Chapter 1

When I was five years old, my mom married into the Carter family, and she brought me along, a kid who couldn't talk right because of my stutter.

Everyone said my mom was a gold digger who seduced her way into money.

They all predicted we'd be chewed up and spit out before long.

On the wedding day, the venue was packed with guests.

I ended up alone in a side room, and that's when a group of young socialites cornered me. They grabbed me by the neck and mocked me, calling me dead weight and a mute who couldn't even speak properly.

No one expected my stepfather to do anything about it. No one thought he'd stand up for someone like me.

But the very next day, he made an announcement that shocked everyone. "Juliana is my daughter now," he said in front of the entire household. "She's not mute, and she's one of the Carter heirs."

*****

"Are you mute?" William Carter asked.

I wasn't mute. I just stuttered.

When other kids could speak in complete sentences, I was still stuck on single syllables. My mom, Grace, noticed something was wrong and took me to the hospital. The doctor said it was partly genetic and partly because I was born premature.

Most kids with stuttering problems got better with speech therapy, but I didn't. Mine got worse. Now I couldn't even get single words out, and I didn't want to try anymore.

I hated talking. I hated the way people looked at me when I struggled to speak.

I wasn't being rude by staying silent. I knew I should say something today, but I just couldn't get the words out. The more I thought about it, the more anxious I got, and tears started streaming down my face.

Grace panicked and pulled me into her arms. She kissed my forehead and spoke gently. "Baby, don't cry. William was just joking. Juliana's not mute, she just gets too nervous to talk sometimes."

My stepfather, Edward Carter's, expression turned stern as he looked at William. "Is that how you talk to your sister? Apologize."

William hadn't expected one comment to make me cry like this. He froze, and his handsome face looked almost stupid.

His sister, Emily Carter, shot him a gleeful look.

William opened his mouth, and his voice came out barely audible. "Sorry. I was wrong."

Edward wasn't satisfied. "Louder!"

Grace didn't want to start drama on her first day in this family, so she patted Edward's arm. "Okay, okay. Juliana heard William's apology, didn't you?"

I rubbed my eyes and nodded hard.

That evening, Edward and Grace had to entertain many clients and guests, so Edward asked Emily to keep me company.

She was seven years older than me, wearing a pale yellow princess dress with a pearl tiara perched on her head. I had never seen a prettier girl in my life.

She pulled out some toys and gently showed me how to play with them. She knew I stuttered, so she didn't push me to talk much.

After a while, her phone rang, and she walked over to the far window to take the call.

I had always had sharp senses since I was little. I could hear sounds from far away and make out the veins on distant leaves. Only Grace knew about this ability.

Emily didn't know, or she wouldn't have taken this call in the same room.

The caller was her aunt, Helena Smith. Emily and William's mother had died of cancer, and over the years, they had stayed close to Helena.

"Emily, how's that woman treating you? Is she giving you attitude?" Helena's voice was sharp. "She looks like a seductress to me. I don't trust her one bit. She's got your father completely bewitched, and they're getting married after only knowing each other for a few months.

"A divorced woman with a kid? She must have some tricks up her sleeve. I'm really worried about you and William.

"She's no good, and neither is that daughter of hers. Don't let them manipulate you and William."

Emily had her back to me, so I couldn't see her expression. She just hummed in acknowledgment a couple of times and asked Helena how work was going abroad and when she'd be coming back.

Helena said, "If work wasn't holding me back, I would've been there today to back you two up. So, did anything happen today?"

Emily hesitated for a moment, then told Helena what had happened earlier.

Helena let out a cold laugh on the other end. "They are putting you in your place. On their first day in the house, they forced the Carter family heir to apologize to them. If she gives your dad a son later, who do you think will really run this family?"

She added, "When a man remarries, his priorities change. It's true, Emily, and you need to warn William to watch out for that mother and daughter."

"William and I will be careful," Emily said, and I could hear the tightness in her voice.