Chapter 1

My half-brother, Caleb Sterling, posted a photo on his story.

On a massive hotel bed, a girl was sound asleep, half-naked, her back turned to the camera. He captioned it with a giant red heart emoji.

I barely glanced at it, ready to swipe away, when I froze. I caught a glimpse of an iris tattoo on her shoulder.

It was my fiancée, the girl I had grown up with since we were children.

I was stunned, looking over at Chloe Miller, who was practicing the piano in our living room.

Why would even you betray me?

Caleb's provocations were coming one after another, as if he thought I was easy to push around.

Well, then. I would make him face reality. If something isn't yours, you have no right to reach for it.

1

When I saw that iris tattoo, my first reaction was absolute disbelief.

But that unique tattoo was something I had personally taken her to get. How could I not recognize it?

She really had betrayed me.

I stumbled back toward my study, losing my footing and slamming into the dining table, bracing my hands hard to keep from falling.

The massive thud caught Chloe's attention. She rushed over to support me, asking worriedly if I was too exhausted lately or if I needed to see a doctor.

Her gentle, thoughtful voice echoed in my ears, making it impossible for me to believe she could do something like this. How could she stand there and pretend nothing had happened?

I gritted my teeth, terrified that a hint of my revulsion would slip through.

I wanted to shove her away and scream, "Don't touch me, you're filthy!"

My mind raced, but I choked back the words, shook my head, and mumbled something about low blood sugar before retreating into my study.

She brought me a glass of honey water and urged me to get some rest. I pretended to be buried in work, ignoring her until she finally left the room.

The moment the door clicked shut, my strength failed me. I slumped into my chair, my brain working at full speed. No, I couldn't just call her out. I didn't have concrete evidence, and who would believe that my childhood sweetheart would ditch the sole heir of the Sterling family for an illegitimate son? Not to mention the close ties between our families.

My phone buzzed twice. I picked it up to see a message from Caleb.

"Hey, brother. When are you coming back to the estate for dinner? Grandpa keeps asking for you. And where is Chloe? I haven't seen her in a while, I really miss her~"

He was actually taunting me. This bastard was getting more and more arrogant.

"Don't worry, I'll be there tomorrow." With that thought, I put the phone down.

I returned to the estate the next day. As soon as I walked in, I ran into Caleb. He looked past me, and when he saw I hadn't brought Chloe, he drawled, "Where's Chloe? Haven't even tied the knot yet, and you're already keeping her locked away?"

My anger surged, but I gripped my fists and forced myself to breathe through my nose, crushing the impulse to strike him.

He acted as if nothing was wrong. "What's the matter? Why the sudden mood swing?"

He stepped closer, whispering into my ear, "Want to hit me? Too bad. Grandpa is watching."

Thinking of Grandpa, my energy drained away.

Then, Grandma's voice came from behind us. "Why are you two standing at the door? Come inside."

After dinner, Grandpa told me he was planning to give Caleb another five percent of the company's shares. He said Caleb was reaching the age to settle down, and he wanted people to know the Sterling family wasn't the type to mistreat their own.

I looked over at Caleb. He was smirking at me, and I finally understood why he had been so bold. He had backing.

I nodded and smiled, agreeing with Grandpa's decision. What choice did I have? Grandpa built this family empire from the ground up. Even if he gave every share to me, who would dare defy him?

It didn't matter, anyway. A few shares wouldn't change anything.

But this bastard was getting greedy. He had ideas he shouldn't have, and he dared to steal from me.

After a moment of thought, I sent a video of Chloe playing the piano to our family group chat, saying she was busy preparing for a competition. Grandpa and Grandma nodded happily, praising her.

"Chloe is getting more and more talented. Liam, you should marry her soon!"

"Pick her up after the competition, and Grandma will make your favorite sweet and sour fish."

Caleb sat there silently, eyes glued to his phone, his face looking rather ugly.

So, I took a screenshot of Caleb's social media post and sent it to the group, then turned to him.

"Congrats, Caleb. You're finally off the market. Grandpa and Grandma don't have to worry about your love life anymore."

He jumped, shielding his phone. "Thanks, Liam. It's still early days."

A sharp rebuke came from the side. Grandpa was glaring at him.

"What kind of trash is this? How could you post a photo like that? Delete it right now!"