Chapter 1

On the first day I returned to the Moon family, a massive family portrait hung in the living room.

There was my father, Richard Moon, my mother, Grace Moon, my brother, Ethan Moon, and... Lila Moon, who had occupied the "daughter" spot for 18 years.

They looked like the picture of happiness, a perfect, airtight circle of four, while I was just a stray fragment, a sudden intruder.

Zoe Smith, the housekeeper, led me down the hall. She pointed to a secluded guest room at the far end, her tone dripping with cautious charity. "Ms. Moon, you'll stay here for now. Ms. Lila Moon's room is right next to the master suite. She has a lot of stuff. It's not exactly convenient for her to move on short notice."

I nodded, my gaze drifting past her toward a half-open door at the other end of the corridor. Inside was a pink wonderland fit for a princess, with crystal chandeliers and mountains of designer bags.

Then I looked back at the room in front of me. The curtains were an old style and yellowed from too many washes, and the air smelled of damp, long-abandoned corners.

I smiled. "No need to swap. This is fine."

Once I closed the door, cutting off the fake pleasantries and judgmental stares from outside, the first thing I did was take out my phone and make a call. "Hello, this is Stella. I need a formal asset evaluation and a forensic audit of all trust assets held during the period of the parent-child relationship."

In my previous life, I died because I kept letting others take what was mine.

I gave up my parents' love, my brother's care, and everything that was rightfully mine.

This time around, I would fight for nothing; I seized nothing. But what belonged to me stayed with me. I was not giving up a single cent.

*****

The lawyer on the other end was clearly taken aback, but his professionalism kicked in, and he quickly regained his composure. "Ms. Moon, could you walk me through the specifics?"

I walked over to the yellowed curtains and stared out at the manicured gardens. My voice was as flat as a weather report. "My name is Stella Moon. Eighteen years ago, I was switched at birth in the hospital.

"Today, my biological parents, Richard and Grace, finally brought me home. From what I understand, my grandfather set up a trust fund in my name when I was born.

"I need you to dig into the records and find out how that fund has been managed for the last 18 years and exactly where every cent of the earnings went."

"Understood, Ms. Moon. We'll need your identification and a copy of the DNA report to get started," the lawyer replied.

"No problem. I'll send them to you tomorrow," I said.

After hanging up, I took a long look around this so-called guest room. There was just a bed, a wardrobe, and a desk—so spartan it was almost laughable.

When I opened my suitcase, it held nothing but a few changes of clothes and some books. Compared to this dazzling mansion, I looked like a beggar who had wandered into a palace.

But I didn't give a damn. In my previous life, I cared far too much.

I had crossed into this world at the exact moment the original "Stella" jumped into the sea, her heart shattered.

She spent her whole life trying to please, always giving in, begging for even a scrap of love, and all she got in return was, "Why can't you be sensible like your sister?"

She died, and I lived. I inherited her memories and her scarred, broken heart. Because of that, I knew that having any expectations for this family was just asking for a slap in the face.

A knock sounded at the door. It was Zoe. "Ms. Moon, Mr. and Mrs. Moon are asking you to come down for dinner."

I answered, smoothed out my clothes, and headed out.

The long dining table was already brimming with a feast.

Richard sat at the head, with Grace and Ethan on either side. Lila was nestled beside Grace, chatting about school stories.

The moment they saw me walk in, the laughter died out. The silence was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Lila was the first to react. She stood up, flashing me a sweet, innocent smile. "There you are, Stella. Come, take a seat.

"I told Mom I wanted you in the room right next to mine so we could stay up late chatting, but Zoe said the AC in there is on the fritz. I felt terrible that you had to settle for the guest room."

What a two-faced bitch. With just a few words, she'd washed my parents' hands of any favoritism and subtly painted me as the "difficult" newcomer.

I didn't look at her. I gave Richard and Grace a polite nod. "Dad, Mom."

Richard answered and pointed to the seat furthest away from him. "Sit over there."

Meanwhile, Grace frowned and looked me up and down with a critical eye. "You're a bit thin, and you look peaky. I imagine life in the countryside... was quite a struggle?"

There wasn't a hint of motherly warmth in her voice, just a condescending appraisal, as if she were inspecting a damaged piece of furniture.

I pulled out my chair and sat down, replying calmly, "It was fine. I got used to it."

"Well, those days are behind you now," Richard declared with the heavy-handed authority of the head of the family. "Now that you're back with the Moon family, you need to look the part.

"There are rules and etiquette to be mastered. Lila has been raised here her whole life; you'd do well to follow her lead."

I picked up my cutlery and took a bite of the steak, keeping my mouth shut.

Me, taking pointers from a squatter who had stolen my place? What a total farce.

Seeing I didn't react, Ethan, my dear biological brother, spoke with a frosty tone. "Mom and Dad are talking to you. Why aren't you saying anything? Have you no manners?"

The way he looked at me was dripping with impatience and hostility. He didn't see a long-lost sister; he saw a penniless relative showing up for a handout.

I looked up at him, my gaze steady and cool. "I heard them."

"You..." Ethan choked at my thick-skinned attitude, his face darkening.

"Alright, that's enough." Grace quickly cut in to smooth things over.

She patted Lila's hand with doting eyes. "Let's just eat. Lila, darling, have some more of this roasted salmon. It's your favorite, and you've been looking far too thin lately."

As she spoke, she placed a generous portion onto Lila's plate.

Lila beamed. "Thanks, Mom. You're the best."

Then, she turned to me, blinking with a look of embarrassment. "Stella, don't take it to heart. Ethan is just blunt, but he's actually really worried about you. If there's anything you're not used to, you have to let us know."

It was a touching scene—a picture-perfect family. And there I was, the odd one out, watching this domestic comedy play out as if it had nothing to do with me.

For the rest of dinner, nobody bothered to talk to me.

They chatted about the family business, their upcoming trip to Eurona, and a limited-edition handbag Lila had her eye on.

None of it involved me. I just ate my dinner in silence.

Afterward, the family moved to the living room to watch TV. Lila curled up against Grace like a pampered kitten, while Ethan sat nearby, chiming in with a smile. Richard watched them, a look of pure contentment on his face.

It seemed everyone had already forgotten there was a new addition to the house today. I stood up to head back to my room.

"Hold on." Richard suddenly called out to me.

I stopped in my tracks and turned back to look at him.

He pulled a bank card from his wallet and held it out to me. "There's 30 thousand dollars in here. Take it and buy yourself some decent clothes and essentials. Stop dressing like a pauper. It's a disgrace to the Moons."

He wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was giving me a handout.

I didn't reach for the card. I just looked at him. "I don't need it. The trust fund Grandpa left me should be more than enough to cover my daily expenses."

The moment the words "trust fund" left my lips, I caught the sudden stiffness in Richard and Grace's expressions. Beside them, Lila's hand instinctively tightened around Grace's arm.

The air in the room seemed to freeze solid.

It took a long moment before Richard cleared his throat and pulled the card back. "That money... we've been keeping it safe for you. But the paperwork is a bit complicated. I'll have the lawyers handle it and get it to you later."

"Is that so?" I smiled, though my gaze remained ice-cold. "And here I was thinking that money had already been churned into real estate and stocks under Lila's name."

My words hit the room like a bombshell.