Chapter 2

Sure enough, it wasn't long before I was called into the study.

Jessica was standing there, wiping her tears.

She cried, "I'm not going. Edward Carter is a cripple with a terrible temper. I'll never be happy with him. Dad, you're just throwing me into the fire."

My dad slammed the table.

He said, "What do you know? If we hadn't done that favor for Edward's father back then, do you really think a marriage like this would ever come your way?

"Do you have any idea how much Edward is putting on the table? He's promised to make our family his partner on his flagship project. If you say yes, you'll be set for life and probably the next one too."

My face changed. As the family's good-for-nothing, I'd known about this way before any of them did.

Word was, the Carter family was right in the middle of a power shift. If Edward agreed to the marriage, his father would hand over the flagship project, and Edward would become the one calling the shots at the Carter Group.

Edward was rich and powerful, but he was still disabled. My dad wanted that status and wealth for our family, but couldn't bear to let Jessica suffer by marrying him. So, the only solution was to push me into the fire.

I kept my mouth shut and just stood off to the side.

Just as I expected, Jessica crumpled to the ground.

She pleaded, "Dad, I can't marry him. I already have a boyfriend. You know him, Dad, it's Brian.

"We're happy together. It doesn't have to be me, right? Lily's still here. If you want the heir to marry into the Carter family, she can be the heir. Let her do it."

Just as she finished, right on cue, there was a knock at the door. Brian walked in, eyes downcast.

He said, "Mr. Turner, I know you're angry, but Jessica and I truly care about each other. My family has good standing, too. If the sisters each marry into different families, wouldn't that make everyone happy?"

No one bothered to ask what I thought. My dad just glanced at me, acting like he was in a tough spot.

He said, "Lily, I know this isn't fair to you, but you get how it is. True love always finds its way, right? The Carter family's got way more to offer than the Collins family. Just do as I say and marry Edward."

I couldn't help but scoff inwardly, but on the outside, I played the innocent.

"So if I marry into the Carter family, does that make me our family's heir?" I asked, feigning innocence.

My dad grinned. He said, "Of course. From now on, everyone will think of you as our family's heir."

I played it up with a big "Wow," then went right for what I really wanted.

"Can an heir really be broke? Dad, why don't you hand over what my mom left for me?" I said.

My inheritance from Mom was the company's core asset, raking in tons of profit. But my dad always kept it under his thumb, saying he was just helping me out with the company business.

Only now did I finally have the perfect excuse to ask for it back.

My dad mulled it over for a bit, then nodded in agreement.

"Alright, if you step in for Jessica and marry Edward, the inheritance's yours," he said.

Jessica shot me a smug grin, looking like she couldn't care less.

I knew they were just playing along, not taking me seriously at all.

But the heir title and the inheritance, even if they were all just for appearances, I was going to get them, no matter what.

And they had absolutely no clue what was about to hit them.

Sending me off to the Carter family was going to be the biggest mistake they would ever make, the one thing they would regret for the rest of their lives.

That same day, my dad threw a family dinner, claiming it was for Jessica's early engagement.

But I wasn't allowed to go.

I slipped past all the security cameras like I'd done it a hundred times, switched on my recorder, and tucked myself away in a corner of the garden to eavesdrop.

This time, I overheard something that totally blindsided me.