I gave my full support when my father decided to set aside $2.1 billion in trust funds for his three illegitimate kids.

Things had been very different in my previous life. At the time, the company urgently needed capital for a new project, and I had convinced my father to postpone setting up the trusts.

I never imagined the three of them would take it as an attempt to seize the family fortune for myself. Furious, they went street racing to vent their anger. The result was a fatal crash. The car was destroyed, and none of them survived.

Under my leadership, the company continued to grow at an astonishing pace and eventually secured a place on the Fortune Global 500 list.

Yet on the very day I received the title of Young Entrepreneur of the Year, my father got me drunk and ordered my limbs broken.

As I lay there screaming in agony, I demanded to know why he was doing this to me.

His reply was filled with venom as he crushed my fingers one after another.

"If you hadn't been so greedy for the inheritance, Ethan and the others wouldn't have gone out to clear their heads. They never would have died in that crash."

In the end, my father beat me to death.

When my critically ill mother learned the truth, the shock took her life as well.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day my father decided to establish the trust.

"Lily, I'm thinking of setting up a trust fund with 2.1 billion dollars for your siblings. What's your take on that?" Dad's voice, so familiar, snapped me awake. I opened my eyes to see the three half-siblings, buzzing with excitement.

I was disoriented for a moment before Dad's icy voice cut through again.

"You've lived it up as an only child, basking in luxury. However, Ethan and the others can't even call me 'Dad' in front of others. This money is their due."

It was only after hearing those words that I realized I had been reborn.

I had returned to the very day my father planned to set up trusts for his three illegitimate sons.

In my previous life, he had dropped the bomb at a family dinner, ready to lock in that 2.1 billion for them.

Back then, I fought tooth and nail, pleading with him to wait, thinking about the company's financial needs. I even promised the half-siblings we would revisit the trust once we were on solid ground with the project.

I never expected that my three half-siblings would think I was trying to hog all the inheritance. Blinded by anger, they went out for a reckless joyride and ended up in a fatal crash that left nothing but wreckage and loss.

Dad's reaction to the news had been chillingly detached. "That's just how things turned out," he had said with a shrug.

I took over the company and worked tirelessly for three years, transforming it into one of the world's top 500 enterprises. My efforts earned me the title of Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

However, on the very day we were celebrating that milestone, Dad got me drunk and dragged me to my half-siblings' gravesite, where he brutally broke my arms and legs.

Through my screams, I demanded to know why he was doing that to me.

His response was to crush my fingers underfoot and hiss, "If you hadn't been so greedy for the inheritance, Ethan and the others wouldn't have gone out that night, and they wouldn't have died in that crash!

"I've put up with you all this time just to see you pay for what you've done to Ethan and the rest!"

In the end, Dad beat me to death. My body was contorted into a terracotta figure, eternally bowing down at the graves of my half-siblings.

As I remembered the pain from my last moments in that previous life, I clenched my fists.

My silence seemed to irk the three of them. Ethan Smith, the oldest, snapped at me, "Lily, we're Dad's kids, too. You've been parading around as the sole heir online, but now that Dad's trying to give us our share, who are you to interfere?"

I did not even bother to answer him. Instead, I locked eyes with Dad, who was watching me intently.

"Dad, it's your money. You can give it to whoever you want. I won't argue," I said.

My words sent a shockwave through the room. The half-siblings stared at me as if I had lost my mind.

Dad looked at me, a mix of confusion and curiosity in his gaze. "You're not against me setting up a trust for Ethan and the others?"

I nodded, my expression serene. "They can have the trust money, but I want something in return."

"What's that?" Dad asked, almost reflexively.

"The right to inherit the company," I stated firmly.

Ethan, panicked, immediately piped up.

"Really, Lily? It's clear now why you were so quick to agree to Dad's trust fund. You've had your sights set on the company all along!"

Yvonne Porter, mother to the three out-of-wedlock kids, let out a harsh laugh, openly manipulating Dad. "Wow, Ms. Smith, you've got quite the strategy. Your father is still alive, and here you are, jockeying for a piece of the pie."

Rebecca Smith, the middle child, chimed in with a gleeful taunt. "Dad is fit as a fiddle, and you're already plotting for your share. Jumping the gun much?"

Caleb Smith, the youngest, stayed silent, but his disdainful look said it all.

With Yvonne and her brood egging each other on, Dad's gaze on me grew heavy with disappointment. "That's enough!

"Lily, it's not your place to call the shots about who'll take over the company! Even if I hand it to Ethan, you've got no say in the matter."

Yvonne had been in Dad's ear for years, angling to get the company passed down to Ethan.

Their grins were unstoppable when they heard Dad's words. However, inside, I smirked.

I kept my cool and reminded him, "Dad, remember, you and Mom built this company together. She owns half."

Mom and Dad had been living apart for ages, but they never divorced because splitting the company was too complicated. Mom had told me long ago that her shares were mine. I was supposed to take over after college, but Dad played favorites for his other kids, claiming I was not experienced enough to be the heir.

Their sour faces told me they remembered Mom's promise, too. I could not help but feel a rush of satisfaction, though I played it tough. "How about this: I'll trade my claim to the company for the $2.1 billion trust fund."

No sooner had the words left my mouth than Yvonne's mocking laughter rang out, as if she had seen right through my bluff.

"The company's in a real bind right now. Forget about 2.1 billion dollars, it's not even worth half a billion, Ms. Smith. You're playing a clever game, pretending to back down to get what you really want, the trust fund, right?"

Yvonne was convinced she had hit the nail on the head.

"Honey, don't let her fool you. That trust fund is what we're counting on for our kids' future," she pleaded with her husband.

Ethan and his siblings joined in, cautioning their dad not to fall for any tricks.

Dad peered at me, searching my face for a hint of my true intentions.

It took a while, but Dad finally broke the silence.

"Lily, you, Ethan, and the rest are all my kids. I won't treat any of you unfairly.

"Here's what we'll do: You'll take over the company, and the trust fund, along with my other assets, will go to Ethan and the other three."

Dad locked eyes with me as he spoke, watching for the slightest reaction.

Seeing a flash of frustration in my eyes, he seemed reassured. Right in front of me, he made the call, declaring me the company's new heir.

Meanwhile, Dad was setting aside 2.1 billion dollars for a trust fund for his other children and made sure the news got out.

The thought of all that money had his other kids grinning like Cheshire cats.

Their smiles widened even more when they saw me.

Rebecca's voice dripped with scorn, "So, Sis, how's it feel to come up empty-handed? Now you get to babysit that sinking ship of a company until it goes under!"

Caleb was all smugness. "If you play nice with me now, I might just throw you a bone when you're out on the street. How's that sound?"

I bit back my anger, my face a mask of rage, but inside, I was the one smiling.

They were clueless. The company had been my prize all along.

The very next day, as I officially took the reins of the company, Dad, worried I might back out, immediately poured all the funds into the trust.

Dad had to sell off all his properties because we were running low on cash.

Even after that, the trust fund was sitting at a meager 1.5 billion dollars, a good chunk away from the 2.1 billion we needed.

While Dad was scrambling to scrape together more money, I was shaking things up at the company, kicking off new ventures left and right.

Then, on a day I had just nailed down a major deal, Dad called and told me to come home.

I did not want to, but he already sent the driver for me, so I had no choice but to head back.

The moment I stepped up to the villa, the place was buzzing with joy and laughter. However, as soon as I showed up, silence fell, and all eyes were on me.

Yvonne could not resist a dig. "Look who it is, Ms. Smith. Now that you're running the show, we have to beg you to drop by, huh?"

I did not bite, just turned to Dad.

He pretended not to hear, which told me everything I needed to know: they were playing games, trying to knock me down a peg.

I just smirked and spun on my heel to leave.

Yvonne was caught off guard and called out, "Lily, where do you think you're going? Who said you could leave?"

I shot her an icy look. "Since when do you give the orders?"

She was livid, struggling to keep her cool. "How dare you talk to me like that? I'm your elder!"

I could not help but scoff. "My elder? Really?"

When I was 12, Dad cheated with Yvonne.

She got pregnant, and Dad, worried about the scandal, shipped me off to study abroad against my wishes, with Yvonne as my so-called guardian. She was supposed to be looking after me while she had her kid.

Later, when Yvonne had Ethan, she tried to pull strings for her son's sake, even tried to corrupt me.

When that did not work, she resorted to spiking my food, hoping to hook me on drugs.

Lucky for me, I caught on quickly, rigged a camera in the fridge, and dodged that bullet.

Yvonne's face was dark with anger, and I could not help but feel a rush of satisfaction. I was about to throw another biting comment her way when a cup hurled by my dad smacked me right in the forehead.

Dad was fuming, his eyes shooting daggers at me as he let loose a barrage of scolding.

"Where's your respect? Is this how you were raised?! Apologize to Ms. Porter."

I bit back my anger. "I did nothing wrong."

Dad was seething, his chest rising and falling with each breath of rage.

He lifted his cane, ready to strike, but something crossed his mind, and he suddenly cooled down.

"Transfer all the company's liquid assets into the trust. It's still short by 600 million dollars."

It hit me then. Dad had called me back with a purpose in mind.

I refused outright, saying, "The company's tied up in new projects. The funds are all invested."

Dad did not seem to care. "Put the projects on hold. Get the funds back."

I stared at him, shocked that he could be so reckless.

Pulling out the funds then would do nothing but harm the company, and if things went south, we could be looking at bankruptcy.

Dad must have read my mind because he doubled down.

"A company's just a company. It's nothing compared to the trust. And after all these years, what could possibly go wrong?"

My heart dropped. Dad was willing to throw the company under the bus for his three illegitimate kids.

Then it clicked. Dad was not ignoring the company; he was trying to milk me and the company dry for the sake of his other children.

I composed myself. "Dad, I'm not pulling the funds. You can forget about it."

With that, I walked out, ignoring the angry shouts that followed.

I thought I had been clear and that Dad would back off.

However, the next day, I got the news from finance: the funds were pulled, and Dad had moved every penny into the trust.