Chapter 5

Eleonora placed her teacup gently on the saucer.

She looked at Alondra with absolute adoration. She turned her head and nodded to Ivor, who immediately walked over carrying a carved rosewood box.

Ivor opened the box.

Resting on a bed of dark red velvet was a massive, flawless emerald bracelet surrounded by antique diamonds.

Chanel saw the jewelry.

Her breath hitched. Her fingernails dug so hard into her palms that the skin nearly broke. The perfect smile on her face fractured.

That bracelet was the symbol of the Kerr family matriarch. It had been passed down for five generations. Chanel had begged for it for years, and Eleonora had always refused.

Eleonora took Alondra's hand.

She slid the heavy, cold metal over Alondra's wrist. The clasp clicked shut, locking the ultimate symbol of inheritance onto the true daughter.

The cold weight of the emerald settled against Alondra's skin.

She heard Chanel's breathing turn shallow and rapid.

"It belongs to you," Eleonora said softly, patting Alondra's hand. "It always has."

Chanel forced her lungs to take in air.

She lightly touched her collarbone, pasting a look of pure joy onto her face. "It looks stunning on you, sister."

Chanel paused, letting a look of fake concern wash over her features.

"But you know, growing up in a trailer park, you probably haven't learned how fragile these antiques are. I can keep it in my safe for you. You can wear it for special occasions so you don't accidentally ruin it."

It was a calculated, vicious insult disguised as sisterly care.

Eleonora's brow furrowed. She opened her mouth to scold Chanel, but Alondra laughed first.

It was a low, chilling sound.

Alondra raised her wrist. She slowly turned the bracelet, letting the light catch the diamonds. She locked her eyes onto Chanel's.

"These diamonds are cut in a late nineteenth-century rose style," Alondra said. Her accent shifted effortlessly into a flawless, aristocratic London drawl.

She listed the exact humidity and temperature requirements for preserving the porous structure of the antique emerald. The technical terminology flowed from her lips perfectly.

Ivor's eyes widened in profound shock.

Alondra gave Chanel a slow, deliberate blink. "Tell me, Chanel. What grade of humidor do you use in your safe?"

Chanel's mouth opened and closed.

No sound came out. She had no idea what a humidor was. Her face flushed a deep, ugly red.

Alondra leaned forward slightly.

"I may have grown up in the dirt," Alondra whispered, her voice slicing through the air like a scalpel. "But some things are just in your blood. You wouldn't understand."

The word 'blood' hit Chanel like a physical blow.

It reminded her that she was just an adopted replacement. All the color drained from Chanel's face, leaving her looking sickly pale.

Sterling slammed his hand on his knee.

His eyes blazed with immense pride. "That's my girl! A true Kerr!"

Chanel realized she had lost completely.

Tears of genuine humiliation welled in her eyes. She muttered an excuse about a sudden migraine and practically ran out of the living room.

Alondra watched her run.

A cold smirk played on her lips. She was weak.

Eleonora sighed heavily.

She squeezed Alondra's hand. "She is very sensitive. Please try to be patient with her."

Alondra dropped the smirk.

She nodded obediently. "I will take very good care of my sister."

Ivor stepped forward, clearing his throat.

He asked if Alondra was ready to see her private suite.

Alondra followed the butler up the grand sweeping staircase to the third floor. They walked into the south-facing master suite.

Alondra stopped in the doorway.

Even with her centuries of memories, the sheer volume of wealth in the room was staggering. Mountains of custom designer dresses and limited-edition handbags filled the massive walk-in closet.

Ivor handed her a brand-new, encrypted smartphone.

He explained that all the family's private numbers were already saved.

Alondra took the cold metal phone. The screen suddenly lit up, completely bypassing the estate's million-dollar firewall. A text message appeared, its origin untraceable:

"Welcome home, little bird. Enjoy the emerald. It will look beautiful on your corpse."

Alondra's eyes narrowed. Her enemy wasn't just wealthy; they were already inside the walls.