Drugs disappeared during one of our family’s deals—and everyone knew it was my stepsister, Emily’s fault.

Now, our rivals demanded someone be sent to them, held captive until the debt was repaid.

My fiancé, my family—they all agreed it should be me.

“Emily already got hurt in the mission. You are stronger. You can handle it while we figure things out.”

I knew this moment was coming. And so I signed my name.

In five days, I’d be sent away. And I have decided that no matter what happened—whether I lived or died—I was done with my family and my fiancé.

In those last days, I gave everything I owned away.

The casino? To my stepsister, who had always eyed it with envy.

My checking account? To my father, who never missed a chance to remind me how useless I was.

The engagement ring? Back to the man who’d been fake as hell.

They didn’t notice anything off. They just smiled, pleased with how thoughtful I’d suddenly become.

When they realized I was gone for good—and that their fragile Emily was their undoing—would they still smile like that? Would they still look so content?

Aria’s POV

I signed my name on the agreement from the rival gang, agreeing to be delivered to them in five days as a hostage, until my family paid off the debt they owed.

In five days, I would become a prisoner. I had no idea what awaited me—would they kill me? Or worse, humiliate me?

After I signed the contract, I went to find my father and mother.

They were sitting in the living room, discussing where they would go for spring break. Emily, our family’s adopted daughter, was sitting next to them.

They didn’t seem affected by the rival’s threat at all. And why would they be? They had already found their solution.

Me.

Even though Emily was the one who caused this mess.

She volunteered to oversee the drug transport but somehow got ambushed by another gang.

Emily got hurt, broke a leg. And the entire shipment got stolen.

Soon the Ricci demanded that we return the money. But father already spent it on acquiring another club and a house.

So, the Ricci had offered another solution: deliver a Moretti as hostage until the debt was cleared. Normally, the person who caused the problem would take the fall.

But my parents, as usual, softened the moment they saw Emily’s leg in a cast.

So they decided I was the better choice to be sent over. Damian, my fiancé, agreed.

“Emily’s already got hurt for the family. If you send her, it might as well be a death sentence. But you are different, Aria. You are completely fine of taking care of yourself right now. Besides, they won’t hurt you. They still count on you for the money.”

They won’t hurt me? I almost laughed when they said it.

Was my fiancé and my family really this naive, or were they just too blind to see the truth?

Sure, they might not kill me. But humiliate me? Torture me? Degrade me? Who could guarantee that?

Just because Emily so conveniently hurt her leg, I was the one who had to pay the price? As if her injury wasn’t debatable at best.

And yet—I still signed my name.

Because over the years, I’d learned exactly who my family was. Mother and Father were so blinded by Emily’s carefully crafted fragility that they couldn’t see anything else.

So be it.

I’d walk away from everything they’d ever given me, every shred I’d scraped together under their reluctant generosity. I’d become the hostage they needed me to be.

Meanwhile I’d dig into what really happened with that shipment. If Emily wasn’t the innocent victim she pretended to be, then I’d make sure the evidence landed in my parents’s hands—my final gift—I wonder how they would feel when they realized Emily wasn’t nearly as innocent as they’d believed.

Seeing me walking into the room, my father’s face darkened. “Don’t try to talk us into giving Emily to them. She already got hurt—she needs the family’s support now.”

My mother hesitated, but still sided with father. “Aria, please, just do this for us this time. Emily had already contributed her part.”

Emily began sobbing. “Sis, it was my fault. If it wasn’t for me, you and father wouldn’t be arguing. You wouldn’t have to go…”

My mother comforted her. “Emily, darling, don’t blame yourself. You’ve carried that guilt since that day. You even insisted on leaving the hospital just to be with us. You’ve already done more than enough.”

Emily was still sobbing. But in the briefest of moments, I swore I saw a grin flicker across her face—like she was bragging to me, relishing in her success. Even though she had cost our family a billion-dollar deal, she was still father and mother’s precious jewel.

In the past, I would’ve argued. I would’ve said that father was biased, that he should punish the one who made the mistake no matter what. But now? I saw no reason to argue anymore.

“Actually, that’s why I came to find you,” I spoke up, cutting through the tension. “I’ve signed the agreement, and I’ve decided to go instead.”

Mother’s eyes widened, disbelief written all over her face. “Aria, are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Father gave a slow, approving nod, while Emily sat there stunned, clearly thrown by how easily I had agreed.

“And also,” I added, meeting their eyes, “I’ve decided to give Emily the Grand Casino.”

Father had wanted me to give her the casino for a long time. He’d said once, “Aria, Emily is our adopted daughter. We don’t want her to feel any less than you. I’ll give you the rest of the Moretti holdings when the time comes, but until then, could you give the casino to Emily? She’s been left out of the family business for so long.”

Left out? She was left out because she couldn’t manage anything. And let’s not forget—Emily was never good with money. No matter how much Father or I handed her, she’d burn through it in days. What kind of business could ever thrive in her hands?

But this time was different. I’d already made my choice. Once I left, I wasn’t coming back. Even if the debt was cleared, I was gone. So there was no point in holding the casino back from Emily any longer. Let Father see for himself what Emily was really capable of.

Though, honestly? I wondered if there’d even be a casino left by the time she was done—or just another property sold off to cover the losses.

“Really!?” Emily shot up from the sofa, her eyes wide with excitement. Then, realizing her reaction was too eager, she quickly sat back down. “No, sis, you can’t give the casino to me. I don’t deserve it…”

“Nonsense,” Father cut her off, his voice firm. “You deserve everything. You’re a Moretti too.”

I pulled out two contracts from my bag—one for the hostage agreement, the other for the casino’s transfer. I had already signed both.

“Emily,” I said, pushing the casino contract across the table, “sign this, and the casino will be yours.”

Emily signed without hesitation, while mother and father beamed with pride.

I smiled too. For the first time, I felt relieved. I no longer had to shoulder the weight of holding this family together. Whatever happened to the casino from this day forward—it would never be my problem again.

Aria’s POV

The next hurdle was dealing with my fiancé. He had played a significant role in convincing me to go in Emily’s place.

I always thought, out of everyone, he should care more about me. But it turned out, my assumption was wrong.

I suggested we meet at a restaurant. I picked my best dress—not for him, but for myself. Tonight would be another battle, and I refused to let myself appear even the slightest bit weaker.

When I stepped through the door, I spotted Damian sitting at a table near the terrace.

He turned his head as I approached, rising to his feet. “You’re here already? I thought you’d be a bit later.”

“Why’s that?” I asked, keeping my tone even.

“Well, I heard you signed the hostage agreement,” he said, pulling out the chair for me. “I figured you’d want to spend more time with your family before you leave in five days.”

“Emily called and told you?” I asked, my voice colder now.

Damian’s face flickered with embarrassment. “She was worried that you weren’t happy. She blamed herself for causing you and Mr. Moretti all this stress.”

“Is that so…” I muttered, my gaze drifting toward the window. The sunset was breathtaking, but it felt distant, almost irrelevant.

“Really, Aria,” he said, his voice softening, almost gentle. “I understand her, you know? I was never my father’s favorite either. I spent years trying to prove myself. If Emily hadn’t helped me secure the partnership with your family’s casino, my father might never have approved of me. She knows she’s adopted, and she just wanted to contribute. She has a good heart—she just made a mistake.”

Emily helped him with the partnership? I almost laughed. I was the one who secured it. I even put up my own money as collateral just to bring Damian in.

So why was Emily suddenly the hero in his story? Another thing to add to the list of mysteries I needed to unravel.

But none of it touched my expression. Instead, I let my voice slip into something almost casual.

“And now I’m the one paying the price.”

Damian hesitated for a moment, his eyes searching mine. “Aria, you’re the strongest, smartest woman I’ve ever known. If anyone can get your family out of this, it’s you. Emily—despite her innocence—she’s still a newcomer to our world.”

“Yes, I know,” I said, my gaze sharpening. “If she were smarter, she wouldn’t have gotten us into such a mess.”

I shifted my focus back to Damian, “Don’t worry. I have already signed that hostage agreement. I’m going.”

At my words, Damian exhaled in relief. Then, almost hesitantly, he spoke again. “About our engagement…”

I didn’t let him finish. “About our engagement, I think it’s best if we call it off. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.”

Damian looked surprised, “But you know about your father. If we called off the engagement, then my family’s partnership with yours…”

“Well, since we’re calling it off,” I said, looking away, “I think you and Emily can get engaged instead.”

He sounded almost desperate. “I am so glad to hear you offer this. Actually Emily and I have talked about this. And she already agreed to pretend to be engaged to me until you come back. It’s just for show—to show your father that our families are still united.”

I chuckled dryly. “Exactly.”

I glanced around the restaurant, “Now that we’ve talked this through, I think I’ll skip this meal with you. I have plenty to do before I leave.”

With that, I stood up.

“Aria…”

I didn’t turn back for once.

Before coming here today, I’d actually considered warning Damian—that once the casino was handed to Emily, he might want to pull his money out while he still could.

But then I saw the eagerness in his eyes. He couldn’t waste a single second to be engaged to Emily, just to protect his precious investment. And the fact he didn’t show any concern about me leaving, still persuading me to step up as the hostage.

I changed my mind. I wouldn’t say a word about the casino. Better to watch and see—would it be Father or Damian who looked more desperate once the casino crumbled in Emily’s hands?

...

Once the casino was officially transferred to Emily, I had no more business to attend to. The following days passed in a blur. I met up with a few friends, and the rest of the time was spent packing—though I wasn’t sure if I’d even need half of what I was packing.

Then, unexpectedly, Father called again and wanted me back at the casino. When I walked in, some of the staff whispered as I passed, others quickly averted their gazes, clearly uncomfortable with meeting my eyes.

I knocked on the door to what used to be my office, now Emily’s.

“Come in,” Father’s voice rang out.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as I pushed open the door.

Damian was there, standing next to Emily, while Father stood on her other side.

“Aria, you need to explain this,” Father said sharply. “When the casino was going through the transfer agreement, we noticed some discrepancies in the financial flows. The numbers don’t match up.” He shot me a look of warning. “Are you smuggling money from the casino?”

Smuggling money? How little he thought of me.

Aria’s POV

“How much?” I asked, my voice steady.

“You tell me!” Father’s voice raised in anger. “How could I raise a daughter like you—stealing from your own family? If not for you handing over the casino to Emily, how long would we have waited before uncovering this?”

Damian intervened, his tone soothing. “Mr. Moretti, calm down. I believe Aria, and I think there’s more to this than we can see.” Then, turning to me with that same soft gaze, he added, “Aria, please, tell us. Did you need the money? You could have asked me or Mr. Moretti. You can’t just take it.”

“Are you two finished?” I asked, my voice cold as I walked toward the table. I pulled out my wallet, extracting a few cards. “This is my debit card. This includes my savings account. This is my credit card.”

Father raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.

“Run the test,” I said coolly. “See if the missing funds are in those accounts. If you don’t find anything, maybe the real thief is still out there.”

Father scoffed. “The real thief? Who could have gotten into the casino’s money except you?”

I smiled, smooth as ever. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe you. Or mother. Or, perhaps…” I leaned in, my gaze locking with Emily’s, who flinched for just a moment. “Our innocent Emily?”

Emily jumped up, her eyes brimming with tears. “How could I?”

“How could you?” I let out a sharp, cold laugh. “I don’t know. Maybe when you signed the paper, you realized it was one more opportunity to set me up. You’re capable of many things, Emily. You may not have been born a Moretti, but you’ve certainly inherited the family spirit.”

Before I could even finish, a hard slap landed across my cheek.

Father’s hand remained suspended in the air, his face a mask of fury, but when I met his eyes, he quickly looked away.

“I said, don’t ever make fun of Emily when it comes to family. She is our daughter and your sister. Why do you insist on making her an outsider after all these years? What has she done to hurt you?”

The sting of the slap was sharp, but it was the constant ache of my family’s disdain that truly burned. I had always been the one to blame when things went wrong, the one they turned on the moment anything got messy.

If they’d bothered to find out when the funds went missing, or just trusted me once more, everything could have turned out differently.

“Yes, she’s done nothing to hurt me. Let me take a guess, Emily. You’re the one who found the missing funds and told Father and Damian, right?”

“Aria, I—”

“You don’t have to defend her. I found it.” Damian interrupted, ever the gentleman, ever the protector.

“Don’t get all protective, Damian.” My voice hardened, sharper than I intended. “I’m only asking Emily now.”

“Aria, I didn’t know Father would react like this,” Emily stammered, “I talked to him about the money… I thought you might need it, and that—”

“So I should thank you for this?” I let out another bitter laugh.

“What’s with that arrogant tone?” Father scoffed. “Emily was only trying to help you. You’re stubborn and closed off. She’s worried that if you really had troubles, you wouldn’t tell us!”

As I looked at the three of them standing in front of me, two of them too blind to understand the truth and one actress, trying to weave her dirty secrets into a trap, hoping it would break me.

The only reason I signed that damn paper and chose to leave the Moretti was because I was done with them—not the other way around.

I chuckled softly, a hollow sound. “Alright. I appreciate Emily’s concern. I’ve left my cards here. The password is my birthday. Use the funds in there to fill the casino’s missing money.”

“So you admit it? You stole the money?” Father’s voice was a mix of disbelief and outrage.

“No. I don’t. But whether I admit it or not, the result will be the same. So we may as well sort this out now.”

With that, I turned and yanked the door open.

“Aria!” Father’s voice, sharp and pained, called after me.

I turned to face him. His face was contorted, as if he were choking on his own words. He probably wanted to apologize for slapping me, but instead, all I got was, “Don’t act so childish. Come home for dinner tonight. After all, you’ll be gone tomorrow.”

Huh. That was it.

I walked out the door without looking back. “No need. I already have plans.”

And my plans didn’t include having dinner with a family that had chosen a liar over their own daughter.