Chapter 3

Julian affectionately ruffled Chloe’s hair.

"Are you bullying people again?"

He sighed, looking helpless.

"When are you going to grow up?"

The arrogant brat was gone, replaced by a sweet, pouty little girl.

"I don't want to grow up. With you, Mom, and Dad protecting me, I want to be your little princess forever."

The moment I heard Chloe call him "Julian," my heart stopped. I struggled to turn my head to look at him.

But Chloe's rough handling had aggravated my broken ribs.

The pain was so intense I started blacking out, cold sweat dripping down my back. I couldn't even make a sound.

If it weren't for the burning desire to reunite with my brother, I would have passed out right then.

But... my brother, whom I hadn't seen in twenty years, was standing just feet away.

Yet, I couldn't reach him.

I had to watch him shower Chloe with all the warmth, gentleness, and protection in the world.

He wasn't Chloe’s brother.

He was mine.

He was five years older than me.

He used to spoil me rotten, giving me all the best food and toys.

When we were kids, he loved to ruffle my hair too.

He would smile gently and say, "You will always be happy, Seraphina. I'll be your knight forever."

But now, all that tenderness belonged to someone else.

A wave of bitter resentment washed over me.

Why did they adopt Chloe? Why did they give all the love that belonged to me to another girl?

Was that fair to me?

I struggled on the bed, letting out muffled whimpers, desperately trying to get his attention.

And I did.

Through my blurry vision, I saw him slowly walk over to my bed.

He stopped right beside me.

"Miss, I apologize on Chloe's behalf."

"She's young and spoiled by our family, so she can be reckless. But she doesn't mean any real harm."

He pulled a black card from his pocket and placed it on my pillow.

"There's two million dollars in here. I hope this covers your trouble."

Looking at Julian—his face expressionless, his voice cold and detached—my heart shattered alongside my body.

"Julian, I already gave her two hundred thousand! Why give her more? A charity case like her isn't worth that much if she sold her soul!"

"Chloe."

Julian scolded her, but his voice was filled with indulgence, completely different from the icy tone he used with me.

Chloe stuck her tongue out playfully and sneered at me.

"Stop playing dead. I barely touched you. At most, you have a couple of scratches."

Julian looked at my pale face and the cold sweat on my forehead. He seemed to realize something was off.

Maybe... I wasn't faking it.

But so what?

To him, I was just a stranger. And Julian King never cared about the lives of strangers.

He turned and took Chloe’s hand.

"Let's go. Today is Seraphina's memorial day. We need to visit the cemetery."

Chloe gasped, hitting her forehead.

"Oh my god, I almost forgot! Seraphina won't be mad at me in heaven, right?"

"I'm sure she won't. You're sweet and kind. Besides, she was the one who sent you to us. Why would she be mad?"

Julian smiled warmly, pinching her cheek.

"Exactly. You're the little princess Seraphina sent us."

"Eighteen years ago today, we went to her grave and found you, a three-year-old, sleeping right by her tombstone."

"The moment we saw you, we thought Seraphina had come back to us."

"Especially your eyes. They look just like hers."

Julian's eyes went distant, as if he were looking through Chloe at the little sister he missed so desperately.

After a long moment, he pulled himself back and sighed. "Let's go."