Chapter 1 Four Years After Her Imprisonment

Inside Wront Prison, the July heat hung so heavy that it was hard to breathe.

Just as she let her sleeve drop to cover the glaring scar on her arm, Maia Watson - once known as Maia Morgan - heard a correctional officer call out, "Maia, someone from the Morgan family is here to pick you up!"

Her hand froze midway through the motion.

Hearing "Morgan family" again was like tasting something bitter and familiar all at once.

She had once been the daughter of the Morgan family.

Everything fell apart four years ago, when the police knocked on their door and announced they'd tracked down Richard Morgan and Sandra Morgan's real daughter - Rosanna Morgan.

In the blink of an eye, Maia's identity was ripped away. She was branded a fraud, a fake.

Her real parents had died long ago. To keep up appearances, the Morgans made a show of acceptance. They told the world that they still saw Maia as family.

But anyone who had watched them for seventeen years would know better. Richard and Sandra had always been preoccupied with business ventures. Maia had been more like a guest in their home than a daughter.

Then Rosanna came back, and suddenly, their entire world revolved around her.

Then came the incident with Radiant Jewels. Rosanna stole a prized treasure and pinned the blame on Maia. It was an obvious setup, but the Morgans didn't care. They believed Rosanna without question. In fact, they helped her. They made public accusations and did it with such ease that Maia never stood a chance.

Radiant Jewels belonged to the Cooper Group. The Coopers weren't just powerful. In Wront, they were practically royalty. The Morgans couldn't risk offending them - not for someone who wasn't even their real daughter.

They erased Maia's name from the Morgan family, told the public that she was taken in from a struggling family called the Watsons, and sent her straight to prison.

At the memory, Maia's knuckles tightened until her nails bit into her skin.

She had survived four years behind bars for a crime Rosanna committed.

And now, that sentence was over. She was finally getting out.

...

Just beyond the prison gates, the crowd of reporters buzzed with restless energy.

Heat rippled through the air, and impatience showed on every face.

Then, at last, the massive gates creaked open.

Maia walked out into the sunlight, dressed in the same plain outfit she wore the day she was locked away.

The second Sandra caught sight of Maia, her face lit up like she had just spotted a long-lost child. She rushed over, surrounded by a swarm of reporters waving microphones and flashing cameras.

Maia watched the entire spectacle and nearly rolled her eyes.

"Maia, my dear daughter, I came to bring you home," Sandra said, her voice catching as tears shimmered in her eyes.

Even a few of the reporters nearby couldn't help but murmur in sympathy at the emotional performance.

Unfazed, Maia stared her down and said coldly, "You must be mistaken, Mrs. Morgan. I'm not your daughter."

Sandra stiffened where she stood.

She quickly recovered and painted sorrow across her face. "How could you say that, Maia? I was the one who raised you. You lived under my roof for more than ten years. I've never once stopped thinking of you as my daughter."

Maia's lips twitched into a cold smirk. "Is that right? Then remind me - four years ago, when you framed me and cast me out, didn't you call me a Watson? You let me go to prison without a second thought. I stopped being your daughter the day you erased me from your family."

Framed? To top it off, they said she wasn't even a Morgan - she was a Watson?

Maia's few words hit like a bomb. Reporters traded stunned looks, then chaos broke loose as they rushed forward, shoving microphones closer, eager to catch every word.

With cameras pointed her way, Sandra had no room to lash out. Her face tightened, but she forced down the anger bubbling inside.

Right then, a voice sliced through the commotion. "Maia! What kind of lies are you feeding everyone? The treasure from Radiant Jewels was found right in your bag - you were caught red-handed! How dare you claim you were framed? You spent four years behind bars, and we still dragged ourselves through this heat to pick you up. And this is how you thank us? You sound like someone spitting at the hand that once fed you!"

Jarrod Morgan was the one speaking - the oldest son of Sandra and Richard.

Maia had always thought of him as a big brother. But when the truth was twisted against her, he turned on her without hesitation to defend Rosanna, even going as far as shoving her to the floor.

She had landed hard. Her arm struck the sharp corner of a table, ripping her skin open and leaving behind a scar that never truly faded.

That infamous jewel? Rosanna had slipped it into Maia's bag while she was washing her hands in the restroom.

At the time, Maia had genuinely believed that Rosanna meant well. She had seemed warm, honest, and eager to be friends.

That was why, when Rosanna offered to help, Maia handed her the bag without a second guess.

The thought that someone so soft-spoken and sweet could harbor such petty cruelty had never crossed Maia's mind.

The reason behind it was that she saw Maia as a threat. Afraid that Maia might become more beloved in the Morgan family, Rosanna decided to eliminate her.

That was the day Maia's eyes were opened to the truth about the Morgan family.

Since then, her heart had been hardened by betrayal.

"She must still be upset with me. That's why she's twisting everything..." Rosanna clung to Jarrod, her voice trembling as her lashes fluttered through misty eyes. "Maia, I swear I never came back to steal your place in the family. Please don't hate me for this."

Tears spilled down her cheeks as her slender frame shook.

Jarrod couldn't stand to see her cry. He pulled her close and said, "This isn't on you, Rosanna. Maia stole a life that was rightfully yours for seventeen years. She's the one who did wrong. If she can't admit it, then maybe more time behind bars will teach her."

"That's enough!" Sandra gave him a sharp look, flicking her eyes toward the hovering press.

With this many cameras rolling, she couldn't afford to lose control.

Facing the press, she quickly put on a diplomatic smile. "It's been four years since Maia lived with us. She's clearly still adjusting, and I can understand her emotions. If she can acknowledge her mistakes and show some changes, she'll always be part of my family."

Part of her family?

Maia let out a laugh that was anything but amused. She arched a brow and looked her dead in the eye. "Mrs. Morgan, didn't you sign off on the paperwork that cut all ties between us? Is that it? You're saying you actually want me back in your family now?"