Chapter 2. THE SISTERS GAMBIT

Nina’s legs felt weak as she hurried up the steps of Hart Holdings. Her palms were sweaty, her breath uneven, and her mind was still foggy from the accident she’d just had. The memory of the crash twisted inside her chest, making her feel sick all over again.

She pushed through the large glass doors but what she saw froze her…

The hallway was empty. Chairs were turned away from the boardroom. People were already leaving through the back exit. Secretaries were packing documents into folders and shutting down laptops.

Nina burst into the main room, out of breath.

All heads turned.

Everyone stared at her as if she had walked into a funeral wearing bright colors.

 Her hair was messy, her face pale.

 A laptop was clutched tightly to her chest like a shield.

She scanned the room quickly, her heart sinking when she realized the long table was already half-empty. Only a few board members remained, preparing to leave.

Her parents stood at the far end, speaking to Clara who looked effortlessly radiant in her cream suit.

Clara turned at the sound of Nina’s footsteps.

Her smile was sharp.

Their mother sighed instantly. “Nina.”

Her father’s voice was colder. “You finally decided to show up.”

Nina tried to speak, but her voice trembled. “I…I overslept. I don’t know what happened. I just… wasn’t feeling well.”

Clara gasped softly, pressing a hand to her chest. “Oh dear, Nina. Are you okay? You look terrible.”

That fake concern finally pushed tears against Nina’s lashes.

Nina swallowed hard, trying to gather herself. She wanted to explain everything—the strange heaviness in her body when she woke up, the empty house, the panic, the accident on her way here. She wanted to say all of it, every messy detail, just to make them understand.

But her eyes drifted, slowly and painfully to the project screen behind Clara.

Her heart shattered.

Her work.

Her proposal.

Three months of research, sketches, calculations, late nights, ideas she had protected like her own heartbeat—

All of it was there on the screen.

But presented under a different name.

“Presented by Clara Brooks.”

It felt like the air left Nina’s lungs.

Her knees wobbled.

Her fingers trembled around her laptop.

Clara already knew Nina had seen it. She didn’t even flinch. She just turned to their father and said softly:

“Dad… I think Nina should still get a chance to present. We’ve both worked hard for the past three months.”

Her voice was gentle, careful and almost angelic.

The board members murmured in admiration.

“What a thoughtful sister.”

“She’s so fair.”

“Clara really has a leadership spirit.”

Nina wanted to scream.

Instead, her heart cracked.

Because three months ago, the Brooks family had made a decision that changed everything.

Since the family had no sons, their entire legacy depended on their daughters. To secure the Brooks empire, their parents set two conditions for choosing the next heiress:

Each daughter must present a business proposal strong enough to elevate the family business…

And each must secure a fiancé from a reputable family to strengthen the Brooks name.

For three months, Nina worked like her life depended on it—because it did. Sleepless nights, endless research, countless drawings. This was her chance to finally prove she belonged in the family. That she wasn’t just the adopted child. That she was worthy.

But the chance had slipped through her fingers.

Clara, her half-sister, had stolen her project.

And now she stood there acting like a saint.

The board was eating up every word.

Nina’s chest tightened painfully.

Her father exhaled. “Alright, Nina. Come and present your project.”

Nina shook her head slowly, numb. “My project? It’s… it’s already on the screen.”

She lifted a shaky finger toward it.

Her mother rolled her eyes. “Please don’t start.”

Clara touched her chest with fake concern. “Nina… don’t embarrass yourself. I know you’re upset you overslept, but you can’t blame me for that.”

Nina’s eyes burned. “Clara, you stole my project.”

The room went silent.

Clara laughed gently. “I think the stress is getting to you.”

Her father stepped forward. “Nina, we gave you both equal opportunities. You neglected yours. Clara didn’t.”

“I didn’t neglect anything!” Nina cried. “You know how hard I worked! Ask anyone—ask the research team—ask—”

Clara tilted her head, eyes glinting. “Prove it.”

Nina looked at the board members. None of them met her eyes. Not one.

Her mother’s voice cut sharply, final and painful. “Enough, Nina. Stop this shameful scene and take responsibility for your failure.”

Her heart squeezed so tightly she felt sick.

Nina looked around the room. No one believed her. Not a single person. Not even the board members who often praised her work ethic. Her parents, who had once cared for her. The father who told her she was part of the family. The mother who said she was enough.

All she saw were judging eyes.

All she heard were silent accusations.

All she felt… was betrayal.

Her laptop slipped from her hands and hit the floor with a dull thud.

Clara reached for her shoulder gently. “Nina… maybe next time. Don’t give up, okay?”

That was it.The final knife.

Nina pulled away from her touch as if burned.

The board chair cleared his throat. “Well, I suppose we have our answer. Clara Brooks has displayed exceptional initiative and vision. She clearly understands what the company needs.”

Nina swallowed a sob.

Clara stepped forward, smiling sweetly as the room applauded her.

Nina stood there—humiliated, alone, and crushed beneath the weight of a betrayal she never saw coming.

Clara hadn’t just taken her idea only, she had taken her voice, her trust, her place in the family.

And Nina knew, with a pain that felt too heavy for her chest, that nothing in the Brooks mansion would ever be the same again.

She walked out before anyone could see the tears fall.