Chapter 1 The Expulsion

The Roberts family's villa in Eighfast hummed with an uneasy stillness, only to be broken by the echo of approaching footsteps.

"Yelena, back so soon?" Sonya Roberts leaned against the doorframe, a smug smile painted on her lips. "Brett White may be older, but he's everything a woman could want-rich, influential, and dependable. You should be honored to have such a chance to be his wife."

Yelena Roberts' expression hardened.

Before Sonya could react, Yelena surged forward, her palm colliding sharply with Sonya's cheek. The crack of the slap rang through the room, slicing through Sonya's arrogance.

"Why don't you take this 'chance' for yourself, Sonya?" Yelena's voice cut like a blade, her eyes narrowed with scorn. "You spiked my drink, didn't you?"

Sonya clutched her stinging cheek, her confidence crumbling into a strangled gasp, as the fierce red imprint of Yelena's fingers seared into her skin.

"Yelena! You insolent girl! Have you gone mad?" Tatiana Roberts stormed forward, her face twisted in rage and disbelief as she glared daggers at Yelena. "How dare you hit Sonya?"

What an ungrateful wretch!

After all, Yelena wasn't even a Roberts.

Three months ago, a trip to the hospital changed everything. Yelena had been admitted for an injury, and what should have been a routine blood test cracked her world wide open.

Her rare blood type didn't match Jonathan Roberts or his wife-her supposed parents. The revelation shattered the once happy family of three-Yelena wasn't their real daughter.

Desperate to restore balance, the Roberts family launched an exhaustive search for their true daughter. They found her in Sonya, a woman who slid seamlessly into the life that had never been meant for Yelena.

From that day on, Yelena became a ghost in her own home, a usurper unwittingly basking in luxuries meant for Sonya. What was once hers was now declared an injustice, an insult to Sonya's rightful claim.

Jonathan and Tatiana needed to make amends with their newfound daughter.

But simply cutting Yelena loose? That seemed wasteful. Brett White, a wealthy associate, had expressed a certain infatuation with Yelena. If they played their cards right, marrying her off would guarantee a five-million-dollar payoff.

So, they hatched a sinister plan.

A drugged drink. A room prepared for betrayal. They intended to hand her over like a pawn, signed and sealed.

Yelena, however, had shattered their scheme, slipping away from their clutches in the nick of time.

She turned to Tatiana, defiant and composed, her voice cutting through the room like a blade.

"She drugged me, ridiculed me, and treated me like I was nothing. So tell me, don't you think that slap was well-deserved?"

Sonya's face fell, her lips trembling before she plastered on a look of false hurt. "I was thinking of your future," she replied, her voice sickly sweet. "Mother told me your real family was from a poor village. Marrying Mr. White would elevate your entire existence. Surely, that's a blessing."

Yet behind her feigned innocence, Sonya seethed. How dare Yelena strike her?

Retribution would come. Soon.

"If marrying into wealth is such a blessing, why not seize it yourself?" Yelena's voice dripped with ice as her narrowed eyes pierced straight through Sonya and Tatiana.

"You ungrateful girl!" Tatiana's voice was a whip crack of fury, her eyes blazing. "How dare you even think to measure yourself against Sonya? She is leagues above you! Sonya is already engaged to Roger Ellis, heir to the prestigious Ellis family. A union that befits her status!"

Sonya stepped forward, her smile syrupy sweet, but her eyes gleaming with triumph. "That's right, Yelena. Roger told me I'm his one true love, the only one he could ever imagine by his side."

The reality of it all hung in the air like a suffocating fog. Yelena had been Roger's fiancee first, a plan set in motion long before Sonya's existence was uncovered. But the moment Yelena's parentage unraveled, so did her engagement. Sonya stepped into her place as effortlessly as one might slip on a perfectly tailored gown.

Even Roger had seemed eager to make the swap, his affections pivoting to Sonya with startling ease.

Sonya's gaze lingered on Yelena, scanning her like a predator assessing prey. The softness of her features, her luminous skin, the poised elegance that seemed intrinsic to her-Sonya hated it. Envy coiled in her chest, venomous and bitter, but she masked it behind her well-practiced smile.

"Relax, Sonya. I wouldn't touch Roger with a ten-foot pole. You two are perfect for each other-a match so unfortunate it's almost poetic. Just be sure to keep your theatrics to yourselves. The rest of us don't need the headache." Yelena's lips curved into a slow, disdainful smirk.

Jonathan, sensing the tension reaching a breaking point, finally stepped in. "Yelena, this is for your benefit. We found you a suitable match, someone who can secure your future. But if you insist on refusing, then so be it. Perhaps it's time you sought out your biological parents." Despite knowing the depths of Tatiana and Sonya's scheming, Jonathan didn't even try to stop them.

He understood their actions were wrong, yet the undeniable truth of Yelena's origins left no room for her to remain with the Roberts family.

With a resigned sigh, Jonathan pulled out an envelope containing ten thousand dollars and held it out to her.

"Take this. It's the least we can do. We mistakenly brought you here from Phurg, and we believe your real parents are still there."

Phurg-a desolate and impoverished region, surviving only on the charity of corporations-was a stark reminder of how far removed Yelena was from the life she had known.

Tatiana scoffed, crossing her arms. "Jonathan, are you serious? We raised her for more than a decade. We owe her nothing. And now you're handing her money after she had the audacity to strike Sonya? She's nothing but an ungrateful little parasite."

Ungrateful?

Yelena let out a bitter, mirthless laugh, her cold chuckle slicing through the air.

Their eagerness to discard her so easily, as if she were an old trinket they no longer wanted, struck her deeper than she cared to admit. When she first found out that she wasn't their biological child, she had considered leaving them with a significant parting gift, a sum of money to ensure their security. But now? That notion felt laughable.

Jonathan lacked the skills to manage a business, and Tatiana was little more than a glorified spender, bleeding their resources dry. If it weren't for Yelena's behind-the-scenes efforts, the Roberts Group would have collapsed long ago.

Her eyes hardened as she straightened her posture.

"Thank you for the gesture, Mr. Roberts, but that won't be necessary," she said, her voice calm and resolute.

Without waiting for a response, Yelena turned on her heel and ascended the staircase to pack her belongings.

Sonya hastily ran after Yelena.

When Yelena returned downstairs, her figure was composed, carrying nothing but a worn black bag slung over her shoulder. Her expression was unreadable, but her posture radiated defiance.

Sonya trailed after her, her face a mask of false concern. "Wait, Yelena! Don't be so hasty. These clothes are practically new-you really should take them. I mean, I heard your real family is... well, struggling," she said.

With a calculated flourish, Sonya reached out and grabbed Yelena's bag.

The loud clatter of its contents scattering onto the marble floor seized everyone's attention.

Amid the mundane items lay a gleaming Chanel bracelet, its brilliance catching the light like a beacon.

Sonya let out an exaggerated gasp, her hand flying to her chest. "This... this is the bracelet Dad gave me just last week! How could it end up in your bag?"

Yelena's lips curled into a cold, mocking smile.

So this was Sonya's plan-a final attempt to humiliate Yelena.

She glanced at Sonya, her eyes sharp as daggers. If Sonya wanted a show, she'd give her one.

"How could you, Yelena?" Tatiana shrieked, her voice trembling with outrage. "Stealing from the very people who raised you? After everything we've done for you? No wonder you turned down the ten thousand dollars-you've already helped yourself to something far more valuable! A thief within the family is the ultimate disgrace!"

Jonathan's frown deepened into a stormy scowl. He stepped forward, his voice low and foreboding. "Yelena, explain yourself. Why did the bracelet I gave to Sonya end up in your bag?"