The following afternoon, with less than twenty-four hours until the company's banquet, Huxley called to remind me to have a good rest at home so that I could prepare myself to announce my engagement to Jayden at the event.

After hanging up, I went alone to the music room on the third floor, where my mother's only keepsake, a cello, was kept.

As I gently polished its surface, I could almost feel her warmth lingering on it.

Suddenly, the door swung open with a loud bang.

The three guys entered, along with Cailey.

It was rare for them to come home early from work.

Rodger said in a natural tone, "Father insists we showcase Cailey at the banquet tomorrow. You help her pick an instrument for her performance."

I sneered inwardly. The banquet was meant to announce my engagement. Why should she have a chance to showcase?

Yet, with the event so near, I didn't want to start a conflict with them.

I replied coldly, "That's your business, not mine."

Then I was about to leave with the cello.

However, Cailey's gaze swept the room and was finally fixed on the cello in my arms.

Her eyes were filled with undisguised admiration and desire. "Wow, this cello is beautiful! It looks so much better than those in the storage!"

She turned to Rodger and said, "Rodger, if I could use this cello for my performance tomorrow, wouldn't it make you all proud?"

The next moment, Ethan reached out to me. "Cailey's performance is important tomorrow. Since you've been recovering, you're probably not up to playing. Let her borrow it for tomorrow."

I was stunned, not expecting his partiality towards Cailey to go that far.

They knew that the cello was my mother's gift to me, my only connection to her.

I clutched it tightly. "No. This is what my mom left me. No one else can touch it."

Rodger frowned immediately and said with disappointment and impatience, "Lorna, why are you being so mean? It's just a cello, and Cailey plays better than you. You're just jealous she'll outshine you at the gala!"

Was I jealous of her?

I looked at Rodger's indifferent face and felt my heart grow cold.

Cailey stepped forward, and her expression shifted to be pitiful and innocent. "Lorna, I'm sorry. It's my fault... I'm just the servant's daughter, unworthy of such a fine cello. I'll choose another one..."

She spoke while approaching me. Then she seemed to trip over something and lunged toward me!

In that instant, her elbow precisely struck the cello in my arms.

I felt a great force, and suddenly, my arms were empty.

A loud crash followed as my cherished cello hit the floor.

It was broken instantly.

I stared blankly at the broken cello on the floor, and my mind went blank.

Cailey sat beside the fragments, clutched her ankle, and wailed loudly. "Lorna, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Please don't blame me..."

I was furious with anger and wanted to slap her.

However, my wrist was seized mid-air by a strong grip.

Ethan shoved me aside and shielded Cailey behind him.

His eyes blazed as he glared at me. "Lorna, have you no conscience? Can't you see Cailey fell? And you're worried about your broken cello? It was an accident. Do you have to be so harsh?"

Larry crouched beside Cailey and looked anxious as he checked her ankle. "Cailey, are you injured? Does it hurt?"

Once he was sure that she was fine, he rose and shot me a fierce look.

Then, he took out a checkbook from his jacket and scribbled a number before tossing it at me. "Enough. It's just a broken cello. Why are you making such a fuss? This old, second-hand cello is worth at most a hundred thousand. Here's a million. You can buy ten more with that!"

I looked calmly at the cello on the floor, which couldn't be repaired. I said softly, "That's right. It's broken. Some things can't be fixed, no matter the cost."

On the evening of the banquet, just as I was about to get out of the house, Rodger stopped me.

He pointed to the Rolls-Royce at the door and said, "Cailey, you'll ride in this car." It was a symbol of the Burton family.

Then, he turned to me and said with a commanding tone, "Lorna, you take the security detail's vehicle."

I looked at him and said nothing.

We arrived at the venue.

The three guys escorted Cailey down the red carpet, like a queen surrounded by her courtiers.

Meanwhile, I stepped out alone from the bodyguard car, unnoticed by anyone.

As I walked, I could clearly hear the murmurs of the guests around me.

"Who's that in the white dress? Does the Burton family have another daughter?"

"You don't know? I heard the daughter of the Burton family is mentally unstable and prone to jealousy. She's been marginalized by the family. Now the servant's daughter holds the affection of the three young men of the Burton family."

"Really? The servant's daughter has risen to such heights? This is truly a grand family drama!"

As the banquet officially began, I headed towards the main table only to find Cailey sitting in my seat.

Upon seeing me, she quickly stood up. "Lorna, you're here... They told me that you like peace and quiet, so... so they arranged for you to sit at the next table."

Before I could respond, Larry whispered a warning in my ear, "Lorna, I'm warning you that it is an important occasion for introducing Cailey. Don't throw a tantrum and embarrass the Burton family."

I glanced at his profile and smiled. Then I headed towards an unnoticed table in the corner.

Suddenly, the stage lights brightened, capturing everyone's attention.

Rodger stepped onto the stage and said loudly, "In recognition of Cailey's selfless contributions to the Burton family, the Burton Group's top jewelry line, 'Heart of Innocence,' will have her as its sole image ambassador."

The announcement sent shockwaves through the venue.

Everyone knew that "Heart of Innocence" was the last collection designed by my mother before she passed away, and I had always been its ambassador.

Rodger continued, "Although Cailey is not part of the Burton family, she is kind and pure, and she can better represent the spirit of our family than some who are related by blood but narrow-minded."

The spotlight suddenly shone on my corner, making me the center of attention instantly.

Waves of ridicule, sympathy, and disdain flooded toward me.

With a microphone in hand, Ethan laughed and said jokingly, "To celebrate this moment, let's invite Lorna to come on stage and put on this necklace, symbolizing honor, around Cailey, who is really kind."

Under the gaze of those reveling in my misfortune, I slowly stood up and walked towards Cailey.

The three guys watched me, and their eyes were filled with warning and threat.

Cailey stood at the center of the stage, and her face was full of eager expectation and smug satisfaction.

I took the diamond necklace from the tray offered by the usher.

Then, to everyone's shock, I smashed the necklace heavily onto the stage. "Oops," I said, ignoring the instant darkening of the three guys' faces, and took the microphone from Ethan with a smile towards the audience. "I've got butterfingers. However, this choice of image ambassador is quite fitting. After all, counterfeit goods do require someone skilled in pretending to represent them. Right?"

The room fell silent instantly.

Rodger's face was darkened. Just as he was about to explode in anger, the doors of the banquet hall were suddenly pushed open with force.

Jayden, with a silver mask covering half his face, walked in slowly.

Huxley followed him respectfully.

Amidst the incredulous gazes of the three guys, I walked step by step towards Jayden.

Then, I linked my arm with his and said to the crowd with a smile, "Let me introduce him formally. This is my fiancé, Jayden Price. You're all welcome to join us for our wedding in three days."

After the banquet, Jayden took me away from that suffocating place.

The three guys intended to follow me, but two bodyguards blocked their path and prevented them from even approaching the car door.

They could only watch helplessly as I got into the back seat of the Maybach without looking back.

Upon returning home, Rodger shattered an expensive vase angrily.

"She's lost her mind. Just to spite us, she's willing to ruin her entire life and marry that volatile and eccentric guy, Jayden!"

Ethan sat lazily on the sofa and scoffed with disdain.

"Rodger, why do you even bother with her? I think she deliberately asked Jayden to go there and provoke us. Since she was a little girl, she has always come back to apologize to us after throwing a tantrum. Just wait and see.

Crossing his legs, he said confidently, "Jayden was a lunatic. She can't stay with him for a long time. She'll be back crying and begging us to take her in within three days."

With tears in her eyes, Cailey cautiously tugged at Larry's sleeve.

"It's all my fault... Lorna must have acted impulsively to avoid me. Maybe... maybe I should go and plead with her to come back?"

Larry pulled her protectively behind him and felt sorry for her.

"You plead with her? She insists on being with Jayden. If she ends up dead, it's her own doing!

It's just good that she's gone. Now this house can be peaceful. No one dares to bully you anymore, Cailey."

Huxley, who had been silent all along, finally said with satisfaction. "It's a good thing for Lorna to have ties with the Price family. We have to hold a grand wedding for them, inviting every big shot throughout the city. I want everyone to know that the Burton family is now allied with the Price family."

The next morning, the Price family's moving team arrived at the Burton family's house.

They headed straight for my room.

Ethan was still bleary-eyed when he came downstairs. He was furious at the sight.

"Who gave you permission to move these things?"

The head butler expressionlessly handed over a list and a recorder. He pressed play.

My clear and indifferent voice came from it.

"Take everything my mother left on the list without exception.

I don't want anything given by Rodger, Larry, or Ethan. They're an eyesore.

Destroy them all on the spot."

Ethan's face went pale instantly.

The gifts that once symbolized their so-called "affection" were now publicly declared for what they were in the most brutal manner.

Rodger glared at the pile of "trash" and clenched his jaw as he forced out the words.

"Fine.

Lorna, I'll be waiting for the day you can't stand Jayden and come crying back to me!"

That evening, Cailey, for the first time in the role of the lady of the house, attempted to direct the servants in preparing dinner.

However, she was clueless about Huxley's tastes and served him a soup he despised the most.

"Bang!"

He slammed his hand on the table and caused the soup to spill all over Cailey's carefully chosen white dress.

The three guys frantically tried to calm Huxley, who was enraged. At the same time, they attended to Cailey, who was disheveled. The dining room was in an utter mess.

For the first time, they vaguely sensed that this seemingly glamorous house was starting to be messy without me.