Chapter 1

Prologue

I spent fifteen years secretly in love with Julian Vance.

When I was eleven, he took me from the orphanage and brought me to his home, promising that no one would ever hurt me again. I thought that as long as I stayed by his side, I would one day become his wife.

Until he brought home a woman who looked strikingly like me—and announced right in front of my face that she was the one he was going to marry.

I finally realized that fifteen years of devotion were nothing more than my own foolish delusion.

At one in the morning, I signed an overseas transfer contract to become a core engineer for a top-tier racing team.

This time, I was leaving the Vance family. I was leaving Julian Vance behind, and I was going to live a life that actually belonged to me.

Elena's POV

The living room of the Vance estate was ablaze with light.

I stood frozen in front of the coffee table, trembling from head to toe.

My eyes were glued to the two people sitting together on the loveseat opposite me.

Julian Vance, and right beside him, a woman with her head lowered who looked eerily like me—Nora Sullivan.

"Say that again?" My voice cracked, rising in pure disbelief.

I pointed at Nora, my eyes burning red. "You want her moving in?! Under what status is she living here?!"

Julian was leaning back lazily against the sofa cushions. His brow furrowed slightly as he cast an indifferent glance in my direction.

I could clearly feel it—the tender affection that once filled his eyes when he looked at me was completely gone. In its place was nothing but cold judgment and utter impatience.

"Elena, lower your voice. Where are your manners?" Julian’s voice was low, yet dripping with authority. "Nora is going to be my wife. She will be moving into the primary suite. The two of you will be living together for a very long time, so you’d better learn to show her some respect."

"Your wife? Ha... do you even hear yourself right now?" It sounded like the most absurd joke I had ever heard, and a bitter laugh tore out of my throat.

Without thinking, I grabbed the teacup off the table and hurled it violently onto the floor.

With a sharp *crash*, porcelain shattered and shards flew across the marble. Tea splattered across the cuffs of Julian’s tailored trousers. The noise sent Nora shrinking into his chest with a terrified gasp.

"Julian... did I make Elena upset? If it’s really inconvenient, maybe I should just leave..." Nora’s eyes instantly welled with tears. Her voice was timid and fragile, like a frightened deer.

"Don't be afraid."

Julian wrapped his arm around Nora’s shoulders, giving her an affectionate, reassuring pat. Then, he looked up, his deep, hardened eyes glaring at me with open fury.

"Haven't you thrown enough of a tantrum? Elena, look at yourself. Does this look anything like how a future heir to the Vance family should carry herself?"

"How I carry myself?! You bring a random stranger home, step all over me, and announce she’s your wife, and you have the nerve to lecture me about poise?!"

My chest heaved violently as I fired back.

Fifteen years of secret longing, fifteen years of looking up to him—shattered into dust by a single sentence from his mouth.

"Julian, I will not let her live in this house! What right do you have—"

"I have every right because I am your guardian! Because this house belongs to me!" Julian shot to his feet, his towering frame instantly casting a heavy shadow over me.

He looked down at me, the disgust in his eyes unmistakable. "Who do you think you are? What position do you hold to pry into my personal life? Elena, you’ve crossed the line!"

Hearing those words, I froze. It felt as if a sledgehammer had slammed straight into my chest.

Seeing how pale my face had turned, Julian drove the final nail into the coffin without mercy: "The way you’re losing your mind right now honestly sickens me. We can only ever be family. I am practically your uncle. If you can’t even show basic respect, then I truly regret having the heart to take you in from that foster home all those years ago!"

"Regret..." I muttered the word numbly under my breath. My mind went completely blank, and every sound in the room seemed to drain away in an instant.

I stared at the chillingly cold man before me. My vision blurred, and my memories abruptly dragged me back fifteen years into the past.

Eleven-year-old me had stood in front of the rusted, broken iron gates of the orphanage, bundled in a faded, worn-out winter coat. The blizzard that day had been vicious, freezing me to the bone. Then, a sleek black Bentley pulled up along the curb. Julian stepped out, wearing a long black overcoat and holding an umbrella as he walked through the swirling snow toward me. His expression had been aloof, yet to me, he looked like a miracle sent from above.

The orphanage director held my hand, saying earnestly, "Elena, Mr. Vance will be your guardian from now on. Make sure you behave."

I kept my head down, clutching the hem of my coat, and timidly whispered, "Mr. Vance."

Those had been the darkest days of my life, but Julian had simply acknowledged me with a quiet hum, reaching down to take the heavy, battered backpack from my small hands.

Inside the car, the heater blasted warm air. Julian handed me a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Watching my face flush red from the cold, his voice, though flat and steady, spoke the most reassuring words I had ever heard in my life: "Don't worry, Elena. As long as I'm around, no one will ever hurt you again."

Holding that warm cup, I had quietly stolen glances at his handsome profile.

Outside the window, a blizzard raged, yet the car felt as warm as spring. For the first time in my life, I realized that a New York winter could actually feel warm.

From that moment on, Julian became my entire universe.

I studied tirelessly, doing everything in my power to excel. I choked down every ounce of childish rebellion just to be worthy of carrying the Vance name, just to be closer to him. When I went to college, I realized I had fallen in love with him. I guarded that unspoken secret with extreme care, convincing myself that if I was obedient enough, if I just stayed quietly by his side, he would eventually see me.

Yet now, he told me I sickened him. He said he regretted ever having the kindness to adopt me...

I bit down hard on my lower lip until the metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth, using the pain to force myself to remain standing. Watching how protectively Julian held Nora, a sudden wave of dark irony washed over me.

Fifteen years of devotion meant nothing against his blind preference for someone else. He didn’t believe in me anymore, and he didn’t want me around anymore.

"Fine." My voice dropped to a barely audible whisper, fragile enough to scatter with the wind. "I understand, Mr. Vance."

That formal title, "Mr. Vance," made Julian’s brow furrow sharply. But he said nothing, watching with an icy glare as I turned around.

Step by heavy step, I walked up to my second-floor bedroom. The moment the door clicked shut behind me, all the strength drained from my body, and I slid down the wood paneling onto the floor.

I didn't cry. I just sat alone on the cold hardwood, letting the storm inside me slowly go numb.

A full half-hour later, I finally pulled out my phone. With trembling fingers, I dialed an overseas number.