Chapter 2

A rose-shaped birthmark? The words exploded in the Sutton residence living room like a bomb, shaking everyone to their core.

Richard and Victoria's faces turned ashen, drained of all color in an instant. Their eyes snapped to Grace.

Grace's heart sank, and her face went completely pale.

Grace knew about that birthmark. Since she was a little girl, Victoria had sighed regretfully, telling her over and over that if she had that birthmark, she'd definitely be the Reed heiress.

But now, Alexander had exposed that secret for everyone to hear. And he did it right in front of Emily.

Everyone's eyes automatically shifted to Emily.

Emily stood there, looking perfectly composed, like she wasn't even the one Alexander was talking about. But at her side, her hand tightened without her realizing it.

She had the birthmark right on her lower back, a pale red mark, shaped as a rose.

Ever since she was little, the grandmother, who raised her, had always told her it was a sign of good fortune.

But now, it felt like this birthmark was at the center of a mystery far bigger than she could have ever imagined.

Alexander fixed his gaze on Emily, his eyes impossible to read, his voice brooking no refusal. "Take this emerald pendant."

Emily didn't move. She could feel gazes fixed on her from all around, filled with shock, jealousy, curiosity, and murderous intent, especially from Grace.

If looks could kill, Emily would be dead a thousand times over by now.

"M-Mr. Reed, could there be some kind of mistake here?" Richard finally found his voice, stammering as cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

The marriage pact with the Reed family had always weighed heavily on his mind.

Years ago, Richard and Alexander's father, Samuel Reed, had agreed to a betrothal, promising their kids would one day marry.

But after Emily disappeared and they searched for her in vain, the whole thing was quietly swept under the rug.

They thought as long as Emily never came back, the whole thing would stay buried forever. They'd even started scheming to have Grace take Emily's place.

But now, Alexander had shown up at their door with the keepsake in hand.

Alexander didn't even spare Richard a glance. His eyes stayed locked on Emily the whole time.

"A misunderstanding?" Alexander gave a cold, mocking laugh, but there was no warmth in his eyes. "The Reed family never leads a misunderstanding."

His words landed like a hammer, smashing into Richard and Victoria's hearts.

Grace wobbled, barely able to keep herself standing. She bit her lip so hard that it almost bled, her nails digging painfully into her palms.

It was all over. Why did this hick from the sticks get to show up and take everything that was her? She was the real Sutton heiress. She was the one who was supposed to marry Alexander.

"I don't believe it," Grace suddenly shrieked, her voice shrill and desperate. "Why her? She's a country girl. How could she be Harper's old friend's daughter?"

She rushed at Emily, reaching out to grab the box in her hands. "That emerald pendant is mine. It's mine."

She moved so fast that nobody had a chance to react.

As her fingers were about to touch the box, a shadow darted in front of Emily, blocking her in an instant. It was Alexander.

He seized Grace's wrist with barely any effort, his eyes icy and lethal, as daggers dipped in poison. "Get lost."

His tone was emotionless but packed with intimidation.

Grace was so terrified by the cold look in his eyes that she started trembling uncontrollably. "Alexander, I..."

"I said, get lost." Alexander's grip grew even harsher.

The pain was so intense that Grace's eyes filled with tears, spilling down her cheeks.

Michael rushed forward and quickly pulled Grace behind him. "Mr. Reed, please, let's not make a scene. Grace didn't mean it."

Alexander released her wrist, didn't even bother to look at them. He turned and offered the box to Emily once more. "Take it."

This time, Emily didn't hesitate. She reached out and took the weighty box from Alexander.

The moment her fingertips brushed the box, a cool sensation spread across her skin.

She opened it, and the rose emerald pendant rested quietly inside, its gentle luster glowing under the light. It was beautiful yet dangerous.

Emily snapped the box shut and met Alexander's gaze. Her voice was quiet, but he could hear the determination in it. "Thank you."

Alexander's gaze flickered as he looked at her. Emily was far more composed than he'd imagined. Even in the face of such upheaval, her expression remained perfectly calm. 'It's interesting,' he mused.

"No need to thank me," Alexander said coolly. "This is yours by right."

With that, he turned and walked away, not saying another word. He appeared out of the blue and left as quickly.

The living room was left in a suffocating silence, the air thick with awkwardness.

Richard and Victoria sat on the sofa, looking utterly lifeless, their faces ashen with despair.

Grace glared at the box in Emily's hand with a venomous stare, as if she could burn a hole right through it.

Emily ignored them completely. She grabbed the box and turned, heading upstairs.

"Stop right there," Richard barked. He shot up from the sofa, strode over to Emily, and snatched the box from her hands. His tone left no room for argument. "You can't have this."

Emily looked up at him, her eyes cold. "Why?"

"No reason." Richard wouldn't look at her, gripping the box tightly. "Bottom line is, you can't have it."

"The Reed family gave it to me." Emily's voice was soft, but it carried a force that couldn't be overlooked.

"So what?" Richard's anger boiled over, his embarrassment turning to rage. "You're a Sutton. Everything you own belongs to us. I said you can't have it, and that's final."

"Dad, what are you doing?" Michael walked over. He shot Richard a look full of irritation. "This engagement is Emily's. What gives you the right to snatch her things?"

Richard was caught off guard. He never thought his son, who always sided with Grace, would actually speak up for Emily.

Michael ignored Richard and turned to Emily, his tone softening slightly. "Emily, I know you got back and don't really understand how things are at home. This engagement is really important for the Sutton family. You..."

"You want me to let Grace have it?" Emily cut him off, getting straight to the point.

Michael's face stiffened, a hint of awkwardness flickering across his features. "Grace has had a crush on Alexander since she was little. And she's more suited to be Mrs. Reed than you are."

"So, you expect me to roll over and sacrifice myself?" Emily's lips curled into a mocking smile. "And why should I?"

"Because Grace is the girl we've always doted on." Michael's voice hardened. "Emily, you'd better know your place. Don't even think about taking what isn't yours. Or else, don't blame us for being ruthless."

Again. Emily found it funny. Taking what wasn't hers. Who was actually taking what wasn't theirs?

Emily didn't waste her breath arguing anymore. She spoke calmly, "The emerald pendant was given to me by the Reed family. You have no right to take it. If you don't return it, I'll go straight to Alexander."

"Don't you dare." Richard was trembling with rage. "You rebellious girl, are you trying to destroy the Sutton family?"

"You're the ones destroying the Sutton family, because of your greed and selfishness," Emily snapped, her tone icy.

Without another word, she turned her back on them and walked away.

Back in her room, Emily closed the door, blocking out all the chaos outside. She leaned against the door and slid down, drained and exhausted.

Everything that happened today felt like some absurd dream.

She'd gone from an unnoticed country girl to a pawn in a high-society marriage alliance.

She had no idea if this was a blessing or a curse. But starting today, Emily knew her life would never be normal again.

*****

Early the next morning, when Emily came downstairs, she immediately felt the atmosphere in the living room was strangely tense.

Richard and Victoria were sitting on the couch, looking grim and sullen.

Grace's eyes were red and swollen, obviously from crying all night.

Michael was pacing back and forth, clearly on edge.

As soon as Emily came downstairs, every pair of eyes in the room zeroed in on her.

Victoria was the first to stand up and walk over, forcing a bitter smile. "Emily, I was wrong yesterday. I shouldn't have been so harsh with you."

As Victoria spoke, she reached out, trying to take Emily's hand. Emily instinctively dodged her touch.

Victoria's hand hung awkwardly in the air, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Emily, I know you've been hurt. How about this? I'll take you shopping today and buy you some nice clothes, okay?"

People didn't act nice for nothing. There was always a catch.

Emily sneered inwardly, but her face stayed perfectly calm. "No need."

"How can you say no?" Victoria blurted out, her voice rising in panic. "You're the one the Reed family chose. How can you go around dressed so poorly? If people hear about this, it'll disgrace the Sutton family."

Emily arched an eyebrow, her lips curling in a faint smirk. "Oh? I thought you cared more about Grace's image," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Victoria's face went pale, and she was at a loss for words.

Just then, Richard spoke up. "Emily, we're family. Let's not say things that'll tear us apart. We shouldn't have acted like that yesterday.

"We'll give the emerald pendant back to you. But there's one thing you have to promise us first."

They were finally about to reveal their true intentions.

Emily looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

Richard took a deep breath, his voice heavy and stern. "You need to publicly announce that your engagement to the Reed family was a joke between the elders.

"And you must personally ask the Reed family to call off the engagement."