Chapter 1

My older brother James Long had sworn off marriage.

When he turned twenty-five, our parents took a massive risk to have another child, desperate to secure their legacy despite their age.

Mom died in childbirth. Dad vanished without a trace.

I bounced back and forth between Aunt Mary and Uncle Jason's houses.

By the time I turned seven, my relatives had hit their breaking point.

They dragged the mess to family court and demanded my older brother take full custody.

The day the judge issued the final ruling, I practiced lugging my tiny suitcase around.

With trembling hands, I grabbed my brother's sleeve as he marched out of the courthouse.

The tall man furrowed his brows and spun around.

I met my brother for the very first time, only to freeze under a glare radiating pure, deep-seated hatred.

*****

A massive crowd milled around outside the courthouse under an overcast, dreary sky.

People kept shooting us curious looks.

James's brows knit tightly.

He glanced down impatiently at the hand I had grabbed onto.

My grip left a tiny wrinkle on his immaculately pressed suit sleeve.

My hands trembled.

Pinned under his warning glare, I was terrified enough to yank my hand back.

Aunt Mary's shrill, grating voice cut through the cold air behind us. "Watch your attitude, James. The court order is finalized. Did you really think you could just bail?"

Uncle Jason clutched a stack of legal documents and chimed in with self-righteous fury. "Your parents are dead, so it is time for the eldest to step up.

"It has been seven years. You should have been taking care of your own sister a long time ago!"

I had zero options. I couldn't survive on my own.

Terrified, I kept clutching James's sleeve, my heart pounding. I just couldn't let go.

But James looked physically sickened. He shoved me away hard.

His chilling gaze swept over Aunt Mary and Uncle Jason.

"I thought the Long family kicked me out," he said, his voice dripping with ice. "I don't have parents, and I sure as hell don't have a little sister."

Uncle Jason was momentarily speechless.

Aunt Mary snapped back furiously. "Then take it up with the judge! Grace is your legal responsibility now. Don't even think about dumping her back on us!"

I stood there, frozen, head down, not daring to say a word.

The temperature had dropped, and the wind was blowing hard.

But my cheeks were burning.

My hands kept shaking from how tightly I was clenching them, my palms all sweaty.

No one wanted me. I knew that.

James gave me one last icy glare and let out a scornful laugh.

He didn't even bother to waste another second on me.

He left me stranded on the pavement, marched straight to his parked car, and slammed the door shut.

The engine roared to life. He was ready to ditch me.

Aunt Mary's face darkened instantly. She and Uncle Jason rushed the vehicle.

On her way, she body-checked me hard, screeching at the top of her lungs. "Are you blind? Go after him! You little burden, are you still trying to leech off us?"

I was suddenly shoved hard to the ground.

My wrist scraped against the pavement, blood oozing from the torn skin.

My vision blacked out for a second. Ignoring the stinging pain, I scrambled to my feet in a total panic.

I looked up to see Aunt Mary throwing her entire body at James's car.

She sprawled across the hood and violently slapped the expensive metal.

She raised her voice, throwing a massive public tantrum for the entire street. "This is a total outrage! A rich brother in a luxury car is breaking the law to abandon his own flesh and blood!"

More and more people started checking out the commotion.

Pretty soon, a crowd was forming, everyone curious about the drama.

Aunt Mary's cries got louder and louder.

Uncle Jason was shouting his grievances to everyone watching.

The crowd kept growing, and the noise was getting so loud it was actually disrupting the courthouse.

From inside, a judge stepped out, trying to break up the commotion.

But Aunt Mary and Uncle Jason completely brushed him off.

The judge had no choice but to walk over to James's car and tap on the window.

The window finally rolled down, revealing James's face, tight with tension.

He kept squeezing the steering wheel, his grip so fierce that the veins on the back of his hand bulged.

"Mr. Long, do you need any assistance?" the judge asked politely.

Sudden gasps of recognition erupted from the crowd.

"Wait, is that Medical Examiner Long?"

"Yeah! He helped crack that massive serial killer case last month."

"A famous M.E. like him must make a fortune."

"Is he really going to ditch a kid that young?"

The harsh whispers and judgmental sighs mixed with my relatives' chaotic screaming.

My brother's furious expression faded into a sickly, humiliated pallor.

After a painfully long moment, he shot me an icy glare. "Get in."

A chaotic mix of relief and blind panic washed over me.

I dragged my tiny suitcase to the back of the car and struggled desperately.

I fumbled around the car for a while, but couldn't figure out how to open the trunk.

The crowd just watched, enjoying the spectacle. No one bothered to lend a hand.

I gripped the handle, steeling myself, and dragged my suitcase onto the back seat.

James didn't even wait for me to settle in—he floored it.

The car lurched forward, practically flying out of the parking lot.

I was totally unprepared, and me and my suitcase crashed into the back of the front seat.

Stars danced in front of my eyes, my nose burned, and tears sprang to my eyes.

I frantically wiped my face, only to find blood smeared on my hand. my nose was bleeding from the impact.

In the rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of James's face, dark and bitterly frustrated.

I was so dizzy from the pain that I could barely think straight.

James's cold voice rang in my ears. "You are exactly like them," he spat.

I didn't understand what he meant.

I just trembled and forced myself upright on the leather seat.

My weak hands death-gripped the suitcase handle.

He let out a mocking, cruel laugh. "Exactly the same. You are perfectly skilled at playing dumb and acting pathetic."

I still didn't really get it.

But at least I could tell he definitely wasn't saying anything nice about me.

I nervously twisted my hands together.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a photo hanging from the rearview mirror.