Chapter 1

I was born with the Siphon System, the power to seize anything.

My foster mother used to say that her own son was more precious to her than I was, so I only deserved to serve him.

That very night, I siphoned his intellect and awareness and took them for myself.

My foster parents flew into a rage and threatened to kill me when I was still small and weak.

I didn't hesitate to siphon their physical strength and kill instead. From then on, I became my own master.

When I turned eighteen, my biological parents, the Young family, finally brought me home. At the party held to welcome me back, the "fake" heiress, Claire Young, drugged my drink and had me sent to a room full of men.

"Don't worry," she whispered, smirking. "I've already tipped off the media. Enjoy your night. Tomorrow, you'll be kicked out of the Young family."

I nodded, then siphoned her consciousness. I watched her eyes go blank and her body slump onto the bed in my place.

After Claire collapsed, I slipped out of the room and hid in a shadowy corner of the hallway.

Moments later, a group of hoodlums entered the room with leering grins.

Soon, the sound of tearing clothes filled the air, followed by a chaotic mix of laughter and sobs.

It was not long before my biological parents arrived with a crowd, reporters trailing behind.

When they heard the sounds coming from the room, their faces turned grim.

My brother Charles Young snapped in disgust, "She simply has no class. To cause such a scene on an occasion like this? It makes me regret that we ever intended to bring her into the family fold.

"Evelyn, you shameless brat! Get out of here!"

Charles's face was dark as he kicked the door open and barged right in.

The reporters swarmed in after him, scrambling to get the exclusive scoop.

The room was in total chaos. There was a girl surrounded by a bunch of men, yet her face remained indistinct.

Flashbulbs kept popping as Charles yanked the girl's hair and threw her right in front of the cameras.

"Evelyn, the Young family doesn't want a shameless daughter like you. Tomorrow, you're to return to the sticks," Charles yelled.

The guests began murmuring. My biological parents looked on with utter disgust and showed no intention of stopping what was happening.

Claire was curled up on the floor, too scared to lift her head. I stepped out from the shadows and cried out in shock.

"Mom, Dad, what are you doing here? Why are there so many people?"

As soon as I spoke, everyone turned to look at me.

My parents' eyes went wide in shock. Charles looked completely floored and blurted out, "What are you doing here?"

I gave him my best innocent look.

"Where do you think I should be, Charles?" I asked.

Charles looked away from me, then glanced down and pointed at the woman lying on the floor.

"If you're here, then who is she?" he demanded.

"I wasn't feeling well earlier, so Claire brought me here to rest. But right after we came in, she suddenly collapsed. I didn't want to bother her, so I left," I explained.

I made my way through the crowd as I spoke.

Charles's eyes widened as he prepared to speak, but I knelt down and brushed the girl's hair away from her face.

"So, it turns out Claire's the one here," I said.

Everyone gasped in shock as Claire's face came into view.

My parents looked disappointed. Charles shoved me aside, threw his jacket over Claire, and blocked the cameras with his body.

"Stop! Stop taking pictures! Delete them all!" he yelled.

Claire wrapped herself tightly in the jacket, tears pouring down her cheeks.

"Evelyn, I know you don't like me, but how could you hurt me like this?" she sobbed.

In an instant, everyone's judgmental, gloating stares zeroed in on me.

My parents stared at me with nothing but disgust and hatred, as if I were some unforgivable villain.

"Evelyn, how can you be so cruel at such a young age?" they snapped.

Charles shot me a murderous glare, raising his hand as if he was about to strike me.

"I should have known. One from the middle of nowhere would naturally be this vicious and vile. Apologize to Claire, then get out of the Young family!" he shouted.

I grabbed his wrist and flung it aside, steady and unafraid.

"Why are you so worked up? This place is massive. There are security cameras. Just pull up the footage and see for yourselves what really happened," I said.