Chapter 2

Luciana snatched the contract.

She read it word by word, her knuckles turning white from how tightly she held it. "No way. This is definitely forged."

Pierce sighed. "Luciana, it's true."

His words sent a shiver down Luciana's spine.

She looked at Pierce, then at the other Sinclairs gathered around her.

Everyone averted their eyes.

Riley stood up and walked over to me, forcing a strained smile. "Eliza, look at the mess we've got here. Luciana just got back from abroad, and she's still a bit clueless about everything. Please forgive her rudeness."

I didn't say a word.

Riley had been married into the Sinclair family for thirty years, and she'd always resented me.

On her birthday, I asked her what she wanted.

She sneered, "With the little money you have, what could you possibly afford? Don't taint my sight with your pathetic gifts."

The next day, I put the deeds to three buildings in downtown right in front of her.

She moved in, but she still looked at me with disdain.

And now, she was telling me to forgive Luciana.

Charlie walked over and took my hand. His palm was a little cold. "Eliza, we're all family. Luciana's looking out for the Sinclair family and me. Don't be mad, okay?"

I pulled my hand away. "I'm not mad."

I thought it was pointless.

Back when Charlie was trying to win me over, he'd pull up to my recycling center every day in his sports car.

He'd lean against the car door in a crisp white shirt, flashing that killer smile, and say, "Eliza, I like you, not because of your money or your property. I like you for who you are."

Back then, I believed him.

When I looked back now, it all felt like one big joke.

Luciana hurled the contract onto the floor. "I don't buy it. A recycling center runner can't own the land where Harmony Medical Center stands."

She pointed right at me. "You must've pulled some shady moves."

Valeria chimed in right away. "That's right. Charlie, don't get fooled by Eliza. People who crawl up from the gutter are always the most scheming."

Last month, Valeria got played by some guy who scammed her out of 1.5 million dollars and broke her heart. She came home in tears.

Without hesitation, I bought that jerk's company.

Then I made Valeria the CEO.

I told her, "Go ahead, do whatever you want with it."

And now, she was accusing me of being scheming, too.

I looked around at everyone present.

Suddenly, I felt so tired.

I picked up my woven sack. "Having Pierce's IV pulled out isn't good for him. I'm leaving." Then I turned to go.

Charlie grabbed my arm. "Eliza, where are you going?"

"Home."

"Isn't this your home?"

I looked at him. "This is the Sinclair family's home, not my home."

My real home was out on that undeveloped land east of the city.

There was a little courtyard that my parents left me, and hundreds of acres of open land.

Charlie's face darkened. "Eliza, why do you have to make a scene like this? Are you really going to turn against your whole family for an outsider?"

An outsider?

Luciana was his first love, the one he could never let go of, and his childhood sweetheart.

I was the real outsider here.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Charlie, you've got it all twisted. I'm not the one turning against all of you. You're living on my land, and now you're the ones who want to kick me out."

With that, I didn't spare him another glance and headed straight for the door.

Behind me, I heard Pierce's voice, weak but urgent. "Quick, get Eliza back."