. She did not want Alden to know that he had two brothers who passed away right after they were born. Adina took the car Madam Xavier gave her and headed to the cemetery. It was located at the most rural suburbs in Sea City, and it took Adina more than an hour to reach it. Right after she got out of the car, she saw Dew walking toward her in a long, black dress. “Adina, you’re finally here…” The sad look on Dew’s face was absolutely fake in Adina’s eyes. She pursed her lips and said coldly, “Lead the way.”“Did you come alone, Adina?” Dew asked slowly. “Who else would have come with me?” Adina retorted coldly. After leaving Sea City for four years, she had lost all of her old connections. The only person who still wanted to protect her was her grandmother, but there was no way she would ask her grandmother to come to this place to be sad. Dew hid the scheming look in her eyes perfectly and sighed. “Oh, Adina. We really thought you were dead, which is why we also erected a tombstone for you. It’s right beside your twins’ tombstone. Ever since you left, Dad has been crying every day. When I told him yesterday that you were alive, he was ecstatic—”“Was he? Since he was so happy, why didn’t he come with you today to see me?” Adina mercilessly exposed Dew’s lies. Dew’s expression froze, but she quickly recovered and pretended that she still loved Adina as a sister. “Dad got so excited yesterday that his blood pressure spiked and he needed to go to the hospital this morning for a checkup. He was also worried that he wouldn’t be able to control his emotions when he saw you, which is why he didn’t come today. Once we’re done visiting the twins, I’ll bring you to the hospital to see Dad.” Adina showed no response to her words. She did not even bother replying. Even so, Dew did not find the situation awkward. She kept talking as she led the way, and soon, they entered the cemetery. But Dew did not linger around the main area. She turned to the side and said in a hushed voice, “Based on the rules of Sea City, premature babies are not allowed to be buried in the cemetery, but Dad pulled some strings and got the twins a good place. It’s in the corner over there. Let’s go over, Adina.” She walked there first, and Adina followed her with a cold expression. They went to a secluded area. The corner Dew led them to was covered in weeds, and with just a single glance, Adina knew that no one regularly visited it. But Dew just kept on walking forward, away from the main area of the cemetery. “Stop.” Adina stopped, and her eyes shone with an icy light. “Where are you taking me?” Dew turned around with a smile. “To visit the twins, of course.”“We’re already outside the cemetery.” Adina scoffed. “What exactly do you want? You might as well say it. I have no time walking around the place with you.”“I don’t want anything… It might be because it’s been a long time since I came here, but I don’t quite remember the way anymore. Please be patient, Adina. We should look around slowly, and I’m sure we’ll find it.” Dew gritted her teeth. ‘Why won’t she act according to how I want her to?!’ Impatience burned in Adina’s eyes. She was no longer the naive lady of the Daugherty family, so there was no way that she wouldn’t be able to tell that Dew had an ulterior motive for bringing her there. She had been prancing around with Dew because she wanted to see her children’s tombstone, but it was clear that Dew had no interest in showing it to her. Since that was the case, there was no need for Adina to waste anymore time with her. She turned around and started walking away. “Adina, where are you going?” Dew panicked. “I remember now. The twins’ tombstone is right ahead. They’re less than one hundred meters away…” But Adina did not stop walking. She could just look for the gravekeeper or ask the Xavier family to find it for her. Why did she need to prance around with someone as disgusting as Dew? Dew was so angry that she gnashed her teeth. Everything was already in place. She could not let her work go to waste. Dew narrowed her eyes and waved her hand coldly. When Adina took a few more steps forward, she heard rustling nearby, as if someone was walking toward them. But she hadn’t seen anyone in the area earlier, so where did what sounded like more than ten people come out from? Did Dew call them over? That made a lot of sense. Four years ago, Dew had tried to kill her with fire, so it was only logical that she would try to kill her again four years later. Why else would Dew have been so nice as to bring her to the cemetery? Adina turned around, dashed a few steps back, and grabbed Dew’s thin neck.

Chapter 15 Chapter 15

Dew did not expect Adina to suddenly turn back, much less grab her neck. “W-What are you doing?! Let go!” Her face drained of color. Adina slowly tightened her grip and said coldly, “We didn’t discuss you bringing other people.”“I did not!” Dew denied it. However, when the bodyguards of the Daugherty family saw that Dew was captured, they rushed over and surrounded them. Adina took a quick glance. ‘Nearly twenty people.’ The Daugherty family had sent so many people to kill her? They had to be thinking that she was immune to bullets or something. Even though she had learned Taekwondo to protect herself while she was abroad, there was no way that she could fight against twenty bodyguards. Adina moved behind Dew and locked her neck with her arm. “I’ve just come back, and you’re already so eager to kill me. Are you that scared that I’ll steal the position of heiress from you?” she asked coldly. The pain of her neck being locked was so great that Dew nearly fainted. “Adina, you’re mad! How dare you grab my neck?! Do you want to die?!” she asked with fury in her voice. “You tried killing me once four years ago, and you thought I would just stand still and let you kill me again?” Adina’s voice was laced with ice. “Since you love the position of heiress so much, I’ll let you have a taste of how it feels to lose something you love!” Dew’s heart trembled. Suddenly, she realized that Adina was no longer the naive lady of the Daugherty family from four years ago. She was really going to snatch the position of heiress from her. If she were to also learn that the twins were still alive, then… Dew began to panic. But she did not have time to think. Adina had already started dragging her to the east side of the cemetery. She was dragged forward with her neck in a locked position. It made it hard to breathe, and her mind grew hazy. But the Daugherty family bodyguards did not dare to act rashly. They followed them while keeping them surrounded. “Adina, don’t do anything stupid…” Dew said while gasping for breath. “If you hurt me, you won’t have a good ending, either. Why don’t you let me go? If you have something to say, we can just sit down and talk—”“If we’re to talk, we should talk alone. Make them leave,” Adina said coolly. Dew gnashed her teeth together. If the bodyguards left, she would definitely get killed. She had nearly taken Adina’s life four years ago via fire, so this btch had to have come back to kill her! But unbeknownst to her, Adina had no plans to dirty her hands with blood. She had come back for revenge, but she did not intend to kill anyone. The best vengeance was to make the target live in hell, no? She dragged Dew to the east of the cemetery, where there was a river. It was long and passed through all of Sea City. Adian walked to the shore and smirked coldly. “Dew Daugherty, if you won’t make them leave, I’ll push you into the river.” Dew shuddered. This was something she would do, so she believed that Adina would do it too. “Y-You wouldn’t dare…” she hissed. “Why wouldn’t I? You brought so many bodyguards to kill me, didn’t you? Before I die, though, I should drag you down to hell with me. If I manage to do that, it won’t be a big loss for me.” After saying that, Adina let go of Dew’s neck and shoved her forward. Dew was so scared that she shut her eyes and screamed, but the next second, she felt a vicious tug on her neck. When she opened her eyes, she found herself standing precariously close to the river. One step forward, and she would fall into the rushing waters. She clenched her fists. “A-All of you, leave!” Otherwise, she was going to drown in the river! The bodyguards looked at each other, then moved back step by step, but they did not go too far away. If anything happened to Dew, none of them would see the next sunrise… At that moment, Adina stepped forward and jumped into the river with Dew. Both of them fell into the rushing waters, which were really cold, since it was early spring. The bone-chilling cold made Dew break down. “Help! Somebody! Help me!” The bodyguards rushed over when they heard her, but since they were quite a distance away, Dew had almost drowned by the time they pulled her out. Meanwhile, Adina had already disappeared. “Find her! You have to find that btch! I’m going to skin her alive and drain her blood!” Dew shivered, and her face twisted into a savage expression, which made her look like a witch who had crawled out of hell. The bodyguards jumped into the river again to look for Adina. But with just a few dives, Adina had already swum more than one hundred meters away. It allowed her to stay far away from the Daugherty family’s bodyguards. In the four years abroad, she had gone to swim in winter so that she could become stronger. The water there was so cold that sometimes there was ice floating on its surface. Compared to that, this temperature was nothing. Soon, she swam to a place where she could pull herself up to the bank, but she heard someone talking above her…