Chapter 4

Just then, a tall, imposing figure strode toward me.

It was Yosef Sherman, Nina's leading man, and the executioner who had thrown me into the fire in my previous life.

He stood over me, holding a glass of champagne, his gaze full of open disdain. "So you're Winnie Lynn?"

His voice was identical to the one that echoed in my memory at the very end.

My fingers tightened around my glass. "Is there something you need?"

He let out a cold laugh. "I heard you messed up Nina's dress today."

"It was an accident," I replied calmly.

"An accident?" Joe's voice was thick with sarcasm. "Someone like you, straight out of the gutter, pulling cheap stunts like that. Yeah, that's your style."

His words pierced me like a needle to the heart.

He'd done the same in my previous life: always tearing me down with the cruelest words.

He once said, "Some people are born to wallow in the gutter. No matter how hard they scrub, the stink never leaves."

I raised my chin and stared right back into Yosef's eyes.

That same contempt and cruelty, like in my previous life, was written all over his face.

Hatred boiled up inside me, but I knew now wasn't the moment to let it out.

I had to hold back.

I forced a weak smile. "Mr. Sherman, I think you've got it all wrong. Nina and I are close."

"Close?" Yosef scoffed, as he'd just heard the biggest joke of the night. "You? Don't flatter yourself. Just because you're back with the Lynn family doesn't mean you can take Nina's place. You're not even worth one of her fingers."

He leaned in, his words sharp as knives. "Let me warn you. Keep your head down and don't get any funny ideas. Otherwise, I've got plenty of ways to send you crawling back to where you came from."

With that, he downed his champagne in one gulp, slammed the glass onto the table in front of me, and turned to walk away.

I watched him walk over to Nina. Standing side by side, they looked like a picture-perfect couple, so well-matched that it was almost unreal.

The moment Nina saw Yosef, she immediately put on a pitiful expression and pointed in my direction.

Yosef gently patted her back, then his eyes swept toward me, full of warning.

Under the table, my hand clenched into a fist, my nails digging deep into my skin, sending sharp jolts of pain.

The pain kept me sharp.

Don't rush, Winnie. They'll get what's coming to them, one by one.

Halfway through the party, William brought me up on stage to announce my identity to everyone.

The spotlight hit me, and I squinted against the glare, feeling uneasy under the sudden attention.

In the audience, countless eyes watched me: some curious, some sympathetic, and some just here for the show.

William cleared his throat and took the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here tonight. I have something important to announce. The young woman standing beside me is my biological daughter, Winnie Lynn, whom I was separated from for seventeen years."

The applause that followed was thin and lackluster.

I could sense how forced those claps were.

William continued, "Because of a mistake back then, Winnie had a tough time out there for seventeen years. But starting today, she's officially coming home to the Lynn family."

Before he finished, an awkward voice rang out from the crowd. "Mr. Lynn, now that your real daughter is back, what about Nina? She's been part of the Lynn family for seventeen years."

It was one of Yosef's business partners.

Everyone's eyes instantly locked onto Nina, who stood among the guests.

She stood there, her eyes red and watery, looking utterly pitiful, as she'd suffered a huge injustice.

Julia quickly pulled her into a protective hug.

William looked a bit awkward.

I couldn't help but sneer inside. This was probably all part of Yosef's carefully staged drama.

He was using public opinion to pressure the Lynn family, making them dare not treat Nina poorly.

I picked up another microphone, my voice calm but clear enough for everyone to hear. "Sir, there's really no need to worry."

I flashed a soft, sincere smile at the crowd.

I added, "Nina will always be my sister, and she's still Mom and Dad's daughter. Mom and Dad said they'll love me more from now on, but they'll love Nina just as they always have."

My words were flawless. They showed my generosity and implied that from now on, the Lynn family would have two daughters.

Suddenly, I changed my tone, letting the right touch of hurt and confusion show in my voice. "It's just... I don't really get it."

I turned to Nina, giving her an innocent look. "Nina, don't you want me to come home? Is it hard for you now that I'm back?

"If this is hard for you, I can leave. I can go back to my old home. I don't want Mom and Dad to feel torn, and I don't want you to be unhappy."

Tears fell from my eyes as I spoke.

Under the bright lights, those sparkling tears made me look so delicate and helpless that anyone would want to reach out and protect me.