I felt my heart tighten at the sight of him. Ever since Ava and her mother came to live in my house, he had become distant. The warmth in his eyes faded, replaced by an unreadable coldness. And whenever he was with me, there was always that frown—as if being by my side was a burden.
My oh-so-good stepsister, Chun Ava. She is one year older than me and my father's real daughter. They played me like a fool. I always thought she looked pitiful, growing up without a father, and I convinced myself that she clung to mine because she longed for that love. I told myself over and over that she was just grateful.
But that was all a lie.
On my 20th birthday—just next month—Zhang Gary officially proposed to me. I was so happy that day, unaware that after slipping that ring on my finger, he was slipping into bed with my dear stepsister. Ava.
They were all actors, masters of deception.
I barely contained the smirk tugging at my lips. Not this time. I masked my emotions before they could notice.
I knew everything now. Not because I was smart, not because I had figured it out on my own—but because Ava herself had told me. She had whispered the truth to me in that dark, cold room before she plunged the knife into my chest.
A shiver ran down my spine as I recalled that moment. The suffocating darkness. The sharp pain. The taste of betrayal far worse than death itself.
But fate had given me a second chance.
She sent them out after playing along with their little act. Zhang Gary left with them without saying a word to me, but it's not like I cared.
I was no longer the love-obsessed young lady I once was.
Lying back on my bed, I let out a slow breath. I have to make myself stronger, I thought, determination burning within me.
My eyes landed on the newspaper beside me. I picked it up, and the moment I saw the front cover, my heart skipped a beat.
Damon Carven Zichen.
The name alone sent a shiver through my spine.
He was the head of the Zichen family—the No. 1 richest family in X City. A man feared by his enemies, respected by the elderly, and worshiped by women. A businessman who supervised the massive Zichen Empire with an iron grip. Among high society, he was known as the Dark Prince—a man of mystery, power, and ruthless dominance.
And tonight, he was hosting a party.