Chapter 3

I had already signed my name on the bottom of the document.

"What is this?" Gregory looked down at the paper. His face turned livid in a split second.

"It's a declaration that I'm cutting ties with the Stone family," I replied as I calmly slung on my backpack. "I've already signed it, so as of today, I have nothing to do with you or the Stone family."

Megan grabbed the paper and read it. Her hands were trembling with rage. "You want to cut ties with us? Do you think you can do whatever you want now, Harper? Do you really think a mere piece of paper can sever our family ties?"

I looked at her and said indifferently, "You might be my birth parents on paper, and there's nothing I can do about that, but from this moment on, you'll be nothing more than names on my identification documents—beyond that, I have no relationship with either of you."

Megan crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it onto the floor with a derisive scoff. "You've only just graduated high school. What are you going to do without the Stone family? Do you seriously think your poor adoptive mother can afford to support you?"

"That's none of your business," I said before I turned on my heel and walked toward the villa's entrance.

Gregory's voice boomed behind me. "Hold it right there! If you walk out that gate today, don't even dream of coming back, Harper! You won't get a single cent of the Stone family's inheritance!"

I didn't stop, waving goodbye without even bothering to turn around. "You can rest assured that the next time I set foot in this house, I'll be the one kicking you out."

I heard curses echoing behind me, followed by the sound of a coffee cup shattering against the floor.

Once I left the residential compound, I caught a cab straight to the tallest skyscraper in the city. It was the headquarters of Lund Group, the Stone family's biggest business rival and the most powerful business empire in the city.

Joshua Lund, the heir to Lund Group, was someone I had met by chance back when I was still living away from the Stone family.

I was in ninth grade then, still attending school in our small town. I helped a drenched boy who was lost on a rural road on a rainy night, giving him directions. I even gave him a bowl of hot chicken noodle soup, so he could warm up. I didn't realize until later that the boy was Joshua.

In my past life, Joshua came to my aid more than once after I returned to the Stone family. He even found evidence of financial wrongdoing by Gregory and offered to help me reclaim the shares that should have been mine.

I had been manipulated by Ramona back then, so I turned down his help and, at her urging, distanced myself from him.

I didn't find out until after my death that Joshua had never forgotten what I did for him that rainy night. Joshua was ultimately the person who brought the Stone family down and sent them to prison.

I walked into Lund Group's first-floor lobby and took a deep breath before approaching the front desk. "Hello, I'm here to look for Joshua Lund. Please let him know that Harper Stone is here with all the evidence of the Stone family's tax evasion."

In less than three minutes, the private elevator doors opened, and Joshua stepped out in a tailored dark-gray suit with the unmistakable refinement and dignified bearing of someone born into a prominent family.

Yet, the moment Joshua noticed me, his aloof expression broke into sheer surprise and undeniable concern. He hurried over to me and asked, "What brings you here, Harper?"

He looked at my washed-out T-shirt and shabby backpack, his brow instantly furrowing. "Did the Stone family mistreat you again?"

I could feel tears welling up in my eyes as I heard his words of concern. In my past life, he was the single person who had ever bothered to ask if I was doing okay.

I took out the thick brown envelope from my backpack and said, "I've cut ties with the Stone family, Joshua. I have all the evidence of Gregory's tax evasion and commercial bribery in here. I just wanted to ask if your offer of legal help is still on the table."

Joshua froze for a moment before taking the envelope from me. He didn't open it.

He led me toward the elevator and said softly, "Lund Group has more than enough lawyers to help you. We've been needing someone who can serve as the key witness against the Stone family, and since you've chosen to come forward, I'll place our entire legal team at your disposal, Harper."

I caught him up on everything that went down with the Stone family once we reached his office. Then, I turned over all the evidence I had compiled regarding Gregory's illegal operations.

Joshua looked at that stack of meticulously organized materials. A flicker of compassion and appreciation showed in his gaze.

He set the documents down and turned to me. "There's enough here to put Gregory away for a decade. You should enjoy the rest of your summer break and don't stress about any of this, Harper—go stay at my private resort and get some rest. I'll handle everything else."

I shook my head and said, "I want to be there when they finally fall."