ONE

Chapter 1

“Sign it.”

Oliver tossed a leather folder onto the table in front of Tatiana.

Tatiana frowned but made no move to open it.

“What is this?” she asked.

Not because she couldn’t read, but because she wanted her father to say the cruel intentions 

behind it out loud himself.

“It’s a marriage agreement between you and Rafael Moreira,” Clarisse, Tatiana’s stepmother, 

said coldly.

Rafael Moreira?

Tatiana’s frown deepened.

She had never even heard that name before. Who was he?

“And why should I marry him?” Tatiana shot back.

For a brief moment, Tatiana had thought her father had summoned her home because he 

missed her. Perhaps he had finally regretted what he had done and wanted her back in the 

luxurious Kensington estate.

But she had been terribly wrong.

They had called her back only because they wanted to use her.

“You need to do your duty, Tiana.”

Tatiana turned and saw her two older brothers, Ethan and Dylan, entering together with their 

stepsister, Oktavia.

All three looked as though they had just returned from some formal event, judging by their 

elegant and expensive attire.

“Do my duty for what?” Tatiana asked bitterly. “Didn’t you already throw me out of this house 

because you thought I was a jinx who could do nothing but hurt your precious little sister?”

Her gaze sharpened on Oktavia, who now clung to Ethan’s arm as though seeking his 

protection.

As if Tatiana’s glare alone could destroy her.

When, in truth, it had always been Oktavia’s manipulative tongue that had managed to turn 

Tatiana’s brothers and father against her, making them hate her and shut her out.

“That is precisely why we’re willing to take you back,” Clarisse said as she rose from her seat 

and approached Tatiana. “But only if you agree to this marriage.”

She stopped in front of Tatiana.

“The Moreira family needs a wife for Rafael Moreira. They also need a woman who can give 

birth to their heir. In return, they will provide your father’s company with a massive injection 

of capital.”

“Why me?”

Tatiana stared coldly at Clarisse.

Her brothers might have been fooled by that mother-and-daughter pair, but Tatiana wasn’t.

She hated them too much to fall for their act.

“Don’t you already have a ‘daughter’ who is so precious, respectable, well-mannered, and far 

more educated than I am?”

Her eyes flicked toward Oktavia.

“So why marry a worthless, ungrateful daughter like me to a billionaire?”

Tatiana gave a bitter laugh.

“Are you not afraid I’ll take advantage of him and make all of you miserable?”

Tatiana’s question only drew mocking laughter from Oliver and Clarisse.

“Did you hear that?” Clarisse turned toward Ethan and Dylan. “That’s how cunning your own 

sister is. I just told her we’re marrying her off to the man who’s going to inject capital into the 

company, and she’s already threatening to manipulate Rafael into refusing to give us what we 

need.”

Ethan stepped forward and grabbed Tatiana’s arm so tightly that she winced in pain.

“Why can’t you ever change, Tiana? Why are you still so selfish and shameless? We made this 

arrangement because we’re giving you a second chance!”

“A second chance for what?”

Tatiana yanked her arm away, breaking free of Ethan’s grip.

“Did I ever beg to come back? No!” she snapped, her voice just as harsh. “You’re the ones 

who brought me here!”

She glared at all of them.

“If this marriage is really that valuable, then why don’t you marry off your precious little sister 

instead? Why does it have to involve me?!”

“Because we can’t ruin Oktavia’s future!” Dylan shot back firmly.

Tatiana’s eyes widened.

Inside, she cursed the sheer injustice of what she had just heard.