Raina froze.

If her son were still alive, he would be about this age-this tall. Maybe, like this child, he'd be soft and chubby, cling to adult legs, and snuggle in arms-utterly adorable.

Thinking of her child, her eyes softened.

She knelt down and looked into the child's eyes. For some reason, she felt something stir deep inside.

"Little one, whose kid are you? Did you get lost?" Raina reached out and gently rubbed the child's cheek.

The touch was something she'd never experienced before.

The child's skin was soft, smooth, and fragrant-so irresistibly cute.

Maybe it was just her imagination, but when she spoke, the child hugged her leg tighter, though he remained silent, his big dark eyes fixed on her.

Raina felt a headache coming-though she was a mother, she had almost no experience with children.

"Hey kiddo..." a low, magnetic voice came from behind.

Then a tall, handsome figure appeared in her sight.

The man was dressed in black formalwear, followed by several bodyguards.

For a moment, Raina felt his gaze linger on her-and strangely, she thought he looked familiar.

In a flash, her heart skipped a beat.

No wonder she felt familiar-this was Leif, the head of the Vexley Group!

Just when she thought things couldn't get worse, here he was.

Seems like misfortune never comes alone.

"Still not letting go?" Leif didn't know his identity had been exposed yet. He just lowered his head and looked at the kid clinging to Raina.

No way...

Seriously?

Of all things, could this kid actually be Leif's child?!

Well, just look at the little guy - his features were almost an exact copy of Leif's.

"Rael, take the little master away," Leif said softly.

Alright, no need to guess anymore - she was right.

Rael stepped forward a couple of paces, his face awkward like never before. Raina didn't get it at first, but then she caught on. The kid was still clutching her leg tightly, and no matter how you looked at it, it was a bit inappropriate for a man to touch a woman's thigh so boldly.

"Sorry, miss, but you need to-"

Before Rael could finish, the little kid suddenly let go of Raina's leg and charged right up to Leif. That cherubic face now looked filled with something way beyond his age... a fierce anger.

The kid's small fists clenched tight, silently resisting something.

Leif raised his hand and pushed up his glasses, their lenses flashing white. Beneath them, his deep, abyss-like eyes flickered with a sharp, barely noticeable chill.

"Do I need to say it again? Get in the car." Leif ignored the kid's resistance and ordered coldly.

Father and son stood off for a while. The kid seemed to be holding back, then suddenly, tears burst from his tiny eyes.

Leif was silent for two seconds, like he'd given up. He bent down to pick up the kid, but the boy suddenly darted away.

A few seconds later, Leif straightened back up and fixed his gaze on Raina.

Raina felt the stare crawl under her skin, making her scalp tingle. She was about to find an excuse and leave when Leif acted first - turning around with his people and heading back into the hotel.

Raina let out a quiet breath of relief. On impulse, she glanced at the black car the kid had run toward earlier, then smiled and shook her head.

Just some random kid she'd run into by chance. How could she feel so worried?

Taking a deep breath, she waited until Leif and his group disappeared into the distance before stepping toward the hotel entrance.

But there, a security guard stopped her. "Invitation, please."

"Invitation?"

"Yes. There's a VIP birthday party in the grand hall tonight. Only the wealthy and influential are allowed. You have to show an invitation to get in."

Raina thought for a moment. Mireille had deliberately left out the invitation when she called - obviously waiting here to embarrass her in front of everyone.

The guard grew impatient when she couldn't produce an invite and even tried to shove her out.

Crowds coming and going couldn't help but laugh at Raina.

At tonight's high-society party, Raina's simple look made her stand out - and not in a good way.

She looked up and saw Mireille at the door not far off, arms crossed, wearing a smug grin.

Mireille knew the situation but acted like she was watching a show.

"Seriously? An adult playing these childish games..." Raina muttered under her breath.

She tapped her phone a few times and then casually said, "I don't have an invitation, but what about this?"

On her phone appeared a long purple-and-gold digital card.

The guard froze.

That was... a lifetime VIP card for the Diamond Palace Hotel!

The crowd gasped. The Diamond Palace Hotel was a five-star, and lifetime VIPs were incredibly exclusive - only about ten in the whole country, all huge power players.

No one expected plain-looking Raina to be one of them.

Mireille's face went pale, stunned.

Could this ugly duckling have hooked a big shot? But seriously, with her looks, how?

'That card must be fake!' Mireille thought.

Just then, the guard pulled out a scanner and checked the barcode.

"Beep! Verified!"

The card was legit - Raina really was a lifetime VIP!

"Now, can I come in?" Raina tucked her phone away and asked coolly.

The guard didn't dare stop her anymore and immediately let her through.

At the hotel entrance, Mireille, surrounded by guests, finally noticed Raina approaching with poise and grace.

"Oh my, isn't this my dear sister? You finally decided to show up," Mireille said. Her words instantly drew all eyes to Raina, who became the subject of whispers and pointing.

"So this is the Carrington's eldest daughter? Not bad figure-wise, but what about that face..."

"What face? You saw that ugly photo from five years ago, right? I was scared for days, barely able to eat..."

"She actually dared to come out and show herself? That takes guts, haha..."

Hearing the mockery, Raina acted like she didn't hear a thing, just staring straight at Mireille with a faint, unreadable smile.

"Sis, I'm really glad you came... Jasper and I truly love each other. Don't blame him - it's all my fault. If you want to blame someone, blame me..." Mireille said, eyes reddening, looking pitiful.

Seeing her clumsy performance, Raina wasn't the least bit surprised. She responded coolly, "Don't blame yourself. Jasper is just a toy-whatever your big sister doesn't want, she hands down to you."

Meaning, Jasper was what she didn't want, so she gave him to Mireille.

***

That comment instantly charged the atmosphere, and people's impressions of Raina shifted.

Rumor had it she'd given up after being disfigured, becoming meek. But clearly, that wasn't true.

Mireille hadn't expected Raina to come back so strong. She had no comeback and quickly changed the subject.

"Sis, how's your face healing? I've always worried people abroad would discriminate against you because of your looks."

Sounds like concern, but really it was a jab calling Raina ugly.

Raina stayed silent. Mireille grew bolder, "Sis, it's been years. Aren't you going to take off the mask and let me see?"

The crowd, sensing a spectacle, started chanting:

"Take off the mask! Take off the mask!"

Mireille smirked, feeling even more confident now - once Raina's face was exposed, she'd have her completely underfoot.

Raina raised an eyebrow slightly, voice calm, "You sure you want me to take off my mask... in front of everyone?"

Mireille kept up the act, cooing, "Sis, don't worry, no matter how ugly you are, you're still my sister. I'd never turn my back on you..."

But before she could finish, her voice suddenly cut off.

Not just her - everyone there froze, whispering stopped dead.

Raina lifted her hand and took off the mask.

What came into view wasn't the ugly face everyone expected.

It was a face so stunning, it was impossible to look away.

Despite her casual outfit, her flawless skin and natural beauty shone through - lips red, teeth white, complexion like creamy porcelain.

Plus, her cool, ethereal vibe made her look like a goddess walking among mortals.

Looking at Mireille, who was perfectly made up but nowhere near as striking, it was like night and day.

Just one appearance and Mireille was already losing.

The woman who came expecting to watch Raina's downfall suddenly looked like she'd been struck by lightning, frozen in place.

Then jealousy and fury surged through her.

"This woman was supposed to be disfigured. I remember her ugly face clearly. How is she even more beautiful than before, after all these years?"

"Mireille, is that really Raina? Wasn't she disfigured? Maybe it's a fake..." a provocatively dressed girl nearby whispered.

That was Odessa, Mireille's distant cousin.

A poisonous look flashed in Mireille's eyes, but she kept her usual poise, softly saying, "Odessa, don't talk nonsense. My sister's been recovering abroad and rarely appears, but she's still my only sister - I wouldn't mistake her."

Odessa rolled her eyes and stepped forward. "Recovering? Mireille, you're too kind. Raina got disfigured and got pregnant out of wedlock. If it weren't for your mercy giving her a way out, she'd be dead by now."

She turned to Raina. "Hey, Raina, don't think looking pretty now means you can mess with Mireille. I'm warning you: stop going after Jasper and Mireille. They're the perfect couple! This is their engagement party - if you cause trouble, I'll be the first to come after you!"

The crowd suddenly remembered the family scandal and looked at Raina with amusement.

Raina ignored it all - she wasn't interested in any engagement party. If it weren't for Mireille dangling her mother's company as bait, she wouldn't even be here.

"You deaf or what? Didn't you hear me talking to you?" Odessa snapped as Raina stayed silent.

Angry now, Odessa raised her hand and slapped Raina.

She'd been riding Mireille's coattails these years and never took Raina seriously.

But before her palm hit Raina's face, Raina caught it.

Next second - smack - like thunder breaking the silence.

Raina returned the slap hard, sending Odessa sprawling.

"Ah! Odessa, you okay? Someone call a doctor!" Mireille rushed over, panicking.

No one expected the seemingly delicate Raina to strike like lightning - one slap and Odessa was down.

Odessa was dazed, stunned for a long moment, shame flooding her face.

Then, bloodshot eyes blazing, she lunged at Raina and grabbed her neck with both hands.

"How dare you hit me... Die, Raina! Just die!" Odessa hissed, eyes wild.

Mireille stood right there but only made a half-hearted move to stop her, then froze with a terrified look - no real help.

"Die, Raina."

After Raina disappeared following the birth of her child, Mireille was the happiest.

In just five years, she completely replaced Raina - top socialite, rich fiancé, medical genius title - all hers now.

She'd never let Raina take any of it back.

"Ahhh-!"

A scream like a pig being slaughtered pierced the air, hanging over the party.

Guests nearby who hadn't noticed the fight hurried over.

In moments, the entrance became the center of attention.

Odessa was half-kneeling, while Raina casually held her throat with one hand.

A chilling cold crept up Odessa's spine, making her scalp tingle.

"Y-you b*tch, let me go... I said, let me go..." Odessa spat, eyes a mix of fear and humiliation.

Raina looked down at her with a faint smile, "Why should I?"

Odessa trembled, teeth chattering, "What do you mean why? You're attacking someone in front of all these people! You're truly vicious. No wonder Uncle Carrington abandoned you, and your own mother destroyed your face... You're a curse!"

She didn't care about what people thought.

But her mother disfiguring her was a line Raina would never let anyone cross.

Raina's eyes darkened, colder like a frozen lake, and without a word, she tightened her grip.

Odessa's pupils shrank and she let out a hoarse scream, "H-Help...!"

"Sis, you have to let Odessa go! She's just confused, you can't really kill her over a few words... Sis, stop!" Mireille cried out, clearly terrified of Raina - as if she was a monster.

Her simple words shifted the blame onto Raina.

Those just arriving, unaware of the full story, all thought Raina had gone too far.

Raina didn't loosen her grip. Instead, she turned to Mireille and said coldly, "Stop? When she was hitting me, why didn't you say stop then?"

Mireille hesitated, "I... I thought Odessa was just joking..."

Raina smirked, "Joking? If I hadn't reacted so fast, the one with a hand around their throat right now would be me. Second Miss Carrington, do you really think you won't feel pain unless I slap you across the face?"

Second Miss Carrington.

Those words struck Mireille like a venomous snake, squeezing her heart tightly.

It was a cruel reminder that she would always be the Carrington family's shameful second daughter.

***

Mireille clenched her fists until her knuckles cracked, her face turning pale and strained. She stayed silent for a long moment.

At that moment, Fenris Carrington arrived, and even before he reached them, he was already yelling.

"Raina! You unfilial daughter! You come back and cause trouble everywhere, bringing shame on us! Aren't you going to..."

Originally scolding Raina, Fenris froze when he saw her, his voice cutting off abruptly.

Had Raina's appearance... recovered?

"Fenris, Raina's been out too long, that's why she's so wild. Don't bother arguing with her, don't get angry... Remember, we have serious matters today. Besides, so many guests are watching."

Odette, the third wife who'd risen in status, lowered her voice at the end.

Fenris snorted coldly, scowling, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and come with me! Such an embarrassment!"

Raina lowered her gaze, her face returning to its usual indifferent expression.

This was her father - his heart was always biased.

But it didn't matter anymore. She hadn't come back to reunite, but to find her lost baby and reclaim what was hers.

Amidst the murmurs, Raina followed Fenris and Odette out. 

Mireille snapped out of her daze and followed as well.

...

Hotel lounge.

With a sharp "slam," Fenris threw a contract in front of Raina.

"Sign this contract. From now on, the Carrington family has nothing to do with you!"

On the front page of the contract was clearly written - Company Share Transfer Agreement.

Fenris was demanding Raina transfer her mother's company to Mireille - for free!

Raina lounged casually on the sofa, but an invisible pressure radiated from her, even making Fenris furrow his brow and fix his gaze on her.

After all these years, something about Raina seemed different.

The girl raised her hand, picked up the agreement, and curled a cold, sarcastic smile at the corner of her lips.

"Company transfer agreement?"

Fenris felt no problem demanding Raina sign it. Ever since Lauren passed away, he'd taken for granted that everything belonged to him.

But before she died, Lauren left a will, leaving all her inheritance to that useless bastard, Raina.

Besides, the company was now managed by a professional manager, and without this transfer agreement, the other side wouldn't acknowledge Fenris's claims.

That's why he saw this as the perfect opportunity. Raina was always timid - with him asking personally, there was no way she wouldn't sign.

A flash of triumph crossed Fenris's eyes before he impatiently said, "It's just a failing company anyway. Think of it as your sister's wedding gift. You wouldn't be that petty to begrudge her that, would you?"

Odette quickly chimed in with a sweet smile, "Exactly, Raina, you don't know how badly business has been these past years. The company's always losing money. Even if you got it, you wouldn't be able to run it. Better to give it to Mireille as her dowry - that's what an older sister should do."

Mireille sat nearby, her arrogant pride slowly returning.

With Fenris and Odette backing her, she didn't even have to lift a finger to crush Raina.

"What right do you have?" Raina slammed the agreement down heavily on the table.

Fenris's expression hardened, a bad feeling creeping up inside him. "What do you mean?"

The atmosphere instantly thickened.

Raina tapped twice on the contract, a mocking smile playing at her eyes and brows.

"The company is mine. Why should my own property be given away for free? I won't sign this."

"Whether you sign it or not isn't up to you! You'll sign it today-willing or not! Don't fool yourself into thinking you're some untouchable high-society lady. With or without your consent, Jasper and Mireille's engagement is already set in stone!"

"It's just giving her a bankrupt company and you can't even agree to that?"Odette seized the chance to fan the flames. "Fenris, I'm telling you, your daughter is... tsk, tsk, selfish to the extreme."

Raina rubbed her forehead, knowing there was no point in staying. She stood and left the lounge.

"Raina! Stop right there! You unfilial daughter! Once you step out that door, don't ever think of coming back to the Carrington family!"

The Carrington family?

Aside from the name, she no longer had any ties to them.

Beep-

As soon as she stepped out, her phone rang. Raina glanced at the caller ID, then answered, holding the phone to her ear.

"Raina, you really have some serious charm. Wherever you go, that Mr. Vexley follows. His people are at the scene too. Be careful not to reveal your whereabouts."

Leif was here for the Hale family engagement banquet?

Rumor had it this Mr. Vexley was low-profile, never attending public events. If not to personally clear up the media rumors about the second young master of the Vexley family's leg injury, he wouldn't have appeared publicly.

Yet he even came to some insignificant noble family's engagement banquet - low-profile, huh?

Raina lowered her gaze lazily and replied, "Got it."

She hung up and tapped a few times on her phone screen. A complex web of lines and dots appeared, with over a dozen red dots blinking.

For such a large event, the other side could insert their people quietly without alerting the hosts - interesting.

"Raina! Stop right there!"

A sharp, venomous voice sounded from behind.

No need to turn around - it was Mireille.

Raina put away her phone and turned to look at Mireille, raising an eyebrow.

"Second Miss Carrington still have something to say?"

Second Miss Carrington - those words were like a fine needle piercing through Mireille's skin. The pain was subtle but impossible to ignore.

Mireille stood frozen for a moment, then suddenly raised her head, her tone and expression turning cold and cruel as she sneered, "Why aren't you dead yet? You should have died five years ago... Raina, seriously, just die already, won't you?"

"Answer me! Say something, Raina! Answer me-"

Her voice grew sharper and full of malice, making it clear this curse wasn't just empty words. She really wanted Raina dead.

But Raina laughed, covering her face with one hand as the laughter slipped through her fingers.

"You're still alive, so why should I die? Mireille, everything you stole from me, I'll make you spit it out one by one."

"Never!"

Mireille's eyes widened, a flicker of fear and panic flashing in her pupils. She clenched her fists tightly, as if holding onto something, and yelled fiercely at Raina:

"What I've got, is mine! Raina, you'll never take it from me again... never!"

***