Chapter 1
I was a brawler, drifting through bars most of my life.
One night, while I was beating some lowlife for shaking down a hostess, someone stabbed me.
As I bled out, a sharply dressed man appeared.
He looked me in the eye. "I'm here to bring you home."
Right before I passed out, one thought crossed my mind: Home? What home? I'm an orphan.
*****
I woke up in the hospital.
I opened my eyes and saw a few people standing around me.
A well-dressed woman rushed over the moment she saw me awake and checked on me before calling for a doctor.
Once she heard I was fine, she sighed with relief. But the middle-aged man frowned. "Why would a girl like you be hanging out in a place like that?"
I rolled my eyes. "Who the hell are you to lecture me?"
"I'm your father."
I let out a cold laugh. "My parents died over 20 years ago. I grew up in an orphanage."
His tone softened. "You're not an orphan. You have parents—and a brother."
I rolled my eyes, threw off the covers, and swung my legs over the side of the bed.
The woman rushed forward to block me. "You're still injured. You can't just leave."
"Look, I'm broke. Can't pay for any of this. It's just a scratch—I'll be fine."
Tears filled her eyes. "You must've had such a hard life. But you don't have to struggle anymore. Let us take care of you."
I'd never bought into that "let me take care of you" bullshit. People aren't meant to be someone else's burden. That kind of dependence always comes back to bite you.
I gritted my teeth through the pain and forced myself to walk toward the door.
The young man who'd been quiet until now grabbed my arm. "What are you trying to prove?"
Pain shot through me. I gasped, my face going pale.
He let go immediately, looking panicked.
And then I blacked out again.
When I woke up the next day, they were gone.
A doctor came by and explained everything.
That couple, Ryan and Jade Goodwin, really were my birth parents, and they were among the wealthiest people in Bryndale.
The young man was my older brother, Charles Goodwin.
The doctor was a friend of the Goodwins. He tried to convince me to accept them and even showed me the DNA test results.
Just then, Ryan and Jade walked in carrying soup. They saw me ripping the DNA test to shreds.
A girl following Charles gasped and covered her mouth. "Why would you tear that up? Don't you care about Mom and Dad at all?"
Ryan's face darkened. He stared at me, clearly pissed.
I stared back without flinching.
He looked away first and sighed. "I know you must resent us. I looked into your time at the orphanage—we're truly sorry. If that nanny hadn't taken you away, you wouldn't have suffered. Whatever you want, name it. We'll make it happen."
"No thanks. Who knows if I'll even live long enough to enjoy it."
The girl came closer, all wide-eyed innocence. "What are you talking about? You're a Goodwin—of course you'll live long enough."
"Not with a fake like you around. The second you walked in, you tried to make me look heartless. Isn't that your whole game?"
After years in bars, I'd seen every type of person.
This girl was trouble.
She froze, then burst into tears, playing the victim.
Charles rushed to comfort her before turning on me. "What the hell are you talking about? Anna's just honest—she says what's on her mind. You did tear up the DNA test."