Kellan fixed Alina with a look full of open contempt.

Alina said, "Mr. Gilbert, I'm fully aware that this marriage isn't something you wanted. Even so, you still agreed to it, which tells me you have your own reasons. So, why don't we work together?"

Instead of dismissing her at once, Kellan studied the composed expression on her face. Interest quietly surfaced in him because no woman had ever approached him with that kind of nerve and proposed an alliance so directly.

His expression turned cold as Kellan asked, "What exactly makes you believe you have anything worth offering me?"

"You have two older brothers, and you've been pretending that your injuries from the accident are worse than they are, even inside your own home. That tells me the danger isn't outside your family but within it. If that is the case, then I can stay in that house, watch what happens, and report anything suspicious to you," Alina said evenly.

Something shifted in Kellan's expression as he listened. His stare became far sharper than before. The woman in front of him was becoming far more interesting. She had uncovered his deception almost immediately.

With his eyes pinned on Alina, he asked, "So who are you really?"

A small smile appeared on Alina's face as she replied, "No mystery there. I'm Alina Riley. My mother serves the Hayes household."

Not once did she look away from Kellan, and fear never showed on her face.

By now, she was certain he had already investigated everything he could about her past. Even if suspicion lingered in his mind, she remained unbothered because the truth about who she really was could never be uncovered by someone with ordinary reach.

After a brief silence, Kellan finally spoke, his voice carrying a sharp chill. "Then tell me, what do you want in return?"

Without hesitation, Alina replied, "What I am asking for is straightforward. This marriage only needs to exist on paper. Nothing more."

Bitterness quietly rose in her chest.

At that moment, the reason behind Kristy's strange lack of anger or disappointment over Jessica being chosen to marry Kellan became painfully obvious.

Kristy had known about the switch from the very start and had kept silent because it served her interests.

Had she refused this marriage, Kristy would have found another opportunity to trade her off to someone else if it meant personal gain. Compared to that fate, remaining in this arrangement with Kellan felt like the better option because Kristy would lose her ability to control her.

More than once, she had questioned whether Kristy was truly the woman who gave birth to her.

Instead of answering immediately, Kellan made an unexpected move and yanked her into his embrace. A startled cry escaped her before she could stop it.

Without giving her room to react, he pressed his face against the curve of her neck.

The moment Alina tried to speak, Kellan silenced her. "I thought you said you wanted to be useful to me. Then make it sound convincing. Moan."

A faint rustle came from the doorway, and Alina immediately realized someone was listening outside. She had no doubt it was one of the Gilbert family.

Heat rushed to Alina's face at once. "I wouldn't even know what to do," she replied in a barely audible voice.

Kellan narrowed his eyes at her. "You expect me to believe that? You've been with Alan for years, and nothing ever happened between you?" Suspicion was clear in his voice.

Embarrassment burned even hotter across Alina's face.

Without warning, Kellan lowered his head and pressed a kiss against her neck. A tremor passed through her body, and a soft sound slipped from her lips before she could stop it.

Several minutes passed, and Alina's entire face and body felt overheated, while whoever had been lurking outside had apparently given up and left.

"You can have the bed tonight. I'll take the sofa," Kellan said evenly.

After taking a moment to settle herself, Alina cleaned up and slipped beneath the covers of the oversized bed. She had been certain Kellan's presence on the sofa would keep her awake for hours, yet exhaustion took over faster than expected, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Morning arrived, and when Alina opened her eyes, Kellan was nowhere to be seen.

Making her way downstairs, Alina found several people gathered in the lavish living room. The first to notice her was an elderly woman, who immediately smiled and called out, "Jessica, come here, dear!"

Before Alina could respond, a younger woman let out a mocking laugh and said, "Grandma, you've mistaken her for someone else. That isn't Jessica. That's Alina, a servant's daughter."

Pamela Gilbert, Kellan's mother, gave Alina a long, careful look. "How could that be?" she asked in clear disbelief. "She's the very image of Lynda!"

Alina blinked in surprise.

Since childhood, people had often said she bore a resemblance to Jessica's mother, and she had believed it herself.

Only later did she discover that Kristy was related to Lynda Hayes, which made the resemblance far less surprising.

With a sneer, Kenzie Gilbert spoke again, her voice dripping with contempt. "Compare her to Lynda? Don't make me laugh."

Turning her attention to Alina, she spoke in a mocking tone. "Alina, you shameless woman. Stealing Jessica's belongings wasn't enough for you? Now you're going after her marriage, too. You're disgusting."

Before anyone could react, a sharp slap echoed through the room.

Kenzie sat there, stunned, taking a few seconds to process what had just happened. When it sank in, she glared at Alina in disbelief. "Alina, you worthless thing, how dare you hit me?"

As one of Jessica's close friends, Kenzie frequently visited the Hayes family's residence.

Because Jessica often spoke poorly of Alina, Kenzie had long held a deep dislike for her.

Now that she had been struck by someone she looked down on, anger surged through her. She raised her hand, ready to retaliate.

Alina's voice cut through sharply. "Kenzie, I'm your uncle's wife now."

Kenzie froze mid-motion. That was undeniable. Kellan was her uncle.

Watching her daughter falter, Kenzie's mother looked at Alina with open disdain and spoke coldly. "Alina, you're nothing more than a servant's daughter. Even if you forced your way into marrying Kellan, he'll never truly accept you."

As she snapped out of it, Kenzie's temper flared again. "Exactly! Don't think your status can suppress me, you shameless woman. I'll make you pay!"

With that, she lifted her hand once more.

Before it could land, her wrist was seized firmly.

Looking up, Kenzie met a pair of icy eyes and immediately stiffened. Her voice softened. "Uncle Kellan."

A thought struck her, and excitement returned. "Uncle Kellan, you came at the right time! This woman is nothing but a servant's daughter from the Hayes family. She even dares to dream of marrying you. She's completely shameless. You can't let her stay!"

After saying that, Kenzie shot Alina a smug look. In her mind, Kellan's cold nature meant Alina was finished.

Kellan looked at Alina's calm face, then abruptly flung Kenzie's hand aside.

His voice turned low as he addressed Alina. "You've got quite the courage to strike a Gilbert."

Alina met his gaze with a smile. "Wasn't it you who gave me that confidence, Mr. Gilbert?"

A laugh left Kellan.

Rubbing her aching wrist, Kenzie stared at Alina with resentment, waiting for her downfall.

Instead, Kellan placed a hand on Alina's shoulder, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You're right. As my wife, you have every right to discipline my niece."

The smiles on Kenzie's and her mother's faces stiffened instantly. Was Kellan really planning to marry Alina, a mere servant's daughter? Had he lost his mind?

Pamela, however, reacted without hesitation. Turning to Alina with a warm smile, she spoke. "You're Alina, right? My dear, from today on, you're part of this family. Here, take this as a welcome gift."

As she spoke, Pamela removed the diamond bracelet from her wrist, a treasured family heirloom she had worn for years, and gently slipped it onto Alina's hand.

Across the room, Kenzie's mother clenched her fist so tightly her nails dug into her skin.

She had been married into the Gilbert family for years and had always held her position as the lady of the house, yet Pamela had never offered her that bracelet. Now, the moment Alina appeared, it was handed over without hesitation. The favoritism couldn't have been more obvious.

Alina was caught off guard and instinctively wanted to decline. After all, her marriage with Kellan was nothing more than an arrangement. The diamonds glittered under the light, clearly worth a fortune, far beyond something she felt comfortable accepting.

Before she could speak, Kellan's calm voice cut in, "Since my mother gave it to you, accept it."

Alina realized she had no reason left to say no, so she took it. "Thank you, Pamela."

Pamela's smile deepened as she looked at Alina, growing more pleased with each passing second.

Kenzie felt as if anger might burst out of her at any second.

A servant's daughter had actually married her uncle, and to her, that was the worst disgrace imaginable. She could already picture her friends laughing behind her back.

Taking Alina's hand, Pamela began introducing her to the rest of the Gilbert family.

Although their expressions hinted at disdain for Alina's background, they still offered her gifts out of courtesy.

Kenzie's mother hid a calculating gleam behind her smile as she spoke. "Since it's the first day Alina joins our family, the kitchen has prepared a grand meal. Shall we head in and enjoy it?"

At those words, Kenzie's eyes brightened once more. The dinner tonight featured exquisite dishes that demanded perfect etiquette, making it the ideal chance to test someone's refinement. A servant's daughter like Alina would surely embarrass herself. Once that happened, would Kellan and Pamela still favor her?

With that thought in mind, Kenzie walked toward the dining room, unable to hide her excitement.

The table was already filled with luxurious dishes, and Kenzie wasted no time picking up a lobster, placing it onto Alina's plate.

At that moment, every gaze in the room turned toward her.

Alina barely spared the lobster a glance before moving with practiced ease. She held it steady with one hand and used her fork to lift the tail meat cleanly. Then, with a small spoon, she carefully gathered the tender flesh from the head and claws.

Each movement flowed naturally, precise and controlled, as if it were second nature. The elegance of her actions made her stand out, even among the Gilberts.

Kenzie's eyes widened, and a surge of jealousy twisted inside her.

With a sharp edge to her voice, she said, "Well, Alina, seems like you've been secretly copying Jessica just to get your table manners right."

Before her words could linger, Alina tapped the back of Kenzie's hand lightly.

Alina's gaze turned cold. "Mind your tone. Looks like I'll have to teach you some manners, so you don't embarrass yourself in public."

Rage nearly overwhelmed Kenzie. Alina really thought she could act like the lady of the house now?

She shot Pamela a desperate look, hoping for support, but Pamela only smiled. "I didn't expect Alina to carry herself so well. Kenzie, she's right. You should learn from her."

Left without a comeback, Kenzie felt her anger rise to the point of dizziness.

The long, tense meal finally ended. The moment she found Alina alone, Kenzie rushed over and blocked her path.

"Alina, you..." The insult she wanted to say died on her lips when she saw Alina's raised hand. Swallowing it back, she changed her words. "How can you be so shameless? You threw away your long-term boyfriend just to marry into a wealthy family. You're ruthless."

Alina found it almost amusing. "Kenzie, what makes you so sure I was the one who chose to switch places?"

With complete confidence, Kenzie spoke. "Jessica is kind. She would never do something like that. I talked to her last night, and she told me everything. You were the one desperate to cling to our family. You even forced your way into marrying Uncle Kellan, knowing he's disfigured and can't have children. You're incredibly manipulative."

A cold sneer appeared on Alina's lips. Jessica again. It seemed she had been spreading rumors behind her back.

"Then answer me this," Alina responded, her voice turning icy. "With your uncle's condition, do you really think Jessica would've agreed to marry him willingly?"

Kenzie fell silent. Deep down, she knew that if she were in Jessica's place, she wouldn't have agreed either.

Even though the logic didn't sit right, she refused to admit it. "Jessica is kind. She would never look down on Uncle Kellan."

Alina lost interest in continuing the argument. Dealing with someone so clueless wasn't worth her time.

It baffled her that someone as sharp as Kellan could have such a foolish niece.

Without another word, Alina returned to her room upstairs.

Kellan wasn't there, which gave her a moment of peace. She opened her laptop to work, but a thought from earlier surfaced, and she decided to make a call.

On the other end, a respectful voice answered. "How may I assist you?"

Alina spoke directly. "Is there someone named Jessica Hayes working in our lab?"

"Jessica Hayes? I don't recognize that name. Give me a moment, I'll look into it." After a short pause, the subordinate came back on the line. "I found her. She joined about six months ago and is currently working as a project assistant."

It was a low-level role, the kind most people wouldn't even notice.

Given her position as lab director, Alina had no reason to pay attention to someone like that.

With a quiet acknowledgment, Alina ended the call.

At that moment, a new message from Jessica appeared on her phone.

It read, "OMG, Alan is being so good to me! He even bought me an incredibly expensive wedding gift!"

A photo followed—Vick's custom-designed necklace, worth over five million dollars.

Alina stared at the screen without any visible reaction.

She couldn't help recalling that, during their entire relationship, the priciest thing Alan had ever given her was a dress worth five hundred dollars.

Moments later, another image came through, this time showing Jessica and Alan in an intimate pose.

Along with it came another message. "Alan treats me like a princess. I don't even know how to handle it. By the way, have you met that scarred man? Hope he didn't scare you too much."

Alina didn't bother replying. Instead, she captured screenshots of the entire conversation and saved them. Then she set her phone aside and returned to her work.

She had been occupied with her work until evening fell. After taking a shower that night, she wrapped a towel around herself and began drying her hair.

The sound of the hairdryer masked the faint sound of the door opening.

When Kellan stepped inside, his gaze immediately landed on her back as she stood there, drying her hair. Her long legs were fully visible, their lines smooth and graceful.

The graceful line of her neck was especially eye-catching.

Kellan instantly felt a strong reaction stir within him.

Without hesitation, he walked toward her.

"Ah!" Alina screamed when arms suddenly wrapped around her from behind.

She turned quickly, only to meet Kellan's face. Before she could react, his lips pressed firmly against hers.