"Halley, although you are our biological daughter, we have raised Rose for 15 years, and we are deeply attached to her. She has lived a life of luxury since childhood, unlike you who grew up in the countryside and can endure hardships. Therefore, the Berry family's official heiress remains Tiểu Huyên. It may seem unfair to you, but you're a kind girl. I'm sure you won't mind. Rest assured, you won't be deprived of what is rightfully yours."
"What? You want to go too? Are you kidding me? They need a prestigious lady, not someone like you who doesn't even know how to play a piano piece. You'd just embarrass yourself if you went."
It took Halley a few seconds to fully wake up. Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly before she opened her bright eyes. The first thing she saw was a stark white hospital room, filled with the faint smell of antiseptic.
"You're awake?" A mocking voice sounded above her. "I thought you were dead. Don't move! If you jerk around and the injection goes wrong, it's on you." A hand gripped her arm, supposedly to hold it still for the injection, but in reality, it was pinching her wound hard, nails digging painfully into her flesh.
Yet the girl's face showed no trace of pain. She flipped her wrist, pinning the other person's arm against the bedside table.
The other person screamed in pain, "Are you crazy?!"
"Halley!" Another young woman in the room rushed over, panic-stricken. "This is Dr. Anderson. She's here to help you, not harm you."
The girl turned her head, revealing a pale, bloodless face, looking frail and lifeless.
But upon closer inspection, her features were exquisite—a rare phoenix-like eye shape. When she slightly tilted her head, a faint light glinted off them, shimmering with vibrant colors, creating an entrancing, almost bewitching allure.
The woman's eyes flashed as she asked with concern, "Halley, do you still feel discomfort in your head?"
The girl said nothing, releasing her grip.
Dr. Anderson rubbed her wrist and stepped back, scolding, "What an ungrateful brat!"
"Noisy."
Halley's expression was lazy as she replied, "Be quiet."
"What's with your attitude?" Dr. Anderson slammed the papers down on the table, sneering. "Demi, I'm sorry, but with her behavior, I can't treat her anymore."
Halley calmly buttoned up her gown. "Where's the door?"
Dr. Anderson had expected the girl to plead softly for forgiveness, but her attempt fell flat. Humiliated and with a stinging face, she muttered, "Shameless slut trying to seduce her own uncle's fiancé," and stormed out.
"Halley!" Demi rebuked. "Dr. Anderson is a top-notch nurse practitioner. If you drive her away, what about your health?"
"Oh, an expert in glucose drips," Halley remarked dryly. "One might think I was about to undergo major surgery."
Demi's heart skipped a beat. "Halley?"
Halley propped herself up on her elbows. "But the expert did say something right—I'm curious who pushed her. The one who sows evil will eventually reveal themselves."
She picked up her phone from the bedside table and looked at the woman. "Don't you agree?"
The girl's presence suddenly became overwhelmingly intense, and Demi found herself unable to withstand it. She frowned, displeased. "Halley, stop being so stubborn. Whether or not you've hurt anyone is irrelevant, but if you keep behaving like this, you'll eventually cross someone powerful. How can I protect you then?"
"Then I should thank you in advance," Halley said, raising her head to look at the room sign. "I heard you specially chose this hospital room for me. The number isn't bad, huh?"
Without waiting for Demi's reaction, she walked straight out of Room 914. (In Chinese, 914 can sound like "you're dead.")
Demi bit her lip, her gaze darkening.
After a moment of contemplation, she took out her phone and dialed a hidden number. Once the line connected, she spoke softly, "Daniel, Halley usually listens to you. Can you help me talk some sense into her?"
The person on the other end seemed surprised to hear this, pausing for a moment before replying coldly, "Focus on your recovery. Don't worry about her. If she keeps this up, I'll have someone deal with her."
Snowflakes danced in the wind, covering everything in a blanket of white. The coastal city of Orinoco, usually devoid of snow during winter, was seeing a rare snowfall this year, even though it was already mid-February. The snow swirled in the air, bringing a biting chill.
At 9 p.m., the streets were unusually lively with people bustling about. A young woman, dressed only in a simple black shirt, walked leisurely. Her long, slender legs were straight, and she carried a crossbody bag, appearing out of place against the backdrop of the bustling city.
Her face was pale but no less beautiful, occasionally illuminated by the soft glow of neon lights, like twinkling stars shimmering gently.
Across the street…
"Hey, Samuel." Nolan's gaze locked onto something, nudging the man beside him. "Guess who I just saw."
"Hmph!" The man, seemingly uninterested, replied, "Another one of your exes?"
He leaned against the wall, tall and imposing, with a lazy stance that exuded the aura of a debauched playboy.
His slender fingers, whiter than jade, toyed with a ring on his thumb. The snow blurred his face but couldn't conceal his striking looks; rather, it made him appear even more otherworldly. His almond-shaped eyes carried a playful glint, slightly curved as if brimming with affection. When he stared at someone, it felt like sparks were flying—a gaze that could steal anyone's heart.
Nolan thought to himself, no wonder those heiresses never looked at anyone else after seeing him. Even he almost wanted to bow down.
"An ex? Please. I'm not one to go back to my leftovers. I just saw the daughter the Berry family adopted a few months ago."
The man, Samuel, idly flicked his right leg, his profile perfect in every curve and line, causing passersby to take double takes.
Nolan knew Samuel wasn't interested, so he continued, "You just got back, so you wouldn't know. The Berry family's adopted daughter seduced her aunt's fiancé."
Samuel's eyebrows arched slightly, finally showing interest. "Daniel Blackwood?"
"That's him." Nolan clicked his tongue. "She's got guts, I'll give her that."
Daniel was a head above the typical wealthy heirs, despite being only five or six years older than them. Not even 30 yet, he had single-handedly steered his company, earning the city's respect as 'Third Master Jiang.'
Daniel and Demi were a well-matched pair, both born into two of Orinoco's four major wealthy families—she, the most prestigious lady, and he, the man every heiress wanted to marry.
Nolan sighed, "Samuel, if you'd just focus on serious business for once, with your looks, you'd be the most sought-after bachelor."
Aside from Daniel, the most famous man in Orinoco was Samuel Sherwood—the very man standing before him.