Chapter 1

Three months after my biological parents brought me home, I came down with a dangerously high fever. When I finally woke up, something was different about my eyes.

I could suddenly see the "ultimate beneficiary" of every gift I received.

My birth mother came into my room with a bottle of supplements and took my hand, guilt written all over her face.

"I know I haven't treated you fairly since you came home. I've spent too much time worrying about Cassidy. I want to make that right."

But hovering above the bottle was a line of glowing blue text.

[Ultimate Beneficiary: Cassidy Lynch.]

She was the daughter my parents adopted.

[Hidden Purpose: Get Evelyn healthy enough for next week's bone marrow procedure.]

A chill ran through me, but I kept my expression blank and pretended I hadn't seen a thing.

Over the next few days, my family treated me so well that it was almost unsettling.

The designer dress my brother gave me came with its own label.

[Beneficiary: Cassidy.

[Purpose: Make Cassidy look polished and elegant by making Evelyn look tacky beside her at the family reception.]

Then my father transferred shares in the family company into my name.

Another label appeared.

[Beneficiary: Cassidy.

[Purpose: Put Evelyn as the company's legal representative so she takes the fall when a 600 million-dollar tax fraud scandal breaks.]

Then tonight, my brother, who had never been able to stand me, suddenly pulled me into a tight hug, his eyes red with tears.

"We're sending Cassidy abroad tomorrow. From now on, you're the only sister I care about."

At that exact moment, a huge scarlet warning flashed above his head so violently that my eyes began to ache.

[Ultimate Beneficiary: Cassidy.

[Final Purpose: Keep Evelyn unsuspecting long enough to get her signature on the organ donation paperwork tomorrow.]

Chapter 1

I didn't push my brother, Howard Lynch, away. I simply let him hold me while my eyes stayed fixed on the red panel hovering above his head.

"Get some sleep. Everything's going to be fine tomorrow."

Howard let go of me and reached out to tousle my hair. His eyes were still red, but the gentle smile had returned to his face.

"Okay. Goodnight." I nodded, opened the door, stepped inside, and locked it behind me.

The obedient look disappeared from my face the moment I leaned back against the door.

So they were even worse than I thought.

I crossed the room to my desk and pulled open the bottom drawer. Inside was the expedited lab report I received yesterday.

Three months ago, the Lynches brought me back from the small town where I grew up.

My biological parents, Wesley and Rachel Lynch, held my hands and cried, apologizing over and over for everything I had been through.

Cassidy Lynch, the daughter they raised in my place, stood beside them with tears in her eyes, softly calling my name.

Three days ago, I came down with a dangerously high fever.

When I woke up, Rachel walked into my room carrying a bottle of supplements.

She sat on the edge of my bed, shook two capsules into her palm, and took my hand, guilt written all over her face.

"Sweetheart, you've been through enough. I'm going to make it up to you. These are supposed to help with your recovery and get your blood counts back up."

That was the first time I saw the strange panel.

I didn't say anything or refuse the supplements.

Instead, I took the two capsules from her and pretended to swallow them with a glass of water.

The moment Rachel turned away, I slipped the capsules out of my mouth and tucked them into a tissue.

The next day, I sent them to a private lab for testing.

Now, the results were in. The capsules contained dangerously high doses of several powerful anticoagulants.

They weren't vitamins or recovery supplements at all. Taken regularly, they would interfere with my blood's ability to clot. If I underwent an invasive procedure or major surgery in that condition, even routine bleeding could become extremely difficult to control.

Rachel wasn't trying to help me recover. She was setting me up to die on the operating table and making sure it looked like a surgical complication.

I folded the lab report and slipped it into the inside pocket of my coat.

The next morning, Wesley called me into his study.

He wasn't alone. Albert Sanders, the Lynch family's longtime attorney, was there with him.

Chapter 2

Several thick documents were spread across the desk.

Wesley gestured for me to sit, then poured me a cup of coffee himself.

"Evelyn, you've been back with us for three months now. I've been thinking about it, and just saying I want to make things up to you isn't enough."

He slid a stack of papers across the desk, his voice warm and reassuring.

"These documents transfer ownership of one of my companies to you. They'll also put you down as the company's president and controlling shareholder.

"Once you sign, it'll be yours.

"That way, no matter what happens to me in the future, you'll always have something of your own."

At that moment, another line of blue text appeared above the documents.

[Beneficiary: Cassidy.

[Purpose: Put Evelyn as the company's legal representative so she takes the fall when a 600 million-dollar tax fraud scandal breaks.]

I stared at the words for a moment, then picked up the pen and clicked it open.

"Dad, you've really thought of everything."

I lowered my head, letting the pen hover over the signature line.

"There are a few things in here I don't really understand. Dad, would you mind if I asked Mr. Sanders about them in private? If I'm going to take over a company, I should probably know what I'm signing."

Wesley paused, then smiled approvingly.

"Of course. I'm glad you're taking this seriously." He turned to Albert. "Walk her through everything. I'm going downstairs to check on lunch."

Wesley left the study and closed the door behind him. That left just Albert and me.

Albert adjusted his glasses and gave me a practiced, professional smile. "What would you like me to explain, Ms. Lynch?"

I didn't look at the paperwork. I looked straight at him.

A line of text was hovering above his head as well.

[Beneficiary: Cassidy.

[Purpose: Help Wesley conceal Cassidy's involvement in the tax fraud and shift the legal liability onto Evelyn.]

I studied the words as I slowly rolled the pen between my fingers.

"Page three, section seven. The part about assuming the company's liabilities. The signature page isn't bound to the rest of the agreement."

I looked up at him.

"Once I sign it, you can swap out the surrounding pages and attach my signature to a different version. One that protects Cassidy and leaves me on the hook for the entire 600 million-dollar tax fraud scheme. Isn't that the plan?"

Albert's face changed instantly. He shot to his feet so fast that he knocked over the coffee beside him, spilling it across the desk.

"Ms. Lynch, I have no idea what you're talking about. Mr. Lynch instructed me to prepare these documents."

His voice was steady, but only barely.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about."

I pulled out my phone and started playing a recording. I had turned on the recorder before I entered the study.

I set the phone on the desk.

"Falsifying documents and helping someone commit tax fraud are both crimes. If I turn these papers and this recording over to federal investigators, how many years do you think you'll get?"

Sweat broke out across Albert's forehead.

"What do you want?"

His voice dropped to barely above a whisper.

"Put Cassidy's name on the paperwork as the person legally responsible for the company and its debts, and redo the agreement so none of the pages can be swapped out later."

I held his gaze.

"Do that, and I'll pretend I never noticed anything and sign like the obedient daughter they expect me to be. Don't, and I'll walk downstairs and call the police."

Albert stared at me.

Just then, Cassidy passed by the glass door of the study. His eyes followed her automatically.

There was something unsettling about the way he looked at her. It wasn't simple concern or affection. It was possessive, almost as if he thought she belonged to him.

His jaw tightened.

After a long moment, he pulled a clean copy of the agreement from his briefcase and began revising it.

This time, Cassidy's name was listed as the person legally responsible for the company's obligations, and the documents were structured so the signed pages couldn't simply be switched out afterward.

When he was finished, he slid the new agreement across the desk.

"Ms. Lynch, sign here."

Chapter 3

That afternoon, Howard knocked on my bedroom door. He was carrying a large black garment box.

When he opened it, I found a striking red designer gown inside.

"Evelyn, Dad's hosting a reception tonight to formally introduce you to everyone as his daughter."

Howard took the gown out of the box and held it up in front of me.

"I had it custom-made for you. You're going to look incredible. Everyone there is going to be watching you tonight."

A line of text appeared above the neckline.

[Beneficiary: Cassidy.

[Purpose: Make Cassidy look polished and elegant by making Evelyn look tacky beside her at the family reception.

[A tiny microphone hidden in the neckline will record Evelyn's voice, which will later be altered with AI to fabricate a final statement saying she willingly donated her heart.]

I ran my fingers over the fabric. "Thanks, Howard. I love it."

I looked up at him with a bright smile.

For a split second, Howard couldn't meet my eyes.

He cleared his throat. "Good. Put it on. The makeup artist will be here soon. Cassidy still needs some help getting ready, so I'm going to check on her."

He turned and left in a hurry.

The second the door closed, I picked up the red gown and slowly traced the stitching around the neckline with my fingers.

Just below the tag at the back, I felt something hard, about the size of a shirt button.

I grabbed a pair of small eyebrow scissors from the drawer, carefully snipped open the seam, and pulled out a tiny black microphone.

It was still recording. I closed my hand around it and stepped into the hallway.

Cassidy's bedroom was at the far end. The door was slightly ajar, and I could hear her and Howard talking inside.

I walked over quietly and stopped just outside the door.

Cassidy sat at her vanity while Howard clasped a necklace around her neck. Beside her sat a white Birkin, her favorite bag, the one she carried everywhere.

"Do you think Evelyn's going to steal the spotlight in that red dress tonight?" Cassidy asked sweetly.

"No. That red dress is way too flashy. If anything, it'll just make you look classier."

Howard's voice softened.

"Besides, after tonight, you won't have to worry about her taking attention away from you anymore. She won't be around much longer. They'll be taking her heart soon."

I stood outside the door, listening without a flicker of emotion. When they both turned away to look through a jewelry case, I slipped inside and picked up the white Birkin.

Using the eyebrow scissors, I carefully opened a few stitches in the inner lining and tucked the tiny microphone inside. Then I quickly stitched the seam closed again with the needle and thread I brought with me.

The whole thing took less than 30 seconds.

I slipped back out and returned to my bedroom.

Chapter 4

At 8 p.m., the Lynch estate was glowing with lights.

The ballroom downstairs was packed, with drinks flowing and conversation buzzing through the room. Nearly every major business figure in the city had shown up.

I stood quietly off to the side in the bright red gown.

Cassidy, meanwhile, wore an elegant white designer dress. Surrounded by wealthy young socialites complimenting her from every direction, she looked polished, graceful, and perfectly innocent.

Red against white. Flashy against refined. Howard planned the contrast perfectly.

By 9 p.m., the party was in full swing.

Wesley stepped onto the stage with a microphone, and the ballroom lights dimmed.

"Thank you all for coming tonight."

Wesley smiled broadly as his voice carried through the room.

"We're here to celebrate the return of my biological daughter, Evelyn, but I also have an important announcement to make."

He paused and looked straight at me.

"To make up for everything Evelyn has been through, I've decided to establish a charitable medical fund in her name.

"Because Evelyn is grateful to Cassidy for spending the past ten years with us and looking after the family in her absence, she has voluntarily agreed to transfer half of her shares to Cassidy."

A murmur of surprise rippled through the room, followed by a burst of applause.

"Mr. Lynch is incredibly generous."

"And Miss Evelyn is remarkably gracious. She actually appreciates everything Miss Cassidy has done for the family."

"The Lynches really did raise their daughters well. What an admirable family."

Praise came from every direction.

Wesley gave a subtle signal to the crowd. Albert immediately walked over with a document in hand.

At the same time, Rachel approached, carrying two glasses of champagne. Her eyes were red as she handed one to me.

"Evelyn, I want to make a toast to you. You're a wonderful daughter. I'm so proud of you."

Somehow, Howard had moved in behind me. His hands came down on my shoulders, gripping hard enough to keep me from stepping away.

"Go ahead and sign it, Evelyn. Then have a drink with Mom." Howard leaned close, his voice low and barely able to hide his excitement. "Do that, and you'll always be the daughter this family is proud of."

I didn't move. I just looked from one of them to the next.

The line above Wesley's head read, [Purpose: Force Evelyn to sign, then have her taken into surgery tomorrow.]

Above Rachel's head, it showed, [Purpose: Make sure Evelyn drinks the champagne spiked with a powerful sedative and anticoagulants so she can't fight back tonight.]

And the one above Howard's was, [Purpose: Keep Evelyn under control. If she resists, knock her out in front of everyone.]

I took the champagne from Rachel with one hand and the pen Albert held out with the other.

"Sure. I'll sign it right now."