Chapter 1
Three years ago, for the sake of a murderer's son, I knelt in the ancestral hall and gave up my right to inherit the Vance family name—willingly.
And what did he do? He turned around and ended up in my nemesis's bed.
After that, I was "exiled" overseas and became the laughingstock of everyone in my world.
Three years later, I came back. At Julian's engagement banquet, everyone was waiting to see the "ex-heir" make a fool of herself.
But to my surprise, my nemesis walked in, heels clicking, backlit dramatically, and stepped protectively in front of me. "Seraphina, why are you acting like your old self again? Do those losers even deserve to show off in front of you?"
I just laughed, and she nearly lost it.
Later, the Starscape Technologies I founded exploded onto the scene, and those who once mocked me now came crawling back, begging for partnerships.
And then there was Orion, the infamous, rebellious true heir of the Sterling family, my contract boyfriend. He cornered me in the conference room, his eyes red-rimmed.
"Seraphina, you think you can just use me and run? Our contract is for life."
******
The crystal chandelier was so bright, it made my eyes ache. I stood in the shadows at the end of the corridor, my fingers slowly tracing the curve of my wine glass.
In the distance, Julian was arm in arm with his fiancée, his smile perfectly composed as he mingled with the guests.
The boy who used to trail behind me, calling me "sis" every chance he got, was now the new star of the Vance family, catching everyone's eye.
"Seraphina, long time no see."
Ivy's voice dripped with sweetness as she emerged from the shimmering lights, her pink satin dress glinting softly with every step.
"Heard you've been thriving abroad, huh, Seraphina?" she said.
She smiled perfectly. "But I bet it's not as lively as the scene here, right? There's been a lot of change lately in our circle."
As soon as she finished, a bunch of faces I recognized but barely remembered started crowding around.
The Andersons, the Rich family, the Parkers...
All people I'd grown up seeing at every event—"acquaintances," really.
"Yeah, Seraphina, you've been gone for three years. You used to be the star of our group. Without you around, it always felt like something was missing."
It was Marcus Rich, the eldest son of the Rich family, who spoke up. He spun his wine glass lazily, his smirk full of mockery but never touching his eyes.
"Oh, and I bet you haven't heard yet, huh? Julian's really come up in the world. He just got transferred to the commission, and Mr. Cornelius is slowly passing down all his old connections for him to manage."
"That's just the tip of the iceberg," another voice cut in with a sly chuckle. "His fiancée? She's Minister Anderson Bett's daughter. Talk about a power couple—they're practically made for each other."
They formed a half-circle around me, almost like it was rehearsed, waiting—
Waiting to see the Vance family's 'ex-heir' crack, hoping for a hint of disappointment or bitterness in my eyes.
But I just took another sip of my wine.
The atmosphere turned awkward for a moment.
"Honestly, Seraphina, it's good you're back now," Ivy said softly, her voice dripping with fake concern. "You can finally take a break. You were working yourself to the bone before—must've been exhausting."
"Exactly," someone else chimed in. "Why do girls have to be so ambitious? Look at Julian now—so steady and mature. That's what a real man is like..."
"So what if he's a man?"
A clear, sharp voice cut through the air like a knife.
The crowd instinctively parted to make way.
Aurora strode over in four-inch heels, her fiery red gown trailing behind her.
She shot me a glance, then turned to the group, her red lips quirking into a sly smile.
"Saw you all gathered here from way across the room. Thought you were scheming something major," she said.
"Just shooting the breeze," Marcus replied, his smile cool and steady.
Aurora raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
She swirled her glass, the ice clinking crisply.
"I just bumped into your dad upstairs. He's been wondering about you—asked how that project last month turned out. I told him I didn't know, so he'd have to ask you himself. Marcus, your dad's pretty eager for an update. Aren't you going to go check in with him?" she teased.
Marcus's smile froze on his face.
Aurora took her time with a sip of wine, then looked straight at Ivy. "That pink dress is cute, Ivy—makes you look way younger. Didn't your sister wear the exactly same color at her engagement party?"
Ivy's face instantly drained of color.
She started to say something, but when she caught Aurora's dismissive stare, she just swallowed her comeback.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, everyone drifted away.
At last, Aurora turned her attention back to me.
She looked me up and down, then let out a dismissive snort.
"Seraphina, three years gone, and you're still acting like your old self. Do those losers even deserve to strut around in front of you?" she teased.
I swirled my wine glass, finally cracking my first smile of the night. "Weren't you the one who just roasted them for me?"
"I... I wasn't doing it for you... I just couldn't stand their smug faces!"
She shot me a glare.