Chapter 2

2、

We went through every single file in the orphanage.

We checked the kids who were adopted and the ones who stayed.

Unfortunately, only the four of us fit the age criteria.

The director said we were all dropped off as infants. There was no mistake about our ages.

He also let slip a detail. Mr. Sterling was certain the daughter was here because the nanny who swapped the babies confessed.

I felt a wave of despair. "So the heiress really is one of us."

Lacey pointed at me. "To be specific, it's you."

I let out a cold laugh. "You think you're safe? They killed all of us in different lives."

Everyone went pale. Every single one of us had been brutally murdered by the Sterlings for the same reason.

Even when the other three went to claim the spot, they were ended instantly. We couldn't gamble on the idea that ignoring them would work.

I gritted my teeth. "There's one more way."

Under their confused stares, I spoke slowly. "I'm going to meet the Sterlings personally. I need to see what secret they're hiding."

The three of them promised to burn paper offerings of male models for me after I died. They were so touched.

"Don't bother," I said. I wasn't being a martyr. I just couldn't wrap my head around being called an imposter.

If they didn't want me, they could have just ignored the search. Why use billions of dollars to lure me home just to kill me?

Even in the craziest family dramas, parents don't usually pull a stunt like that.

Knowing how vicious they were, I didn't go to their mansion. Instead, I tracked them to a high-end restaurant.

With so many witnesses, they wouldn't dare kill me on the spot.

I used to work part-time everywhere, so I knew the staff. I slipped inside easily.

I deliberately walked past their table, letting them see my face.

Mrs. Sterling grabbed my arm, her eyes wide. "Wait! Young lady! Are you from the Dawn Orphanage?"

She was smiling, but my skin crawled. I forced a shocked expression.

"Yes, I am. Who are you?"

Mr. and Mrs. Sterling exchanged a look and stood up. They grabbed my hands with terrifying enthusiasm.

"You're here to claim your family, aren't you?"

They explained the whole 'swapped at birth' story again while everyone in the restaurant watched.

I kept my face stiff. "Are you absolutely sure I'm the one?"

They stared at my face. The excitement in their eyes was predatory.

"Sweetheart, you look just like me!" Mrs. Sterling cried.

Before I could react, she yanked my shirt back to check my waist. "The birthmark! It's really you! You're coming home tonight!"

My fear spiked. I realized that despite all their talking, they never actually called me their daughter.

They were just desperate to get me home.

I tried to stay calm and asked again. "Is this enough for you to be certain?"

They saw my hesitation. Their eyes turned sharp and judgmental.

"You came here to find us, and you have all the traits. Why are you asking such questions?"

I wanted to frown. Their answers were vague. They were dodging the point.

I was about to push further when Mrs. Sterling started sobbing.

"It has to be you. Who else could it be?"

"We're taking you home now. We're going to make up for twenty years of suffering."

The way they looked at me was hungry. There were tears, but they felt like stage makeup.

Growing up in an orphanage was hard. I'd fought stray dogs for food. I'd been bullied for not having parents.

I used to dream of a home. I didn't need the money; I just wanted someone to take my side.

In my first life, I was thrilled. I thought if they were giving me billions, they must love me.

But that first night, they pushed me off the roof without a second thought.

"You're so evil! Trying to fake your way into a life of luxury!" they had screamed.

"A low-life orphan trying to steal what doesn't belong to her? You don't deserve to live!"

The memory made me ice-cold. I tried to analyze why they confirmed me as the heiress only to deny it later.

Did I do something wrong?

Suddenly, Mrs. Sterling tugged at me, desperate to leave. She knocked a dessert tray off the table and didn't even notice.

Watching her manic energy, my pupils shrank. I think I found the answer.