Fallen Heiress Rises To The Top Free Preview

The Sterling Estate's living room was lavishly decorated, every inch radiating wealth and status.

"Take this for your travel expenses."

Mrs. Sterling placed a stack of cash on the coffee table and looked at Rue with detached indifference. "Your biological family is poor. I'm afraid no one will be coming to pick you up."

Rue glanced at the money and almost laughed. The stack contained ten thousand dollars—less than the price of one of the designer handbags Mrs. Sterling carried to social events.

Just a few days ago, a DNA test had shattered the lie she'd lived with for eighteen years. She wasn't a Sterling. The family had already changed her surname back to Blackwood, and her identification records had been updated overnight. The speed was almost impressive. The way they'd rushed to erase her from the family made it seem as though she were carrying a contagious disease.

Mrs. Sterling sat across from her with perfect posture and a cold expression. There wasn't the slightest trace of reluctance on her face.

To the Sterling family, daughters had never truly been family. They were investments—assets to be polished, packaged, and eventually married off for maximum profit. Everything Rue had learned growing up, from music and etiquette to painting, wine tasting, and foreign languages, had been carefully chosen to increase her value.

Two years ago, when the family had fallen on hard times, Mrs. Sterling had even drugged her and tried to send her to a middle-aged investor. Rue had only been sixteen. The memory still made her stomach turn. Fortunately, she'd escaped, and from that day forward, she'd been planning her departure. That was why discovering she wasn't actually a Sterling felt less like a tragedy and more like an early release from prison.

A faint smile tugged at her lips as she reached for the money.

Mrs. Sterling frowned. Apparently, she hadn't expected Rue to accept it so readily. Before Rue could put the cash away, Mrs. Sterling pressed a hand down on top of the stack.

"There's one more thing. Your engagement to the Galloway family will naturally be canceled."

Rue raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"And after everything the Sterling family has done for you," Mrs. Sterling continued, her voice turning sharper, "I trust you understand what should and shouldn't be said after you leave."

The threat was obvious.

Rue looked down at the money, then back at Mrs. Sterling. After a moment, she slowly pushed the stack across the table.

A hint of satisfaction appeared on Mrs. Sterling's face. She knew it. The girl still had some pride left.

Then Rue sighed.

"Actually, never mind."

Mrs. Sterling frowned. "Never mind what?"

Rue looked genuinely troubled. "Ten thousand isn't enough."

Silence filled the room.

Mrs. Sterling stared at her. "What?"

"You just told me my biological family is poor." Rue gestured toward the cash. "With prices these days, twenty thousand might barely keep me from starving. And people tend to talk when they're hungry."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.

"You little—"

"It's fine." Rue rose to her feet and picked up her worn canvas bag. "If the Sterling family can't afford it, I'll manage somehow. I'd hate to bankrupt you."

Mrs. Sterling's face turned green.

The servants immediately lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound.

A few seconds later, Mrs. Sterling abruptly opened her handbag and threw another stack of cash onto the table.

Twenty thousand dollars.

"Take it," she snapped. "And watch your mouth."

Rue's smile brightened immediately. Now that looked far more reasonable.

After tucking the money into her bag, she met Mrs. Sterling's gaze and said calmly, "Don't worry. With all the shameful things the Sterling family has done, I'd be afraid of dirtying my mouth by talking about them."

The last trace of a smile vanished from Mrs. Sterling's face.

Before she could respond, a soft voice interrupted.

"Mom, please don't be angry."

Ariana hurried forward. Dressed in a simple white dress, she looked delicate and harmless—the perfect picture of innocence.

"Maybe my sister just needs some time to adjust," she said gently. "After all, anyone would be upset after learning something like this."

Mrs. Sterling's expression softened immediately. Compared to Rue's sharp tongue, Ariana's gentle obedience was infinitely more pleasing.

Turning toward Rue, Ariana offered a sympathetic smile. "Rue, why don't you stay a few more days? I don't mind."

Rue almost laughed.

Of course Ariana didn't mind. Winners never minded showing a little sympathy to the losers.

"What a coincidence," Rue said lightly. "I don't mind either."

Ariana's smile immediately stiffened, and she shot a glance at Mrs. Sterling. Sure enough, Mrs. Sterling's expression darkened. If Rue stayed any longer, who knew how much more money she might squeeze out of them?

"That's enough," Mrs. Sterling said at once. "Ariana is only thinking of you, but you should return to your real family as soon as possible. They must be worried sick. After all, you've been separated for eighteen years. I know I'd have been worried every day if Ariana hadn't come back the moment we found her."

The atmosphere instantly became awkward.

Rue spread her hands. "Fair enough. You make a good point. You keep your daughter, and I'll keep the twenty thousand."

Several servants nearly choked.

Even Mrs. Sterling froze.

For a moment, nobody seemed to know how to respond.

Ignoring their expressions, Rue picked up her canvas bag and headed for the door.

"Rue!"

Ariana called out again, and this time there was unmistakable urgency in her voice.

Rue stopped and looked back.

Ariana took a deep breath. "Next month is my engagement banquet with Hans."

A shy smile appeared on her face.

"I hope you'll come."

The room immediately fell silent.

Everyone understood exactly what she meant. That engagement had once belonged to Rue. Now it belonged to Ariana. The invitation wasn't an act of kindness. It was a declaration of victory.

Ariana lowered her eyes and added softly, "After all, everyone used to think you'd be the one becoming Mrs. Galloway."

Several servants immediately turned toward Rue, waiting for her reaction.

Instead, Rue smiled.

"That's a great idea. Just make sure to send me an invitation."

Ariana blinked, clearly caught off guard.

Rue's smile widened slightly.

"Front-row seats usually have the best view."

For the first time, an uneasy feeling rose in Ariana's chest. For some reason, she no longer wanted Rue to attend.

Unfortunately, before she could say anything else, Rue had already turned and walked away without looking back, as though the Sterling family meant absolutely nothing to her.

That realization left everyone feeling strangely uncomfortable.

Including Mrs. Sterling.

The Sterling estate sat in the kind of neighborhood designed to keep ordinary people out. Tucked between wooded hills and a private lake, it was beautiful, exclusive, and miles from anything useful. No buses ran through the area. Taxis rarely came this far. If Rue wanted to walk back into the city, she'd be looking at a two-hour trek at minimum.

Under normal circumstances, that might have annoyed her.

Today, she couldn't bring herself to care.

In fact, she was in an unusually good mood.

That mood lasted right up until a bright red Mercedes pulled across the road and stopped directly in front of her.

The driver's door swung open.

Rue recognized the man immediately.

Hans Galloway.

Unfortunately.

"Well," he said with a grin, leaning against the car, "this is awkward."

Rue didn't answer.

Hans either didn't notice or didn't care.

"Who would've guessed you weren't actually a Sterling?"

He sounded far too pleased about it.

The engagement between the Sterling and Galloway families had originally been arranged with Rue in mind. The moment the DNA test results came out, however, everyone had quietly shifted their attention to Ariana.

Just like that, the future bride had changed.

Hans looked Rue over openly, his gaze lingering far longer than necessary.

The funny thing was that she looked better than ever.

She wasn't wearing designer clothes anymore. No jewelry. No expensive handbag. Just jeans, a T-shirt, and a ponytail.

It didn't matter.

If anything, the simplicity made her stand out more.

Sunlight caught the smooth curve of her cheek. Her skin was flawless, her features delicate without looking fragile. She looked like the kind of woman people noticed the moment she walked into a room.

Hans had known plenty of beautiful women.

None of them looked like Rue.

Even now, after she'd lost her place in the Sterling family, he couldn't stop thinking about her.

As far as he was concerned, her situation only made things easier.

Without the Sterling name, she had no powerful family backing her. No fortune waiting for her. No social status worth mentioning.

Sooner or later, she'd realize she needed someone.

Someone like him.

The thought made him smile.

"What a waste," he said, shaking his head. "You know, I've always liked you."

Rue almost laughed.

Always liked her?

Hans had spent the past two years acting like a dog that marked every tree it passed.

The only thing he'd ever been consistent about was embarrassing himself.

Apparently encouraged by her silence, he took a step closer.

"Honestly, the engagement doesn't mean anything to me. Sure, Ariana's the one wearing the ring now, but that wasn't my choice."

Rue stared at him.

The man actually sounded sincere.

That was somehow the most impressive part.

Hans lowered his voice.

"The truth is, the person I've cared about this whole time has always been you."

There it was.

The line he'd probably rehearsed in front of a mirror.

Rue wondered whether she should be offended or concerned.

Before she could decide, Hans reached toward her shoulder.

"Rue, trust me. Stay with me and I'll take care of you. You'll never have to worry about anything—"

His hand never made it.

Rue caught his wrist.

Hans blinked.

Then he frowned.

Then he tried pulling away.

Nothing happened.

His expression changed.

Rue's grip felt like steel.

Pain shot through his arm.

"What the hell—"

Smack.

The slap landed so hard that his head snapped sideways.

For a second, the entire world seemed to freeze.

Hans slowly turned back toward her.

A bright red handprint was already forming across half his face.

Rue released his wrist.

"Get lost."

The words were delivered calmly.

Which somehow made them worse.

Hans stared at her in disbelief.

Then the rage hit.

"You think you can hit me?"

His face twisted.

"Do you seriously think you're still some rich little princess?"

Rue sighed.

Here we go.

"You should be thanking me for even talking to you," Hans continued. "Without the Sterlings, what are you? Nobody. You think anybody's going to care what happens to you now?"

The more he spoke, the angrier he became.

Eventually he stopped making sense altogether.

Rue tuned out most of it.

She'd already decided this conversation had gone on far too long.

Hans suddenly lunged toward her.

Rue stepped aside effortlessly.

A trace of irritation flickered across her face.

A few days ago, she might have worried about the consequences of punching the heir to the Galloway family.

Now?

Not really.

She rolled her shoulders and prepared to solve the problem herself.

A loud engine suddenly interrupted the moment.

Both of them turned.

An old minivan came tearing down the road like it had something personal against the speed limit.

Tires screeched.

Hans yelped and dove out of the way.

The van skidded to a stop so close that he nearly fell over trying to escape it.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he shouted. "Are you trying to kill somebody?"

The driver's door flew open.

A tall man climbed out.

He didn't answer.

Instead, he walked straight toward him, grabbed him by the collar, and drove a fist directly into his face.

The punch landed with a sickening crack.

Hans collapsed backward.

"What—"

The second punch cut him off.

The third wasn't any gentler.

"If you've got something to say," the man growled, hauling Hans back upright, "say it again."

Hans looked completely stunned.

The man shoved him backward.

"I'd love to hear you explain why you were threatening my sister."

Rue froze.

My sister.

She knew she had an older brother.

Before leaving the Sterling family, she'd looked through the information she'd received about the Blackwoods. She knew his name was Cody. She knew he was five years older than her.

She knew the facts.

Facts, however, were very different from reality.

Watching Cody beat the brakes off Hans was a completely different experience.

Something unfamiliar stirred in her chest.

Warm. Protective. Safe.

Growing up with the Sterlings, she'd learned that family loyalty always came with conditions.

Everything was transactional.

Everything had a price.

When she'd complained about Hans before, Mrs. Sterling had reminded her that the Galloways were valuable business partners and that she should be more understanding.

Cody, meanwhile, hadn't asked a single question. He'd seen a man harassing his sister. That had been enough.

Hans tried fighting back once.

Then twice.

Neither attempt ended well.

A few minutes later, he was sprawled across the pavement looking like he'd lost a boxing match against a moving truck.

Rue finally stepped forward and grabbed Cody's arm.

"Okay."

Cody looked ready to keep going.

"Seriously," she said. "That's enough."

He took a breath, then another.

Eventually, he stepped back.

Only then did he seem to remember she was standing there. His expression changed instantly.

"Are you okay?"

The concern in his voice caught her off guard. He wasn't asking because he felt obligated. He genuinely wanted to know.

"I'm fine."

Cody looked relieved.

Good.

Because he'd been seconds away from committing several felonies.

On the ground, Hans groaned and struggled to his feet.

One eye was already swollen shut.

His expensive shirt looked like it had survived a small natural disaster.

Unfortunately, he still hadn't learned his lesson.

Pointing at Rue, he snarled, "This isn't over."

Rue sighed.

Apparently getting punched repeatedly hadn't improved his personality.

"One day," Hans continued, "you'll be begging me for help."

Cody immediately took a step forward.

Hans nearly jumped out of his skin.

Without another word, he spun around, stumbled into his Mercedes, and sped away so fast he almost clipped the curb.

Silence settled over the road.

Cody watched the car disappear.

"Should've hit him harder."

Rue laughed.

The sound surprised both of them.

After a moment, she nudged his arm.

"Let it go, Bro."

The word slipped out naturally.

Bro.

Not awkward.

Natural.

Cody's shoulders stiffened.

Then he looked away so quickly it was almost suspicious.

Was he... embarrassed?

Rue bit back a smile.

Without meeting her eyes, Cody walked over to the van and opened the passenger door.

"Mom and Dad are waiting for you."

For the first time since leaving the Sterling estate, Rue felt a flicker of nervousness.

Because unlike the Sterlings, these people actually wanted her.

Cody scratched the back of his neck.

Then he offered her a slightly awkward smile.

"Come on. Let's go home."

The Blackwoods lived in an aging apartment complex on the edge of a neighborhood scheduled for redevelopment.

The buildings didn't have elevators, the stairwells were cluttered with old bicycles and storage boxes, and years of neglect had left the entire complex looking tired. Paint peeled from the walls in long strips, and the faint smell of mildew lingered in the humid air.

Its biggest selling point was probably the rent.

After stepping out of the van, Rue found herself drawing more than a few curious glances. Even dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, she looked oddly out of place against the backdrop of weathered concrete and rusted railings.

Cody parked nearby and killed the engine.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Remembering the sprawling Sterling estate he'd just picked her up from, Cody stared at the apartment building and rubbed the back of his neck.

"It looks rough from the outside," he said. "But the apartment's actually pretty decent."

He hesitated.

"If you have trouble adjusting..."

The rest of the sentence never came out.

He'd been about to offer to help her find another place to live. It would strain his budget, and he'd probably have to pick up even more shifts, but he'd make it work somehow.

Before he could finish, Rue smiled.

"I think it's great."

And she meant it.

The Sterling mansion had been beautiful, but it had never felt like home. This place was cramped, worn down, and clearly short on money, yet somehow she felt more comfortable standing in front of it than she ever had behind the gates of the Sterling estate.

Cody lowered his gaze, assuming she was trying to spare his feelings.

The thought warmed him anyway.

After a brief silence, he cleared his throat.

"Did you see Ariana?"

Rue glanced at him.

"I did."

Cody nodded slowly.

The expression on his face was difficult to read.

He still remembered how excited Ariana had been the day the Sterlings came for her. She'd practically glowed the entire drive over, like someone who had finally escaped a life she couldn't wait to leave behind.

She hadn't taken a single keepsake with her.

Not a photograph.

Not a stuffed animal.

Nothing.

Even so, after raising her for all those years, it was impossible not to worry.

Especially after what he'd witnessed earlier.

Hans Galloway wasn't exactly known for his character.

After a moment, Cody asked quietly, "Is she doing okay?"

Rue considered the question.

"She seems happy."

That was probably the most honest answer she could give.

Cody nodded once and didn't press further.

A few moments later, he stopped outside one of the apartment doors.

"We're home."

The lock clicked.

As soon as the door opened, warm light spilled into the hallway along with the smell of home-cooked food.

A woman hurried out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron.

She stopped short the moment she saw Rue.

For several seconds, she simply stared.

Nervousness.

Every emotion seemed to pass through her eyes at once.

"Rue?" Her voice came out softer than expected.

At first glance, she already knew.

There was no need for a DNA test.

The young woman standing in front of her looked so much like she had at that age that it almost stole her breath.

While Rita studied her daughter, Rue quietly studied her in return.

This was her biological mother.

Despite having two grown children, Rita looked surprisingly young. There was a natural elegance about her that time hadn't managed to erase.

Only her swollen eyes gave away the sleepless nights.

She'd been crying.

Probably a lot.

Losing the daughter she'd raised for years couldn't have been easy.

Rue gave a small nod.

"Hi."

The simple greeting seemed to snap Rita out of her daze.

"Oh! Of course. Come in."

She immediately stepped aside and hurried to find a pair of slippers.

"Come in, sweetheart."

Then, more softly, almost as if she was afraid saying it too loudly would scare Rue away, she added, "This is your home too."

The words hung in the air.

Before anyone could dwell on them, Rita turned toward the kitchen.

"Gyle! Stop hiding in there and bring the food out. Rue's here."

A man emerged carrying a large serving platter.

This was Gyle Blackwood.

Rue's father.

Life had clearly taken its toll on him. He'd once built a successful business from the ground up before losing everything and being forced to start over.

Yet none of that seemed to matter at the moment.

The second he saw her, his eyes turned red.

"Rue?"

Embarrassed, he immediately looked away and rubbed at the corner of one eye.

"Come sit down," he said gruffly. "Dinner's ready."

Rue followed them to the dining table.

The meal spread before her was unexpectedly elaborate.

There was fish, shrimp, several meat dishes, vegetables, soup—the kind of dinner that clearly required hours of preparation.

For a family struggling financially, it was obvious they'd gone all out.

As they ate, Rita cautiously asked about her life with the Sterlings.

Rue answered politely enough, but her responses remained brief.

The distance was obvious. She wasn't interested in talking about them.

Eventually, Rita noticed and changed the subject without making a fuss.

Instead, she focused on filling Rue's plate every few minutes.

By the end of dinner, Rue was fairly certain she'd been fed enough for three people.

Afterward, Rita led her down the hallway.

"This was Ariana's room."

She pushed open the door.

"She left everything behind."

There was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

"If there's anything you don't like, we'll replace it."

Rita quickly added, "Whatever you want."

The offer clearly worried her.

Money was tight.

Replacing an entire room would be expensive.

But she was even more worried about making her newly returned daughter feel unwelcome.

Rue stepped inside and looked around.

The apartment wasn't particularly large, but this was easily the biggest bedroom in the unit.

The walls were covered in decorative wallpaper.

The furniture matched.

A vanity sat near the window, lined with luxury skincare products and cosmetics. The closet was packed with fashionable clothes, many of them still looking brand new.

Plush toys occupied nearly every available shelf.

Even the bedding was silk.

Compared to this room, the master bedroom looked surprisingly modest.

Cody's room was even simpler; a bed, a desk, a wardrobe.

That was about it.

Yet when Ariana had left for the Sterling estate, she'd been wearing an old dress with faded fabric and fraying sleeves.

Looking back, Rue was fairly certain it had belonged to Rita.

As Rita busied herself replacing the sheets with fresh ones, Rue set down her bag and moved to help.

At that moment, her phone vibrated.

The caller ID made her eyebrow lift.

Mrs. Sterling.

Rue answered.

The explosion came immediately.

"So you've finally grown a backbone, have you?"

Mrs. Sterling's voice blasted through the speaker loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear.

"You actually had Hans beaten? Do you really think anyone can protect you now that you've left the Sterling family?"

The room went still.

Rita froze.

Gyle's expression darkened.

Mrs. Sterling continued without pause.

"Get to the hospital right now and apologize to Hans. If you don't, I'll have the hospital stop covering Zach's treatment. And as for that useless brother of yours, he can start preparing for a lawsuit."

Rue's expression immediately hardened.

Zach Sterling was the youngest son of the Sterling family. Born with a severe heart condition, he'd spent most of his life in hospitals waiting for a donor that never seemed to come.

The rest of the family had all but written him off years ago.

To them, he was a tragedy. A burden. A son who would never contribute anything of value.

Yet out of everyone in the Sterling family, Zach had been the only person who had ever treated Rue like she mattered.

The line went dead.

For a moment, the room was silent except for the faint buzz of the disconnected call.

Then Cody swore under his breath.

"Unbelievable." His jaw tightened. "He was the one harassing you, and somehow they're demanding that you apologize?"

Rita and Gyle had already heard what happened from Cody earlier. Now that they'd listened to Mrs. Sterling's threats firsthand, their anger only grew.

The Galloways weren't a family the Blackwoods could afford to offend. Even when the Blackwoods had been at the height of their success, they hadn't been operating on the same level.

Now the gap between them was even wider.

Cody pushed back his chair and stood.

"I'll go."

The decision was written all over his face.

"I'm the one who hit him. If Rue goes, that creep will just find another excuse to humiliate her. Worst case, they call the police."

He shrugged. "I'll deal with it."

Rita's face went pale. "Cody—"

"I'll go too." Rue's calm voice cut through the room.

Everyone looked at her.

She met Rita's worried gaze and said, "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

There was nothing dramatic about the way she said it.

Just quiet certainty.

For some reason, it was enough.

Even Cody, who had been preparing to argue, found himself holding his tongue.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the hospital.

Before they reached the room, Hans's voice echoed down the hallway.

"When that bitch gets here, I'm going to make her regret being born."

His tone was vicious enough to make passing nurses glance toward the door.

A softer voice followed.

"Hans, calm down. You'll hurt yourself."

Ariana.

Cody stopped walking.

Rue glanced at him. "You stay out here."

The words caught him off guard.

A flicker of guilt crossed his face. He was the reason they'd come here in the first place. He'd thrown the punches. Yet Rue was the one walking into the lion's den.

Worse, she clearly understood what he was feeling.

Ariana might not be his biological sister, but she'd still been part of his family for years. Seeing her again under these circumstances couldn't be easy.

Before Cody could protest, Rue pushed open the door.

The conversation inside came to an abrupt halt.

Hans was sprawled across a hospital bed looking thoroughly miserable. One leg was suspended in traction, and enough bandages wrapped around his head to make him resemble a poorly assembled mummy.

Ariana sat beside him with a worried expression.

The moment she saw Rue, however, her face changed.

"Hans is hurt because of you."

The accusation came quickly.

"Just because I'm the one engaged to him now doesn't give you the right to have someone attack him."

Rue raised an eyebrow.

Ariana pressed on. "I know this situation is difficult for you. If you're angry, take it out on me. Why drag Hans into it?"

Rue stared at her for a moment, then she laughed.

"You're serious?

The sound instantly made Ariana uncomfortable. She frowned. "What does that mean?"

Rue gestured toward Hans.

"You think I'm jealous because you're marrying him?"

Her gaze moved back to Ariana. "Ariana, if you want the guy, he's all yours."

Then her eyes flicked toward Hans again.

"I'm not in the habit of competing for garbage."

The room went silent.

Hans's face turned purple.

Ariana looked stunned.

Even Mrs. Sterling, who had been standing near the window, stiffened.

Hans nearly launched himself off the bed.

"You shameless—" He pointed at her with a shaking finger. "I've already called the police. If you don't want your whole family dragged down with you, get on your knees and apologize right now."

Rue looked unimpressed.

Hans mistook her silence for fear. A cruel smile spread across his face. "Maybe if I'm in a good enough mood, I'll let this go."

Mrs. Sterling finally stepped in. Her expression was icy. "Rue, you've caused enough trouble."

The disapproval in her voice was unmistakable.

"If this affects the partnership between the Sterling and Galloway families, you'll be responsible for the consequences."

Rue almost admired the logic. Hans harassed her, threatened her, and he got beaten for it. Somehow she was still the problem.

"Listen to me carefully," Mrs. Sterling continued. "The Sterling family won't be able to help you if you keep making reckless decisions."

The hospital room door suddenly swung open.

Cody walked in.

"I'm the one you're looking for."

His voice was steady.

Every head turned toward him.

"I hit him." He stepped farther into the room. "If you want to call the police, go ahead. I'll deal with it."

Then he moved without hesitation and positioned himself in front of Rue.

The gesture was simple. Instinctive. Protective.

For a brief moment, nobody spoke.

Cody's gaze eventually landed on Ariana.

She immediately looked away.

Something inside him sank.

This was the girl his family had raised.

The girl his parents had loved as their own daughter.

Yet here she was, sitting beside a man who had threatened Rue and acting as though he were the victim.

"Ariana." His voice softened slightly. "Do you really want to marry this guy?"

He glanced toward Hans.

"Do you even know what kind of person he—"

"Cody." Ariana interrupted him before he could finish.

The word sounded strangely distant.

She bit her lip and hesitated. Then she quietly said, "Why don't you just apologize?"

Cody stared at her. For a second, he genuinely thought he'd misheard.

"As long as you're sincere, I'll ask Hans not to press charges."

The disappointment hit harder than he expected.

Ariana seemed oblivious.

"I'm trying to help you," she insisted.

"If you go to prison, what will Mom and Dad—"

She caught herself. A flicker of awkwardness crossed her face.

"What will your parents do?"

A cold voice cut through the room.

"He isn't going to prison."

Everyone turned.

Rue stepped forward.

Her gaze swept calmly across the room before settling on Mrs. Sterling.

Something about the look in her eyes made Mrs. Sterling's stomach tighten.

For the first time since Rue entered the room, uncertainty crept into her expression.

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

Without a word, Rue reached into her bag, pulled out a thick stack of documents, and tossed them onto Hans's hospital bed.

Mrs. Sterling frowned and picked them up. She barely made it through the first few pages before the color drained from her face.

They were internal financial records from Sterling Corporation.

Years of hidden transactions.

Off-the-books accounts.

Tax fraud.

Information that should never have left the company's private files.

Slowly, she looked up. "Where did you get these?"

Rue leaned casually against the wall. "Does it matter?"

Mrs. Sterling's hand tightened around the papers.

Those records represented one of the company's biggest vulnerabilities. If they ever found their way into the hands of regulators, the fallout would be catastrophic.

Her expression darkened.

"Are you threatening me?"

Rue shrugged. "If that's what you want to call it."

The truth was she'd been sitting on the evidence for quite a while. She simply hadn't had a reason to use it until now.

"And that's not all."

She unlocked her phone and opened a video, then she turned the volume all the way up.

The room immediately filled with breathless moans and unmistakably intimate sounds.

A man and woman appeared on screen, stumbling out of a luxury sedan with their arms wrapped around each other. They barely made it across the parking garage before they started kissing.

"Baby..." The woman's voice drifted from the speaker. "You're incredible..."

Hans's face instantly turned bright red. "Turn that off!"

He practically launched himself off the bed.

"Where the hell did you get that video?"

Rue sidestepped casually.

Hans missed her entirely and crashed onto the floor.

The impact aggravated several of his injuries.

His scream echoed through the room.

Normally, a wealthy heir having a mistress wouldn't have been much of a scandal.

The problem was timing.

The Galloways were preparing to launch a major development project, and news of the engagement between the Galloway and Sterling families had only recently been made public.

If footage of Hans sneaking around with another woman surfaced now, every competitor in the city would jump on it.

Mrs. Sterling glanced at Hans before grinding her teeth.

"Fine."

The word sounded painful.

"We'll drop the complaint."

No one spoke.

Mrs. Sterling forced herself to continue.

"This ends here." Her eyes locked onto Rue's. "Are you satisfied now?"

Rue ignored the question. Instead, she turned toward Cody.

"We're leaving."

Cody nodded immediately.

Without another glance at anyone in the room, he followed her toward the door.

Behind them, a chair scraped against the floor.

"Brother Cody..."

Ariana had risen to her feet.

Cody paused.

For a brief second, it seemed like he might turn around.

Instead, he continued walking.

He never looked back.

Ariana's face went pale.

Once upon a time, Cody had adored her.

Whenever he found something good to eat, she got the first bite.

Whenever he bought something nice, he always thought of her first.

Even after the family's bankruptcy, he'd worked extra shifts rather than let her go without.

Yet now there was only distance in his silence.

Ariana dug her fingernails into her palms.

As she stared at Rue's retreating figure, resentment flickered in her eyes.

It was her fault.

First she'd stolen the life that should have belonged to Ariana.

Now she was taking Cody away too.

Rue could practically feel the glare burning into her back.

She couldn't have cared less.

After turning the corner near the stairwell, she stopped.

"Go wait downstairs."

Cody frowned. "What about you?"

"I need to visit someone."

Only then did he realize who she meant.

Zach Sterling.

Since Ariana's return, everything had happened so quickly that Rue hadn't had a chance to see him.

Cody hesitated before nodding.

"Okay."

Zach's room was located on one of the upper floors. He was only fifteen years old, yet he'd spent more of his life inside hospitals than outside them.

When Rue arrived, the attending physician greeted her with a familiar smile. He clearly hadn't heard the news about her leaving the Sterling family.

"Miss Sterling."

The title sounded strange now.

"Your brother's condition is stable at the moment," the doctor said. "But years of medication have made treatment less effective. If a compatible donor isn't found soon, his condition will continue to deteriorate."

Rue lowered her eyes. She already knew.

Reaching into her bag, she removed a small celadon medicine bottle and handed it over.

"Same dosage as before."

The doctor accepted it.

"I'll come back next week."

After she left, the doctor unscrewed the cap and poured two pills into his palm.

Under the fluorescent lights, they appeared almost translucent.

A faint herbal fragrance drifted from them.

Just smelling them felt oddly calming.

"Vital Essence Pills..."

He shook his head in amazement.

Each pill was worth a fortune on the black market.

Even people with money couldn't always get their hands on them.

He'd often wondered where the Sterling family found the resources to supply such medicine so regularly.

A shocked voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

"Vital Essence Pills?"

The doctor jumped. Before he could react, a man rushed forward, snatched the pills from his hand, and examined them beneath the light. His entire body started trembling.

"That's them." His voice cracked. "These are the pills."

The doctor stared. "What pills?"

"The medicine that saved my boss's life."

The man's eyes were red with excitement. He grabbed the doctor by both shoulders.

"Where did you get these?"

The doctor blinked several times before recognition finally struck. This man was one of the attendants assigned to the mysterious VIP patient who had recently been admitted.

The patient's identity was so sensitive that even hospital staff had been warned not to ask questions.

Rumor had it he was dying. He'd been unconscious for weeks and was surviving only through intensive care.

The doctor wasn't even important enough to participate in his treatment.

Seeing that he still hadn't answered, the man became visibly agitated.

"Tell me!"

The doctor nearly stumbled backward. "They were brought here by Miss Sterling. The Sterling family's daughter."