Chapter 1

My mom, Lily Harrington, was a crazy woman, but she used to be the Harrington family's most cherished treasure.

She had stolen another's place for over twenty years without a shred of guilt.

The very day the real heiress, Emily Harrington, came back, she started stirring up trouble nonstop.

In the end, she made everyone hate her.

Her adoptive parents severed all ties with her and told her to leave.

Her brother, James Harrington, called her shameless and sabotaged her career.

Even her husband, Sebastian Blake, was utterly disappointed and ended up divorcing her.

After ten years of wandering in a fog, she woke up as if by a miracle.

She spoke to me at length, filled with remorse. "Mia, I was wrong. I let jealousy consume me, and my intentions were cruel.

"My parents used to treat me so well; James and Sebastian cared about me deeply. Now that I realize my mistakes, I'm sure they'll forgive me."

The next day, she left with her documents.

I figured she was probably going back to apologize, so I decided to look for her.

*****

The scorching sun made my head spin. I had to ask around for directions before finally finding Sunrise Holdings.

Mom had told me that it was Dad's company.

When I got to the entrance, my stomach was growling so badly that I started digging through the trash can.

After finding half a piece of bread, I started wolfing it down.

Suddenly, a dog barked. I looked up and saw a large dog eyeing me fiercely.

I was so scared that I stumbled back and landed hard on the ground.

Beside the dog was a little girl dressed like a princess.

She looked down at me and commanded, "Shadow, bite her! How dare she steal your food?"

"I-I found it in the trash," I stammered, my voice trembling with fear.

"Shadow, bite her!" she ordered.

The dog lunged at me. I couldn't get away in time, and it sank its teeth into my calf.

A tearing pain shot through me, like a chunk of my flesh had been ripped off.

I cried out in agony, while the little girl laughed and said, "The dog my uncle gave me is so obedient!"

"Bella, what are you doing?" a harsh voice snapped suddenly.

Bella Blake shrank back, and the bodyguard hurried to restrain the dog.

A man and a woman emerged from a luxury car.

"She stole Shadow's food first," Bella said, pointing at me, her doll-like face full of defiance.

"Still, that doesn't mean you can sic a dog on someone," the man said, clearly disapproving.

"Honey, she was the one who took the food first. How can you blame our Bella?" the woman said, shooting me a look full of arrogance. "Stealing when she's a kid? Guess her parents never taught her any manners."

I kept shaking my head, the pain making my face go pale. "I didn't steal anything.

"I-I saw half a piece of bread in the trash and thought nobody wanted it."

The man glanced at the bodyguard, who nodded, confirming my words.

"We'll cover your medical expenses," the man said, his voice gentler now. "Who are your parents? Why were you looking for food in the trash?"

"I was so hungry," I mumbled, shrinking back, too scared to meet his eyes. "My dad is Sebastian Blake, and my mom is Lily..."

Before I could finish, Bella shrieked, cutting me off. "You're lying! My dad doesn't have a daughter like you.

"I'm his only daughter."

I heard someone call him "Mr. Blake," and only then did I look up at him.

As my vision grew fuzzy, I clung to his pant leg and said, "Dad, I finally found you."

Before I passed out, I caught people around me gossiping, "Mr. Blake has an illegitimate daughter!"

Sebastian was there when I woke up, sitting quietly in the room.

He fixed his dark, unreadable gaze on me, absentmindedly spinning a ring between his fingers. "Where did you get this ring?"

"My mom gave it to me," I said, feeling scared as I hugged my knees to my chest.

"Who's your mom?" he asked, his voice low, his gaze especially dark and intense.

"Lily Harrington," I replied.

"Lily Harrington, huh." He scoffed, letting her name linger in the air with a mocking laugh.

"Dad," I called out, my voice trembling with fear.

Suddenly, he snapped, grabbing me by the collar and yanking me up. "What, you think I'm going to acknowledge some bastard she had with another man?

"Listen up. I'm not your dad!"

I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. "Mia's not a bastard. Mia has a mom and a dad. You're my dad."

I looked up at Sebastian.

Mom had pointed him out to me on TV so many times that I recognized him right away.

"She even insists on using her old name." Sebastian's eyes were deep, a cold glint flashing in them.

His icy, stern expression suddenly faltered when he saw my face.

"You really do look like her," Sebastian snorted, releasing me and tossing a phone at me. "Call your mom and tell her to come get you."

I hesitated, clutching the phone, not sure what to do.

He shot me a frown. "What is it?"

"I don't have my mom's number," I mumbled.

"She's hell-bent on making me a cuckold," Sebastian growled, fists clenched, and eyes narrowed, his voice cold and low.

"Dad," I whispered, tugging at his sleeve.

"I told you, I'm not your dad," Sebastian snapped, his patience wearing thin.

My stomach let out a loud, embarrassing rumble.

"Hungry?" Sebastian arched an eyebrow.

I nodded, barely remembering the last time I ate.

"She's really got a heart of stone," Sebastian said through clenched teeth, then ordered the staff to bring me some food.

As soon as the food was in my hands, I squatted down and devoured it.

Watching me devour the food, Sebastian frowned. "Is this how Lily treats you?"

I didn't understand what he meant, so I nodded absentmindedly.

Sebastian gave me a complicated look, a hint of frustration flickering in his eyes. "What is she doing, letting you waste away like this?

"Who's your dad, and what does he do?"

I looked up at him, eyes wide and full of innocence. "You're my dad!"

Sebastian couldn't be bothered to argue with me anymore. He had someone make sure I was taken care of.

The next day, I was suddenly dragged out of the room by someone.