Chapter 1
On Raclyn’s first day being recognized by the wealthy family, the fake heiress Skylar signed a bet with her-if Skylar could take nine things from Raelyn, Raelyn would leave willingly.
Raelyn agreed.
For the first eight times, Skylar took away Raelyn’s school admission, pet cat, and secret crush…
Until the ninth time, when Skylar set her sights on Raelyn’s poor boyfriend.
She threw down $200,000, demanding Knox be with her.
But Knox simply snapped the card in half, pulled Raelyn into his arms and declared provocatively: “I only love Raelyn, and we’re getting married soon.”
Skylar lost the bet and suffered great humiliation. In her anger, she agreed to the marriage alliance with the Blackstone family.
That night, Raelyn went to find Knox with their newly ordered wedding rings, when she accidentally overheard someone calling her poor boyfriend “Lord Kingston”:
“Lord Kingston, that son of the Blackstone family is a dying man. Do you really want Miss Skylar to marry into widowhood?”
Knox’s usually gentle face showed a coldness Raelyn had never seen before.
“I thought marrying her sister would force her to give in and come back to me. I didn’t expect her to be so stubborn.”
“Here’s what we’ll do: continue with the wedding, but before the ceremony, tie Raelyn up and send her to the Blackstone family’s
car.”
“This matter, and my identity, must remain secret.”
“I’ll use this opportunity to break Skylar’s spirit.”
In that moment, Raelyn’s heart sank like a stone.
The ring fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
“I’ve made my decision and I won’t change my mind. I agree to the arranged marriage-I’ll marry Vincent Blackstone.”
Raely pushed open the door to her brother Julian’s office, her expression concealed in shadow, hiding the mockery in her eyes.
Julian, who had been playing a video game, immediately tossed his phone aside.
“You agreed?! That’s fantastic!”
“The Blackstone family just called to pressure us. Vincent’s condition is deteriorating-he’ll last two weeks at most. They want us to complete the marriage before then. I’ll prepare your dowry right away. What car brand do you want? You can take your pick from
my garage…”
“It doesn’t matter,” Raelyn cut him off. “I don’t care about those things. But if you still remember that I’m your actual biological sister, then agree to my two conditions.”
The air instantly became thick with tension.
Julian shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze. “What conditions?”
“First, give me the two estates. Second, my agreement to this arranged marriage must be kept secret from everyone, especially Skylar
and Knox.”
Julian’s expression froze.
Then his face twisted into a look that screamed ‘have you lost your mind?’
“Those two estates are worth eighty million dollars. That’s one hell of a demand.”
“Besides, you were the one who pursued Knox, which angered Skylar into agreeing to the Blackstone marriage in the first place. She’s been living in fear because of you! I thought you agreeing to take her place showed some maturity, but you’re actually being
cruel!”
“She brought this on herself!” Raelyn snapped, raising her voice for the first time since being brought into the Winters family. “Did I force her to agree to this marriage? You feel sorry for her being scared for a few days, but you don’t care that I have to marry a dying man? If you only consider Skylar your sister, why did you and our parents bring me back? Why didn’t you just send me back to the orphanage?!”
She took a deep breath and continued:
“And those two estates were left to me by our parents when I was born. I’m just taking back what’s rightfully mine!”
The barrage of questions made the veins on Julian’s forehead bulge, but he couldn’t say a word in response.
He glared at Raelyn for a long time, but couldn’t find a hint of yielding in her eyes. Finally, he grudgingly said:
“Fine, I won’t argue with you anymore. It’s settled that you’re marrying into the Blackstone family.”
“Those two estates… I previously transferred them to Skylar. I’ll have someone process the transfer back to you shortly.”
Raelyn let out a cold laugh and turned to leave.
Just before the door closed, Julian asked one final question.
“I get that you want the estates back since they’re rightfully yours.”
“But why keep this from Knox? Isn’t he madly in love with you? Your wedding is about to happen. How are our parents supposed to explain this to him?”
“No explanation needed,” Raelyn said icily.
Julian finally realized that this girl who grew up in an orphanage wasn’t nearly as submissive as she appeared on the surface.
Once outside the room, Raelyn’s eyes finally reddened.
She looked at her phone wallpaper, the intimate photo of her and Knox, and her heart felt like a knife was being twisted inside it.
Her thoughts couldn’t help but drift back to the past, remembering the story of how she and Knox first met..
