Chapter 1

Everyone in New York knows that I am the foster sister Alaric Blackwood treats like a queen.

To make me smile, he once hiked miles on his knees to a mountain chapel, just to pray for my happiness.

His office is filled with billion-dollar contracts, yet the only thing on his desk is a photo of us.

I was his pampered princess, the girl who had everything.

But I just signed my life away to a top-secret government project, choosing to erase my identity forever.

I did it so he would never be able to find me again.

1

“Elena Sterling, are you sure you want to join the Aurora-003 Project? Once you agree, your current identity will be permanently deleted in one month. There is no going back.”

I slowly unclasped the heirloom medallion Alaric had crawled miles on his knees to get for me.

“I’m sure,” I whispered.

After hanging up, I walked over to the window of Alaric’s study.

The frosted glass blurred my view, but I could still see his tall, rigid silhouette sitting at the piano.

He didn't turn around, but he knew I was there.

“What song do you want to hear this year?” he asked.

I opened my mouth to name a song, but the words died in my throat.

Alaric let out a faint, weary sigh. Without waiting for my answer, he began to play a simple, haunting melody.

As the notes filled the room, I saw the Alaric of fifteen years ago.

I was a terrified orphan back then, freshly adopted and haunted by the memory of my mother’s death.

Alaric had stayed by my side every night, playing that same lullaby to soothe me to sleep.

When the music stopped, Alaric turned slightly, his long lashes casting shadows on the glass.

“See? It’s just a song for a child. You’re grown now. You don't need to remember it,” he said coldly.

His voice was flat, devoid of the warmth he used to give me.

“It saves us both some trouble. Besides, your birthday will be the same day as my anniversary with Seraphina from now on. I won't have time to celebrate with you anymore.”

A sharp pang of bitterness twisted in my chest, but I only nodded.

The music was still beautiful, but the man who played it was a stranger now.

“Okay... I understand,” I said softly.

Alaric stood up and strode past me without a second glance.

“Good. Let’s go. The gala is about to start.”

We took separate cars to the venue.

By the time we arrived, the ballroom was already packed with the elite of New York’s high society.

Crystal chandeliers glittered overhead, making every socialite look like they were made of diamonds.

“When will I ever be able to host a birthday party here?” a girl whispered nearby.

“Dream on. This is Blackwood property. The top floor only opens once a year for Elena Sterling’s birthday.”

“The Blackwoods really do treat that foster daughter like a saint. Especially Alaric. He acts like she’ll break if he looks at her.”

“If only my dad had died saving the Blackwood heir from kidnappers, maybe I’d be the one living in luxury.”

Alaric moved through the crowd with effortless grace, stepping onto the center stage with a charming smile.

“Welcome, everyone. Thank you for joining the Blackwood family to celebrate my sister’s twenty-fourth birthday.”

He gripped the microphone and looked at me, his eyes deep and unreadable.

“I hope every step of her life is as bright and beautiful as it is tonight.”

A massive three-tier cake was rolled out in front of me.

On top sat a small, sugar-sculpted doll that looked exactly like me.

I had fifteen of these dolls back home. In the past, Alaric made them himself, carving his own name into the base of each one.

This year’s doll was much more professional, but the base was blank.

Perhaps in Alaric’s eyes, I was no longer a child worth the effort.

I was just an adult he was slowly cutting out of his life.

As the crowd sang “Happy Birthday,” I closed my eyes to hide the redness.

In the past, I always wished to stay by his side forever.

This year, I only wished for his happiness.

The candles were blown out, and the lights flared back to life.

Alaric approached me, holding a miniature model of a mansion with a set of keys hanging from it.

The guests gasped as they recognized it as the most expensive penthouse in the city.

Alaric placed the keys in my hand with a distant smile.

“Our little Elena is a big girl now. It’s time you had a place of your own.”

The penthouse was stunning, but more importantly, it was on the other side of the city from the Blackwood estate.

I stared into his eyes, my voice cracking.

“Thank you... brother.”

Alaric’s expression darkened for a split second, but he didn't look at me again. He turned back to the microphone.

“Actually, I have another important announcement to make tonight.”

My breath hitched. I already knew what was coming.

Even though my heart felt like it was being sliced by a thousand razors, I stepped back, vacating the spot next to him.

Alaric’s body stiffened, but he didn't turn around.

The spotlight shifted to the entrance of the ballroom.

Alaric walked down the steps and took Seraphina Montgomery’s hand, tucking it into the crook of his arm.

The crowd erupted into cheers and whispers.

“So that’s why Alaric Blackwood stayed single for so long. His standards are insane.”

“They look like they were made for each other.”

Alaric held Seraphina’s hand tightly in his own.

“Seraphina and I will be getting married very soon. I hope to see you all there.”

He pulled out a ring box and faced her.

“Seraphina, please take care of me from now on.”

The ring wasn't as flashy as people expected; it looked old and slightly worn.

I recognized it instantly. It was his grandmother’s heirloom.

When I was younger, I used to beg him to let me see it, but he always refused.

I never understood why he wouldn't let me touch it when he gave me everything else.

But seeing the way his eyes softened as he looked at Seraphina, I finally knew why.

I wasn't allowed to touch the ring, and I wasn't allowed to see that side of him either.

I stood in the darkest corner of the ballroom, watching them look like a prince and princess from a fairy tale.

They were the same age, from the same world, with the same perfect pedigree.

They were everything I could never be.

Suddenly, the last fifteen years of warmth felt like a long, cruel dream.

It was finally time to wake up.