Chapter 2 THE SISTER WHO STOLE EVERYTHING

​"Finally, we meet."

​Camille's smile was absolutely flawless—the kind of carefully practiced expression that instantly made people lower their guard. Dizer watched silently from the doorway as her younger sister walked toward Liam Oscar with a terrifying amount of confidence, acting as though she belonged right there by his side. As though she had known him for years.

​Liam straightened his posture slightly. For the first time since he had arrived at Dizer's apartment, his icy expression visibly softened. "Camille Shank?"

​Camille laughed softly, a musical sound. "So you've heard of me."

​Dizer's stomach tightened into a painful knot. Liam had never smiled at her—not once during their brief interaction. Yet less than thirty seconds after meeting Camille, there it was. A smile. It was small, but completely unmistakable.

​"I've heard quite a lot," Liam admitted, his gaze lingering openly on Camille's face.

​"Hopefully only good things," Camille purred.

​"Mostly impressive things."

​Standing in her own doorway, Dizer felt entirely invisible, like a ghost watching a play. Camille finally turned her head slightly. "Oh," she murmured, her eyes widening with dramatic surprise. "Dizer."

​The performance was a masterclass. Anyone else watching would genuinely believe Camille had only just noticed her sister standing there.

​"Dizer, why didn't you tell me Liam was visiting?" Camille asked, her tone entirely innocent.

​Dizer just stared back, refusing to participate in the charade. She didn't answer because the truth was glaringly obvious: Camille already knew he would be here. Otherwise, she wouldn't have appeared at the exact minute Liam arrived.

​You and your sister are one, her mother's voice echoed cruelly in her mind. A bitter laugh threatened to choke her. No, they weren't one. Not even close.

​Camille turned back to Liam, completely dismissing Dizer again. "I just got back from abroad this afternoon."

​"Welcome home," Liam replied.

​"Thank you." The smile Camille gave him could have melted glaciers.

​Dizer clenched her jaw so hard it ached. Finally, Liam glanced toward her, his tone instantly reverting to its original coldness. "I'm leaving."

​The words were directed at Dizer, but his eyes drifted right back to Camille almost immediately.

​"Maybe we'll see each other again soon," Camille offered softly.

​Something dark and intense flashed in Liam's eyes. "I'd like that."

​Dizer's chest tightened. The answer had come too quickly. Far too quickly. Liam gave a polite nod before turning on his heel and walking down the driveway to his car. Camille watched him intently until his taillights disappeared around the corner.

​Only then did her flawless smile fade. Slowly, deliberately, the mask dropped. When she turned back toward Dizer, her eyes looked completely different—cold, calculating, and dripping with malicious amusement.

​"Well," Camille murmured.

​Dizer crossed her arms defensively. "Well what?"

​Camille laughed, stepping closer. "Nothing."

​"Then stop staring at me."

​"He likes me," Camille whispered, the words landing with the force of a physical slap.

​Dizer blinked, trying to maintain her composure. "What?"

​Camille shrugged casually, leaning against the doorframe. "He likes me. You saw it."

​"You met him thirty seconds ago, Camille."

​"And yet, he couldn't stop looking at me." When Dizer remained silent, Camille's grin widened into something vicious. "Oh God. You actually look hurt."

​Dizer's jaw tightened. "Don't flatter yourself."

​"Are you sure about that?" Camille tilted her head. Before Dizer could respond, Camille walked right past her into the apartment, pausing just long enough to whisper something that made Dizer’s blood run cold: "I'd be careful if I were you."

​Dizer spun around sharply. "What does that mean?"

​Camille looked over her shoulder, the sweet, innocent smile suddenly returning to her face like a light switch being flipped. "It means I always get what I want, dear sister." Then, she walked away, leaving Dizer standing completely alone in the dark once again.

​The following morning, Dizer arrived at the Shank Global headquarters much earlier than usual. She desperately needed space, silence, and distance—anything to stop her mind from replaying the interactions between Liam and Camille.

​But the moment she stepped onto her executive floor, she knew something was deeply wrong. Her assistant was standing beside her desk, looking incredibly nervous, fidgeting with a stack of papers.

​Dizer frowned. "What happened?"

​The young woman swallowed hard, avoiding eye contact. "The board meeting..."

​"What about it?"

​"They moved the schedule forward. An hour ago."

​Dizer froze. "They held a board meeting without informing me?"

​The assistant nodded reluctantly. Pure anger surged through Dizer’s veins. Without another word, she turned on her heel and marched straight toward the main executive conference room. As she approached, the muffled sound of voices echoed through the heavy wooden doors.

​She pushed them open with a loud bang.

​The voices cut off instantly. Every single head around the long table turned to look at her. Kendall sat at the head of the table, and right beside him sat Camille. Her sister looked entirely comfortable, smiling as if she had held a seat on the board for a decade.

​Dizer’s pulse quickened with a mixture of rage and betrayal. "What is this?"

​Nobody answered her. Kendall cleared his throat, adjusting his posture. "A strategy meeting."

​"You held a strategy meeting without me," Dizer said, her voice shaking slightly.

​"It wasn't deemed necessary for you to attend," Kendall replied flatly.

​The room seemed to tilt beneath Dizer's feet. Not necessary. Ten years of her life, ten years of brutal, exhausting work, reduced to those two words.

​Camille leaned back casually in her leather chair, her voice sickeningly sweet. "Dizer, you really should relax. You look so stressed."

​Dizer glared at her with pure venom. "I'm talking to Dad."

​Camille just smiled back. "And Dad already answered you."

​Several of the senior executives shifted uncomfortably in their seats, clearly wanting no part in a public family feud. Unfortunately for them, Dizer wasn't backing down.

​She looked directly at her father. "Are you replacing me already?"

​The heavy question hung over the table like a guillotine. Kendall sighed, rubbing his temples. "Don't make this difficult, Dizer."

​A sharp, hysterical laugh escaped her. "Don't make this difficult? You handed my executive position to someone who hasn't worked a single day in this entire industry!"

​Camille's expression hardened slightly at the insult. "That's completely unfair."

​"Really?" Dizer shot back.

​"Yes." Camille stood up, crossing her arms. "I studied business abroad, Dizer. I have credentials."

​"Wow, congratulations," Dizer mocked, the sarcasm dripping from every syllable.

​Camille's smile vanished entirely, her face darkening. "You think practical experience is everything."

​"No," Dizer said, shaking her head as she took a step closer to the table. "I think earning something actually matters."

​The tension in the room exploded. Camille’s eyes flashed with rage, and Kendall slammed his hand violently against the table, the loud crack echoing off the walls.

​"Enough!" Kendall roared. Total silence followed.

​Dizer looked at her father, then at Camille, and then back at her father. For the first time in her entire life, she felt like an absolute stranger in her own skin, surrounded by a family that had already erased her. Without another word, she turned and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

​Three days later, the formal engagement dinner arrived. Dizer already hated everything about it before she even walked through the doors.

​The grand ballroom overflowed with the city's elite—wealthy guests, influential business leaders, powerful politicians, top doctors, and high-society socialites. Everyone was desperate to meet Liam Oscar, the famous billionaire surgeon and the highly anticipated future son-in-law of the Shank family.

​Dizer stood near the grand entrance, holding a glass of champagne, trying her absolute best not to look completely miserable. Suddenly, the room buzzed with excitement as Liam entered. He looked exactly like his media profiles described him—confident, incredibly handsome, and radiating power. Every single woman in the room noticed him immediately.

​But Liam only noticed one person. Camille.

​Dizer watched from afar as his eyes scanned the crowd, locked onto Camille, and stayed there. It was as if everyone else in the room had suddenly vanished. Camille noticed too, of course. Her smile brightened instantly as she began walking toward him. Liam met her halfway, and they struck up a conversation immediately. It looked entirely natural, easy, and comfortable—like two old friends, or lovers, reuniting.

​Watching them from across the crowded ballroom, something deep inside Dizer's chest violently twisted. It wasn't because she loved Liam—she didn't even know him yet. It was the crushing realization of exactly where this was heading, and that absolutely no one was going to stop it.

​Hours passed. The blatant attraction between Liam and Camille became impossible for the guests to ignore. Whispers began to spread through the tables, followed by quiet questions and growing confusion about who the actual bride was supposed to be. Unable to take the suffocating atmosphere any longer, Dizer slipped out onto the quiet balcony for air.

​The cool night breeze brushed against her flushed skin. She stood at the railing, staring into the dark for several minutes, just breathing.

​"You look miserable."

​Dizer turned sharply. Liam was standing a few feet away. Her stomach tightened. "What do you want, Liam?"

​He stepped up to the railing beside her. There was nothing romantic or personal about his movement; it was driven by pure, detached curiosity. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Liam looked through the glass doors, his gaze instantly finding Camille in the center of the ballroom. His cold expression visibly softened.

​Dizer noticed. Of course she did. "Your sister is quite remarkable," Liam murmured quietly.

​The words stabbed her unexpectedly. Dizer looked away, staring back out into the night. "Then marry her."

​Silence stretched between them. When Dizer finally looked back, she found Liam staring directly at her face, his brow furrowed. "What?"

​"You heard me," Dizer said, her voice deadpan. "Marry her."

​Liam frowned deeply. The idea had clearly crossed his mind before, and seeing that silent realization on his face hurt far more than she expected.

​"Would that actually bother you?" Liam asked quietly, studying her reaction.

​Dizer let out a hollow laugh that carried no humor whatsoever. "No."

​It was a blatant lie. Not because she desperately wanted Liam for herself, but because she was so profoundly tired of being replaced. Tired of being the permanent second choice. Tired of losing absolutely everything to Camille.

​Liam continued to study her face, as if trying to decipher whether she was telling the truth. Suddenly, a familiar voice interrupted them from the doorway.

​"Liam!" Camille called out, smiling brightly as she walked onto the balcony. "They need you inside for a toast."

​Liam nodded immediately. "I'm coming."

​As Liam turned to walk back inside, Camille's gaze briefly met Dizer's. For a split second, the sweetness vanished from her eyes, and the mask slipped. What remained underneath was pure, unadulterated triumph. She looked at Dizer as if she had already won the war, and Dizer was just a casualty left on the battlefield.

​And maybe she was right. Because as Liam walked away beside Camille, neither of them looked back to see if she was following.

​Dizer remained alone on the balcony, staring through the glass. She watched them laugh together, watched them drift closer, and watched her arranged future slowly slip through her fingers. But as she watched the crowd, her eyes caught something else across the crowded ballroom.

​Near a far corner, her father and mother were arguing. They weren't being quiet or calm; they looked entirely desperate. A flash of pure panic washed across Kendall's face, and Javier looked utterly terrified. Then, Kendall pulled a legal document from his breast pocket—a document clearly marked with Liam Oscar's name. Javier's face instantly went entirely pale, as if she were looking at an impending disaster.

​Dizer’s brow furrowed as she watched them from the darkness of the balcony. Something was wrong. Very wrong. And whatever secret her parents were hiding, it was about to change everything.