Chapter 2 One Condition

In the morning, Kathryn was already stepping out of a cab in downtown Wrille. She made her way straight into the Summit Hotel and checked in without lingering.

Once inside the modern, fully furnished suite, she slipped out of her coat and flung it onto a nearby chair. She headed straight for the tall window that stretched from floor to ceiling.

The view beyond was everything she'd been away from-soaring buildings, packed lanes, the steady chaos of the city.

She hadn't seen any of it since the day her world shattered. She was only six when her mother was murdered, and she got thrown into the mountains.

Her own family had done that to her.

Had it not been for the kindhearted couple who stumbled across her, she wouldn't have lasted a week. The wilderness would've swallowed her whole, leaving nothing behind.

But she was still here. And she wasn't just back to visit. She'd returned to settle the score and take back what had always been hers.

A jolt of awareness pulled her back from her spiraling thoughts. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the pendant she'd taken from the injured man. She raised it, letting the sunlight catch its edges.

Now that it was clean, the gemstone sparkled with a kind of arrogant brilliance-cold, clear, and obviously worth a fortune.

There was something about the way it rested in her palm that made it magnetic. Kathryn's fingers refused to let it go.

She grabbed a thin black cord, slid the gem through, and looped it around her neck. Stepping in front of the mirror, she gave herself a quick once-over.

It didn't look half bad. In fact, it suited her. She decided to keep it on.

After tucking the pendant beneath her shirt, she picked up her phone. With practiced ease, she masked her IP address before opening her news app.

The homepage lit up with updates, but one headline practically jumped out at her.

"Palmer Heiress Anna Palmer in Critical Condition-Family Offering Massive Rewards for Blood Donors."

That got Kathryn's attention. She tapped the article without a second thought.

According to the report, Anna had been in a serious car crash. She'd lost a lot of blood, and the hospital was struggling to find Rh-negative blood donors to save her.

The Palmers had thrown money at the problem, but despite the massive reward, almost no one had shown up to donate.

Kathryn's lips curved into a smirk she didn't bother hiding.

Talk about the stars aligning.

She had braced herself for a long, uphill battle just to sneak her way back into the Palmer family's circle. Instead, the perfect opening had landed right at her feet.

With the article still fresh in her mind, she shut off the app, leaned against the couch cushions, and closed her eyes to collect her thoughts.

That blood type the doctors were scrambling for? It just happened to match hers.

If she wanted to secure her footing in Wrille, she needed a title-one that couldn't be erased or dismissed.

With her decision firmly in place, she slipped into her coat and stepped out without hesitation.

This wasn't just a return. She was going to make the Palmers crawl. They'd have no choice but to beg her to return-not in private, but in front of the entire world-as the rightful heiress to everything they tried to steal.

Outside Wrille General Hospital, Rhett Palmer had just gotten out of his car when a figure stepped into his path. He stopped cold. And there she was. The color drained from his face the moment their eyes met. His whole body stiffened like he'd just walked into a ghost.

"You..." he said, barely getting the word out.

Kathryn held his gaze with a quiet confidence, her smile soft but deliberate. "What should I call you? Mr. Palmer... or would 'Dad' be more fitting?"

The question hit Rhett like a punch to the gut.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came.

Kathryn didn't flinch. Didn't take a step back.

She let him take in every inch of her face. The longer he looked, the harder it was to deny what stood before him-a mirror of her mother.

If there was even a sliver of remorse buried inside him, now was the moment for it to surface.

Neither of them moved. The air between them stayed thick with the weight of recognition.

When Rhett finally found his voice, it came out in a whisper. "Is it really you... Kathryn?"

Not a flicker crossed Kathryn's face. "Do you want to run a DNA test, or are you going to trust your instincts, Dad?"

Rhett's hands trembled. "There's no need. You've got your mother's face... just like when she was your age."

That pulled a short, bitter laugh from Kathryn's throat.

He had the nerve to bring up her mother now? After all these years? Had he not abandoned them for wealth and status, her mother wouldn't have died the way she did.

And now he had the nerve to bring up the very woman he left behind without a second thought?

"I'm Rh-negative," she said, her voice clipped and cold.

Then she turned on her heel and strode into the hospital without waiting for a response.

Rhett hesitated for a moment, stunned by the emotional whiplash. Then he snapped into motion and followed her.

They stopped just outside the ICU.

Inside, surrounded by wires and machines, a girl lay motionless on the bed. Her skin was pale, her body limp. She was barely clinging to life.

Kathryn's voice cut through the quiet. "I'll donate. But only on one condition."

She didn't look at Rhett. Her eyes were locked on the girl inside the room. Then a slow, unreadable smile touched her lips. "You'll restore my status as part of the Palmer family. And you'll make it official. I want the entire world to know."

Rhett's jaw tightened, a shadow falling over his face. "Kathryn... if you're just looking for a home, I can buy you a place of your own. But coming back to be a member of the Palmer family... that's complicated."

He didn't have to spell it out. Kathryn already knew.

Even if he bent, the rest of the Palmer family never would.

"If your family refuses to meet my condition, then Anna Palmer can face death on her own," said Kathryn as she turned and walked away.

Panic overtook Rhett. He lunged forward and caught her by the arm. "Wait-please. Don't go, Kathryn. I'll speak to them. I swear I will."