Chapter 1

After being missing for ten years, I finally came back.

My parents kept their heads low, too guilty to look me in the eye.

My sister, Chloe, was casually polishing her glittering diamond jewelry. She didn’t even look up as she said, "Amber, Julian and I are deeply in love and happily married. Leo thinks of me as his real mother. Just tell us what kind of compensation you want. But of course, the title of Mrs. Sterling is off the table."

I calmly looked at my parents. Unable to avoid my gaze, my father cleared his throat and forced out, "Amber, you disappeared without a word ten years ago. Everyone thought you were dead. We had no choice but to let Chloe take your baby and marry Julian in your place..."

Did I really "disappear without a word"?

No. They used a business trip to a sketchy supplier in Eastern Europe as an excuse to lure me abroad, only to steal my luggage, ID, and passport, leaving me stranded in a strange country.

Originally, the arranged marriage with the Sterlings was meant for Chloe. But when the Sterling family temporarily collapsed, my parents didn't want Chloe to suffer, yet they couldn't break the contract without ruining their reputation. So, they drugged me and set up a one-night stand, making sure I got pregnant with Julian's child so they could force me into the marriage.

Who would have thought the Sterlings would rebound so quickly and become billionaires? Suddenly, I became a useless pawn, and my baby became Chloe's golden ticket to climb into high society.

But this time, I was back to take back everything that belonged to me.

I smiled. "Don't worry. I'm just here for business. Remember the global supply chain you wanted me to find ten years ago? Well, I didn't disappoint. I found it."

1.

My parents let out a long sigh of relief.

"Amber, did you start your own business abroad?"

"How about this? As long as you keep Leo's real identity a secret, you can ask for whatever you want. As long as it's not too ridiculous, we will agree."

The moment they started negotiating, the last bit of guilt in their eyes vanished, replaced by the cold calculation of business owners.

To them, I was never a daughter. I was just an employee.

When we were kids, they claimed they couldn't afford to raise two children in the city. So, they kept Chloe in New York and sent me to live with my grandmother on a remote farm in Iowa. By the time they brought me back to their luxurious villa, they had no interest in building a bond with me.

I used to think that if I was just obedient and did whatever they wanted, I would finally earn their love.

But in the end, all Chloe had to do was shed a few tears, and I—the one who sacrificed everything—was ruthlessly abandoned in a foreign country.

To survive over the last ten years, I had to become ruthless, scheming, and cold. I became someone I used to despise.

"Fine," I said.

"I opened a manufacturing plant abroad, and I happen to have the raw materials you desperately need. Make me the sole supplier for both the Wood and Sterling corporations. Do that, and I'll sign a non-disclosure agreement. Everything stays buried."

I glanced coldly at Chloe and added, "Otherwise, my dear sister might lose her precious title of Mrs. Sterling."

At my words, my parents clenched their fists.

Chloe snatched up her diamond necklace and threw it at my face. "Amber, don't push your luck! We're only offering you compensation out of pity. Don't think we're afraid of you! Today, our family's company is just as powerful as the Sterlings, and we're deeply tied together because of my marriage. Even if Julian finds out the truth, so what?

He would never sacrifice his billions and offend the Wood family just for some cheap bitch he slept with once!"

Of course, I knew that. That was exactly why I hadn't gone straight to Julian to claim my son.

My parents forced a smile to smooth things over. "Amber, sweetheart! The supply chain involves too much money, and we have other board members to answer to. We can't make all the decisions. How about we give you fifty percent of the Wood family's supply contracts?"

In the past, whenever Chloe threw a tantrum, my parents would coddle her, and I would always step back and yield.

But now, I pulled out a contract and didn't budge an inch. "I said, I want to be the sole supplier."

"Chloe is infertile and can never have children. Leo is destined to be the sole heir to both of our empires. Dad, Mom, Chloe... do you really want Leo to find out who his real mother is?"

In the end, my parents signed the contract. At the same time, I signed the NDA. If I violated it, I would have to pay a penalty that would completely bankrupt me.

After the papers were signed, they didn't even bother pretending to be family anymore. They coldly told me to leave.

Chloe walked me to the door. Right before I stepped out, she leaned in close and whispered in my ear, "Amber, mom and dad are too polite to say it, but you know we dumped you in Eastern Europe on purpose, right?

You were lucky enough to survive, but luck doesn't last forever. Walk away now, and we'll let you live in comfort. But if you push us too hard... well, you know what happens."

The raw hatred and rage on Chloe's face were almost amusing to me.

Did she really think it was just "luck" that a broke, homeless girl who didn't even speak the local language managed to survive on the streets, start her own factory, and build an empire from scratch?

She was such a delicate, spoiled greenhouse flower.

I replied calmly, "The NDA is signed. I'll keep my word."

But the contract never said I couldn't get close to Julian.