# Chapter 1: Echoes of the Past
"This looks beautiful on you. You aren't our child. Our little princess made us proud." All these words echoed in Anna's ears.
"Anna, the C.E.O. wants to see you." She felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Mira.
My name is Anna Lukewarm, the first daughter of Chairman Lukewarm, a big tycoon. Sorry to say, I just found out they aren't my biological parents. My parents have raised me well. My brother, the C.E.O. of the Luke's Group, and my sister, a hip-hop singer, have both made their marks in the world. You might be wondering why a billionaire's daughter is a hip-hop singer, right? She had a passion for it, and during her high school days, she fell in love with an artist.
"Anna, why are you still standing?" Mira said again.
"Thank you, I was just lost in thought," I replied, moving my feet and walking toward the elevator. The office buzzed with the sound of printers and colleagues typing on their laptops, echoing through my brain. I finally entered the elevator, the chatter of my colleagues making me feel even more disoriented.
When I arrived at the C.E.O.'s office, the door opened itself, revealing my brother, Drake, who was standing up as if he was about to leave.
"You're here," he said, his tone unreadable.
"Mira said you wanted to see me," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Anna," he said, moving closer to me, "your group messed up the work assigned to them."
"Mr. Drake, I'm not the group leader, and Mira is the one to question," I replied, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
"You dare tell me what to do?" he asked angrily, his eyes narrowing.
Drake is the only son of Chairman Lukewarm, my older brother. He had made things hard for me since high school, but after he found out I wasn't his biological sister, he became even more of a bully.
"I dare not question you, but why are you making things hard for me since you knew I'm not your biological sister? I am still your sister," I asked, my voice trembling.
"I treat you badly?" he shot back, incredulous. "Your video—do you even listen? You bitch, you aren't even my sister."
I couldn't say anything else because I knew that video mustn't get to my parents. That was the only thing he could use to threaten me over and over.
"Did you think our parents would take this lightly? How do you think they would feel if I did what you wanted?" I asked, my heart racing.
"How do you think they would feel if this video reached them?" he countered, stepping closer, his intentions clear as he tried to force a kiss on me.
Then I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"Anna, you okay?" Grace asked, concern etched on her face.
"Thank God I was sleeping; it was just a dream. I would have kissed that animal again after all these years," I said, sweat pouring down my face as I locked eyes with Grace.
"Are you okay?" she pressed.
"Yes, why are you here?" I asked, trying to shake off the remnants of the nightmare.
"Miss Riha, she is cra—" I didn't let her finish before I ran over.
Riha was the second daughter of the Lukewarm family, the nationwide hip-hop singer. Now, she was sitting on the floor, scared and mentally ill after being raped by her biological brother, Drake.
I moved closer to her, knowing no one else would. I held her tightly.
"I'm scared," she said, pushing me away.
But I refused to let go, hugging her tightly. She bit me hard, still not releasing her grip. Her bite made me remember the incident that happened that day, a memory I wished I could erase.