Chapter 2

Taken aback, Cindy glanced over at Mark before snorting, "So what if he's Jared's older brother? I just couldn't stand him, so I had to teach him a lesson.

"Besides, I'm the daughter of the Spencer family—the Xandersons wouldn't be where they are today without me. If I insisted that you were the one who did this to him, who do you think Jared would believe—you or me? It would be out of my hands if he ends up dealing with you!"

I was anxious, yet I couldn't move when my legs were crushed. I could only reveal my true identity. "That's enough! I'm the real daughter of the Spencer family. He's under my protection. If you hurt him, I'll use every connection the Spencers have to make sure you regret it for the rest of your life!"

However, Cindy burst out laughing. "What a lie! But the eldest son of the Spencer family has already acknowledged me as his sister. How dare you try to impersonate me here?"

I was shocked. I didn't know anything like that was happening.

My loving parents had no other illegitimate daughters. Eric had even promised me, with his own words, that I was the only younger sister he would ever have.

So, where did Cindy come from?

Before I could even get my thoughts around, she came over menacingly with her foot lifted, ready to kick me off the edge.

Beyond the roadside was a river—I'd be dead for sure if I fell.

Just as I struggled to push myself up in order to save myself, Mark lunged from behind Cindy and grabbed her leg with all his might. "Hurry and leave, Suzanna! I'll hold her back!"

He clung desperately to her, leaving her enraged. Just as she was about to order her men to attack us both, the roar of a helicopter tore through the sky.

Someone from the Spencer family had finally arrived.

Owen Gwendall, the assistant for the Spencer family, jumped out of the helicopter and quickly brought me and Mark to safety. Cindy was knocked unconscious on the spot and dragged away.

I hurried to have Mark rushed to the hospital, while I only had my broken bones simply stabilized.

I sat waiting anxiously outside the emergency room, not relaxing until I saw him finally being transferred into a hospital ward. I then called Eric to inform him of my safety.

Upon knowing that I got hurt, he slammed his fist against the table in a burst of rage. "Who did this to you? If I weren't tied up with something, I would've flown over there with Owen and broken their limbs myself!"

I didn't want Eric to escalate things further. I simply said, "I want to call off the engagement with the Xandersons that's supposed to happen next month—I'm changing the groom-to-be."

He was shocked. "You no longer wanted to marry Jared? You were completely devoted to him for three years—I thought you were set on marrying no one else but him."

I replied, "Yeah, I don't want him anymore—I want Mark Xanderson instead. Also, I want everything we've invested in Jared over the years all taken back."

I treated Jared as someone I loved, but to him, I was nothing more than a pathetic simp—someone he let his friends mock without a second thought.

In both my past life and this lifetime, he had chosen to protect Cindy no matter what. I was beyond disappointed with him by now.

Eric lowered his voice, replying, "Alright, I'll do as you wish. I've called Owen back to handle something, but I'm leaving the Spencers' bodyguards with you. Just focus on recovering in the hospital.

"Also, don't even think about hiding the details of your injuries from me. I'll have someone find out what happened. I'll make them pay for what they did to you tenfold!"

The call ended abruptly before I could even answer this time. I had planned to ask about Cindy, but it seemed like I'd have to wait until the next time.

I turned and headed over to check on Mark in his ward, but a flutter of hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway. I saw Jared's angry face as soon as I looked up.

He raised his arm and slapped me harshly. Enraged, he yelled, "Are you crazy, Suzanna? I can't believe you hired someone to bully Cindy. She's the daughter of the Spencer family—don't you know how protective her older brother is of her? You'd be dead soon!"

My cheek stung from the slap, yet I smiled mockingly. "She's from the Spencer family? Why is she a Smith then?"

Jared replied, "What do you know? She's born to the Spencer couple late in their lives—of course, they're overprotective! Keeping her identity a secret isn't exactly shocking.

"I've known Cindy since we were kids, and I only found out about her identity now. So, how would someone like you, who isn't even part of our circle, know anything?"

At that moment, I spotted Cindy—face bruised and battered from the punishment Owen had arranged. She was supposed to be locked up in the warehouse, yet she was now walking out—right behind Larry Howard, the Spencer family's head of security.

She looked at me smugly, like she thought I was done for.

I was still trying to figure out why she'd been let out when I noticed Larry walking toward me. I thought he was stepping forward to protect me, but in the next moment, he grabbed the baton from his waist and swung it at me.

He asked, "Who do you think you are? How dare you bully Ms. Cindy! Are you looking for death? I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of Ms. Cindy!"

Blood streamed down from my forehead, staining my vision red. My head was ringing, and I was barely conscious.

However, the look Larry had in his eyes was wild, as if he was truly protecting his employer, who was behind him.

Shocked, I yelled, "Are you crazy? Do you not know who I am? I'm the real daughter of the Spencer family!"