Chapter 2

Elena's POV

The phone rang three times before an answer came through. A man’s steady, deep voice spoke: "Elena, have you made up your mind?"

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. When I opened them again, every trace of vulnerability had been replaced by pure resolve.

"Mr. Hayes," I said, my voice shockingly calm. "The racing engineer position abroad—don't look for a replacement. I'll take it."

"That's wonderful! Having you on board is an absolute honor for the team. When can you leave?"

"As soon as possible." Hanging up, I stared out at the pitch-black night beyond the windowpane. My heart beat steadily against my ribs, yet it no longer felt any of the warmth Julian had once provided. I knew it was time to wake up.

I didn't turn on the main overhead light, leaving only the dim amber glow of a floor lamp casting a narrow halo in the room.

Dragging a massive black suitcase from beneath the bed, I opened my wardrobe with an expressionless face. I didn't touch any of the lavish designer dresses Julian had bought for me over the years; I only picked out a few pairs of simple coveralls and casual clothes, tossing them cleanly into the case.

The door handle gave a soft click, and someone strolled in without bothering to knock.

I didn't stop packing. In this house, Julian had been the only one who could enter my room without knocking. But now, there was someone else.

Wearing a pair of sleek leather slippers, Nora strolled inside and leaned languidly against the doorframe. Watching the suitcase on the floor, the corners of her mouth curled into a mocking sneer. "What's this? You're actually leaving? Here I thought you planned on being a leech on the Vance family for the rest of your life."

I didn't even lift my lashes, continuing to pack my laptop and several heavy, original-print fluid mechanics textbooks into my backpack.

Annoyed at being ignored, a flash of irritation crossed Nora’s eyes. She took two steps closer, her voice laced with blatant venom: "Elena, you didn't actually think Julian raised you for ten years out of some special affection, did you? Have you been living out some Cinderella fantasy in your head this whole time?"

My hands paused for a fraction of a second. Finally, I straightened my back and looked at Nora with eyes like ice.

Satisfied with my reaction, Nora covered her mouth and giggled. Her face, which looked so much like mine, brimmed with smug satisfaction. "Do you want to know why Julian went to that specific foster home to bring you back all those years ago?"

She paused intentionally, leaning forward, her voice dropping into a cruel whisper: "Because when he was young, he was deeply in love with my older sister. Unfortunately, my sister rejected him. Later, she died in an accident, leaving Julian completely devastated. Until one day, he saw a photograph of you. Your face looks remarkably like my sister's."

Watching my pupils contract, Nora’s laughter grew even more triumphant. "He went to that home and adopted you just to raise a living, breathing doll. Wake up, Elena. From the very beginning to the bitter end, you've always just been a cheap substitute."

The white button-down shirt in my hands slipped and fell onto the carpet. Staring down at it, flashes of Julian’s face crossed my mind—those rare moments when he would look at me with a dazed, hollow expression, as if he were peering straight through me to see someone else.

Seeing me frozen, Nora pressed in, her words growing more vicious and provocative: "He treated you well all these years, bought you clothes, paid for your education—it was all just his way of atoning and grieving while staring at my sister's face. Now that I’m here, someone who actually shares my sister’s blood, a cheap knockoff like you naturally has to get lost. You—"

"You must be really bad at math, aren't you?"

I interrupted her out of nowhere, my voice dropping so cold it sounded forged in ice.