Chapter 1

I'd known I was a fake heiress from the very beginning.

I even suggested my family get a DNA test, but no one would listen to me.

The moment the real heiress returned, I grabbed my luggage and left, leaving everyone in the luxury villa dumbfounded.

Sure, the villa was nice, but it was just one big snake pit.

My real home might not look like much, but wait, was my real family actually richer than the one I grew up in?

I wasn't actually Bryan Dyson's biological daughter.

Actually, when I was a kid, I already told that clueless Bryan we didn't look alike at all.

But Bryan just chalked it up to bad genetics.

The thought that I was switched at birth never crossed his mind.

I took in the scene before me: Bryan's real daughter weeping with her head bowed, Bryan wearing an awkward expression, and Bryan's son, Dennis Dyson, wearing a complicated look on his face. All the while, I was already calculating what my life would be like back with the Hunters.

"Mila, make yourself at home here. Feel free to let Lisa know if you need anything," Bryan said, swiftly settling his real daughter's arrangements before turning to me.

I nodded. "Got it. I'll pack up and leave now."

"That's not what I meant." Bryan frowned with a sigh. "I've looked into your family's situation. You have three older brothers, and your family's not well-off. If you go back, you'll only struggle. Ash, why don't you just stay here with—"

"No need," I said, shaking my head with a faint smile. "I'm going home."

To be honest, I never really bonded with Bryan. I lost my adopted mother young, and Bryan was always tied up with business, hardly ever home. As for my younger brother, Dennis...

I looked over at him, but he avoided my gaze, staring off into the distance. I had no idea what was going through his mind.

I shrugged. We just had a fight, and he was probably still mad. Leaving like this would leave me with no reluctance.

Bryan fixed me with a long, searching gaze. "So you've made up your mind?"

I nodded without hesitation.

My name was Ashley Dyson—no, it should be Ashley Hunter now.

I was on my way home now.

Honestly, I'd never taken a bus in my whole life.

But hey, I knew how to read signs. As soon as the X10 bus showed up, I immediately grabbed my suitcase and hopped right on.

"Card or cash is fine." The driver kindly reminded me when he noticed I was hesitating.

I nodded and rummaged through my wallet.

After a moment, I looked up and asked, "Excuse me, do you accept credit cards?"

The bus fell into an eerie silence as all eyes turned to me. Even the driver gave me a bewildered look.

Alright, got it. Dumb question.

I pulled out a 100-dollar bill, about to toss it into the fare box.

Suddenly, a pair of well-defined hands appeared before me, dropping two coins into the slot with a crisp clink.

I froze for a second and looked up.

What filled my eyes was a clean white T-shirt and toned muscles. Damn, what a hot guy.

His gaze swept over me from head to toe before he scoffed, "I paid it for you. Keep your money."

I blinked, but he ignored me completely. With his hands stuffed in his pockets, he walked toward the back of the bus.

I stumbled after him with my suitcase and called out, "Hey, thank you."

"Don't pay me back, and don't ask for my number." The white-clad figure waved me off and took the seat at the very back.

I rolled my eyes. What a cocky hottie. Then I plopped into a nearby seat and started texting my brother I'd just contacted.