Chapter 1 Betrayal And Deceit

Aurora Wells stood in the police station, her heart pounding as her brothers pointed at her.

"It's her!" Ethan and Lucas exclaimed in unison. "Aurora Wells!"

The accusation cut through her like a knife. The officer taking the statement looked up, his gaze sharp.

"So, you're saying Aurora Wells was the one driving the car?" he asked, his voice firm.

Aurora's eyes widened in shock. She shook her head. "No, it's not me! I was in the passenger seat, I swear!"

But her words fell on deaf ears.

Ethan, the eldest, glared at her, his eyes cold with anger. "If it's not you, could it be Ruby?" he spat.

Lucas scoffed. "Ruby is the most well-behaved girl. How could she do such a reckless thing? Aurora, you're a habitual liar! How dare you try to blame Ruby?"

Tears pricked at the corners of Aurora's eyes. "It's not me! I'm telling the truth!"

But her brothers wouldn't listen. The station erupted into chaos, with the officers trying to restore order.

The officer slammed his hand on the table. "Enough! Suspect, hand over your phone. We need to investigate further."

Aurora hesitated but handed it over. A wave of unease washed over her. She knew she was innocent-but would anyone believe her?

The officer's next words made her heart sink. "The other party has completed an injury assessment. Whether to sue you or accept a letter of apology is up to them."

Aurora felt like she'd been punched in the gut.

Ethan and Lucas turned to leave, but Ethan shot her a venomous glance. "Ruby is in the hospital because of you. If anything happens to her, Aurora, I swear I will kill you!"

Tears streamed down Aurora's face. "Eldest brother... second brother... it wasn't me."

But they didn't even look back.

As they walked away, despair settled over her. She was alone. No one believed her.

The officer's voice cut through her thoughts. "Aurora Wells, you need to come with me."

She nodded, feeling resigned as she followed him.

Aurora sat in the cold detention center, her mind replaying the accident.

The four of them had gone camping, driving two cars. Ruby had first driven her out of the camp, followed by Ethan and Lucas. Under the overpass, Ruby saw the red light but stepped on the accelerator anyway, causing the crash.

Now, Aurora was the one being accused. It wasn't fair.

Days passed. No one from her family came. She was starting to lose hope. Would she be stuck here forever?

Then, on the second day, the officer returned.

"Aurora Wells, you're free to go."

She stumbled to her feet, stunned. Relief flooded her-until she heard his next words.

"The other party agreed to sign a letter of understanding. Your family paid one million in compensation."

Aurora's heart clenched.

Did they pay them off?

She stepped outside, scanning the parking lot. No car was waiting for her.

She was alone.

The five or six kilometers home stretched endlessly, but she finally reached the Wells' two-story villa.

As she crossed the courtyard, shouting erupted from inside.

"Mom, why are you wasting money on Aurora? She made a mistake-let her go to jail! Maybe then she'll learn her lesson!"

Aurora froze. Ethan's voice was filled with disdain.

Before she could react, a servant spotted her. "The eldest lady is back!"

The noise inside stopped abruptly.

Then, Ruby stepped out, holding a bucket of water.

With a *splash*, the freezing liquid poured over Aurora, drenching her from head to toe.

She stood frozen in shock.

Ruby's voice was laced with false remorse. "I'm sorry, Aurora. My eldest brother and second brother asked me to do this. They said you've been in jail and are full of bad luck. You can't enter the house without washing yourself clean."

A shiver ran down Aurora's spine.

Her mother rushed out with a blanket, wrapping it around her. She rubbed Aurora's wet hair, her voice soft. "Don't worry, Rory. I'm here for you."

But even her mother's warmth couldn't thaw the coldness in her heart.

Lucas sneered. "She deserves it! She caused the accident and tried to blame Ruby. Now, she's cost the family a fortune. What did I do in my past life to deserve such a sister?"

Ethan's face was grim. "Mom, you shouldn't have bailed her out so quickly. She should've stayed in detention for ten days, maybe even a month, to learn her lesson!"

Aurora's fingers curled into fists.

But she bit back her anger. Fighting them now would be useless.

Her mother sighed, ignoring her son. She pulled Aurora inside. "Go take a hot bath, Rory. You'll catch a cold."

The warmth of the house slowly seeped into her frozen body, but her heart remained numb.

Ruby appeared again, her voice dripping with insincerity. "Sister, shall I make you some hot soup?"

Aurora glared at her, hatred burning in her eyes.

Before she could speak, Lucas grabbed Ruby's hand and pulled her away. "Ruby, don't bring bad luck upon yourself. Why care about her life or death?"

Ethan patted Ruby's head. "Our Ruby is too kind. She always suffers."

Aurora felt suffocated.

They had always favored Ruby over her.

At that moment, she thought back to the police station-to how quickly they had turned against her.

For years, she had tried to be a good sister, to protect them.

But now, she didn't want to love this family anymore. She didn't want to protect unworthy people.

She turned and left.

Back in her room, Aurora spotted a large photo on her desk.

The five of them, smiling. Her brothers were standing beside her, arms draped protectively around her shoulders.

It was taken before Ruby entered their lives.

Aurora picked it up-and tossed it into the trash.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Miss, the second young master wants you downstairs."

Her heart sank.

Downstairs, Lucas lounged on the sofa, a document in his hand.

"Sign it," he ordered coldly.

Aurora took the document and read it.

A divorce agreement.

Her breath hitched. "Break off the engagement?"

Lucas smirked. "That's right. The Ryder's family will never accept a woman who's been to jail. This came from them-black and white. So don't even think about denying it or making a fuss."

Aurora's fingers trembled.

She had been engaged to Ryder since childhood. It was an arranged marriage, but over time, she had grown to care for him.

And now, they were severing ties without a second thought.

Anger and hurt twisted inside her.

"I won't sign it," she said firmly.

Lucas's eyes darkened. "I'll give you one day to reconsider. If you don't sign by tomorrow, I'll make sure you regret it."

A chill ran down Aurora's spine.

She knew she was in grave danger.

But she refused to back down.

Turning on her heel, she walked away.

Back in her room, Aurora clenched her fists.

She would fight for herself.

No matter what it took.

But little did she know-her brothers were only getting started.

And she was about to be caught in the center of their storm.