Chapter 3

The plane touched down on the private tarmac at Cealwand International Airport.

There were no flowers, no red carpet, but a middle-aged man in a black suit, waiting at the foot of the stairs with a serious expression.

"Good evening, Ethan." Wade bowed respectfully to Ethan. Then he gave me a scrutinizing look. "Who might this be?"

"My wife, Ava Sullivan," Ethan replied, his tone straightforward.

A flicker of surprise crossed Wade's face, but he quickly masked it.

"I'm Wade, the butler of the Sterling family." He nodded slightly at me, his tone far from warm. "Your grandfather and your uncle are waiting for you at the Sterling Manor."

It was obvious they were waiting to call Ethan to account.

The car was dead silent on the way to the Sterling Manor.

Wade sat ramrod straight in the front seat, watching us through the rearview mirror, his face unreadable.

Ethan had his eyes closed, acting like he couldn't care less about the drama that was about to unfold.

I stared out at the unfamiliar streets speeding past the window. This was my first battle, and I knew I had to win.

*****

The Sterling Manor sprawled across acres, its grounds styled in the traditional, elegant way.

The architecture and decor were classical, yet they exuded an overwhelming, suffocating pressure.

In the living room, an elderly man with silver hair sat, radiating authority without uttering a word. He was Andrew Sterling, Ethan's grandfather, the patriarch of the Sterling family.

Next to him sat a middle-aged man who bore a striking resemblance to Ethan, though his face was set in a proud, aloof expression. That was Ethan's uncle, Richard Sterling, also the true power behind the Sterling Group now.

When Ethan rolled in, Richard smirked, his smile never reaching his eyes. "Ethan, you finally made it back. Honestly, I thought you'd settle down in Harbore and stay there for good."

Richard's gaze swept over me, dripping with undisguised contempt. "So this is the girl you snatched at the engagement party? The illegitimate daughter publicly disowned by the Whitfield family? Ethan, your taste is as peculiar as ever."

His nasty remarks earned a few snickers from the extended family lounging in the living room.

Ethan ignored Richard completely, offering only a slight nod to his grandfather seated at the head of the room. "Grandpa, I'm back."

Andrew opened his eyes, his clouded gaze lingering on Ethan's legs before shifting to Ava's face.

"Nonsense." He slammed his fist on the table so hard that the cups jumped. "Ethan, you've trashed the Sterling family's reputation.

"All for an illegitimate girl, causing a huge scandal in Harbore? Do you care about me or the Sterling family rules?"

"My marriage is my own business. I make the decisions," Ethan said, his voice quiet but firm.

"You make the decisions?" Richard scoffed. "Someone stuck in a wheelchair, and you think you get to call the shots? Ethan, don't forget it. If the Sterling family wasn't supporting you, you wouldn't have food on your plate."

"You're right, Uncle Richard," Ethan said, a hint of a smile on his face. "So, I brought a grand present home for the Sterling family."

Ethan turned to me, and everyone's attention shifted to me again.

With everyone staring at me, some with contempt, some with curiosity, I calmly took out a document from my bag. It wasn't the one I'd shown Ethan earlier. This was a different one.

I stepped up to Richard and handed him the document. "Richard, since we're meeting for the first time, here's a gift for you. Take a look, please."

Richard eyed the document warily as he took it and flipped it open. His expression shifted instantly.

It was a stock transfer agreement. Fifteen percent of the shares in an emerging tech company from Harbore, NovaTech Solutions, were being transferred to the Sterling Group, completely free of charge.

NovaTech Solutions had been making waves in Cealwand lately with its unique chip technology, drawing the attention of every major investment bank. Its valuation had soared.

The Sterling Group had tried everything to get a piece of NovaTech Solutions, but the company shut them out every time.

Fifteen percent of the shares were worth at least 1.5 billion dollars.

Richard's hand shook as he gripped the papers. "Where did you get this?"

"The founder of NovaTech Solutions was someone my mother mentored," I said lightly. "He's always been grateful for the guidance she gave him."

Of course, that was only part of the truth.

The real story was that I'd used the first money my grandfather left me to anonymously invest in the company as seed funding. I was actually its biggest shareholder.

The living room fell dead silent.

The relatives who had been snickering moments ago now stared at me, their eyes full of shock and disbelief.

Richard's face was a masterpiece of emotions. Greed, shock, and confusion were all tangled together.

Andrew couldn't sit still anymore. He stared at me like he was seeing me for the first time. "Who exactly are you?"

I gave a slight smile and chose not to answer.

I walked over to Ethan, placing my hands firmly on the handles of his wheelchair. "Andrew, Richard, Ethan and I are exhausted. We'd like to retire to our room for now."

"As for my identity?" I turned to meet their searching gazes. "You'll learn soon enough."

With that, I pushed Ethan's wheelchair away, leaving under the weight of their stunned and conflicted stares.

I knew from today on, no one in the Sterling family would ever dare underestimate me again. And this was the beginning.

*****

Once we were back in Ethan's private quarters and the door closed behind us, he dropped the tired, icy act in a heartbeat.

"Not bad." Ethan shot me a thumbs-up.

"You weren't too shabby yourself. That performance? You deserve the Best Actor," I joked.

Ethan got up out of the wheelchair and shook off the stiffness, moving smoothly. "I have played the cripple for five years. My bones are practically stiff from disuse."

I glanced at Ethan, curiosity getting the better of me. "Why are they so hard on you?"

Ethan walked to the window, staring out at the deep, oppressive night.

"My parents died in a so-called accident," Ethan said, his voice steady but icy. "And the one who gained the most from it was my dear uncle, Richard.

"They figured I was crippled, no longer a threat, so they kept me around as a mascot for the family."

He turned to face me. "Now, the game starts over. Ava, welcome to Cealwand."