Damien didn't leave the Johnson neighborhood. His gaze remained fixed on the window Amelia had climbed through earlier. The light inside flickered on and off-she was clearly still awake. Using the number she'd given him, he sent her a friend request.

Amelia accepted almost instantly.

Damien typed: [Still awake?]

Amelia replied: [About to sleep. Are you home yet?]

Damien: [Just got back.]

Amelia: [Get some rest, then.]

Damien: [I'll pick you up tomorrow. I've arranged a dress for you.]

Amelia: [Okay. We'll talk then.]

Damien: [Good night.]

Amelia: [Good night.]

Only after her final reply did Damien finally start the car and drive away.

Amelia hadn't been asleep long when she drifted into a vivid, restless dream.

In it, she was with Damien-in bed, in the bath... the scenes were intense, leaving her flushed and breathless.

She woke with a start, cheeks burning, and sat up straight, pressing her palms to her face. What's wrong with me? She'd only met him once, and already her mind was running wild. So much for composure.

But when she fell back asleep, the dream returned-just as heated, just as vivid.

Early the next morning, a knock sounded at her door.

Sabrina's voice called through, "Sis, can I come in?"

"Come in, Sabrina," Amelia answered, still curled under the covers. She had no idea what drama was coming so early.

Sabrina usually barged in without knocking-maybe last night's incident had taught her some caution.

But then Ethan stepped into the room behind her.

In her past life, on this same morning after her birthday, though the two men hadn't succeeded in assaulting her, they had forced her into a degrading photo session. And Sabrina-who else?-had anonymously sent those photos to Ethan.

Before pushing Amelia from the building, Sabrina had even posted those images online. She'd said she wanted Amelia to die despised and ruined, without a shred of dignity.

No wonder Ethan had come to loathe her. In his eyes, she must have seemed utterly cheap. Just as she had once trusted him, he had fallen for Sabrina's innocent act. But not this time. Amelia was done with heartbreak and manipulation.

Maybe she hadn't loved Ethan as deeply as she'd believed-facing him now, she felt nothing but cold clarity.

Sabrina approached the bed. "Sis, who hurt you last night? Tell Ethan-he'll make them pay."

"No one hurt me." Amelia almost smiled bitterly. Is that what this is about?

"Don't lie to me, sis. Those bruises last night..." Sabrina reached for Amelia's pajama top, but her words trailed off as she froze.

The marks-the bites, the reddish bruises-were gone.

"What are you doing, Sabrina? Ethan is right here," Amelia said quickly, pulling her collar back into place.

"Where are the injuries? You had so many last night. Where did they go?" Sabrina looked stunned, as if last night had been an illusion.

Amelia lowered her gaze, her voice trembling just enough: "You left me alone at the hotel, remember? A few girls came in... they smeared makeup all over me, on my face and body... I was too drunk to fight back..."

Her voice broke as if she were on the verge of tears.

Ethan frowned. "Sabrina, you left Amelia alone last night?"

"Ethan, it's my fault. Last night, I was celebrating Amelia's birthday, got way too excited, and drank a lot. I didn't mean for this to happen..."

Sabrina thought those marks were something flirty, but she didn't expect this explanation. She couldn't help but wonder-could Amelia have done this to mess with her? But looking at how clueless Amelia seemed, it didn't look like she had the brainpower for that.

"It's fine, as long as everyone's okay." Ethan had been a bit anxious earlier when Sabrina mentioned Amelia's injury.

"Sis, didn't you say you wanted tiramisu? Ethan and I are going to a gala tonight, so I can pick it up for you on the way." The true purpose of Sabrina's words lay in the latter half of her sentence, and her eyes gleamed with a flicker of pride.

"A gala? Can I come with you?" Amelia looked at her hopefully, her eyes lighting up.

"But Ethan only has two invitations," Sabrina replied.

Amelia's face fell, a trace of disappointment creeping through her expression.

"Well, I'm his fiancée. It's only logical for me to go with him." Amelia said this deliberately, but, deep down, she had no interest in attending with Ethan.

Showing a rare hint of generosity, Sabrina said, "Ethan, why don't you let my sister go with you?"

"You're coming with me, Sabrina." Ethan wasted no time with his response. After what happened last time, there was no way he wanted Amelia tagging along.

"Sis, don't worry. I'll keep an eye on Ethan for you and make sure no sleazy girls get near him." Sabrina glanced at Amelia with disdain. Who did she think she was, wanting to go to an event like this? Clearly, last time's embarrassment wasn't enough for her.

Amelia's inner thoughts: You're literally the biggest "sleazy girl" here.

Ethan's refusal to take Amelia wasn't random. The last time they went to an event together, Amelia had embarrassed him in front of everyone. While he had planned to network and make important connections, she showed up wearing tacky counterfeit clothes. People whispered behind their backs until Ethan was forced to leave early out of humiliation.

Those fake clothes? They'd been a "gift" from Sabrina, who had assured Amelia they were designer pieces brought over by a friend from abroad. Sabrina later claimed her friend had scammed her, and Amelia even comforted her for days.

Standing awkwardly, Amelia fidgeted with her fingers, the gesture making her seem as fragile as a little bunny. She looked up at Ethan, her voice soft, "Ethan, you really won't take me?"

Ethan's expression didn't waver. "I need someone with the elegance of a proper lady to go with me. Do you fit the bill, Amelia?"

Just thinking about last time-the whispers, the judging eyes-made Ethan's temper boil. Tonight's gala was even more important, and there was no way he'd let Amelia ruin it.

Sabrina already knew exactly what Ethan was worried about. Flashing him a sweet smile, she said, "Ethan, don't hold it against my sister. She grew up in the countryside for years; habits like that aren't easy to break."

Suddenly, Amelia's demeanor sharpened. She raised her head and locked eyes with Ethan. "If you think I'm so beneath you, then let's just call off the engagement."

Ethan froze, taken aback. For reasons he couldn't quite explain, a spark of panic flickered in his chest. It had to be the shock, that's all. "If Grandpa hadn't insisted on this, do you think I'd have chosen you myself?"

"Well, it's clear we're incompatible. Maybe it's better this way." Amelia had expected Ethan to jump at the chance to agree, but to her surprise, he hesitated. What was holding him back?

Sabrina's face clouded with contrived sadness. "Sis, I get it. You're still upset about me going to the gala with Ethan. If that's the case, I'll stay behind-"

Ethan cut her off with a cold laugh, his gaze hardening as it fell on Amelia. "Amelia, stop playing games. What is this? Another attempt at reverse psychology?"

Amelia was beyond speechless. Seriously, does everything have to be some kind of mind game? I meant what I said.

Sabrina tugged on Ethan's sleeve, pouting. "Ethan, why don't you take my sister instead? I don't want her to be upset because of me..."

Ethan shot Amelia a cold glance. "Forget it. Let's go." With that, he walked off with Sabrina.

Amelia watched them leave, her gaze cooling slightly.

Not long after, Sabrina returned.

"Sis, I've got great news!" she said with a bright smile.

Amelia sighed softly. "The only good news right now would be going to that party with Ethan... but I know that's not happening."

"Who says it's not?" Sabrina handed her an envelope, grinning. "Here-I got you an invitation from a friend."

Amelia opened it and peeked inside, her face lighting up. "Sabrina, thank you! This really means a lot!"

"I didn't tell Ethan," Sabrina added quickly. "He might get upset, so keep this between us, okay? Don't let anyone know I gave it to you." Her eyes gleamed slyly. So easy to fool.

Just like last time-Amelia had taken the fake invitation straight to the venue, excited, only to be stopped at the door and thrown out by security. They nearly called the police.

When Richard found out, he'd been furious and slapped Amelia so hard her face stayed swollen for half a month.

And Sabrina? She played the innocent victim perfectly-claimed she'd been scammed by a ticket scalper and spent a fortune on a fake invite. Poor Amelia got caught in the crossfire. Richard didn't even scold Sabrina; he comforted her instead.

Amelia took Sabrina's hand gently. "You're really the best sister. Don't worry, I won't say a word."

Sabrina paused. Why did that sound a little... off? Almost like Amelia's tone was colder than usual? No, must be overthinking. Tonight's going to be a disaster for Amelia. Can't wait to watch the show.

*****

Later that afternoon, Amelia headed out.

She didn't have a car at the Johnson residence. She'd brought it up once before, but Grace told Richard, "Amelia grew up in the countryside. She's not familiar with the city-it's not safe for her to drive."

After that, Amelia never mentioned it again.

In truth, she did have a car-it was just parked at Rowan's place.

Rowan lived in one of the most upscale neighborhoods in the capital-Rosemont Heights.

The moment Amelia arrived, Rowan all but pounced on her. "You're finally here! I thought you were going full hermit on me."

Amelia gave him a flat look and pushed him away. "Let's not bring up my past foolishness, okay?"

"Fine, fine-whatever you say, as long as you've come back to your senses." Then Rowan noticed the bag Amelia was holding and raised his brows. "Wait, don't tell me someone like you actually fell for a knockoff?"

"Sabrina gave it to me," Amelia said, tossing the bag onto the table like it was nothing more than trash. "Wore it once and got mocked all day."

Rowan let out a low whistle. "Then why wear it in the first place?"

"I didn't know it was fake. She told me it was a limited edition straight from overseas." There was a bitter edge to Amelia's voice. Back then, she trusted Sabrina too much to doubt her. "It's barely worth using as a rag now."

"You think your sister knew it was fake?" Rowan asked.

Amelia let out a humorless laugh. "Of course she did. That was the whole point-she wanted me humiliated."

"So much for being 'super nice' to you," Rowan muttered. "I always thought she treated you pretty well."

Amelia sighed. "Rowan, you're literally the only person I can trust."

Rowan's expression shifted, the teasing gone. "What happened?"

Amelia met his gaze steadily. "It's been happening all along. I just didn't see it until now."

"If living at the Johnson house is hell, then move in here," Rowan said, surprisingly serious. "You know this place is yours whenever you want."

Amelia nodded. "Yeah."

But now wasn't the time. She hadn't done anything wrong. If someone had to leave, it should be that two-faced mother-daughter pair.

Amelia rubbed her stomach. "I'm starving. I'm going to grab something to eat."

The moment she stepped outside, Rowan opened the bag she had brought, spread the counterfeit items on the floor, and began taking a few photos.

*****

What Amelia didn't expect was to run right into him-right at the neighborhood entrance.