The light drained out of Kaylee's gaze. Fingers curling around her neck, she was seized by a series of harsh, tearing coughs that left her eyes swollen and brimming. Faced with Caden's cold, unyielding look, she didn't have the nerve to fabricate anything. "Someone I knew gave it to me when I was a kid."

"Who was it? Where did you meet them? And what made them hand it over to you?"

A cruel, icy gleam flashed through Caden's eyes. His hold around her wrist cinched tighter—the force so brutal it felt like her bones might splinter.

Pain welled up, spilling from Kaylee's eyes in thick, trembling drops. "I grew up in a place named Riverside Village when I was small," she forced out, her voice breaking. "There was a boy living next door—he was sick, and other kids kept picking on him. I stepped in to help once, and… he gave me this bracelet."

No sooner had the sentence escaped her lips than something in Caden's face seemed to crack. The cutting hostility that had been pouring off him dulled, the deadly frost around him finally starting to ease.

Kaylee bit back a sob, her chest hammering as he looked down at her, his expression impossible to decipher.

Why was he so hung up on this bracelet?

Without saying a word, Caden lifted a hand and pressed it beneath her chin, angling her face upward as he examined her with detached, almost surgical focus.

After a long, weighted pause, his eyes lowered. He pulled out a tissue, carefully dabbed away the tears streaking her face, and then turned sharply and walked straight into the bathroom.

What… what was that supposed to mean?

Kaylee lowered her gaze to the silver chain, a startling, almost unreal thought beginning to form.

So much time had gone by that she could no longer remember the boy's full name, but she still remembered calling him Cade back then.

Could that boy actually be Caden?

The scattered fragments of her past suddenly locked together.

In her former life, the bracelet had snapped while she fought desperately against the director. It must have slipped away in the chaos, only for Joyce to find it… and not long after, Caden had appeared at Joyce's side as her fiercely devoted "protector."

The Lloyd Group had handed Joyce every imaginable privilege and rare opportunity, while Caden mercilessly crushed anyone who even tried to oppose her.

Caden hadn't been shielding Joyce because of who she really was—he had been guarding her because of that bracelet and who he thought she was!

Kaylee's hands curled into tight fists. So Joyce hadn't just taken her family and the man she was meant to marry, she had also taken the very boy Kaylee once saved and befriended, turning his strength into a weapon to destroy her.

Kaylee was the true heiress of the Harris family, torn away from them when she was young. She had only been found again at eighteen, after a breakout role turned her into a well-known name across the country.

Back then, she had foolishly believed going back meant finally being wrapped in the comfort of a real family. What she got instead was a brutal reality check. Her mother couldn't take the grief and had died not long after she vanished, and her father had wasted no time bringing Joyce into the family to fill the void left by a missing daughter.

When Kaylee returned, her father and two elder brothers met her with nothing but cold distance, saving all their care and affection for Joyce. They had even pushed Kaylee to surrender the roles and endorsements she had earned through her own effort, all just to prop up Joyce's lackluster career in the entertainment world.

In her former life, Kaylee had taken on the role of the self-sacrificing fool, giving up everything they demanded in a hopeless attempt to earn their affection. In exchange, they had bartered her away to that hollow, monstrous man, Declan, all so they could lawfully lay their hands on the vast fortune her grandfather had intended for her alone.

She didn't vanish immediately after her death in flames; she lingered, forced to witness what came after. Once she was gone, the union between Declan and Joyce was celebrated openly—praised by all as a "perfect match." Any trace of Kaylee was wiped clean, and when her name did surface, it was spoken with nothing but disdain.

Kaylee utterly despised them. She loathed Joyce enough to wish her gone from this world. But above all, she detested the version of herself who had been foolish enough to beg for her family's love.

Yet the moment her gaze fell upon the darkened bruises and those suggestive marks staining her skin, her thoughts fractured.

What was she meant to make of what had happened last night?

Her fingers tightened around the duvet, dragging it close as her thoughts spiraled into disorder. From the bathroom, the low, constant rush of water filled the quiet.

Before long, Caden emerged, a towel hanging loosely around his hips.

Catching sight of her retreating into herself, clearly lost in thought, his brows drew together ever so slightly. He approached, placing his hand gently atop her head in a steadying motion. "What's wrong?"

Kaylee lifted her eyes, only for them to drift—unintentionally—toward the sharp lines of his chest and the defined planes of his abdomen.

The memories from the previous night came crashing back with startling clarity. Her face burning, she jerked back into the duvet as though stung. "I—I'm fine..."

Caden's expression tightened at the sudden absence of contact.

She was pulling away from him? In his recollection—the recollection of that small, sweet girl from the village—she had always clung to him, forever leaning close and chasing his warmth.

What had happened the night before might have been impulsive, but he felt no remorse over it. To him, she had always held a place apart from others. Now that they had crossed that boundary, he was fully prepared to accept whatever came with it. But the way she held herself now... did she want nothing to do with him at all?

Then it dawned on him. She was already engaged to Declan, and by every indication, she was deeply infatuated with him.

A flicker of cold irritation passed through Caden's eyes, a sharp, unfamiliar resentment rising within him. Masking it with indifference, he stepped away, retrieved a business card from his abandoned wallet, and placed it on the bedside table. His tone turned flat. "My assistant will bring you fresh clothes soon. I'm heading out. Call me if you need anything."

He paused before adding, "If it makes things easier for you, we can pretend last night never happened. Just think of me as your... friend."

Kaylee sensed the abrupt change in his voice, the widening distance woven into his words.

She pressed her teeth into her lower lip, watching in silence as he dressed and walked out, her eyes eventually falling to the rumpled sheets.

From the way he acted, it was obvious he wanted to bury what had happened and move on. But that was fine... it didn't matter.

Now that he knew her true identity, he would protect her because of what they once shared.

As long as she had his support—enough influence to shield herself and carry out her revenge—that alone would be enough.

Caden's assistant soon arrived with the clothes. He didn't ask a single question. After giving a polite nod, he turned and left as quietly as he came.

Inside the bathroom, Kaylee stepped under the running water and let the heat rinse everything off her skin. Once she finished and got dressed, she headed straight back to the Harris estate.

The moment she crossed the entrance, her eldest brother Cory Harris' voice rang through the house, loud and furious.

"Does she even think about this family? Acting like that and dragging our name through the dirt... if people find out she slept with a director just to land a role, how are we supposed to face anyone?"

A cold look settled over Kaylee's face as she walked into the living room. Joyce sat beside Cory, leaning in with concern as she spoke in a soft voice. "Cory, please don't get so worked up... you know how harsh that industry can be. Maybe Kaylee just panicked and made a bad choice because she wanted a chance so badly. When she comes back, try to talk to her calmly. If things really get out of hand… she can leave the industry and stay here. We can support her anyway."

Every word sounded caring, and her tone made it seem sincere. If Kaylee hadn't already lived through this once before, she might have believed it.

Kaylee remembered clearly how Joyce played this exact role before, acting like she was helping while pushing the family to force her out.

This time, Kaylee wouldn't let that happen.

A faint smile appeared on Kaylee's lips as she stepped further in.

"I'd really like to understand something," she said, her voice calm but sharp. "What do you mean by 'a bad choice'? Does that include slipping something into someone's drink so they end up being sent to some director's bed? Or maybe sneaking around with someone else's fiance?"

The questions caught Cory off guard. He didn't follow what Kaylee meant at all. Joyce, on the other hand, went pale.

Why would Kaylee suddenly talk like that? There was no way she could know... right?

Joyce had buried her relationship with Declan where no one could find it. As for the incident with the drug, she had planned every detail, from disguising herself and paying off the server to sending them away afterward. Not a single loose end had been left behind.

Kaylee had to be bluffing.

With that thought, Joyce forced herself to stay composed and put on a confused expression. "Kaylee, what are you even saying?"

Joyce didn't give Kaylee a chance to speak. She shifted her tone in an instant, putting on a wounded look. "Now that you're back, stop throwing out strange accusations. Just be honest about what you did. We're your family, and we can still help you deal with it."

Her words pulled Cory's attention right back. He turned toward Kaylee with a cold stare. "Do you even understand how serious this is?"

A short, humorless laugh slipped from Kaylee. "Serious? What exactly did I do? Other than coming home and apparently ruining everyone's mood?"

Both Joyce and Cory went silent, caught off guard by her reaction.

They had expected panic. Maybe excuses. Maybe tears. What they got instead was Kaylee being calm and sharp, pushing back without hesitation.

"You still refuse to admit anything!" Cory grabbed Joyce's phone and pushed it right in front of her. "Take a good look. This is what you've done. Did you think you could just walk away and nothing would follow you? The hotel cameras recorded everything. If Joyce hadn't spent a fortune to keep this quiet, this would already be online! You almost destroyed this family's reputation, and you're still acting like you don't know anything?"

Without much interest, Kaylee glanced at the video on the screen.

There were no clear photos this time since she avoided the paparazzi.

The footage only showed her barely steady as someone helped her into that hotel room. After that, Sean Phillips entered using a keycard.

And that was enough for her own brother to decide she had sold herself?

She lifted her head and looked straight at them. A faint, mocking smile appeared. "So this proves what? That I wasn't in a clear state and some man entered my room? That's your evidence?"

Cory's anger flared again. "He was in your room with you. You really think that means nothing?"

A harsh laugh broke from Kaylee's lips. "Let me ask you something. If that video showed Joyce instead of me, what would you think? You'd say she was a victim. You'd assume someone broke in to hurt her. You'd be furious, wouldn't you?"

She stepped closer, grabbed Cory by his tie, and pulled him toward her, her voice dropping cold and cutting. "But when it's me, you don't hesitate. You call me shameless and decide I must've been sleeping with that man for some role?"

Cory went still, unease flickering across his face.

Kaylee didn't ease up. Each word came out steady and heavy. "You never treated me like your sister. That's the real reason. One unclear video is enough for you to judge me. You don't care what actually happened because you already made up your mind."

As Cory hesitated, his expression no longer as firm, Joyce's hands curled into fists at her sides.

Something was off. Kaylee wasn't acting like she usually did.

Before, she would always stay quiet and accept the blame. Now she was pushing back, and she wasn't backing down.

"Kaylee, that's not what Cory meant. He's just worried about you. And even if the director set you up, people will still talk. Your reputation has already taken a hit. After all—"

Joyce tried to steer things back, speaking with fake sympathy as she pushed the idea that Kaylee had slept with the director. Kaylee struck her across the face without letting her finish.

"Did you actually see anything happen between him and me? Or are you basing everything on that clip? You think that's enough to decide who I am?"

She reached out and grabbed Joyce by the hair, forcing her to face her. Her eyes were cold. "You must be disappointed. I didn't fall into whatever you planned. I walked out of that situation just fine."

Joyce pressed a hand to her cheek, stunned.

She knew Kaylee got out of that room, but she never thought Kaylee would be so certain it was her. She certainly didn't expect her to fight back like this.

"What do you think you're doing? You actually hit Joyce?" Cory scolded. He snapped out of his shock and rushed forward, pushing himself between the two women. One arm moved in front of Joyce as if she needed protection. "You think you can accuse her like that without anything to back it up? You're just reacting because you got exposed!"

"Kaylee... I never did anything to hurt you." Joyce sobbed, clutching his sleeve as tears ran down her face. "I know you don't like me, but if you want me gone, I'll leave. Just tell me. Why would you slander me?"

Kaylee's expression didn't soften. Instead, a slow smile formed, sharp and unsettling. "You're calling it slander? So you really think I came here with nothing?"

Without another word, she took out her phone and tapped on the screen. A video appeared, pulled from the banquet the night before.

In the footage, a woman stood near the corner, wrapped in a coat with her face hidden behind a mask. She kept looking around before slipping a thick stack of cash and a small bottle into a waiter's hand. Not long after, that same waiter dropped something into a glass of champagne and carried it straight to Kaylee.

The color drained from Joyce's face until nothing was left.

Cory's hand, which had been gripping her shoulder, slowly fell away. His eyes stayed on the screen, unmoving. Even with her face covered, he knew that figure. There was no doubt in his mind. The woman in the video was Joyce.

How could Joyce have done something like this?

Cory stared at his two younger sisters standing before him, his chest tightening with indecision.

Kaylee stood there in silence, waiting for him to say something.

He now held the position of head of Harris Group. He wasn't outright cruel toward Kaylee, yet he wavered far too easily, forever dancing to Joyce's tune.

Now that proof had been laid out, even if he chose not to immediately take her word for it and punish Joyce on the spot, even if he only sent someone to verify her story, Kaylee was prepared to give him one more opportunity.

Joyce was already on edge, yet she kept dabbing at her tears, putting on a helpless front. "Kaylee, it really wasn't me. How could I ever have slipped something into your drink?"

The three of them remained locked in a stalemate.

Just then, a tall figure came down the stairs, stepping in front of Joyce in a swift motion and snatching the phone from Kaylee's hand.

"And you think this is enough to drag Joyce's name through the mud?" Gavin Harris, Kaylee's second brother, gave it a cursory glance before letting out a mocking laugh. "Who knows what kind of shady nonsense you pulled, you clueless bumpkin, to end up getting yourself into trouble, and now you're trying to pin it on Joyce? Keep dreaming! It takes two people to make something like that happen. If you weren't seducing that director, how did he wind up in your room? You're the one with dirt on you, yet you've got the nerve to splash it onto Joyce?"

His eyes were cold and dismissive as he raised his voice. "Get down on your knees and apologize to Joyce right now, and then publicly declare you're quitting the industry and hand everything over to her. Otherwise, don't bother staying in this house!"

Cory pressed his lips together, hesitating for a long while before finally speaking. "Kaylee, apologize to Joyce, and we'll drop this here. No matter what, you shouldn't have lashed out physically."

Joyce immediately seemed emboldened, leaning into Gavin's embrace as she sobbed softly. "Gavin… don't be angry with Kaylee. I'm sure she was simply desperate. I'll be alright…"

Kaylee watched them clinging to each other, her stomach turning with revulsion. Gavin was a well-known racer, aloof and sharp-tongued in public, yet before Joyce, he turned into nothing more than a spineless flatterer, blind to right and wrong.

Kaylee said nothing. She simply rolled her wrist once, and then swung her hand again, striking Joyce across the face.

Gavin's expression snapped in shock as he reached out to seize her. "Are you asking for trouble?"

"I hit her, and I just did it again. What can you do about it?" Kaylee answered by catching his wrist, pivoting smoothly, and flipping him over her shoulder, sending him crashing hard onto the floor. She looked down at him from above. "I have no attachment to this family. I'd rather let everything go to waste than hand it over to that shameless woman. Since you've chosen her as your sister, then we're done here."

She released his arm without another glance, ignoring the crease in Cory's brow as she turned to pack her things and leave the house.

Joyce watched her walk away, a flicker of satisfaction glinting in her eyes.

She had only planned to ruin Kaylee's name. Who would have thought Kaylee would be foolish enough to cut ties with the Harris family herself?

Now, Joyce believed all of Declan's, Cory's, and Gavin's affection would belong to her alone.

But with Kaylee gone, wouldn't getting hold of the inheritance left by Kaylee's grandfather become troublesome?

Putting on a worried expression, she spoke through tears. "Cory, Gavin, is it really alright to let Kaylee walk out like this? She's just a girl…"

Cory gave no reply, a strange irritation stirring inside him.

"Joyce, you're far too soft-hearted. How long do you think she'll last out there? She's only putting on a show to dodge an apology." Gavin let out a cold scoff before turning to the butler. "Cancel every card the family ever gave her. Let's see how long she can keep up that pride when she's got nothing left. When she comes crawling back, she'll have no choice but to apologize properly!"

The butler paused, looking uneasy as he spoke. "The family never issued Miss Kaylee any card."

Gavin and Cory both froze.

Kaylee had been back for more than two years, and not once had they given her a card?

Then how had she been covering her daily expenses all this time? And where had the money come from for all those costly gifts she had given them?