The system reported to its superiors about changing Thea's target.

The weight in Thea's chest finally lifted a little.

Upon returning home, she was met by Clara, who was running out with red-rimmed eyes.

She shoved Thea aside violently. "Out of my way."

Thea's back slammed against the edge of a table. Luckily, Leonard caught her quickly.

His face darkened as he reached out to block Clara's path. "Apologize."

Clara stared in disbelief. "Who does she think she is? Why should I apologize to her? Leonard, don't go too far."

Leonard lifted Thea's shirt from the back to reveal a terrible bruise. His expression turned even colder as he threatened, "Don't push me to do worse."

Clara trembled, and tears slid down her cheeks. She looked just like a scared little rabbit.

Thea had always hoped someone in this family would stand behind her and back her up.

But now that the moment had come, it felt so ridiculous.

Could Leonard really do anything to Clara when he smelled exactly like her body wash?

Thea was exhausted. There was no point in staying with someone who didn't truly care about her.

She pulled away from Leonard's support. "I'm fine. Grandma's hosting a dinner tonight. I'm going to change."

Leonard's eyes flickered with surprise. "You're not going to make her apologize?"

Before, when he stood up for Thea in front of Clara, there was light in Thea's eyes. But now, there was nothing.

Leonard felt something strange stirring in his heart. He quickly asked, "Can I come with you tonight?"

Surprised, Thea glanced at him. But when she saw the hopeful look in his eyes, she understood at once.

"Come if you want to."

Leonard didn't like big crowds. But if he skipped the dinner, he'd have to separate from Clara. For him, that would be torture.

Thankfully, in just half a month, Thea would marry into the Larkin family.

Once she was out of the way, Leonard could cling to Clara as much as he wanted.

That night, the car pulled up to the Storme residence.

It was Leonard's first time attending such a formal event as a "poor" man, but Thea didn't wait for him.

A flash of displeasure crossed his face, but he forced a polite smile and followed her.

People couldn't help but glance with envy.

"Seriously. Thea may not be much, but she sure knows how to pick a man. He's got looks and style."

"Right? And since he's a live-in son-in-law, Thea won't get pushed around after marriage."

Thea didn't react.

But Clara was furious. She threw herself into her grandmother Penelope Floyd's arms, acting like a spoiled child seeking comfort.

Penelope held her close, comforting her. "Oh, my poor Clara. Marrying into the Larkin family will be a nightmare. It's all because someone didn't know her place and stole your man. If you had just gotten engaged earlier, you wouldn't have to be the one marrying into the Larkin family."

A cold smile tugged at Thea's lips.

It seemed like everyone in the Storme family thought it didn't matter if she married into the Larkin family.

If that family was a living hell for Clara, did they truly believe it would be heaven for Thea?

That evening, Penelope removed the emerald bracelet from her left wrist and handed it to Clara in front of everyone.

"This is a family heirloom of the Storme family, passed down to only one person each generation. Clara, it's yours now."

In the silence, Leonard's steady voice cut through. "You can't give it to Ms. Clara."

Stunned, Thea turned to look at him.

He leaned back against the chair, exuding a presence of nobility that far exceeded his standing. A faint smile tugged at his lips as his sharp gaze locked onto Clara.

"Thea is the real daughter of the Storme family. Clara was adopted. What right does she have to accept that bracelet?"

The dining table fell into a heavy silence as a multitude of gazes converged on Thea, making her squirm with discomfort.

She quickly tugged on Leonard's sleeve, whispering, "I don't care about that bracelet. You don't have to do this."

He smiled at her, then fixed his gaze on Clara with an intensity that was almost obscene. "Ms. Clara, why don't you beg me? Maybe then I'll ask Thea to drop it."

A chill ran down Thea's spine.

Leonard wasn't standing up for her. He was using her name to force Clara into submission, without a care for Thea's feelings.

Penelope slammed her cane on the floor several times.

"Well, well. You're really bold, Thea. You got yourself a man and had him humiliate your sister? Bet you've been holding that in for a while."

"Listen up, if you keep making things hard for Clara, don't blame me for kicking you out of the family."

Thea lowered her eyes.

The system's voice rang in her ear. "Thea, your target has been switched. It will take effect in two weeks."

In other words, from now on, neither the Storme family nor Leonard could hold her back.

Years of pent-up frustration welled up inside her.

She raised her head sharply. "Clara, want to bet again?"

At the mention of a bet, Clara's composure flickered for a split second. "The wager?"

"That bracelet. We'll take turns bidding, only using our possessions as stakes. Whoever bids higher wins the bracelet and the other person's stakes."

Everyone around looked surprised.

They all knew Thea grew up in an orphanage, and since her return, she had remained the unloved daughter of the family.

How could she challenge Clara like this?

Clara clearly thought so too. She was the first to pull out a black card. "I hope you don't back out. This is all my savings."

Thea smiled and showed her own card.

The butler, Rowan Ellison, checked the balance and looked confused. "Ms. Thea wins."

"No way!" Clara refused to believe it and then pulled out a bunch of keys.

"The island from Dad, the villa from Mom, and the yacht from Jeremy. This should be enough, right?"

They were birthday gifts from the past few years.

Thea calmly took out some documents.

Rowan's face turned serious. "Ms. Thea wins again."

A ripple of shock passed through everyone in the room, and they tried to catch a glimpse of the papers' contents.

Thea's expression didn't change. "Want to keep going? Everything you have comes from Mom and Dad. I don't believe you have anything else. Let me tell you. These are my scholarships and patent contracts. I earned them myself. And I have more to show."

Clara's face flushed bright red, her chest rising and falling as she snarled, "Well, I have more. 1.6 billion dollars' worth of courtyard houses. I don't believe you can come up with that kind of money so fast."

Jeremy's expression changed. He hurriedly stopped her. "Clara, don't."

"Why? This is all I have left. Jeremy, do you want to see me lose?"

"No, it's just—"

Before Jeremy could finish, Rowan cut in with the answer. "Sorry, Ms. Clara. Ms. Thea is now the owner of those two courtyard houses."

"What?" Clara gasped, like someone had grabbed her throat.

1.6 billion dollars was now Thea's stake. If Clara couldn't outbid her, everything she owned would belong to Thea.

Clara nervously twisted her sleeves. Penelope and Jeremy looked anxious but helpless. They couldn't openly help Clara cheat.

Just as she bit her lower lip, on the verge of tears, Thea continued to watch her with a chilling calm.

In the past, she would never have been this aggressive.

She kept wanting to fit in with the Storme family and didn't want to make things hard for their little princess.

But today, no matter what anyone said, Thea wouldn't change her mind.

Someone was already ready to take the bracelet from Clara.

She burst into loud sobs.

At that moment, Rowan stared at his computer in disbelief. "1.5 billion dollars? Someone just transferred 1.5 billion dollars into Ms. Clara's account!"

"Oh my god! 1.5 billion dollars? Who can just transfer that much cash on the spot?"

Everyone at the dinner gasped in shock.

Rowan wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.

He answered a call, said a few words, then switched on the speaker.

The voice Thea recognized came through clearly. "Mr. Falkner says he won't let Ms. Clara lose. The Falkner family will cover all of her stakes today."

Every word hit everyone like a hammer.

"The Falkner family? You mean that Falkner family?"

"Who else could pull out 1.5 billion dollars? Mr. Falkner isn't like Thea's fiance. He's a true big shot!"

"Thea, you'd better give up. The Falkners don't just have money. They hold grudges. If you cross them, life will get rough."

Thea's ears buzzed as she stared at Leonard.

He just smiled like it didn't concern him while watching with genuine amusement as Clara's tears dissolved into a smile.

He was staring at her as if she were a piece of prey.

Thea felt the whole thing was ridiculous.

She put down the title deeds of her two courtyard houses. "I'm in. 1.6 billion dollars."

Within five minutes, another 200 million dollars was transferred into Clara's account.

The Falkner family could have crushed Thea immediately, but they seemed to enjoy tormenting her with just a slight edge.

Thea finally broke.

Her voice was hoarse as she demanded, "Is Mr. Falkner not going to give me a way out today?"

Leonard seemed to come to his senses only then, realizing he was Thea's fiance.

He wrapped his arm around Thea's shoulders with an apologetic look.

"Sorry, Thea. I'm just an ordinary guy. I don't have the means to provide your stake. Since this whole mess started because of me, I'll talk to Clara and cancel the bet."

Thea trembled with rage.

He didn't have the means?

The man in front of her was responsible for how things turned out.

Whether as her fiance or the enigmatic Mr. Falkner, Leonard seemed determined to trample her pride underfoot.

Thea struggled to stand. "I'm not giving up. It's just a stake. I'll keep raising if I have to."

Frowning, Leonard grabbed her arm. "Thea, don't act on impulse. No point risking everything just for some pride."

Thea shut her eyes tight.

Actually, the Larkin family's wedding gift of money was already in her hands.

If she gave it all up, even Leonard couldn't stop her. But that would reveal she was taking Clara's place to marry into the Larkin family.

Still, no matter what, she couldn't lose this bet.

Before she could say more, Penelope spoke up. Her gaze was complicated as she reprimanded Clara, "Enough, Clara. Don't be ridiculous. Leonard's right. It's not fair to Thea if I just hand you the bracelet. I'll keep it for now.

"Since the wager is no longer valid, this entire bet is void. I'll treat this as nothing more than a joke between sisters. Take back your stakes."

Leonard raised an eyebrow.

Thea caught a hint of regret in his eyes. She shook off his hand and dug her nails into her palm.

Along with the humiliation came deep regret. She never should have agreed to bind with the system.

Letting Leonard die in that alley would have been better for all of them.

After dinner, Thea refused Leonard's company and walked home alone. She didn't want to face anyone's pity or mocking looks.

At the riverside, the system spoke up. "Thea, Leonard and Clara are on the other side."

"Oh, yeah? What are they saying?"

The system kindly helped listen in.

Leonard quietly asked Clara, "Do you regret breaking up with me back then?"

"What difference does it make whether I regret it or not?" Clara's voice was cold and harsh.

"You're about to marry Thea, and I'm to be wed to a dying man from the Larkin family. We have no future left."

Leonard's voice took on a coaxing tone. "If you admit you were wrong, I can fix both things."

Clara sneered. "You're just an ordinary guy. As if your words matter. You really think you're Mr. Falkner? If it weren't for him tonight, I'd have made a huge fool of myself. Leonard, you caused all this. I hate you."

Thea fell silent.

Leonard had fixed the problem, but didn't tell Clara. He even played the devoted lover to the very sister she loathed most right in front of her.

All of it was to make Clara give in and get her to apologize.

Thea was just the sacrificial pawn in Leonard and Clara's game.

Suddenly, she didn't want Leonard to reveal the truth. She grabbed her phone and dialed a number. "Leonard, I want the chowder you make. Where are you?"