Chapter 1

I, Giselle Moore, died on the day of my 21st birthday.

When I peeled my eyes open again, I was no longer in the hellish basement where I'd been trapped. Instead, I was in the grand hall. I should have been the star of the night. Instead, my adopted sister, Sophia Norris, stood in my place.

She had donned a new gown bejeweled with rubies and emeralds. Her sparkling attire made her the center of attention.

I watched the scene unfold, my chest heaving as if I were stuck in a trance. My mother had intended that gown for me—a gift to celebrate my transition into adulthood. However, she passed away before she could give it to me.

To me, the dress was a sacred memento. Yet, Sophia was now wearing it.

A lump formed in my throat. With eyes brimming with tears, I watched my brothers, Gerald and Gary Moore, crowding around Sophia.

Gerald, always cold and unapproachable, gently caught Sophia's hand as she reached for a plate. "Don't eat that. Have you forgotten your seafood allergy?"

Gary flicked Sophia's forehead playfully. "You're like a hungry kitten. You'd be oblivious even if someone poisoned you."

Suddenly, one of the helpers, Alicia Norton, spoke up. "Mr. Gerald, Mr. Gary, it's already 11 o'clock. Should we send food to the basement? Ms. Giselle is quite weak. I'm afraid she'll pass out from starvation."

Gary snorted. He pointed at the crumbs on the table. "Sure. Why don't we give her these? If she's truly hungry, she won't be picky."

Gerald's expression turned grim. "Don't joke around. If you ask me, she should just stay hungry. Perhaps it will finally teach her a lesson."

Alicia tried to protest, but she was so intimidated by their icy glares that she couldn't muster another word.

"I think that little bitch destroyed Sophia's dress on purpose, knowing how much she looked forward to this banquet."

"I totally agree. She tried to grab everything Sophia likes, even men. I saw her chatting with Zachary Green in the garden a while ago. Sophia cried her eyes out upon seeing them."

At the mention of Zachary, Sophia's expression crumbled into one of devastation. "Do you think Giselle will try to get back at me for locking her in the basement by latching onto Zachary?"

Gerald patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll have people watching her 24/7. She won't get near him."

Gary chuckled. "You're always one step ahead, Gerald. Now we'll know exactly what she's up to if she tries anything funny."

Sophia listened calmly, without a shred of nervousness, because she knew I was dead. Their schemes would never come to fruition.

Suddenly, a sharply dressed man appeared, swirling his champagne with deliberate ease.

The man was none other than Zachary Green.

He surveyed the trio before asking, "Isn't it Ms. Giselle Moore's birthday today? Why is she absent?"

"She's sick!" Sophia answered instantly.

Zachary's face fell. "Is it something serious? Which hospital is she in?"

Jealousy flashed in Sophia's eyes, but she quickly masked it with a fake smile, hooking her arm through his. "She's at a private hospital. Let's visit her together after the banquet."

As Sophia and Zachary walked away, Gerald and Gary exchanged displeased glances.

"What scheme did Giselle use to make Zachary so enamored with her?"

"Gerald, something has to change. Sophia is too soft-spoken. We have to help her."

Gary immediately pulled out the phone I had left behind. Finding my chat with Zachary, he typed, "Can you stop harassing me? It's disgusting. For the last time, I already have someone I like!"

Smirking victoriously, Gary said, "I'll be damned if Zachary still likes her after reading that, considering how prideful he is."

Gerald nodded. "Giselle has always disliked Sophia. Why don't we take a peek at their chat history? If we find evidence of her abusing Sophia, we can send screenshots to Zachary. Once he sees her true colors, he'll lose all interest."

Gary thought it was a brilliant idea. He immediately began scrolling through my chat with Sophia.

My heart seized. Finally, they were going to see how Sophia had always been the instigator.

Our chat history was filled with evidence of Sophia bullying me. For example, she'd accused me of causing my parents' death. She also bragged about how she had deluded Gary and Gerald, calling them utter idiots.

Every time I tried to show someone these messages, Sophia would either cut me off or threaten me into silence.

Finally…

But just as Gary opened our chat, Sophia rushed back and snatched my phone away.

"Gary, stop worrying about me. You should be enjoying the banquet!"

Her sudden panic should have set off alarm bells. Gary had always been perceptive, yet he simply patted her head. "You're too thoughtful, Sophia. But we should seize this chance to expose Giselle so you can win Zachary over."

"I agree," Gerald added. "Once she's out of the basement, who knows how she'll pester him?"

Sophia shook her head resolutely. "I want to chase him on the same footing as Giselle. I'm not about to backstab her. If that were my plan, I'd have done it long before now, right?"

Gerald and Gary exchanged a look before shaking their heads with quiet resignation. Then they turned to Sophia with fondness, though pity lingered in their eyes.

"You're just too kind, Sophia. If you were half as cunning as Giselle, Zachary would've been yours already."

I stood to the side, watching their disgusted expressions. A heavy melancholy settled over me. Things hadn't always been this way. Everything changed the moment our parents, Brian Moore and Melanie Palmer, passed away.