Over the phone, he’d brushed me off with, “Depends on my mood. If you wait for me at the restaurant for five hours, I’ll come.”

That day, I really did sit there from sunrise to sunset.

When the restaurant finally closed, there was still no sign of him.

No surprise—he’d stood me up.

That very night, my phone lit up with a message:

“Hello, your reservation for the hotel suite with a king-size bed…”

I’d laughed bitterly.

Just to spite me, even when they went to a hotel, they used my number for the booking.

That was the moment I knew—any relationship that required no effort or investment was doomed from the start.

Looking back now, it all feels impossibly far away.

“Sis, don’t be mad at Ethan. That’s just how he is,” Sophia Brooks said softly, her expression gentle but laced with false concern.

“You disappeared for five years without contacting us. Mom and Dad were so worried. Where on earth did you go?”

She spoke like a saint, but the undertone was pure malice.

“You don’t know the awful things people have been saying. Some claim you ran off with another man.”

Sophia covered her mouth with a dainty laugh. “But I know you wouldn’t—after all, you’ve always loved Ethan too much to accept another man…”

I chuckled along with her.

“How do you know I wouldn’t? Don’t act like you know me so well.”

I was smiling, but my tone was cold and distant.

“And stop calling me ‘sis.’ I’m an only child—my parents never gave me a sister.”

Her smile froze instantly, and the color drained slightly from her face.

I hadn’t held back one bit.

Everyone in our circle knew I—Lily Anderson—was the true Brooks heiress.

Sophia was the one who had been switched at birth, enjoying eighteen years of wealth and privilege that were meant for me.

When they found me, they couldn’t bear to part with the girl they had raised for nearly two decades, so they kept her in the family and told us to call each other sisters.

If not for what happened five years ago, I might have swallowed my pride and tried to coexist with her.

But we were always meant to be strangers.

My words clearly stung her; tears welled in her eyes.

“I’m sorry. I know I’m not Mom and Dad’s biological daughter. I don’t deserve it…”

“Lily, are you crazy?” Ethan snapped, hurriedly handing her a tissue while glaring at me.

“Don’t you know? Robert Brooks has already written his will, leaving everything to Sophia.

“So what if you’re the real daughter? They cut ties with you years ago.

“Five years ago, you humbled yourself to return to the Brooks family and agreed to marry me just to secure your position.

“Well? How does it feel hearing this now—are you furious?”

His eyes were full of triumph, clearly hoping to see me twist in rage.

But my face remained impassive. “Oh. Good for you.”

This was getting boring. I glanced at my watch—my husband and daughter would be arriving soon to take me out for hot pot.

I stood, picked up my bag, and headed for the door. Then, remembering something, I turned back.

“Correction—five years ago, I didn’t agree to marry you to secure any position.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

I gave Sophia a cool glance.

“A phoenix is a phoenix. No matter how many feathers you glue onto a sparrow, it will never be a phoenix.”

With that, I turned to leave—only for the door to slam shut with a loud bang.

Behind me, the laughter grew louder.

“Lily Anderson, you think you can just walk away after offending our Ethan? Not a chance.”

I tried the door, but it had been locked from the outside. The gala beyond was still in full swing, and the organizers hadn’t even noticed anything unusual in here.

My expression turned cold.

With my current status, I had no need to personally attend an event of this level.

I was here today only because the host had once done my adoptive mother a favor, so I showed up out of courtesy.

I never expected to run into such a pack of lowlifes.

“What’s the meaning of this?”

I turned toward Ethan, my voice like ice.

“Tell your people to open the door.”

He gave a mocking laugh, his expression smug—exactly like five years ago.

“Lily, it’s not every day we get to see each other. How can you leave after just a few words?”

“And you haven’t even settled the score for what you just said to my girlfriend.”

“You’d just walk away? Wouldn’t Sophia’s little pearl necklace have been lost for nothing?”

Sophia nestled pitifully into his arms, and Ethan clearly played the part of defending her honor.

“Since you’re here, don’t think about leaving so easily.”

Around us, the room buzzed with taunting voices.

“Sophia Brooks is the face of the Brooks family—the true heiress. Even with a boyfriend, she’s cherished, born to a life of privilege. Not like some barnyard stray, destined to be thrown out of her home.”

“And as for a certain illegitimate woman—so what if she’s got Brooks blood? She was kicked out five years ago, wasn’t she?”

“In three days, it’s Miss Brooks’ engagement party. And Lily? She probably won’t even have a man to show up with.”

“With her circumstances—no family power, no parental support—how could she possibly make it onto the social stage?”

“Exactly. She’s not even fit to carry Miss Brooks’ shoes.”

“And she had the nerve to call Miss Brooks a sparrow earlier. Well, now she’s in trouble—offending Mr. Carter. I bet she’s scared now.”

They were dressed like gentlemen, but every one of them was the type to fawn over the strong and trample the weak.

I ignored them, fixing my gaze coldly on Ethan.

“Cut to the chase—what do you really want?”

We hadn’t crossed paths in years, and I couldn’t fathom why he was so intent on making things difficult for me.

Ethan stood and stared straight at me.

“I want you to apologize to Sophia for what you said.”

Then, with deliberate slowness, he added, “On your knees.”

I gave a short, sharp laugh. “In your dreams.”

His eyes darkened with anger. “Say that again?”

“If it weren’t for an accident back then, I would be the real Sophia Brooks.

“I’ve already been more than generous by not demanding she pay me back. And you want me to apologize to a thief? Keep dreaming.”

Everyone thought Ethan would explode with rage.

They were ready to watch me make a fool of myself.

Instead, he gave a cold smile.

“Don’t want to kneel? Fine. There’s another option.”

He stepped right up to me.

“How about we make a bet? Loser strips naked and stands at the door for fifteen minutes.”

Gasps rippled through the crowd, followed by murmurs.

“Damn—it’s true. Ethan really does hate Lily Anderson.”

“If it hadn’t been for her back then, Ethan and Sophia would’ve been together already—maybe even with kids by now. Of course he hates her.”

“Still, making her strip if she loses—that’s brutal.”

“What’s the problem? She brought this on herself. Of all people to provoke, she chose Miss Brooks. Serves her right.”

I had no interest in engaging with them—much less in humoring Ethan Carter by playing some pathetic little game.

“Sorry, I don’t have time. My husband will be here to pick me up soon.”

A few people snorted in derision.

“Lily Anderson, if you can’t play, just admit it. Why bother lying?”

“Exactly. You’ve been gone for five years—how could you possibly be married? And now you claim you have a husband?”

“If you really were married, why wouldn’t you bring him to a gala like this?”

Sophia Brooks put on a mask of kindness.

“Sis, I know you’re upset and still blame me for taking Ethan, but even so, you shouldn’t lie.”

“I’m not lying.”

But I saw no need to explain myself.

In less than ten minutes, Daniel Hughes would be here anyway.

Still, my refusal to elaborate only made them press harder.

“If you’re not lying, then tell us—what’s your husband’s name? What business is he in?”

“If you make one up on the spot, we’ll know.”

Ethan took a drag from his cigarette and smirked.

“You pulled this stunt five years ago. Still trying the same trick? Do you think I’m an idiot?”

He clearly didn’t believe a word.

“I don’t care what you think. I don’t owe you proof. Open the door. If you don’t let me out, I’m calling the police.

“I’m not wasting my time on your stupid games.”

But in the next second, Ethan pulled out a small white porcelain urn.

My face instantly hardened.

“Give it back.”

I lunged to grab it, but he held it high, and I came up empty.

Looking down at me in my frustration, he slowly smiled.

“Turns out my words mean less to you than a dead person.”

“If I’d known this urn was so effective, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time talking.”

My gaze went glacial, edged with a hint of lethal intent.

“Watch your mouth.”

Years ago, though the Brooks family had publicly acknowledged me, they’d never truly accepted me.

My real family was my adoptive mother.

For my sake, she’d been willing to cut ties and send me back to the Brooks family to live as their heiress.

Sophia was her biological daughter, but she had no interest in poverty—and never even met her real mother.

To hide the truth, they’d staged a whole act, even hiring someone to hit her with a car and leave her in a coma.

The Brooks family was as laughable as Ethan—

Thinking I’d been desperate for the title of “real heiress” and eager to return home for it.

They couldn’t have been more wrong.

Back then, my adoptive mother was paralyzed, later slipping into a vegetative state.

The Brooks family came to the hospital and threatened me—

If I agreed to return to them, they’d bring in the best specialists from abroad, no matter the cost.

If I refused, they’d let her die, claiming she could suffer brain death at any time.

That was the only reason I agreed to an arranged marriage with Ethan.

But after my adoptive mother died, I had no reason to marry him—and no desire for the Brooks title.

Seeing my expression turn to stone, Ethan smiled with satisfaction.

“Then agree to play.

“If you win, I’ll give the urn back.”

I shut my eyes briefly, then asked flatly, “What’s the bet?”

His gaze locked on mine, and he spoke slowly.