Chapter 1

I had a busy schedule. I would not have come to this city if my biological parents had not called me in tears, insisting the whole family was longing to reunite with me and begging me to meet them.

Unexpectedly, my biological brother, who was on his way here, quickly hung up on me before even responding.

The rude young woman, Isabella Ferrero, sneered when she saw what had just happened.

“What a fool! Did you really think you could just call someone and pretend he’s my brother?”

She regarded my outfit and cocked her brows in disdain.

“What makes you think you can fool me? My housekeeper’s outfit costs more than whatever you’re wearing!”

I looked down at the hoodie I was wearing.

I always dressed plainly and preferred loose-fitting clothes. My adoptive parents and their son doted on me. No one dared to judge and tell me what to wear.

It was the first time someone had commented on my fashion choice with such contempt.

Out of respect for my biological parents, I did not lash out at her immediately.

I suppressed my anger, took back the gifts, and turned to head to the cashier. But the shop assistant reached out and stopped me.

“Miss, we’re obliged to prioritize our VIP customers. Please let Miss Ferrero have the gifts.”

Isabella raised her brows and took out a shiny gold card.

“You heard that, loser? You can only be a VIP if you spend five hundred thousand dollars per year at this place.”

Her cocky attitude pissed me off.

I said, “Bring out the most expensive things in your inventory. I’ll take them all.”

Isabelle laughed.

“You’re still faking it, aren’t you, loser? How’re you going to pay for the priciest items in this store? With the coins in your purse?”

Her shrill laughter broke off when I took out the black card I had gotten from my adoptive parents.

I ignored the scowl on her face and handed the card to the shop assistant.

“Charge me five hundred thousand dollars for the VIP membership, then bag the items I picked just now.”

Infuriated, Isabella threatened the shop assistant. “If you dare to take her card, I’ll tell my brother and have his men trash your place tomorrow.”

The shop assistant, who was in a dilemma, looked at me.

“Miss, the Ferrero family controls the entire city. I’m only an employee at this store. I can’t afford to offend them. Why don’t you pick some other things?”

I chuckled.

The Ferrero family was only a small crime family in a small city, yet their adopted daughter had the guts to act so arrogantly.

As it seemed, this family truly failed at parenting.

Seeing that I refused to back down, the customers around us could not help but step forward to try to dissuade me.

“Let it go, young lady! Miss Ferrero is not the kind of person you can offend and walk away safely! Her family pampered her. Her brother, Davide Ferrero, is the heir of the Roccia Gang! No local ever dares to go against her!”

“The last person who upset her was even wealthier than you, but he ended up dead in a ditch somewhere. You’d better apologize to her now!”

When Isabella saw how powerful the others thought she was, she looked even more pleased.

“You heard that, loser? Don’t you think you can one-up me just because you have some money to splurge! Kneel before me and say ‘sorry, I’m a pretentious, pathetic shrew and a slum dweller.’ Maybe then I’ll consider telling my brother to spare your life.”

Just then, a luxury car stopped at the store entrance. It belonged to my biological brother, Davide, who had come to fetch me.

“Do you dare repeat what you said just now?”

I glanced at Davide and sneered at her.