Chapter 1

In the summit hall, Tiffany stood there in her evening gown, pinching her nose like she'd smelled something rotten.

She jabbed a finger at the old man in the worn jacket in front of her, her voice shrill.

"Where'd this smelly bum crawl in from? You think you belong at an event like this?"

"Do you even know who the people here are? If you ruin my dress, could you afford to pay for it?"

Dr. Whitmore's face went ashen, the finger he pointed at her trembling.

"You... you're impossible."

"I was invited to this summit. This is my badge."

Tiffany let out a cold laugh and snatched the badge out of his hand.

Without even glancing at it, she flicked it into the trash can beside her.

"Faking a badge just to sneak in for free food and drinks. How shameless."

The guests around them turned to look, and a few started whispering.

Adrian stood right beside her, and not only did he not stop her, his eyes were full of indulgence.

He thoughtfully handed her a tissue so she could wipe the hand that had touched the badge.

"Tiff, don't lower yourself to someone like that. He isn't worth dirtying your hands over."

I stood behind Adrian, watching the whole thing with cold eyes.

The agony of my bones shattering under that truck still seemed to linger in my body.

The image of my parents dying on the street, cast out and alone, flickered before me.

In my last life, watching Dr. Whitmore be humiliated had frightened me half to death.

He held the core patent for a rare-disease treatment, the one and only thing that could bring our company back from the dead.

I had rushed forward and slapped Tiffany hard across the face.

I had forced her to apologize to him, and I had bowed and begged him myself, over and over.

Moved by how sincere I was, he had grudgingly forgiven us and signed the partnership deal.

But because I had hit Tiffany, Adrian held it against me.

He didn't just destroy me with AI-generated obscene slander on the day the company went public. He threw my parents out of their home too.

This time, I refused to be the fool who did all the work and got nothing but grief for it.

I took a deep breath and pushed down the hatred churning inside me.

I put on a smile and slipped my arm affectionately through Adrian's.

"Babe, Tiffany's got such a sharp eye. Security should've thrown this ragged beggar out ages ago."

The moment the words left my mouth, both Adrian and Tiffany froze.

Tiffany had braced herself to be scolded by me, and now her eyes were full of shock.

Adrian looked at me, startled, a probing note in his voice.

"Since when are you this reasonable, honey?"

I gave him a coy little glare and reached over to smooth Tiffany's hair.

"Tiff is your foster sister. Why would I embarrass her over some stranger?"

"Besides, Vance Pharmaceuticals is the star of the industry now. If we let every random nobody come leech off us, where would that end?"

Tiffany instantly perked up, her chin held high.

"You hear that? Even the boss's wife says so."

"Get out, old man, before I have someone throw you out."

Dr. Whitmore shook with rage, his face flushing dark red.

He stared me down and spoke through gritted teeth.

"Mrs. Vance, is this how you do business?"

"The manners at Vance Pharmaceuticals are a real eye-opener."

I met his gaze without flinching and smiled even brighter.

"Our manners are reserved for people who matter."

"As for an old con artist mooching free food, not calling the police is already me going easy on you."

He was so furious he laughed, nodding again and again.

"Well. What a fine company Vance Pharmaceuticals is."

"You will pay for your arrogance today."

With that, he turned and strode toward the door.

Watching his resolute back, I counted down quietly in my head.

Adrian, your funeral started right now.