Chapter 1

1

The Thorne estate in New York City.

"Aria, are you absolutely sure you want to move to Montreal and live with me?"

The voice on the phone came all the way from Montreal. I gripped my phone tightly and shifted my gaze out the window.

Today was Caleb's engagement party. The Thorne family mansion was bustling with voices, and fireworks exploded in the sky. Everyone was celebrating his happiness.

"Yes, Grandma. You are getting older, and I worry about you. Besides, my brother is getting married, and I can't keep bothering him."

Saying the word "brother" filled my heart with endless bitterness.

But I had no choice. When I was a child, my parents died in a tragic car accident. When everyone else kicked me while I was down, it was Caleb who held my hand and acted like a spoiled child to his parents.

"I want this sister."

With just one sentence, Mr. Thorne, who loved his son more than anything, kept me in the family and protected me.

Growing up, I was given the Thorne last name and raised right by Caleb's side.

When I was scared, he would tell me stories. When I was bullied, he would stand by my side without hesitation.

It was safe to say that all my beautiful childhood memories were given to me by Caleb.

But now, everything had changed.

"Alright, alright. As long as you have that in your heart, Grandma will be here waiting for you. Your brother has been very good to you, so remember to let him know before you leave."

The phone call ended. Outside the window, drones had already formed the silhouettes of tonight's main characters.

It was the image of Caleb and Brianna. The two of them leaned against each other happily, forcing tears of agony from my eyes.

I remembered the first time I saw a drone show. It was Caleb trying to make me happy. That night, the Thorne family's drone show lasted until dawn.

It let the whole city know just how favored this so-called adopted daughter was.

Tonight, the drones would also light up the sky until dawn, but the main character was no longer me.

The happiness outside matched the cheers of the crowd. My phone slipped and fell to the floor.

I stubbornly wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes. I tried to erase the scars that shouldn't even exist.

On such a good night, Caleb didn't come looking for me. He was probably afraid I would ruin things.

After all, when I was eighteen, I confessed my feelings to him in a moment of madness, only to be harshly scolded.

He had said, "Aria, we grew up together. I treat you like my own blood sister. I never thought you would harbor such filthy thoughts. You truly make me sick."

The word "sick" stung so much that my fingertips trembled. It also drove me completely insane.

I grabbed his shoulders tightly and demanded an answer. "I am only three years younger than you! You've been so good to me my whole life. Do you really not have even a tiny bit of feelings for me?"

When I said those words, I stared dead into Caleb's face. I was terrified of missing even the slightest shift in his expression.

But there was nothing there except pure disgust.

Caleb didn't like me. He even started to despise me because of that confession.

I dropped my hands in despair as tears crashed down my face.

"Why?"

"Aria, haven't you made enough of a scene? I told you, I am your brother, and I can only ever be your brother. I don't want to hear this nonsense a second time."

Caleb left with a cold face. I stayed under the cold shower for the entire night.

I wanted to sober up and face reality.

But the more sober I got, the more it hurt. I still loved him so much that it was driving me crazy.

Now, two years had passed. To completely kill off any hope I had left, Caleb was getting married.

He didn't even let me attend his engagement party.

It was truly laughable. I sat in the corner and cried all night.

The lively noise outside also lasted all night. Everyone was offering blessings and cheering. Who could possibly hear my cries of sorrow?

"Miss, it is time to come down for breakfast."

When the maid came up to call me the next morning, she saw me flushed bright red. I had a severe fever. After a whole night, my temperature was so high that my consciousness blurred.

"Miss, what is wrong with you?"