A black Volkswagen Phaeton slowly rolled out of the orphanage.

Joanna Mercer sat quietly in the back seat. Her head was lowered, a phone in her hand, her expression cool and distant.

Then the phone buzzed. A message popped up.

"Boss, any plans lately? The guys all miss you."

Joanna’s slim, pretty fingers tapped across the screen.

"I’ve already left the orphanage. If anything comes up, find me in River City. I’m taking a break for now."

"River City? Boss, what, is there some huge deal over there?" the other side asked right away.

"No. I’m going home," Joanna replied flatly.

The person on the other end was instantly rattled.

"Boss, you’ve gotta be joking, right? Aren’t you an orphan? Didn’t you grow up in the orphanage? Why are you suddenly saying you’re going home?"

But this time, Joanna didn’t reply. She put her phone away and turned to look out the window.

The silence inside the car felt almost too heavy.

Henrietta Mercer was still emotional even now. She had seen Joanna messaging just now and didn’t want to interrupt. Now that the girl finally had a moment, she planned to briefly explain the family situation first, so Joanna could at least be mentally prepared.

She reached out and took Joanna’s hand without thinking.

Almost on reflex, Joanna shook her off.

Seeing the hurt flash across Henrietta’s face, Joanna paused, then said awkwardly, "Sorry. I’m not used to people touching me."

"It’s okay, sweetheart." Henrietta forced a gentle smile. "Let me tell you a little first. You have two older brothers and two younger sisters. Once you’re home, everyone will definitely like you..."

After that, the only voice in the car was Henrietta’s.

By the time they were almost there, Joanna had gotten a rough picture of everything.

Honestly... this family setup was kind of a lot.

The Mercer family was one of River City’s old elite families, with enormous influence there, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Song family as the city’s two major powers.

The family was huge, wealthy, and packed with people. In Harold Mercer’s generation, there were three brothers, and Harold was the eldest.

As for Harold himself, he currently had four children.

With Joanna added in, that made five.

When Joanna heard that, she was genuinely stunned. The look she gave Henrietta turned a little strange.

And apparently everyone in the family was outstanding.

Compared to them, Joanna—lost for so many years, struggling outside, barely able to keep herself fed, never having a decent environment to grow up in—looked silent and withdrawn. In Henrietta’s eyes, the girl was probably deeply insecure.

The more Henrietta thought about it, the more her heart ached.

She had already made up her mind to love this daughter twice as much and give her nothing but the very best.

...

River City, luxury villa district.

By evening, they finally arrived home.

Henrietta got out first, then turned back to help Joanna down.

After stepping out, Joanna lifted her eyes and gave the place a casual once-over.

Hm. The Mercer residence was a standalone villa, four floors.

And not small, either.

From the outside, it looked almost like a castle. There were countless rooms, and just from the vintage carved window frames, it was obvious how ridiculously luxurious the interior had to be.

Henrietta saw Joanna standing there for so long and assumed the girl had never seen anything like this before and had been stunned by the mansion. She sighed inwardly.

Poor child.

"Come on, sweetheart," Henrietta said softly.

Joanna’s expression didn’t change. She simply followed her inside the main hall.

It was around dinner time, so aside from the family head Harold Mercer and the eldest son Victor Mercer, everyone else was in the living room.

The place was so huge that even ordinary conversation seemed to echo.

The moment the two of them walked in, every pair of eyes turned toward them at once.

Joanna still wore the same unreadable expression.

No one could tell what she was thinking.

She looked straight ahead, clearly uninterested in anything in the room.

Just then, a pretty figure came flying toward Henrietta.

"Mommy! Where have you been all day? I’ve been looking for you forever!" the girl pouted, clinging to her as she complained, her tone full of spoiled little-girl sass.

This was the youngest child of the Mercer family, Bella Mercer.

She was Henrietta’s biological daughter. Since she was the youngest, everyone spoiled her rotten, so she had a bit of a bratty streak. Still, her grades were excellent.

Before Henrietta could answer, Bella immediately spotted Joanna beside her.

She frowned, then said in a huffy voice, "Where did this country bumpkin come from? This is my house. Did you come to the wrong place?"

Joanna glanced at her lightly. Those glass-dark eyes held no warmth at all.

Then she looked at Henrietta and asked, "Where’s my room? I want to rest."

"Hah, a bumpkin like you wants to live in our mansion too?" Bella’s voice jumped several pitches, and the people in the living room all looked over.

"Bella, that’s enough. Don’t be rude." Henrietta’s face fell as she scolded her. "This is your sister Joanna. You are not allowed to speak like that again. Mommy went to bring your sister home today."

Bella exploded on the spot.

She shot Joanna a vicious glare. "She is a bumpkin! I don’t like her! My sister is Jade!"

The second she finished, she ran off.

Right then, an authoritative but slightly aged voice rang out.

"Henrietta, what exactly are you doing? Bringing just any random stray into the house? And now you’ve even upset my precious granddaughter?"

Joanna looked over.

It was an older woman with a full head of silver hair, but she looked sharp and full of energy. One listen to her voice was enough to tell she had serious presence. Around her neck hung a vivid green jade necklace, clear and glossy, and she wore a dark red traditional outfit that made her look composed, elegant, and expensive in every sense.

She wasn’t standing far away, but the pressure she gave off was intense.

One glance and it was obvious—this was the true authority in the house.

"Mom, this is Joanna. I brought her home today." Henrietta led Joanna forward and spoke respectfully to Old Madam Mercer, her tone humble to the point of caution.

"Henrietta, you’re still too naive." Old Madam Mercer gave Joanna a meaningful look. "There are all kinds of scammers outside these days. Everyone knows the Mercer family is rich and powerful, so of course they all want a piece of it. It’s been over ten years. The world has changed who knows how many times by now. A child that young back then—how could you possibly still find her so easily now?"

"Mom, there’s no mistake. Technology is advanced now..." Henrietta hurried to explain.

"Hmph. Stubborn. Foolish."

Old Madam Mercer didn’t even wait for her to finish. She cut her off without mercy, then turned and walked toward the dining table.

Henrietta stood there awkwardly.

Mainly because her mother-in-law’s words had been way too harsh. Any child would have been crushed hearing that.

She instinctively looked at Joanna.

But the girl’s expression remained calm and indifferent, as if everything just said had nothing to do with her at all.

At that moment, Harold Mercer and Victor Mercer came back.

The second they saw Joanna, both of them paused.

She was tall and slender, her hair tied into a simple ponytail. Her skin was pale like white porcelain. Her features were so delicate they were almost flawless. Her eyes were pitch-black, strangely magnetic—yet if you stared too long, they gave off a faint chill. Seven parts cold silence, three parts innocence, with a trace of wild defiance slipping out now and then without warning.

She wore only an ordinary shirt, the hem casually tucked into a pair of jeans, revealing legs that were slim and startlingly fair.

Thinking of what his wife had told him that morning, Harold had already put together a general idea.

But... why was this not at all like what he and Henrietta had discussed earlier?

"Why is she here?" Harold Mercer frowned, his voice edged with impatience.