PROLOGUE

The large Laurel mansion was completely quiet. In the past, this big house was always full of happy sounds, bright laughter, and joyful life. It used to be a place where friends and family gathered to share good food and great stories.

But all of that beautiful energy disappeared after Katrina, the mother of Cassandra Klaire Laurel, passed away. Ever since that sad day, the massive house felt more like a cold grave where old memories were buried deep in the ground.

The rooms felt too big, the hallways felt too long, and the silence was often too loud for a young girl to bear.

Cass stood quietly by her bedroom window. She pressed her forehead against the cool glass and looked down at the beautiful garden below. That garden used to be her absolute favorite place in the whole world.

She remembered the many warm afternoons she spent there with her mother. They would hold the green water hose together, water the bright red roses and yellow sunflowers, laugh at small jokes, and talk about their dreams for hours.

Those days were filled with bright sunshine and genuine smiles. But now, without her mother, the garden looked lonely, messy, and gray, just like her own heart.

Outside, thick gray clouds covered the entire sky, and rain started to fall. Each cold drop hit the glass window with a soft, repetitive sound. As the rain grew heavier and the world outside became dark, Cass felt a heavy weight pressing down on her chest.

The dark, gloomy weather matched her inner feelings perfectly. She missed her mother so much that it physically hurt. Her chest felt tight every time she thought about the past.

"Mom, I miss you so much... I really wish you were still here with me," Cass whispered softly to the empty, quiet room.

"If only you were still alive, I know for sure that we would be so happy right now. We would be laughing in the kitchen, making hot chocolate, and waiting for the storm to pass together." Her voice was small, sad, and full of pain.

She hugged her own arms tightly, trying to feel some warmth in the big, cold bedroom. She turned her head to look at a small, silver photo frame on her nightstand. Inside was a picture of her mother.

Her mother had the kindest eyes and a gentle smile that could make any bad day feel better. Cass wished with all her might that she could go back in time, back to the days when her life was safe, sweet, and perfect.

Suddenly, a sharp, loud, and annoying voice broke the quiet peace of the house.

"Cass, my dear, come down here right now! Your daddy is finally here!" Loreen, her stepmother, shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

Cass let out a very long, tired sigh. Every single time she heard Loreen’s voice, her whole body became stiff and she felt a sense of danger. Loreen’s voice always sounded like a hidden threat, even when she tried her best to sound sweet and caring in front of other people.

"This annoying, evil woman," Cass muttered angrily to herself, her face turning red with frustration.

"She acts so nice and plays the role of a loving mother whenever Dad is around the house. But the exact moment he leaves, she acts like she is the supreme queen of this entire mansion. She always forgets that this house does not belong to her at all! The original and true queen of this house is my mother! Only her and no one else. You can never change that, Loreen the attention-seeker."

Cass felt a wave of hot anger in her stomach. It was incredibly hard for her to live in the same space with a person who was so two-faced and fake. She hated how she had to pretend to be okay just to avoid a massive fight.

"Cassandra Klaire! Your dad is here! He has something very important to tell you before he leaves!" Loreen shouted once more from the bottom of the grand staircase, her voice sounding a bit more impatient this time.

Cass groaned out loud in deep annoyance. She really did not want to step out of her safe room, and she certainly did not want to see Loreen’s face, but she knew she had no choice. If she stayed in her room, Loreen would tell her father that Cass was being rude and disrespectful.

"Yes! I'm coming down right now!" Cass shouted back as loud as she could, forcing herself to sound like a normal, obedient daughter.

She took one last look at her mother's photo, fixed her clothes, and walked out of her bedroom. She walked slowly down the long hallway and began to descend the wide stairs. Her indoor shoes made a small, soft clicking sound against the highly polished, shiny marble floor of the grand mansion. The house was beautiful, but it felt empty and dead.

When she finally reached the big living room, she saw her father, Carlo. He was sitting comfortably on the large leather sofa, looking very busy as he talked to a business partner on his mobile phone.

He looked tired, with lines of worry on his forehead. Sitting right next to him, almost glued to his side, was Loreen. Loreen had a very wide, bright smile on her face. But Cass knew that smile did not reach her eyes.

To Cass, Loreen's smile was completely fake, even faker than cheap, plastic products made in China. It was just an ugly mask she wore to look like a perfect, supportive wife in front of Carlo.

Carlo finished his phone call, pressed a button to turn off the screen, and looked up at his daughter. When he saw Cass standing there, he smiled and spoke immediately.

"Cass, sweetie, sadly, I have to leave the house again. I have to go on a very urgent business trip to Hong Kong," he said, his voice full of weariness.

Cass felt a sharp, painful sting of disappointment in her heart. She felt like her father was always running away from the house.

"Hong Kong again? But, Daddy, you just arrived home a few hours ago! Now you are leaving the country again?" she asked, trying her absolute best to hide the deep anger and sadness in her voice.

"Can't you just stay here at home with me for even one full day? We barely talk anymore."

Carlo looked at her with a sad, apologetic expression on his face. He rubbed his eyes and sighed.

"I am truly sorry, my daughter. I know you are very upset with me because I rarely stay home these days," he said in a gentle, soft voice.

"But please try to understand, everything I am doing right now is for your own future. You are my only princess, my only child. This business trip is incredibly important for the survival of our family company. Don't worry too much, your Tita Loreen is here to take care of you while I am away. Just tell her any of the things you need, okay? She will provide them for you."

Hearing those words, Cass turned her gaze toward her stepmother. Loreen gave her a very quick, secret, and meaningful look. Her eyes were cold and sharp, clearly saying: Just say yes and stop crying because you cannot do anything about it anyway.

Cass paled a bit and secretly rolled her eyes, her heart sinking to the floor. She felt completely helpless and alone in the world. She took a deep breath, forced her tears back, and looked at her father.

"Please take care on your trip, Daddy," she said in a quiet, defeated voice.

In her mind, Cass really wanted to run to her father, hold his hand tightly, and beg him not to leave her alone with that woman. She wanted to tell him the absolute truth. She wanted to say out loud all the terrible, cruel things Loreen did to her whenever his back was turned. She wanted to show him how Loreen treated her like a stranger in her own mother's home.

But Cass knew deep inside that nothing good would happen. Every single time she tried to complain to her father in the past, Loreen would immediately cry, act like she was the one being bullied, and make herself look completely innocent.

Loreen was a master at manipulating people. Carlo’s mind was completely controlled and blinded by Loreen now, so Cass knew that saying anything would only make her father angry at her, and it would give Loreen a reason to punish her even more later.

"I must leave now, my princess," Carlo said as he stood up from the sofa, picked up his leather briefcase, and walked toward the grand front door of the mansion.

Cass followed his steps slowly, wanting to watch him leave for as long as possible. She stood by the open door, feeling the cold wind and rain on her face, and watched his big black car drive away down the long driveway until the red tail lights disappeared into the dark storm.

The exact moment Cass closed the heavy wooden door and locked it, the sweet, warm atmosphere in the house vanished instantly. The fake kindness was gone. The heavy silence of the living room was broken by Loreen’s cold, sharp, and mean voice.

"Now that your precious Daddy is gone, you must listen to me and do every single thing I say," Loreen said, her voice full of pride and arrogance as she stood in the center of the room.

"First, go clean the kitchen completely until there is no grease left. Next, scrub the bathroom floors and toilet until they shine like diamonds. And do not dare forget to iron all of my expensive dresses. I want every single thing to be absolutely perfect by the time I come back tonight. I do not want to see a single piece of mess anywhere, Cassandra. Let me remind you, you know exactly what I will do to you if I find even a tiny bit of dust or ash on any surface."

Cass tightened her hands into hard fists. Her fingernails dug so deep into her palms that it left small red marks, but she barely felt the pain because her anger was so intense. She took deep breaths, trying her best to remain calm and composed.

"Can't we just hire a house maid to do these chores, Tita? We have more than enough money. That would make things much easier and faster for everyone," Cass asked in a quiet, controlled voice, doing everything she could to suppress her burning temper.

Loreen turned around quickly, her eyes wide with fury. She walked up to Cass until they were face to face. "When did I ever give a girl like you the right to question my orders?" she snapped loudly, rolling her eyes with deep disgust.

"Are you actually complaining to me now? Let me tell you something, Cassandra. You have absolutely no right to complain or talk back to me because I am the one who provides food for your mouth every single day. You should be down on your knees thanking me! If it were not for my kindness and my presence in this house, you would not be living a comfortable life like this!"

Cass felt a hot, raging fire of anger explode inside her chest. She could feel her heart beating fast against her ribs.

"Look who is talking about kindness," Cass thought to herself, her mind filled with bitter thoughts.

"If my sweet Dad did not pity you and marry you, you would still be a cheap, dirty dancer for drunk men in some random, low-class bar in the city! You came here with nothing!" She wanted so badly to scream those exact words right into Loreen’s arrogant face, to wipe that mean look off her eyes, but she forced herself to swallow her words. She knew a shouting match would only end badly for her.

Cass let out another long, defeated sigh. She knew she could not run away from this nightmare, and she could not ask anyone for help. All of her mother's relatives lived very far away, in different provinces and countries, so she had no one to run to in times of trouble.

But more than that, she refused to pack her bags and leave this mansion. This big, beautiful house was the only physical thing left in the world that reminded her of her sweet mother. Every bedroom, every long hallway, and every single corner held a precious, beautiful memory of Katrina.

Cass promised her own heart that she would never give up this place to a stranger. She would never leave this house, even if Loreen treated her like a low-class slave every single day of her life.

"Well? Why are you still doing, just standing there like a stupid statue? Move your lazy legs now, Cassandra!" Loreen screamed suddenly at the top of her lungs, the loud sound making Cass jump in surprise.

Cass turned around quickly and walked away toward the small, dark utility room where the old cleaning supplies were kept. She grabbed a wooden broom, a heavy mop, a bucket, and some cleaning cloths.

As she was walking back toward the grand living room, she heard a strange, hushed sound that made her stop instantly. Her instincts told her to hide. She quickly stepped behind a large marble pillar and listened very closely.

Loreen was standing near the house telephone, talking to a mysterious person on the other end. Her voice was very low, quiet, and sneaky, but because the house was so empty, Cass could hear a few words clearly through the air.

"Make absolutely sure that you get it done today. I need this specific plan to work perfectly," Loreen whispered into the phone, a small, evil laugh escaping her lips.

Cass frowned deeply, her eyebrows knitting together. "What is this old, evil witch planning to do now?" she thought to herself, a cold, bad feeling spreading fast in her stomach. She knew that whatever Loreen was planning, it would definitely bring trouble to her life.

After a few more moments of quiet whispering, Loreen put the phone down with a loud click. She grabbed her expensive designer handbag, fixed her hair in the mirror, and walked out of the grand front door, slamming it shut. Once Cass was completely sure that her stepmother’s car had left the gates and she was truly alone in the mansion, she immediately started her long, difficult chores.

She swept every single inch of the marble floors, wiped the dust off the heavy wooden furniture, and scrubbed the dirty kitchen counters until her arms felt weak. She worked hour after hour without taking a single break to rest or drink water.

By the time she finished cleaning the entire first floor and ironing a massive pile of Loreen's colorful dresses, the sky outside the windows was completely pitch black. The heavy rain had stopped, leaving a quiet, eerie dark night.

Cass was extremely tired, her body feeling like a heavy rock. Her arms, back, and legs ached with deep pain, but she still could not find peace. Just as she was putting the heavy mop back into the utility room, she heard the front door open. Her stepmother had finally returned.

Loreen walked gracefully into the living room, her high heels clicking loudly, and looked around the space with sharp eyes to check for any missed spots. "Good. At the very least, you actually finished your work and cleaned the house properly," she said in a cold, careless voice.

"By the way, Cassandra, we are going to have a very special visitor tomorrow morning, so make sure you wake up early and prepare yourself. I am going to introduce you to a very important, special person tomorrow."

Without waiting for Cass to say a word or ask a single question, Loreen turned her back, walked up the stairs, and went straight into her comfortable bedroom. She left Cass standing completely alone in the middle of the dark, cold living room with a deep, frustrated frown on her beautiful face.

"This horrible, terrible witch! She always makes huge decisions for my life without ever asking me first!" Cass muttered out loud with deep anger, though she kept her voice low enough so no one could hear.

She stamped her feet hard against the floor as she walked up the stairs to her own bedroom, closing the heavy door with a sharp push. She threw her exhausted body onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow. Her mind was filled with deep worry and fear about what kind of terrible surprise was waiting for her tomorrow morning.