Chapter 1 Where's Chris

In March, the pear blossoms at the Elliott family's residence were strewn across the ground, wet from the rain.

Inside the hall, the atmosphere was unusually somber.

Today marked the first family breakfast since the real daughter of the Elliots had been found.

Jeremy Elliott called out impatiently to a servant. "Go upstairs and see if she's ready."

He still wasn't accustomed to referring to Danielle Gordon, his biological sister, by name. Noticing the unease on Tricia Elliott 's face, he reassured her quietly, "Don't be afraid. I'm on your side."

Tricia smiled gratefully at him, feeling a surge of pride. Even if she wasn't the biological daughter, someone still cherished her.

After a short wait, a figure appeared at the stairway. It was Danielle, the real daughter of the Elliots. She looked graceful and beautiful without any makeup, in stark contrast to Tricia, who had worn a full face of makeup in an attempt to outshine her.

Danielle effortlessly outshone Tricia regardless.

Overcome with jealousy but maintaining a facade of calm, Tricia said, "Danielle, you're here."

Danielle glanced at her without a word.

When she took her seat, the room fell silent.

Tricia's eyes welled up with tears.

Jeremy's expression grew stern. "Why are you so cold to Tricia?"

"Do I have to respond with a bow or something?" Danielle countered. She sensed Tricia's dislike for her, which bordered on hostility.

Jeremy was pissed off at Danielle's remarks. Trying to ease the tension, Tricia intervened, "Jeremy, I'm fine. Maybe Danielle just got back and isn't familiar with the family rules..."

Her words hinted that Danielle was a country girl and lacked of manners.

Danielle remained silent, choosing not to respond. She was new to the Elliott family and, although not fearful, preferred to avoid conflict.

Her parents, Steve Elliott and Rhonda Elliott, exchanged a few words to ease the tension. Finally, they began their meal.

At the table, Steve mentioned, "Danielle, it's been busy lately. It might take some time to change your last name."

Danielle nodded, understanding the Elliotts hesitated about having her family name changed.

Though Danielle was their biological daughter, it was Tricia they had raised. They needed to consider her feelings.

Once Danielle's last name was changed, Tricia would become the real outsider. Anyway, the name change didn't seem crucial to Danielle.

"I understand."

Relieved by her response, Steve finally relaxed and offered her more food, feeling a twinge of guilt. "Danielle, have some more."

"Thank you, Dad." Danielle thanked him but avoided eating the food he offered. She was not accustomed to such gestures.

Watching them behave like a family, Tricia couldn't bear it. She suddenly began to sob.

Danielle instantly knew Tricia was about to cause a scene.

Jeremy dropped his utensils and comforted her, "Tricia, are you okay?"

"I feel guilty," Tricia said, turning to Danielle with tears in her eyes. "If it weren't for a mistake, Danielle wouldn't have grown up in the countryside. Maybe I should move out. It feels like the right thing to do."

"Who said it's right?" Jeremy frowned, clearly upset.

As Tricia continued to cry, he glared at Danielle and declared, "No matter what anyone else says, you're my sister. Your last name is Elliott. If anyone asks you to move out, I'd be the first to disagree!"

Danielle couldn't help but smile. Her brother seemed somewhat naive.

The expressions of the others at the table grew inscrutable, their eyes shifting between Danielle and Tricia, slowly piecing things together.

Steve, who initially felt a pang of guilt towards Danielle, now intervened, affirming, "Jeremy is right. Tricia, you will always be an Elliott."

Danielle observed the unfolding drama, finding it as intriguing as watching a play. She couldn't understand why they had brought her back if they didn't truly welcome her.

They finished their meal in a strained silence.

Afterward, Jeremy planned to drive Danielle and Tricia to the Harper family's residence.

Tricia had been engaged to Chris Harper, the second son of the Harper family. Yet, the recent turmoil had shattered their plans to marry. Despite this, Carolyn Harper, Chris's grandmother, moved by pity for Danielle's long-standing struggles, chose to intervene, substituting Danielle as Chris' new fiancée.

Today marked Danielle's first encounter with the Harper family.

While Danielle remained indifferent to the engagement, she could not ignore Carolyn's persistent efforts.

On the other hand, Tricia seethed with bitterness. Freed from her engagement, she now faced the scorn of those who had once envied her-a thought that soured her mood even more.

Throughout their journey, Tricia brooded, itching for a confrontation with Danielle, but no chance arose.

Meanwhile, Danielle gazed at the passing scenery outside the window, occasionally capturing moments on her phone, her demeanor calm and untroubled.

This only fueled Tricia's anger.

Their destination, the Harper family's residence, sat atop a mountain. The view was spectacular, the air crisp, and their two-hour drive to this tranquil retreat seemed to stretch on forever.

After getting out of the car, Tricia swallowed her anger, eager to flaunt her familiarity with the Harpers. She took the lead and said to Jeremy, "Jeremy, you can go greet Walter. I'll take Danielle to Carolyn."

Jeremy paused, then seeing that Tricia appeared calm, he consented. "Okay, I'll be there soon."

Once Jeremy had left, Tricia turned to Danielle with a proud smile. "Danielle, let's go."

After a while, Tricia said with a smirk, "Be careful when we meet Carolyn. She doesn't like foolish people. I've warned you. "But it doesn't matter. She likes me. Even if you upset her, she won't hold it against you for my sake."

They entered the hall.

A servant approached them. Tricia, raising her chin slightly, said, "Is Carolyn on the second floor? We can go-"

The servant interrupted her, "Miss Elliott, Mrs. Harper has instructed you to wait in the living room. Miss Gordon, please come with me."

Feeling humiliated in front of everyone, Tricia flushed with embarrassment.

Scrambling for an escape, she asked, "Where's Chris? I need to see him."

The servant shifted uncomfortably. "Mr. Harper isn't here today."

Danielle raised an eyebrow.

It seemed Chris was also unhappy with the engagement? That could work to her advantage.

With the news of Chris' absence, Tricia's embarrassment faded, replaced by a surge of relief.

She turned to Danielle with feigned concern. "It's okay, Danielle. Just because he's not home today doesn't mean he dislikes you."

"Please take me upstairs," Danielle said to the maid, finding the situation somewhat amusing.

......

In the study on the second floor, the air was lightly scented with coffee. Carolyn sat with a stern expression and asked, "Have you called Chris?"

Kathleen Moss, the maid standing beside Carolyn, was caught in a bind. "I couldn't get through, Mrs. Harper."

"That bastard!" Carolyn exclaimed, anger flaring up, causing her to cough.

Kathleen quickly stepped forward to assist her. Between coughs, Carolyn vented, "He is obviously defying me. Does he think he can cancel the engagement this way?"

"Shawn, how can you just let your nephew behave this way?"

Carolyn couldn't help but scold the man sitting opposite her, who had remained silent until then.

Shawn Harper chuckled at her remarks and appeared nonchalant.

"Mom, you don't have to be so angry," he said, lifting his eyes to pour her some coffee. "If you don't like the Elliotts' biological daughter, there will be no need to continue the engagement. Later I'll take him home and get him to apologize to you."

Carolyn's mood lightened upon hearing this. Shawn was right. She needed to meet Danielle herself to decide whether to continue the engagement.

"Go and bring her in," Carolyn addressed the servant. She turned to Shawn and added, "You're not getting any younger. You should think about getting married and having children."

"There's no hurry," Shawn said, his voice steady. "Let's prioritize Chris first."

Clearly, he was not to be swayed easily.

Carolyn opened her mouth to argue, but a sharp knock on the door cut her off.

The door swung open, and Danielle entered cheerfully. "Good day, Mrs. Harper."

Hearing her voice, Shawn looked up from his bracelet. He caught a glimpse of Danielle and his expression turned to stone.