Todos os capítulos de They Favored My Twin. I Built My Life Far Away: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

After the placements were confirmed, Mom and Dad sent money to my account and Serena's.Serena immediately hooked her arm through Mom's."I knew it. You love me the most, Mom."She glanced at me and asked, like always, "How much did Dad send you?"I answered flatly. "Twenty thousand dollars."Serena burst out laughing, then quickly pulled herself together and put on a thoughtful face."Mom and Dad must be worried you'll waste it. That's why they gave the two hundred thousand to me. You know, to hold on to.""If you ever want something, just ask me."Mom fondly tapped the tip of her nose."That money's your reward for doing so well, sweetheart. It's yours to spend.""As for your sister... she barely made the cut. I won't even get into it."She turned to me, the disappointment plain on her face."Have you ever once measured up to your sister? Those scores are embarrassing!""When you get to New York, you'd better work twice as hard. Don't embarrass this family."Serena shook Mom's arm ri

Mom's face changed in an instant. She snapped back at me, angry and embarrassed."What's the big deal? Those shares were just sitting in your name. Serena is joining headquarters now. She needs a proper stake in the company.""But those are my shares!""I raised you all these years, and this is how you treat me? Like I'm your enemy?"But that was different.If the family had ever needed me to put my shares behind a business deal, I would have agreed without thinking twice.But Mom had taken something my grandfather had specifically left to me and handed it to Serena, just so she could make a grand entrance at headquarters.I knew exactly how she had done it. When I was a child, Grandpa had given Mom power of attorney over my shares until I came of age. I had never thought to take it back.I finally couldn't hold back, and my voice rose."Those shares belong to me! You had no right to transfer them without my consent!"My brother, Alessandro, shot up from the sofa and jabbed a finger in

Mom snatched the rankings out of Dad's hand.When she saw Stella's name, with that glaring 96.8 next to it, everything went dark for a second. She could barely stay on her feet.It was real.The daughter she had brushed off so easily, the one she had decided would never measure up to her sister, had come in first.And the younger daughter she was so proud of had only placed somewhere in the upper middle.What made it worse was that just minutes ago, in front of all these family members and business partners, she had gone on and on about Serena's results.She had even made Stella sound like a sidekick not worth anyone's attention.The whispers around them started to change."So the one who actually came in first was the older daughter?""Well, that's interesting. A minute ago they were calling the younger one the family's brightest young member.""I remember Stella training too. She just never got near the real business. Who knew she had it in her?""They didn't even know their own daug

The first one to find me was Dad.He used his connections at New York headquarters to reach the Geneva office, then tracked down my work schedule.That afternoon, I had just finished a project meeting and walked out of the building when I saw him standing in the lobby.It had only been a few months, but he looked ten years older.His hair had gone much grayer. The lines around his eyes were deeper. Even the back he always held so straight had started to stoop.When he saw me, his eyes went red. He hurried over and reached for my arm."Stella! I finally found you!"I took a step back, out of his reach."What are you doing here?"His hand froze in midair, and he forced an eager smile."Come home with me, honey.""Your mom cries every day. She's making herself sick. And Serena keeps asking about you. The whole house is a mess because of this."I looked at him coldly."What does that have to do with me?"Dad's face stiffened. Then he got anxious."How can you say that? That's your home!""

Four years flew by.I had grown from the new girl at the European Strategy Center into the head of its risk analysis department.In my first year, I worked on every one of the group's projects across Europe.My risk calls were spot on, and they made the group a lot of money.That same year, Mr. Bianchi called with news about my shares.Mom's power of attorney had ended the day I turned eighteen. The transfer had never been valid. All five percent went back into my name, and Serena was quietly taken off the shareholder register.In my second year, the project I led launched successfully and saved the group from a major business loss.In my third year, I finished my master's in financial analysis and earned my professional certification.I also became one of the youngest project leads at the European Strategy Center.I was no longer the little girl squeezed into the storage room at the estate, living on leftovers in exchange for a word of praise from her parents.I had my own office, my