Elizabeth brushed the dust off her clothes slowly, her satin robe swaying smoothly like water.

The man on the ground pushed himself up, narrowing his eyes slightly as he studied her. His voice was flat and emotionless. "Do you have any idea what messing with those guys actually means?"

His flippant tone faded into the air. Elizabeth glanced up, clearly unfazed.

"Then let them come," she sneered. "Let's see if they've got the guts."

Her smirk vanished without warning. She turned around and walked away, no interest in dragging things out.

That retreating figure caught Alexander Prescott's eye, and something stirred inside him.

He nudged one of the men slumped at his feet with the tip of his shoe, then pulled out his phone and called his assistant.

His perfect features were cold as ice. "Send someone to deal with the guys who tried to jump me. Make sure their bodies end up outside Mr. Lane's house. He needs a little reminder about the kind of trash he's using."

"I'm flying back to Capitol City tomorrow. Clean up what's left."

"And one more thing-look into someone for me."

...

Half a month later.

At the Regal Palace Hotel in Axis Center, today was the engagement day of Isabella Kaiser and Victor Lane.

A match between old money and corporate royalty. Talk about a power couple.

With both families being legends in Capitol City, the event pulled half the city's elite into attendance.

Isabella wore a handcrafted designer gown, elegant and elaborate. A sparkling tiara sat on her head, every diamond in it catching the light. And the massive gemstone glinting on her finger? Pure showstopper.

Leaning lightly against Victor's arm, she smiled sweetly, her look soft and flawless.

As everyone waited for the ceremony to kick off, the hall buzzed with gossip.

"Gotta admit, the Kaisers made the right call. Isabella really fits the Lane family. If it had been the other daughter, things would've gone south real fast."

"Yeah, I heard the one who disappeared-Elizabeth? Total psycho."

"I know, right? Not only does she look rough, I heard she's got zero manners."

"Don't even get me started on her mom. People say she's not even Lucas's kid."

"Shh... you wanna get kicked out?"

Isabella heard the chatter, and her smile only grew, full of quiet satisfaction.That's right, Elizabeth was nothing compared to her!

"Miss Kaiser and Mr. Lane truly make a stunning couple," someone seated beside Lucas complimented with a flattering smile. "You're lucky to have such a wonderful daughter."

Lucas responded with a modest nod, his gaze filled with pride as he looked at Isabella.

Since she'd taken on the Kaiser name, she'd brought him no end of honor. This engagement between the Kaisers and the Lanes was shaping up to be even more perfect than he'd imagined.

Up at the front, the emcee held the engagement contract, reciting a string of blessings. The audience clapped along, and both families in the front row beamed with joy.

Then suddenly, a loud crash came from the entrance.

A gorgeous woman stepped through the doors she'd just kicked open, strolling in like she owned the place.

She wore a simple tracksuit, sunglasses covering half her face.

Her casually tied ponytail bounced as she walked. She slid off her shades, revealing an utterly captivating face under the lights.

Every pair of eyes turned to her, and murmurs began to ripple through the crowd.

"She's stunning. Whose daughter is that?"

"Tch. Dressed like that? No way she's from a respectable family."

Lucas stared, dumbstruck, at that all-too-familiar face, his expression momentarily blank.

Swinging her sunglasses lazily in one hand, Elizabeth made her way to the stage without hurry, calmly snatching the mic from the emcee. No one dared stop her.

She held it up and flashed a bright, sharp smile. Her eyes locked onto Victor as she said sweetly, "Long time no see, fiancé. How long's it been? And now you're getting engaged...to someone else?"

Her voice carried clearly through the sound system, and the room exploded into chaos.

"Who the hell is this lunatic calling Mr. Lane her fiancé?!"

"Bet she's just one of those crazy fangirls trying to hook up with him. Seen it too many times."

"What a disgrace. Bet her family's embarrassed out of their minds right now."

The whispers grew louder as more people turned accusing eyes toward Elizabeth.

Panic shot through Isabella's chest. She shifted closer to Victor instinctively.

In the front row, Sophia Murray suddenly shot to her feet, glaring at Elizabeth with disdain. "Who do you think you are? This is a private event between the Kaisers and the Lanes. You have no business here. Somebody, get her out of here!"

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, about to speak.

Unexpectedly, Isabella quickly tugged at Sophia's arm, trying to look all innocent as she said, "Mom, no need to call security, right? She's young. Probably just lost her mind for a sec and stormed in here."

Then she turned around and walked a few steps toward Elizabeth, wearing that fake graceful look.

"Hey, girl, you should go now. This really isn't the place for you."

"Oh really?" Elizabeth's smile grew softer, but her tone had a chill sharp enough to bite. "And just so we're clear-you're the one who doesn't belong here."

After all these years, Elizabeth hadn't expected her to get even more shameless.

Her tricks were deeper now. She was playing the innocent act better than ever.

"How could you say that?" Isabella's eyes welled up, trying to look heartbroken. "I was just trying to help you."

Elizabeth let out a cold laugh, too tired to even fake politeness with her.

Slap!

Without any warning, Elizabeth swung hard, landing a sharp slap right across Isabella's face, knocking her off her feet.

The hall went dead silent.

Had this crazy woman seriously just laid hands on the Kaisers' daughter?

"Ahh!" Isabella clutched her face, eyes wide with pain and panic. Her lips swelled up instantly, blood-stained saliva dribbling down as tears brimmed in her eyes. She scrambled backward in fear.

"You bitch!" Sophia shouted, furious and shocked. She rushed forward and raised her hand, aiming for a slap. "Where the hell did you come from? How dare you hit my daughter! You shameless brat-"

"What on earth are you doing?" Victor stared at Elizabeth, totally stunned.

Elizabeth's smile didn't budge, but her eyes turned icy. She twisted her body, dodged Sophia's hand with ease, then threw back a slap of her own, smacking Sophia's face sideways.

That second slap left everyone in the room in total shock.

"You... you dared to hit me!" Sophia clutched her cheek, shaking with rage.

She had been Mrs. Kaiser for over a decade, spoiled and respected. No one had ever dared lay a finger on her.

Getting slapped by some nobody girl who popped out of nowhere? That was like being stripped naked and thrown in public. Her fury exploded, and logic went out the window.

Sophia swung at Elizabeth again, but it was useless. Elizabeth scoffed, then gave her a solid kick, sending her flying off the stage.

There was a faint crunch of bone.

"Aaaagh!" Sophia screamed, "My back... my leg!"

"Sophia!" Lucas shouted in panic.

He rushed to her side, helping her up and frantically checking her injuries. "Are you okay?!"

Meanwhile, Isabella finally snapped out of it. She messily wiped her mouth with a towel, giving Elizabeth a look full of blame and sadness. "I see now... you're into Victor too, aren't you?"

"I'll back off and let you have him. Just please... let me and my mom go, alright?"

Her pitiful sobs made Victor's heart ache. He said, "Elizabeth, don't say that nonsense. A lunatic like her doesn't even deserve me!"

"I wanna be with you, but I can't keep watching my mom get hurt..."

Just like that, Isabella slumped into his arms, and the two clung to each other.

To outsiders, she was delicate and miserable-totally the poor victim. But Elizabeth was getting sick of the act. Actually sick.

Elizabeth wasn't even sure she could stop herself from throwing another slap if Isabella kept it up.

"Cut it out," Elizabeth sneered. "Charlotte, drop the innocent act. You think pretending to be some poor little thing changes the fact that you're nothing but a filthy thief?"

Yeah, no one should be fooled-she and Sophia were two of a kind, both spoiled and sinister to the core.

She wasn't some sweet girl named Isabella.

She was Charlotte Murray.

Isabella stood frozen, a bit stunned, and right below her, Sophia's expression stiffened too.

They glanced toward Elizabeth, all wary and on edge. "Who the hell are you?"

Elizabeth gave a soft, almost polite smile. "Did I not just say it loud and clear? Victor is my fiancé. So, naturally, I'm Elizabeth, his fiancée."

Her tone shifted, eyes narrowing a little. "Or... don't you guys even know who his fiancée is supposed to be?"

That question hung for barely a second before the crowd started murmuring like a boiling pot.

"Wait, isn't she Mr. Kaiser's daughter from his first marriage?"

"Oh my god, so it's really her? No wonder! She's the one engaged to Young Master Victor!"

"Didn't the Kaisers and the Lanes agree on an arranged marriage like twenty years ago? I heard the old patriarchs already passed, and the ex-wife cheated and had a kid with someone else... then she disappeared."

The whispers grew louder and more chaotic, but Lucas's face was nothing but a storm cloud now.

His jaw clenched as he yelled up at her furiously, "It's you?! Get down from there, now!"

Even after all these years, all he gave her was bitterness. It wasn't the kind of look you gave your own daughter-more like she was his biggest disgrace.

Sophia and Isabella were both pale as paper, clutching their hands tight. They thought Elizabeth was long gone, out of their lives. But here she was, bold as ever.

Elizabeth's gaze swept lazily to Lucas. "You think you can order me around? I'd keep that mouth shut if I were you," she said quietly, but her words cut sharp, "Push me and I won't stop at a simple slap next time."

That rainy night ten years ago-yeah, it had wiped out whatever last bit of family bond they had.

"You-" Lucas's finger shook as he pointed at her, his face flushed from rage. "Don't think just because you've grown up and got guts that you don't answer to me. You're still a Kaiser, and that means you're under my roof. I'll show you today what a real lesson feels like!"

Elizabeth just laughed, unimpressed. "Yeah, good luck with that.""You think I took the Kaiser name for you? Please. I took Grandpa's last name. You don't even deserve to be called a Kaiser. You're an embarrassment to this family, and you still think you can lecture me?"

"You brat, you've completely lost your mind!" Lucas snapped, gritting his teeth. He waved a hand and shouted to the ten bodyguards standing nearby, "Throw her out of here, now!"

The bodyguards, all trained fighters, saw that Elizabeth was clearly unarmed and didn't take her seriously. Even though they moved to surround her, only two were bold enough to make the first move.

Out of nowhere, Isabella rushed to stand in front of Elizabeth, arms spread wide, shouting, "Dad, don't! Please don't hurt her, it's all my fault!"

Really? Using her to play the innocent angel again?

Elizabeth frowned slightly, clearly annoyed. She shot her sister a cold look.

"Move." Her voice was sharp as she kicked Isabella to the side, like swatting away a fly.

Then, in one smooth motion, she grabbed one of the bodyguards by the arm, her palm and forearm twisting in sync. In a blink, she flung him over her shoulder.

The burly man landed with a heavy thud, groaning in pain.

That single move froze the others in place, eyes wide and hands unconsciously pulling back. They traded uneasy glances, then clenched their fists, clearly ready to charge.

Elizabeth let out a cold snort, lips curved in a smile that didn't reach her eyes. The moment anyone came close, she kicked-swift and clean-dropping them one by one before they could even raise a hand.

It was humiliating. None of them had even touched her, yet they were the ones lying on the floor.

Their pride hit rock bottom. Fueled by shame and disbelief, they scrambled to their feet, more determined than ever, charging at her in unison.

Less than thirty seconds later, Elizabeth had them all back on the ground, groaning and immobilized.

She stood calmly on the stage, microphone in hand, letting out a lazy yawn. Her smile stayed bright and beautiful, but the mocking glint in her eyes was enough to make people's skin crawl.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd-some with sarcasm, some with awe.

Her gaze shifted to Isabella, who was now trembling, both hands shaking, her face drained of all color.