Chapter 1 My Good Little Pup

On the day Damian Cross returned to the country, Lila Hart was summoned to his mansion.

He was especially harsh that day. He offered no foreplay, gripping her waist with one hand and seizing the collar he had picked out in advance.

"Are you my good little pup, huh?" he murmured in her ear, his voice as sweet as honey.

A tripod-mounted camera stood at the head of the bed, aiming straight at Lila. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were puffy from tears. The glossy lens reflected the helplessness on her face.

She felt embarrassed, even though it wasn't the first time Damian had been rough with her in bed. He was a friend of her older brother, Aaron Hart, and she'd once thought of him as a brother, too.

However much Lila liked Damian, she couldn't fully let herself go in front of him.

She bit her lip until it nearly bled as she forced down those shameful little gasps. "Damian… Could you not record this? I don't like it..."

Damian caught her earlobe between his teeth, displeasure edging his voice. "What happened to being good? We agreed to record everything, so I can watch the videos and get myself off when you're not here."

The husk in his voice was pure tease, and whatever reason Lila had left unraveled.

Before she left, she had overheard her parents say that the Crosses were planning a marriage alliance with the Harts. She was about to become his wife, so there was nothing shameful about the kind of play that happened between a married couple.

With that in mind, she swallowed the discomfort, obediently hooked her legs around his lean waist, and tucked her face into the hollow of his neck to match his pace.

They moved through several positions. It went on for a long time—so long that Lila had no strength left before Damian finally let go, his interest waning.

He seemed a little worn and brushed a quick kiss to her earlobe. "I'm going to shower first. I'll have Gary take you home later, okay?"

Lila paused and turned to the window. It was pouring, and it was already 11:00 pm. Dazed, she realized that after three years of secretly dating Damian, she'd never once spent the night at his place.

He said nothing more, patted her head, and headed into the bathroom. The soft hiss of water rose a moment later, reeling her thoughts back in.

Lila felt a little let down. Nevertheless, she obediently headed to the guest bathroom. She showered on autopilot, and when the mirror caught the red marks on her skin, shame burned through her.

She rinsed off in a rush and was about to head back to change when the laptop on the table caught her eye. The screen display was still on, and she saw a group chat titled "Princess Guard" blowing up with messages.

Lila hadn't meant to pry into Damian's privacy, but as she turned to leave, a line on the screen made her freeze.

"Erin's flying back soon, Damian. It's time to dump Lila, right? When are you releasing the spicy stuff? Everyone's itching for it!"

A few more messages popped up.

"Seriously, I want a look too. Lila might have been a trash rat from the sticks, but her face and figure are no joke. Her chest has to be at least a C, right? Was she good in bed?"

"I heard her once. She sounded dirty as hell. You'd never guess it when she's all sweet and compliant, but those photos were wild."

Then a familiar sketch-avatar appeared on the screen. "Not yet. It'll be released later."

Lila went still, her grip on the towel tightening until her nails nearly bit her palm.

It was Damian's avatar, the one she'd pressed him to switch to before his business trip overseas. It was the profile sketch of him she'd drawn herself.

Why did this group chat even exist? And how could Damian discuss something so private between them in there?

Lila moved stiffly to the laptop and stared at the stream of flashing messages.

"She's just a country bumpkin. So what if she's the Harts' real heiress? The one who actually grew up with Damian, his real childhood sweetheart, is Erin.

"Back then, Lila tattled to Mr. Hart Senior, got Erin sent overseas, and even tried to steal her engagement. Now that Damian has those recorded videos, let's see if Lila can still hold her head up in Evermere!"

Chapter 2 Joining Syntrex Research Center

Lila continued reading the messages in Damian's group chat.

"Please. A beggar who grew up picking through trash thinks she can be Mrs. Cross?"

"Lila probably still thinks that Damian slept with her because he liked her. If she ever finds out that he only did it out of revenge, it'll crush her."

"Honestly, Damian had it rough, too. He had only soothed her at first because she looked miserable, and he never thought she'd latch on. For Erin's sake, he had put up with it for years, stuck with someone he never liked."

"Anyway, thank God it's almost over. I can't wait to see that trash rat's face when the videos go public. LOL."

Every line that popped up in the chat stabbed at Lila's heart, again and again, until it felt raw and bleeding.

She was the Harts' biological daughter, but she'd been switched at birth and grew up in an orphanage.

If reporters hadn't caught her on camera while she was collecting recyclables to pay for school, the Harts might never have learned that they had brought home the wrong child.

Raised in Lila's place, Erin Hart had lived like a princess, doted on by everyone from the time she was young.

Even after Lila came home, her parents, Austin Hart and Serena Gibson, along with Aaron, couldn't stand the thought of Erin suffering, so they told everyone that the girls were twins.

Lila still remembered their 16th birthday. The Harts had hosted a lavish banquet to celebrate them both and announce who Lila truly was, but Erin stole the show from start to finish.

Back then, Erin's friends mocked Lila as a trash rat. She worked up the nerve and told Aaron how hurt she felt, but he just looked impatient.

"They weren't wrong, were they? You were a trash rat to begin with. Family or not, you don't get to take Erin's place. I'm Erin's brother, and only hers! I'm warning you, keep your hands off her, or I'll slap you."

Lila realized then that the Harts had never truly welcomed her. She was sneaking out with her luggage when she ran into Damian.

He was 22 then, fresh out of college, with an easy swagger as he arched a brow and blocked the back door. "What's wrong? Running away from home at your age? What trouble did you get into? Tell me."

Lila hadn't meant to say a single word, but the moment those hands stroked her hair and soothed her, everything she'd been holding in came pouring out.

"No one in my family likes me, not even Aaron. I don't want to stay anymore. To them, I'm just in the way."

That day, Damian skipped Erin's birthday banquet and took Lila to the mall instead, where he bought her a princess dress and a bracelet.

"Come to me if anyone gives you a hard time. They might not like you, but I do."

The memories returned with painful clarity. Lila ran her fingers over the pavé diamond star bracelet he'd given her as her tears salted her tongue, drop by drop.

She believed that Damian truly liked her and that, after everything they'd shared, they were on the verge of making it official. It never occurred to her that he was only with her for revenge.

It all traced back to what happened after Erin pushed Lila down the stairs and nearly killed her. Lila found the nerve to go to her grandfather, Vernon Hart, and tell him everything.

He then sent Erin abroad, while Damian refused to believe that she could've done it. He decided that Lila had framed Erin. For years after, every time he took Lila to bed, it served as one more tool for his revenge.

Lila slowly wiped her tears away and slipped out of the guest room to get dressed.

The shower was still running. Perhaps Damian was chatting away, or maybe he was so disgusted after sleeping with her that he needed to scrub himself clean.

Lila wiped the camera clean before leaving the Cross residence. She didn't let the butler, Gary Foster, take her home. Instead, she stepped into the rain alone, the cold seeping through her in an instant.

She lingered by the curb in a daze until dawn, and only then did she finally dial a number.

"Professor Manning, I'd like to apply for the pharmaceutical R&D program at Syntrex Research Center. Is it too late?"

Chapter 3 Gone All Night

On the other end of the line, Jacob Manning sounded a little incredulous. "Lila, are you serious? I always thought you had real talent. You'll have a bright future if you join the research team. But didn't you turn it down so you wouldn't have to be apart from your boyfriend?"

"He and I weren't a good fit," Lila said.

She clenched her hand, swallowed the lump in her throat, and continued, "I've made up my mind. Everyone needs goals of their own. I want to do what I love and what I'm good at, and our research could help more people. It means a lot."

"Good, good. That's the spirit," Jacob said, clearly delighted, though he still cautioned her. "Make sure you've thought it through. Joining the research means enduring harsh conditions, and the research can be monotonous.

"You need to be mentally prepared. If you're sure, go to Evermere and look for my old friend's grandson, Rhett Draven. He's the project's investor and the one running the center.

"He'll be back in roughly two weeks. You can apply through him directly. I'll fill him in on your situation and send you his contact info soon."

Lila thanked Jacob and ended the call.

By the time she dragged herself home, dawn had already broken. The house sat empty.

Damian hadn't reached out to her at all. It seemed that it hardly mattered to him whether she was alive or not. He might even have preferred her dead.

Lila trudged upstairs, her mind heavy with fog, and fell asleep.

She woke to her phone ringing, pried her eyes open, and saw Damian's name lighting the screen.

A faint ache uncoiled in her chest. She knew that it was all a lie and had already decided to stay away, yet her chest still clenched so hard that she could hardly breathe.

She hesitated, then picked up the call, asking, "What is it, Damian?"

Damian missed the distance in her tone when she said his name. His voice came sharp as he said, "Your parents said you weren't in your room this morning. You didn't get home last night?"

Lila blinked in surprise, thrown that he knew about it. The lie escaped her before she could even think. "The rain was heavy, so I stayed at a hotel nearby. I just got back."

She heard Damian exhale on the other end of the line.

"Erin's coming back today. Your parents and I are going to meet her at the airport. We meant to take you along, but you weren't home, so we went without you.

"There's a welcome dinner for her tonight at Oridane Hotel. You should come. Be good and don't make a scene, okay? What happened back then is over. You're sisters, after all."

Lila lowered her eyes, a wry smile tugging at her lips. She figured that Austin and Serena probably hadn't wanted her there anyway, which was why they hadn't even bothered to call her.

She had stayed out the whole night, and no one cared. Nevertheless, she didn't reject the invite.

"I got it."

If everything went according to plan, Lila would be at the research center in two weeks and gone for good. She decided to see him one last time and call it a goodbye.

Damian sounded pleased with how compliant she was. "You're so understanding, Lila. Didn't you say you wanted to go to Gressia? Once I get through this busy stretch, I'll take you."

Lila only smiled. "It's fine. I won't keep you any longer."

Damian noticed nothing amiss and hung up soon after.

Lila set the phone down and started to pack. There wasn't much for her to bring with her, just her identification documents and some seasonal clothes.

She was rifling through her things when a small box in the closet fell and burst open, spilling a scatter of expensive jewelry. Underneath lay a diary and a photo album.

The first page showed her with a shy smile and a bouquet of white roses, and Damian in front of her, tenderly smoothing her hair.

Lila drew the photo out. On the back, in neat, elegant script, it read, "I like Damian best."

Her friend had taken the picture on her high school graduation day—the same day she confessed to Damian and slept with him for the first time.

She slowly shredded the photo into bits, then called a courier. She boxed up the gifts she had once treated like treasure and mailed them to Damian's house.

From that moment on, they were strangers, and she believed that it was best to owe nothing either way.

After she finished, she called Rhett Draven, Jacob's old friend's grandson. It rang twice before connecting, and a deep voice came through.

"Who is this?"

Chapter 4 Getting Engaged Very Soon

Lila chose her words carefully as she said over the phone, "Hello, I'm Professor Manning's student."

Rhett caught on at once. "Lila Hart, right? So you've made up your mind? I figured that you'd reach out later."

Lila let out a quiet hum. "When would it be convenient for me to come by, and what paperwork do I need for the application?"

Rhett's voice came through the line. "I'm tied up today. Come first thing tomorrow morning. I'll send you a checklist after this call."

Lila thanked him, traded a few pleasantries, and hung up. She gathered the things he'd asked for, and by then it was nearly time for the welcome dinner.

She changed into something appropriate and set out for the hotel. Her cab eased to a stop just as a familiar Porsche pulled up to the hotel doors.

Damian stepped out of the driver's seat, opened the rear door, and, with his hand braced on the doorframe, helped Erin out of the car. She was wearing a white gown.

His eyes held a tenderness Lila had never seen.

"You've been abroad for a long time. You must be craving something from home, you little foodie. Put up with tonight, and tomorrow I'll take you to that private dining place you used to love."

Erin smiled and looped her hand through his arm. "I heard that you've got a girlfriend, Damian. Aren't you going to introduce her to me?"

Damian frowned slightly and pinched her cheek, exasperated. "Who's been feeding you nonsense? If I had a girlfriend, you'd be the first to know, princess."

Erin stuck out her tongue, teasing, "Who knows with you?"

Their flirting lingered in the air while their parents followed, smiling with approval.

Austin joked, "It's no wonder Damian suddenly started talking about an arranged match. Damian, if I had known that you were after my darling, I would've kept a closer eye on you!"

Damian didn't offer an explanation. He smiled faintly and started moving toward the hotel. Turning, he spotted Lila, who had just gotten out of a cab.

Their eyes met, and his expression went stiff. He asked, "Lila? When did you get here?"

For the first time, Lila saw guilt flash across Damian's otherwise unreadable face.

Moments earlier, he had denied having a girlfriend before the childhood sweetheart he'd longed for years, and he'd let talk of an engagement roll on. Then, his actual girlfriend walked in and heard everything.

Taking all that into consideration, his reaction almost made sense.

Lila had imagined that a scene like this would crush her, but she was already so heartbroken that she'd gone numb. Her body wouldn't react.

After a long beat, she spoke evenly. "I just got here."

A quick shadow flickered in Erin's eyes when she saw Lila. "It's been a while, Lila."

She stepped closer, wearing just enough guilt on her face. "We had our share of misunderstandings back then. I've figured a lot out over the past five years abroad. I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"

Lila hadn't even spoken when Damian edged over to shield Erin.

He said, "Alright. Lila's not that petty. It's your homecoming celebration. Let's not dig up the past."

He shot Lila a warning look and guided Erin into the hotel. "The welcome dinner's about to start. Let's not keep the guests waiting."

Aaron had just stepped out of the car when he, Austin, and Serena shot Lila warning looks of their own and said indifferently, "What's done is done. From now on, get along with Erin and quit turning the house into a war zone."

Lila didn't say anything as there was nothing worth saying. Even so, her heart still ached.

She had known ever since coming home that her family played favorites. She told herself that it didn't matter as long as Damian loved her. Only now did she realize that even his love wasn't real.

Lila trailed them into the hotel without uttering a single word, planning to lay everything out with Damian once the welcome dinner ended.

Halfway through the dinner, her phone buzzed. A message from Damian popped up. "Go upstairs and wait for me in the lounge."

Lila looked up and spotted him among friends, all casual, his gaze drifting toward her now and then.

Wanting to get it over with and go, she got to her feet and started upstairs, only to round the bend and come face-to-face with Erin. Lila had no intention of talking to her, but Erin blocked her way.

Erin's face showed no guilt, only contempt. "Lila, did you really think that having Grandpa send me overseas would make the whole family revolve around you? Do you see how ridiculous you are now? No matter what I do, I'm the one everyone loves the most."

Lila didn't take the bait. "If you're that desperate for their affection, take it all. I don't care and I don't want it."

She turned to leave, but Erin caught her by the wrist.

With a half smile, Erin said, "You say you don't care, but you're jealous enough to lose your mind, aren't you? Oh, and one more thing. Damian and I will be getting engaged very soon."

Chapter 5 Breakup Threat

Lila froze.

Erin leaned in until her breath brushed Lila's ear, every word she spoke steeped in malice. "I know you're Damian's lapdog. Want to guess who he'll pick—you or me?"

Before the shock wore off, Lila saw Erin slap herself hard across the face.

"I just wanted to share some good news, Lila. Why are you so angry? If you hate me, I can just remain abroad. I'll even hand you Damian's engagement. I took what should have been yours, and I'll return everything. All that matters is your forgiveness."

Erin put on a pitiful expression, her eyes reddening in a heartbeat, as if she were the one deeply wronged.

Lila frowned and was about to speak when footsteps sounded behind her. A brutal shove knocked her off balance, and she fell to the floor hard. Pain lanced through her ankle.

She watched Damian cradle Erin's face with care. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

Tears poured down Erin's face as she shook her head. "Damian, don't be mad at Lila…"

"I'll take you upstairs and get a doctor."

Damian leveled Lila with a glacial, steel-hard look, then turned away and scooped Erin into his arms, carrying her upstairs.

Lila watched them go, her nails unconsciously digging into her palms. She tried to stand, but the sharp pain in her ankle robbed her of all strength.

Damian returned soon after, his expression set like stone. He stared down at Lila and said, "I denied that you were my girlfriend in front of Erin, and you decided to hit her over it? When will you finally behave and quit stirring up trouble for me?

"I already told you not to reveal our relationship before your parents agreed to the arranged marriage. You hurt Erin out of jealousy. How can you be so vicious? You're hopeless!"

Staring at his face that was flushed with anger, Lila felt her patience snap. "Mr. Cross, you never saw me as your girlfriend, so there was nothing to reveal. I didn't lay a finger on Erin, so don't get to lecture me."

Damian froze, his fist tightening on reflex.

What was Lila implying?

When he snapped out of it, his expression grew a shade darker. "You really had to blow this up over something this trivial? Are you trying to threaten me with a breakup?"

"I wasn't."

Lila forced herself upright, her voice stripped of warmth as she said, "Mr. Cross, let's pretend we never started. You being with me was always just—"

Damian seized her wrist before she could finish speaking and hauled her up, the chill in his gaze sharpening. "Shut up!"

It had never crossed his mind that Lila would be the first to walk away. He had held the reins from the very beginning. Game or not, he hadn't said it was over—so what gave her the right to decide?

He was about to question her when footsteps sounded from down the stairs. Serena stormed up the stairs, and the instant she saw Lila, her hand whipped out and cracked across Lila's cheek.

"You bitch! Getting bold now, are you? You actually laid hands on Erin? The Harts raised you all these years, and you still can't shake that rough, nasty temper you brought in from the sticks!

"How did I end up with a daughter like you? Go upstairs and apologize to Erin, or get lost! Erin's been through enough, and I won't let you make her life harder!"

The slap landed full force, and Lila's cheek swelled instantly.

Off to the side, Damian watched with a cold, flat look, as if she had it coming.

A chill spread through Lila's chest. She regretted ever returning to the Harts. She never should've expected anything from Serena or Austin. She shouldn't have crossed paths with Damian at all.

Just then, a mocking voice came from upstairs. "There's a reason the Harts and the Crosses are both in decline. There's surveillance footage, and you didn't even bother to look before laying into a young woman without reviewing the facts. How amusing."