Chapter 1

After I sent a video of myself modeling pink lace lingerie to my newly found sister I'd never met, she told me to "have some self-respect."

I figured she'd been stuck in a rough small-town life for so long that even her needs as a girl felt shameful.

But when she finally came home, the person who walked through the door wasn't some sweet, delicate girl at all.

Instead, a 6'2" man walked in, broad-shouldered and lean-waisted, with a wolf-like sharpness in his gaze.

Hanging loosely from his long, defined fingers was the pink lace lingerie I had sent him.

"Sophia, right?" he said, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "The lingerie you picked for me feels a little tight."

It was my twentieth year with the Lane Family, the richest family in the country.

I faced the biggest crisis of my life; the Lane Family's real daughter had been found.

It all went down on the morning of my twentieth birthday.

I went downstairs, planning to steal a piece of cake from the kitchen. When I reached the study on the second floor, I heard Vivian's muffled sobs inside.

Vivian Lane was my adoptive mother, a refined woman who could spend three hours fussing over her manicure. But now, her voice was hoarse from crying.

"Richard, are you really sure? Is that child really ours?" she asked, her voice trembling.

My adoptive father, Richard Lane, who was always ruthless and decisive in business, sounded completely shaken. "The paternity test results came in last night: 99.99% probability. No mistake. That child is really ours."

Vivian kept on sobbing, and as I stood outside the door, I felt a chill run down my spine.

"That child has suffered so much out there," she sobbed. "I heard the child living in a run-down shack with shared bathrooms, hanging around a rough crowd all the time. Thinking about it breaks my heart. When can we bring that child home?"

Richard sighed deeply. "Soon, once the child has finished handling things on their end. But Vivian, even though we're planning to sort things out for both kids, I'm worried about Sophia..."

I didn't catch the rest of it because my brain was already blaring like an alarm.

Holy crap. They found their real daughter.

And they were actually worried I might do something to her.

This was literally the classic setup in a romance drama. The evil adopted daughter was asking for trouble and got kicked out.

I'd been living the high life with the Lane Family for twenty years, all thanks to mastering the art of reading people and being everyone's emotional crutch.

I wouldn't try to compete with the real daughter for their favor. Please, I'm not that dumb.

She was out there barely scraping by, while I was living it up in a mansion. If I caused her trouble, I'd be a total jerk.

To keep my cushy life, I took a deep breath, threw open the door, and rushed to Vivian's side.

"Dad. Mom. I heard everything." I looked up at them with such sincerity that I deserved an Oscar. "Seriously, don't worry about me.

"If the child can tough it out there, how could I sit here and enjoy the good life? I'm totally on board."

Richard and Vivian both leaned back, startled by my sudden move.

They exchanged a look full of complicated emotions.

Vivian forgot to wipe her tears and stammered, "Sophia, you heard everything? You really mean it?"

I nodded firmly. "Absolutely. No question about it. It's only right for that child to come home. Even if you want me to wait on the child hand and foot, I'd do it without a second thought."

As soon as I finished, the study went dead silent.

Richard looked at me like I was a warrior making a noble sacrifice. His voice trembled as he asked, "Sophia, are you absolutely certain you don't want to reconsider? This is a huge decision for your entire life."

I didn't know what there was to think about.

If I hadn't made my position clear, I would probably have been kicked out and ended up sleeping under a bridge.

"No need to think about it. I am putting it out there today. From now on, that child is everything to me. If anyone dares to mess with the child, I'll fight them to the death."

Vivian finally snapped out of it, her eyes red with emotion.

She said, "Good girl, you really are the best. I was so worried you'd be upset. But now that you're so open-minded, I can finally breathe easy."

As she spoke, she yanked the high-end bracelet from her wrist and firmly placed it on mine.

"Your grandma gave this to me, saying it should go to the future daughter-in-law of the Lane family. I'm giving it to you now, so you know you're truly part of the family."

I ran my fingers over the bracelet, feeling a little lightheaded.

Daughter-in-law?

Rich people really had some odd quirks. I guess it was their way of showing that they doted on their adopted daughter as if she were family.

Whatever. With this bracelet, my future was set.

I swore to myself. When the real daughter finally came home after all that hardship, I'd spoil her like crazy. I would make her feel warmth and comfort like she had never known.