Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Are you satisfied with judging me?"

Ivy's voice came out softly, yet it was so cold that it could freeze the entire atmosphere. She no longer addressed them as family or brothers. From the moment that slap landed, the fictitious blood bond that had tied her to them for fourteen years had officially turned to ashes.

Mrs. Carter—or the woman she now had every right to call Hannah—was momentarily stunned. The middle-aged woman frowned, not expecting Ivy to still be able to stare at her with such a sharp gaze after receiving such a harsh physical punishment.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Ivy?!" Hannah snapped, her chest heaving. "You really are ungrateful! After what you did to Sarah, you still dare to show such a defiant expression?!"

"Defiant?" Ivy sneered, the corner of her split lip releasing a little more fresh blood, which she simply allowed to drip. "None of you believe me anymore. You all seem to enjoy the cheap drama Sarah has created. Go ahead and continue this disgusting charade. But don't ever expect me to kneel or apologize for something I never did."

"Ivy!" Arthur growled, taking a step forward with his fists tightly clenched, but the girl completely ignored him.

Without wasting another second, Ivy turned around. Forcing herself to walk upright despite the intense throbbing in her head and the dizziness that occasionally blurred her vision, she left the master bedroom. She walked down the upstairs corridor, passing Arthur, Jensen, Redy, and Hannah, who stared at her with disgust, as well as Sarah, who was still hiding a victorious smile behind Mrs. Carter's embrace.

Ivy descended the stairs one step at a time. Every step felt heavy, as heavy as the burden of the life she had been forced to endure since that cursed day began—the day Sarah Sechan first set foot in this mansion.

Ivy's thoughts drifted back to a night exactly one month ago. The atmosphere around the Carter family's dining table had been warm, filled with light laughter and playful banter between Arthur, Jensen, Redy, and herself. However, that warmth shattered in an instant when Mr. Jemy and Hannah arrived with a strange girl with naturally curly hair and sparkling eyes that held a suspiciously fearful look.

That night, when dessert was being served, Hannah and her husband led a girl into the dining room. She stood stiffly in the doorway. Her three older brothers immediately stopped what they were doing and stared curiously at the unfamiliar figure.

"Dad, who is she?" Arthur asked, voicing the curiosity of his siblings.

Mr. Jemy smiled broadly and warmly wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders. "Let me introduce her. This is Sarah Sechan, your biological sister who has been missing for eighteen years because she was kidnapped."

Sarah's first night at the mansion immediately changed everything. The girl played the role of a pitiful victim from the past so perfectly. Within just a few hours, Arthur, Jensen, and Redy were completely captivated by Sarah's feigned gentleness. They competed to feed Sarah, asked about her condition, and ignored Ivy, who sat frozen at the end of the table.

Ivy remembered clearly how tight her chest had felt that night. But what was even more devastating was when Ivy looked at Sarah's face up close. Ivy immediately recognized who the girl was.

Sarah Sechan was a student in the same major as her at university. Sarah was the most ambitious person, always consumed by burning jealousy toward Ivy. She was the girl who was often envious because Ivy was always the campus darling, won every competition, and had perfect academic grades that Sarah could never surpass no matter how hard she studied all night. At university, Sarah often spread malicious rumors about Ivy.

And now, her sworn enemy at university had suddenly become the biological daughter of the Carter family? The legitimate daughter they had been waiting for for eighteen years? How ironic and ridiculous fate could be.

The bitter memory made Ivy's chest tighten even more. She reached the ground floor and walked listlessly past the main living room.

A middle-aged butler who had faithfully served her approached with a worried expression. "Miss Ivy... your lip is bleeding. Let me get the first-aid kit..."

"No need," Ivy interrupted softly in a hoarse voice, refusing the butler's offer. She shook her head slowly. "Starting today, please move all my belongings to the guest room on the ground floor. The room near the servants' passage."

The butler gasped in shock, covering his mouth with his hand. "But... Miss... that's the tiny room next to the kitchen! Why do you have to move there?"

"Because starting today, I no longer have any right to the facilities in this house," Ivy replied bitterly. She did not cry anymore; her tears had already dried, leaving behind a numb soul.

She limped toward the cramped and stuffy room at the end of the ground-floor corridor, where the servants usually rested. The room was small, smelled damp, and was far from suitable for someone living in the mansion of the wealthy Carter family. As soon as the door closed firmly behind her, Ivy leaned her back against the fragile wooden door before sliding down onto the cold floor.

She hugged her knees, allowing the pain from her acute leukemia and the mental torment she had endured today to assault her body simultaneously. In the midst of that solitude, a cold realization slowly crept into her mind.

"Why should I stay in a place that now treats me like garbage? The diagnosis of acute leukemia has made me realize that I don't have much time left. I must not die in vain in this mansion. From this moment on, I have to plan my way out, secretly build up my savings, and leave the Carter family forever."

Meanwhile, elsewhere, a skyscraper owned by a multinational corporation stood majestically against the night sky above the city. Inside a modern minimalist private office dominated by monochromatic tones, Elvino Sebastian Vettel sat upright behind his spacious desk.

The man's thoughts could not escape what had happened earlier—particularly the jasmine-engraved jade necklace hanging around Ivy's neck. Vino recognized the necklace very well because he was the one who had given it to the little girl who had saved him from a dark warehouse more than a decade ago. However, seeing Ivy's reserved and cold attitude, with no sign that she had any affection for him, Vino realized one thing: perhaps that incident had meant nothing to her.

The office door was knocked on twice before slowly opening. His personal assistant, Malik, stepped inside carrying several important files in his hands.

"Mr. Vettel, all the documents for the acquisition of the property company and tomorrow morning's meeting schedule have been prepared," Malik reported in a professional tone.

Vino nodded slowly, but he did not immediately respond to the matter of work. His long fingers tapped against the surface of the black desk in a slow rhythm. His eyes stared straight through the massive glass window, overlooking the glittering city lights.

"Malik," Vino called in a low, authoritative voice.

"Yes, sir?"

"Find out every detail about the Carter family's current domestic situation, especially how they are treating Miss Ivy," Vino ordered without turning around. The corner of his lips lifted into a faint, mysterious smile that concealed a grand plan.

Malik froze where he stood, his pupils widening in utter shock at hearing his boss's sudden order.

"Why do you suddenly want to find out about the young lady of the Carter family?" Malik asked, unable to hide the confusion clearly written across his face.

Vino did not answer immediately. He slowly turned his chair and stared directly at his assistant, his sharp eyes carrying an unmistakable command that allowed no objections. The atmosphere inside the room suddenly became cold and oppressive, making Malik swallow hard.

"Just carry out my order, Malik," Vino said in a low voice filled with emphasis that left no room for argument. "And make sure not a single detail is overlooked, especially how they treat her in that house."