Chapter 1

On the day of my wedding anniversary, I receive a strange photo from a friend back home.

"Why is your wife working at a nightclub?" his message reads.

In the photo he sent, my wife, Gwendolyn Shaw, is wearing a tight-fitting skirt. She looks utterly miserable as a group of men forces alcohol down her throat.

I am the richest man in Shenton City. So why on earth is my wife entertaining men for money at a nightclub?

Before I can question her about it, she sends me a selfie from a hospital checkup.

"It's been three whole years since you left the country, honey. I miss you so much…"

I stare at the photo in disbelief.

My beautiful wife has shaved her head. Her skin is dry and sallow, and she's draped in a filthy black trash bag.

I rub my eyes again and again, unable to believe that this is what has become of my beautiful, elegant wife.

I've always encouraged Gwen to be frugal, but surely she didn't need to go to such lengths to save money?

Shocked, I immediately book the earliest flight back home.

The moment I arrive at the airport, my father's adopted daughter, Peyton Young, comes to pick me up.

She's all decked out in designer clothes and lavish jewelry. But the instant she opens her arms to hug me, I freeze.

The limited-edition watch on her wrist is worth millions—and it's the exact watch I gave Gwen as a birthday present last year.

Chapter 1

I pushed my suspicions aside. Forcing a smile onto my face, I exchanged pleasantries with my adopted sister, Peyton Young.

Throughout the drive home, I tried calling my wife, Gwendolyn Shaw, but she never answered.

The moment I returned to the home I hadn't seen in years, I discovered that the giant bedroom I shared with Gwen had been turned into Peyton's walk-in closet.

The room was crammed with all kinds of high heels and designer items that Peyton had bought for herself. Feeling irritated, I rummaged through the mess before I caught sight of the luxury bags I'd given Gwen over the years.

As the strange feeling in my gut grew stronger, I called my father, Jeremy Young.

"Didn't I tell you to give the watch to Gwen? Why is it on Peyton's wrist?" I demanded. "Also, why did you turn me and Gwen's bedroom into a walk-in closet? Where on earth is Gwen sleeping now?"

To my surprise, he started accusing me of making a fuss out of nothing.

"Your sister just borrowed it from Gwen to wear it around for a couple of days. Why are you getting worked up when your wife doesn't have a problem with it?" he snapped.

That watch was a gift that I had carefully picked out for Gwen. On top of that, I even had our names engraved on it. I refused to believe that she would willingly lend it to Peyton.

Before I could press him for an explanation, he brushed me off once again. "I don't really care about where Gwen is sleeping. It's not like I left her out on the street!"

"I just found out two days ago that the general manager position I'd arranged for Gwen had been reassigned to Peyton. Was that your doing?" I asked again, suppressing my anger.

After seeing those strange photos, I had called my company headquarters to ask about the matter. That was when I learned that Gwen had been fired ages ago.

Why was my wife working at a nightclub instead of the company?

I was determined to get to the bottom of this, but by then, my father was clearly losing his patience.

"Your wife was the one who complained that the job was too tiring and insisted on quitting. Lucky for us, Peyton was generous enough to step up and take her place. Instead of interrogating me, why don't you send your sister some gifts to thank her?"

With that, he hung up irritably.

I didn't believe a single word he'd said. If anything, I was convinced that he was taking Peyton's side because he was biased toward her.

My father had doted on Peyton ever since he brought her into our family when she was 18.

He'd always been incredibly strict with me, yet he treated Peyton like a princess. He gave her the best of everything and even assigned her a private driver and bodyguards.

I'd bought into his belief that sons shouldn't be spoiled. So, I'd never had a problem with the preferential treatment she'd received after she'd lost both of her parents.

I was willing to put up with a less comfortable life, but that didn't mean that I was willing to let my wife suffer alongside me.

Before I left the country to establish a branch office overseas, I'd told my father that Gwen was the woman I loved more than anyone in this entire world. Because of that, I'd specifically asked him to make sure that she was treated well.

Back then, he laughed and assured me that the Young family had more than enough money to pamper my wife. As the Young family's daughter-in-law, Gwen would have nothing but an easy life.

Now, it seemed that I couldn't even hold my own father to his word.

After I left the walk-in closet, I realized that every member of the household staff had been replaced by people I didn't recognize.

I grabbed one of the housekeepers and asked hurriedly, "Where is Gwendolyn's room?"

The housekeeper flashed me an awkward look. She stumbled over her words and refused to give me a straight answer.

Growing increasingly anxious, I had no choice but to dig up the phone numbers of our old household staff and call them one by one.

Eventually, I called Thomas Baxton, an old butler who had always treated me like his own grandson. The instant he heard my voice, he burst into tears.

"You're finally home, Mr. Young," he cried. "Now that you're back, Mrs. Young won't have to live in fear anymore…"

Chapter 2

Upon hearing Thomas' choked-up voice, I was immediately overcome with a looming sense of dread. However, no matter how I pressed him for answers, he continued speaking in riddles. In the end, he could only ask for my understanding.

"There are some things that I simply can't say. After all… there are some people that I can't afford to cross," he told me. "I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from, Mr. Young…"

"I don't understand!" I shouted, my anxiety getting the better of me. "I don't even know where my wife is! What on earth happened here?"

Thomas sighed repeatedly. Afterward, he apologized several times and hung up.

Feeling frustrated, I wandered through the enormous villa alone. I searched the entire building, but I couldn't find Gwen's bedroom anywhere. To make matters worse, even our wedding photos were nowhere to be seen.

The entire house was filled with Peyton's portraits and scenic photographs from her travels around the world. It was evident that my father had taken Peyton on countless trips during my time away.

Although I had been abroad for the last few years, I had never stopped thinking about my wife. Aside from sending her money and buying her gifts, I hadn't shown her nearly enough care.

The thought that she might have been mistreated while living alone with my family filled me with guilt and heartache. I immediately sent my assistant to a jewelry store and had him pick out an entire set of jewelry weighing more than a pound.

Gwen had always loved gold jewelry, but she'd never bought herself any for the sake of saving money. I was confident that she'd be delighted by the gift I had bought her.

I waited until late into the night before Gwen finally came home. The moment she saw me, tears streamed down her face.

"Theodore… you're finally back. Please don't leave me alone again…"

She buried her face in my chest and sobbed uncontrollably.

Even after seeing her in person, I still couldn't believe my eyes.

The woman I'd pampered for years had been reduced to a gaunt, haggard woman with a bald head. She reeked of garbage, and her body was painfully thin.

Every inch of her exposed skin was covered in bruises and scars. To make matters worse, even her voice had become hoarse and timid. It seemed as though she was living in constant fear.

My heart broke for her, but I was furious too.

"I'm home, honey. You don't have to be afraid anymore." I comforted her.

It took me some time before I finally managed to calm Gwen down. Just as I was about to open the box of gold jewelry I had bought for her, I heard the sound of high heels clicking on the floor.

Peyton strode through the front door with a face full of heavy makeup. She marched over to the box and opened it without any hesitation.

"My dear little brother, I can't believe you bought me such an expensive gift! Why didn't you give it to me at the airport earlier?" she exclaimed.

Her eyes lit up at the sight of the gold jewelry. Without even asking, she slipped one of the bracelets onto her wrist.

I snatched the bracelet back from her. "This is not for you. I bought it for my wife."

Peyton scoffed. "What's hers is practically mine!" she declared obnoxiously. "I'm sure she won't mind. Right, Gwen?"

The Gwendolyn I remembered was a sweet and kind woman. But despite her gentle nature, she had never been a pushover.

I expected her to give Peyton a sharp retort as she had always done. But to my surprise, she shrank back and bit her lip in fear.

"Peyton's right. What's mine is yours. If you like them, you can have them," she said meekly.

Gwen didn't even dare to come any closer to me. Instead, she grabbed a cloth and hurried over to Peyton. Then, she dropped to her knees in front of her and began wiping her shoes.

I was furious.

"What are you doing, honey?" I roared.

I pulled Gwen away from Peyton. But once she caught sight of Peyton's darkened expression, she started to tremble in fear.

Ignoring my protests, she hurriedly dropped back onto her knees and continued to clean Peyton's shoes. "It's okay, honey. Taking care of your family is what I'm supposed to do."

My heart shattered at the sight of Gwen behaving like a meek servant.

She was the kind of woman who used to complain for ages if there was so much as a chip in her manicure. But now, she wouldn't even voice a single complaint to me.

She looked incredibly frightened, and she seemed as if she would burst into tears at any given moment.

I couldn't take it any longer. Pulling Gwen firmly behind me, I shielded her with my body as I turned to face Peyton.

Chapter 3

"Since when did my wife become your servant, Peyton?" I demanded.

I yanked the watch from Peyton's wrist. "This was a birthday present I bought for Gwen. Why is it on your wrist? I'd like an explanation about her bedroom and her job too!"

I was, after all, the Young family's biological son. I assumed that if I showed Peyton I wasn't someone to be trifled with, she—an adopted daughter of the family—would think twice before crossing me. To my dismay, she remained completely unfazed.

She rushed forward and snatched the watch back. "Dad gave it to me. If you have a problem, take it up with him."

She didn't bother showing me the slightest respect in front of all the household staff. Instead, she shot back at me with open hostility.

"Your father's still alive. He's still the head of this family, so you have no right to call the shots around here!"

Behind me, Gwen was anxiously tugging at the hem of my shirt. Sobbing, she cried, "Forget it, honey. I'm okay. Let's not upset Peyton."

The sight of her cowering before Peyton broke my heart. I was determined to uncover the truth today no matter what.

Ignoring Peyton's defiant attitude, I snatched the watch from her once again. I yanked so hard that I nearly sent her tumbling to the floor.

"Why did you take the executive position I had arranged for my wife? Why did she end up having to work at a nightclub?" I demanded. "After you kicked her out of her own bedroom, where exactly did you make her sleep?"

After a brief pause, I went on, "And what about all the designer clothes and handbags I've bought for Gwen over the years? Why are they in your walk-in closet? Explain yourself right now!"

When the household staff gathered around us, I turned my attention toward them and shouted, "Have all of you gone mute? I'm the heir to the Young family. Do none of you have the courage to tell me what's going on?"

Peyton let out a derisive laugh before turning around to threaten the staff. "This is a private affair. None of you have the right to interfere. Anyone who utters a single word to him will have to answer to me."

She was acting as though she was the lady of the house. I couldn't believe the kind of person my father had turned this orphan into after years of indulging her.

When I found myself at a loss for words, Peyton smugly pulled out her phone.

"I'm the Young family's only daughter. Dad has already said that he'll leave the entire family fortune to me. I don't need to explain myself to you!" she declared. "How dare you raise your voice at me? I'll call Dad right now and ask him to stand up for me!"

The moment the call went through, she burst into tears and accused Gwen and me of ganging up on her. To make matters even more ridiculous, my own father, who hadn't bothered to pick me up at the airport, actually returned home within ten minutes.

The moment he walked through the door, he caught sight of Peyton and her phony tears. Not bothering to figure out what was going on, he hugged her and angrily jabbed a finger in my direction.

"You ungrateful bastard! You just returned home today, and you're already picking on your sister!" he roared.

"And you!" he continued, turning toward Gwen. "What kind of lies have you been telling my son, Gwendolyn Shaw?"

The moment my father raised his hand, Gwen let out a terrified scream and dropped to her knees.

"I'm sorry, Jeremy! Please don't hit me. I-I didn't tell him anything. I didn't say anything, I swear!"

As I watched Gwen grovel for mercy, I could roughly imagine what she'd been subjected to all these years.

Gritting my teeth, I raised my Black Card high in the air.

"The person who tells me what really happened in this house gets a villa. I'll pay for it right now! Don't worry. The Young family's businesses and assets are all under my control. I'm the one who calls the shots in this family!"

I'd always been a dutiful and respectful son. I couldn't believe that I'd been forced to say something so disrespectful. Fortunately, the promise of such a generous reward convinced someone to speak up.

After whispering amongst themselves for several minutes, two members of the household staff finally stepped forward.

"Mr. Theodore, I-I recorded some terrible things on my phone. I can show you the videos…" one of them said.

Peyton's face instantly turned red. "You bitch! How dare you stick your nose into our private family affairs? You—"

"You're nothing but a beggar from an orphanage. What makes you think you're a member of the Young family?" I cut Peyton off coldly.

Then, I motioned for my bodyguards to come in and restrain her and my father, leaving them no chance to interfere.

Upon seeing this, the household staff finally stepped forward and handed me her phone.

"You should prepare yourself for what you're about to see, Mr. Theodore…"