Late August, the lingering summer heat was oppressive.

Elena Monroe had just spent an entire day on the train, traveling from the remote countryside of Yao County to the bustling city of Jiangcheng.

Barely a moment had passed since she arrived, and without even letting her have a sip of water, Lana Caldwell, her stepmother, wasted no time revealing the real reason for dragging her here.

“Elena, this isn’t me being a cold-hearted stepmom, okay?” Lana started, her tone deliberately softened but dripping with fake sincerity. “It’s just that your birth chart matches perfectly with Atticus Steele’s.”

“Sure, marrying a dead man is... unconventional. But think about it—becoming the wife of a wealthy family’s heir? It's practically a dream come true! And by the way, the Steele family even offered five million as an investment.”

Richie Monroe, standing nearby, took a drag from his cigarette and turned to look at Elena. “Elena, this is your chance to repay me for raising you all these years.”

Those words—"raising you all these years”—twisted something deep inside her.

The pale-skinned girl slowly lifted her eyes, her face devoid of warmth. Her gaze, barely visible behind thick-framed black glasses, held nothing but a biting chill.

Her mother had died giving birth to her. Richie had promptly abandoned her to live with relatives in the countryside, leaving her in the dust while he built his new life in Jiangcheng—complete with a new wife and a shiny new daughter. For eighteen years, he didn’t care if she was alive or dead.

If Atticus Steele’s tragic plane crash hadn’t left his mother desperate to arrange a posthumous match for her only son, Richie likely wouldn’t have even remembered he had a daughter named Elena. A ghost marriage? They actually wanted her to marry Atticus Steele's memorial plaque, spending the rest of her life with nothing but that.

And for what? Five million. They didn’t even hesitate to throw away their own daughter’s future. And yet, they dared to mention "parental gratitude" as if it meant something.

Elena Monroe’s expression was unreadable. She said flatly, “If marrying into a wealthy family as the young lady of the house is such a grand affair, why don’t you let Sophie do it?”

She added calmly, “As I recall, before my mother passed, she arranged a marriage for me. I’m still engaged to Ace Adams from the Adams family in downtown.”

Sophie Monroe, her stepsister, was the cherished princess doted on by Richie Monroe and Lana Caldwell.

The mention of this clearly caught Lana off guard, her face briefly flashing with unease.

“Come on, Elena,” Lana scoffed after regaining composure. “You think childhood marriage arrangements still hold up these days? The Adams family is one of the most prestigious in the city. Do you really think they’d go for someone like you, who grew up in the countryside?”

Speaking more bluntly, she added, “Honestly, Ace already has someone he likes. It’s Sophie. The two of them are about to get engaged.”

Hearing Elena bring up Ace Adams, Sophie’s jealousy flared. She glared spitefully at Elena.

“Seriously, sister? A country bumpkin like you couldn’t possibly believe Ace would marry you, right?”

The disdain in Sophie’s eyes was plain as day. Elena Monroe was often mocked as a country bumpkin, but honestly, apart from those thick, ugly black-framed glasses, there was nothing remotely "rural" about her.

Her face was small and delicate, with high cheekbones and a straight nose, her features perfectly proportioned. Despite growing up in a dirty, rundown village, her skin was somehow fairer and smoother than anyone who had spent years on skincare routines. She even carried an aura of cool detachment, almost otherworldly.

But so what if her face was prettier, her features sharper, and her skin better? At the end of the day, she was still going to marry a dead man.

That thought alone made Sophie Monroe feel much better.

Out of nowhere, Elena raised a hand and slapped her across the face.

A crisp "smack" echoed through the room, leaving everyone dead silent.

Sophie clutched her burning cheek, her scream piercing the air. "AHHH!"

Richie and Lana Monroe stared in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"Elena! How dare you hit Sophie?" Richie’s voice was sharp and accusing.

Elena’s tone was as cold as ice. "She stole my fiancé and had the nerve to show off in front of me. Why wouldn’t I hit her?"

"You—!" Richie’s chest heaved with anger. "I can’t believe this is what you’ve become after living in the countryside for years! If it weren’t for your engagement to the Steele family..."

He left the threat hanging, but his furious glare made it clear what he wanted to say.

Elena, however, had lost all interest in their hypocrisy and greed. Their selfishness was written all over their faces—it couldn’t have been more obvious. "No need to say more. I’ll marry into the Steele family and get you the investment."

"Really?" Richie Monroe and Lana Caldwell's eyes lit up, their previous anger disappearing as their faces betrayed their barely contained excitement.

"Of course, there’s a condition," Elena Monroe said, staring directly at the two of them. "I want to sever all ties with the Monroe family."

Sever ties with the Monroe family?

Wasn’t Elena the one who, back in the countryside, ranked dead last in her high school, constantly causing trouble and even getting expelled recently? Compared to Sophie Monroe, the daughter they had meticulously groomed into a shining beacon of success, she was worlds apart. Honestly, they’d been wishing to get rid of this burden for years. And now, Elena wanted to use this as her bargaining chip?

Elena pulled a signed agreement from her bag, dropped it onto the table, and said simply, "Sign it."

"Fine." Richie, afraid she’d change her mind, grabbed the pen and signed without hesitation. Afterward, he shot her a wary glance and added, "I’ll tell you upfront—once this is done, you’re no longer connected to the Monroe family at all. Don’t come running back one day begging to return!"

It was clear he was worried she might come back for their money or try to compete with Sophie over the family assets.

Elena curled her lips into a mocking smile.

As she walked out, faint conversation drifted from the room behind her. "I knew it. A girl from the countryside getting into a wealthy family, even if it means being a widow to some dead guy, she’d jump at the chance. No way she'd say no."

"Elena Monroe bringing us five million without a dowry? That’s a deal you can’t lose. Honey, you’re just brilliant."

Elena had arrived with nothing more than a backpack.

When she left the Monroe house, her phone buzzed. She picked it up casually.

"Elena, did you handle that useless dad of yours?"

As always, Elena was indifferent. "Yeah."

The voice on the other end, a young man, chuckled. "Your dad is such an idiot. Treats Sophie like she’s a treasure, completely blind to the fact that you’re the real—"

"I asked you to post the message on that family tracing website. Did you do it?" Elena cut him off.

Last week, Elena had stumbled upon a letter her mother had written before she passed, revealing secrets about her past.

Her mother had explained that she left her family in Jiangcheng after being diagnosed with a rare brain disease, fearing the heartbreak it would cause them. She had changed her name and met Richie Monroe in Yaoxian, eventually marrying him and having Elena.

In the letter, her mother also shared her greatest wish—that her daughter could live fearlessly and brilliantly, shining in her own way.

Her deepest regret was leaving without taking care of her father and not knowing if he was still healthy or mourning her departure.Elena explained her mother’s situation and her own, hoping to use a family search website to locate her grandfather.

On the other end, the boy said, “I already sent it out this morning. Also paid extra to boost the ad—now we just wait for replies.”

*

Meanwhile.

In a lavish mansion in Jiangcheng, Mr. Sinclair lay in bed, hooked up to a breathing machine. Around him stood seven tall, strikingly handsome men, each with tense expressions, fists clenched, their concern written all over their faces.

Grandfather’s health was getting worse.

If this continued, no one was sure how much longer he could hold on.

Mr. Sinclair, already on the brink of death, kept murmuring a name in his sleep.

Hearing this, all seven men’s eyes turned red.

It had already been nineteen years since their aunt left, disappearing completely. Back then, their grandfather’s hair turned white overnight, and even now, he couldn’t let it go.

Then, all of a sudden, someone burst into the room with pure excitement, calling out, “Mr. Sinclair! We’ve got news about the little miss! She left behind a bloodline!”

Everyone froze, instantly directing their gaze toward the bed.

For the first time after several days in a coma, Mr. Sinclair’s fingers twitched.

**

12 a.m., Jiangjia Cemetery.

With nothing better to do after leaving the Monroe family, Elena decided to take on a task. The task itself wasn’t complicated—just meeting someone to pick up an item and deliver it elsewhere.

But with an S-tier payment on the line, the item was bound to be something illegal and incredibly valuable. The client clearly wanted to ensure it reached the recipient without a hitch.

Under the cold, pale moonlight, everything was eerily silent.

Elena Monroe stood behind a tree, surrounded by overgrown weeds and old tomb mounds, carefully scanning for her target.

Suddenly, the wind picked up, whistling sharply through the air.

Years of training had honed Elena's instincts, making her hypersensitive to danger.

Off to her left, there was a rapid series of footsteps—trained, methodical, like they belonged to professional mercenaries. There had to be at least five of them.

Mercenaries?

The one meant to hand over the item hadn’t even arrived yet, and now someone was already trying to steal it?

Elena’s eyes narrowed as her face chilled. She pressed herself closer to the tree and slowed her breathing.

But before she could react, something cold and unyielding jabbed against her lower back.