Chapter 1

After being brought back, Lilian Roy just stood timidly in the middle of the living room.

It was on that day that I finished closing the MC deal. On the drive home, my assistant, May Cannon, told me that the Roy family had found their biological daughter.

My heart thumped wildly for a moment. Then it settled. I thought, “Since she’s back, then she’ll be taken care of. The Roy family isn’t exactly short on money.”

However, when I walked in looking polished, confident, and at the top of my game, all the fear she had been wearing melted into pure jealousy.

“If you want me to come back and take my place in this family, fine. But she’s had my life long enough. It’s time she gives it back. I don’t want anything else but the company.”

I smiled. “I’ve managed the family business for ten years. Are you sure you can handle it?”

The disdain in my tone was obvious. Lilian’s face flushed red. “I can learn. If I had grown up here too, I wouldn’t be any worse than you.”

The relatives chimed in. “Max, just give it to her. She’s the biological daughter, after all.”

Hearing that, I looked at my parents. My father, Jack Roy, spoke with difficulty. “Max, we owe her. Lily has had a very hard life all these years.”

My mother, Lauren Roy, held Lilian and cried uncontrollably. “Those traffickers forced her to marry an old man. If we hadn’t found her, Lily would already… Max, just agree. I won’t treat you unfairly.”

I looked at them and smiled. “Okay.”

I agreed and began the handover with them.

I thought that my family finding their biological daughter could happen without any problem; I always intended to keep my head down and do my job. Competing with her never even crossed my mind.

I even felt sorry for her. I had already ordered a welcome gift.

I did not expect things to turn out like this after she returned.

Compensation? Fine. Take it all.

I had May draw up the transition paperwork on the spot. I signed every page and handed the company over to Lilian. With the company now in her hands, Lilian grew visibly excited and threw herself into our mother’s arms.

I took a deep breath. “Everything’s done. If there is nothing else, I’m going upstairs to rest.”

Only then did my mother look up. “Lily has just come home. Let’s have a family meal together.”

“I’m tired. I don’t feel like eating.”

“Do you not want to see me, Max? I just came back, and you already dislike me this much?”

Lily’s eyes went red and wet as she looked at me.

My mother’s expression darkened. “Max, how can you be so inconsiderate?”

I replied calmly, “I just got off a flight that lasted over 20 hours. I’m exhausted. I haven’t even slept off the jet lag.”

Hearing that, she finally realized I had just returned from a business trip. When she saw how red my eyes were from exhaustion, she looked slightly embarrassed. I went straight upstairs and ignored the noise from below.

The family group chat kept lighting up. After my shower, I glanced at the messages and felt my lips curl into a cold smile.

[So Lily is back. Jack, when are you holding the welcome banquet? This is a huge occasion for our family!]

[Exactly. Make it grand. You can also announce the company arrangements at the same time. Oh, and Maxine should probably move out of the house, right? And what about the engagement? Should that be reconsidered as well?]

I did not care about all of the comments meant to kick me while I was down. However, I could not ignore that last part. The Roy family had a marriage arrangement with the Pratt family. Since I was no longer the Roy family’s daughter, what was Gregory Pratt’s stance going to be?

The chat kept exploding with notifications. It felt tiresome, so I quit it. By their logic, I was not a Roy anymore, so I had no business staying in the group. I left on my own terms before they could ask me to.

As for Gregory, he deserved a conversation.

Early the next morning, Lilian went out with my parents. I packed a few clothes and prepared to move to my own place.