I was the only biological sister of Ryan, the CEO of Sterling Corporation, yet I was also the person he despised the most. He had cursed me countless times in front of everyone, “She’s a menace! She doesn’t deserve to live! If she wants my forgiveness, she’d better go to hell and apologize to Lily!” I quietly listened to his venomous words, never uttering a sound. Only this time, my soul floated in the air, silently nodding. Okay, brother. As you wish. The day I died was a dreary, rainy day. Ms. Brenda, who had raised me, knelt by my bed, her face streaked with tears. “Anya, don’t be scared. I’ve already called Ryan. He’s coming, I promise.” I shook my head, my lips parting as I tried to speak. But before I could form a complete sentence, my body seemed to be liberated in that instant. My consciousness gradually faded, yet my lingering soul, before it could even touch the eaves, drifted gently back into the room. I watched Ms. Brenda sobbing hysterically over me, watched her frantically trying to open the door and rush out. But two bodyguards stood outside, holding her shoulders firmly, refusing to let her leave. “Ms. Vivian Hayes ordered that Mr. Sterling is very busy right now. No matter how big or small the matter, he is not to be disturbed.” Vivian Hayes, Lily’s distant cousin. Someone who had no relation whatsoever to the Sterling family, yet she effortlessly managed to keep me trapped within our own home. “I can’t hold on! Please, let me go find Ryan. Any later, and it might be too late…” Ms. Brenda collapsed onto the ground. She was over fifty, her hair streaked with gray. She mechanically kept bowing her head, her forehead nearly bleeding. I rushed over, wanting to stop the bodyguards, but I could only watch helplessly as they knocked her unconscious and moved her to another guest room. The tears I’d held back for so long finally broke free. I wiped my eyes. So, even when you’re dead, you can still cry… I turned back to look at the bedroom, which hadn’t seen sunlight in ages. On the cold, damp bed lay my emaciated corpse, covered in bruises. Bright red liquid stained my old clothes, my face was gaunt, and I looked utterly miserable. See? How unsightly I died. If Ryan saw this, would he finally be satisfied? … Ryan, the sole heir to Sterling Corporation, had everything handed to him since childhood. He displayed impressive business acumen at a young age, and within less than three years of taking over Blackwood Corp., he doubled its scale. But Ryan, despite his talent, good looks, and amiable demeanor, held an extreme aversion for his only sister—me. The outside world constantly speculated about our relationship, but it wasn’t always like this. When we were very young, we lost our parents. Sterling Corporation was seized by distant relatives, and we became unwanted baggage, almost kicked out of our own home. It was then that Lily, who had grown up as Ryan’s childhood sweetheart, convinced her father to adopt us. “Just stay at my place. One day, I’ll help you reclaim Sterling Corporation.” She said it, and she did it. Mr. Blackwood used his family’s influence to pressure our relatives, and Ryan worked tirelessly, getting into the country’s top university. He and Lily promised to get married as soon as they graduated. But when Ryan traveled abroad for a competition, taking Lily and me with him, an accident happened. Lily and I went out for dinner and got into an argument with customers at the next table. I was young and stubborn then, completely disregarding that we were on their turf. The other party, taking us by surprise, grabbed a glass bottle and aimed it at me. Seeing this, Lily quickly stepped in front of me, but she was struck. She collapsed instantly. Red liquid flowed from the back of her head. The scene erupted into chaos, and the culprits managed to escape… Ryan had just won his championship title. They had planned to get engaged once they returned home, but all he saw now was Lily’s lifeless body. Their beautiful dreams and future shattered in an instant. When Ryan arrived, he went berserk, clutching Lily’s body and refusing to let go. The police officers eventually had to forcefully pull him away. We returned home. The Blackwood family insisted on burying Lily in their family plot, but Ryan refused. His eyes bloodshot, he roared, “Lily is mine! Even in death, she must be laid to rest in my Sterling family cemetery!” But the Sterling family was not yet under his control. I cried, begging him to let Lily be laid to rest first. But he shoved me away, glaring at me with utter hatred. “If you hadn’t gotten into an argument with someone, how could Lily have died?” “Anya, you should have died with Lily!”
Ryan’s words were like venomous insects gnawing at my flesh, threatening to devour me whole. I stood frozen, staring blankly at his grief-stricken face, only able to mumble, “I’m sorry.” But no amount of regret, apology, or guilt could bring Lily back from the underworld. Ryan locked me in my room. It wasn’t until a month later that I learned he had bought a double plot. He decided to hold a symbolic wedding, welcoming Lily into our home as his wife… I was finally released after all the ceremonies were complete. That was also the first time I met Lily’s distant cousin, Vivian Hayes. She only bore a slight resemblance to Lily, but her eyes and demeanor were uncannily similar. I wasn’t sure why Ryan brought her home. Perhaps he intended to use her as a constant reminder of my mistake. Every time I slightly defied him, or if my behavior was in any way improper, He would say in that familiar tone, “Anya, when will you be as obedient as Vivian?” “Stop causing me trouble. Look at Vivian.” Days turned into weeks, then months. Ryan finally took full control of Sterling Corporation, and with each scolding, I became more and more like Vivian. But no matter how hard I tried, I still only ever received Ryan’s reprimands. It wasn’t until my graduation ceremony with Vivian that I realized Ryan had always wished I would die. Now, this wicked person—me—had finally disappeared from this world four years later, just as he wished. He must be satisfied now, I thought. Time ticked by, second by second, with no one discovering my lifeless body. The gloomy rain outside the window finally stopped, though the air remained damp and cold. I watched Ms. Brenda, trapped in the guest room, crying hysterically, and a wave of sorrow welled up inside me. Ever since returning to the Sterling residence, Ryan had hired many people to work, but everyone knew he didn’t care for me. So, aside from Ms. Brenda, neither the bodyguards nor the maids paid any attention to me. Vivian Hayes, on the other hand, was different. Because she was Lily’s cousin, and because she bore a slight resemblance to Lily, Ryan lavished her with affection. She was seen everywhere, at every event. Many even rumored that Ryan might marry her. Because of this, everyone in the Sterling household, besides obeying Ryan, only listened to Vivian Hayes. She deliberately assigned me to the darkest, dampest room in the entire mansion. Aside from Ms. Brenda, no one else was allowed to interact with me. Those bodyguards dared not lay a hand on Ms. Brenda, but if they didn’t let her out, who would ever discover my body and announce my death? Perhaps this was my retribution. I suddenly remembered when Lily died, Ryan had held her body, weeping uncontrollably. He told me over and over again that I would die a terrible death and come to no good end. When Lily died, everyone grieved for her, but I could only gasp my last breath alone in a cold, dark bedroom. I watched the last remaining leaf on a bare tree outside the window drift down, and my heart inexplicably ached. My soul and body were slowly separating, and our connection grew weaker. I could finally leave the room, wandering freely within the mansion grounds, though I still couldn’t leave entirely. … I floated into the yard, where several housekeepers were trimming branches. It was deep autumn, yet a few flower species in the garden were still visible, vying for beauty as if unaffected by the season. “Mr. Sterling is just too good to Ms. Vivian Hayes,” I heard one of the housekeepers remark. “Yes, Ms. Vivian Hayes only mentioned wanting to see flowers, and Mr. Sterling had people specially cultivate flowers that aren’t affected by the season.” “Sounds like it must have cost a fortune, right?” “Definitely. Worth millions, and they only bloom for two seasons. Mr. Sterling is so generous!” The gardener, who was calmly trimming branches nearby, chuckled. “For anything Ms. Vivian Hayes desires, what are a few millions?” “After all, everyone knows Ms. Vivian Hayes is the true mistress of Sterling Mansion.” The few women covered their mouths and laughed. Of course, I knew what they were laughing about. They were mocking me, the true daughter of the Sterling family, for being incomparable to Vivian Hayes, a relative who just appeared.
I looked at the fresh flowers and suddenly remembered a long time ago, Ryan had made me a similar promise. He was preparing for a math competition then, and I worried he’d strain his eyes staring at books all day. So I wanted to buy him an eye-care device with my own hands. I picked many flowers then, made them into dried flower bookmarks, and sold them at school. But I inadvertently affected the small vendors’ profits. They found some thugs to harass me, not only badmouthing me around the school, saying my dried flowers caused allergies, but also cornering me at the school’s side gate, threatening to teach me a lesson. At a crucial moment, Ryan saved me. He chased away the thugs. Seeing me still shaken, he comforted me, “Don’t worry, when I have money, I’ll buy you lots and lots of saplings.” “When the flowers bloom in spring, you can make a huge batch of dried flowers, and I’ll buy them all to give to all discerning individuals who appreciate them.” But that confident promise had long since vanished with the wind. Now, this entire garden of flowers belonged to Vivian Hayes. She even said, “Flowers are flowers. Turning them into dried flowers is ruining their beauty.” She forbade me from approaching the garden, even a little bit… Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but lower my head and give a self-deprecating laugh. Right, she was Lily’s cousin, and I was just the sinner who caused Lily’s death. How could I compare to her? As if hearing my thoughts, the sound of a car horn came from outside the gate. I couldn’t help but float to the courtyard entrance and immediately saw Ryan and Vivian Hayes stepping out of the car. Vivian Hayes wore a white business suit, a popular main style from a current luxury brand’s seasonal collection. It made her appear even more poised and transcendent, with an extraordinary aura. “I heard Ms. Vivian Hayes has a party today.” A housekeeper nearest to me looked at Vivian Hayes with envy. “No wonder. Mr. Sterling must have picked her up right after finishing work.” Another housekeeper chimed in. “Of course. No matter where Ms. Hayes goes, Mr. Sterling always personally drives her.” “Ms. Vivian Hayes is so beautiful. No wonder everyone likes her.” I stood inside the doorway, listening to the housekeepers’ praises for Vivian Hayes, and watched Ryan and Vivian Hayes enter the house together. Just inside the house, Vivian Hayes was still chattering to Ryan about the party when Ryan looked around and suddenly asked, “At the party just now, what was your impression of Brandon Miller, the young master of the Miller family?” Vivian Hayes looked surprised and couldn’t help but ask, “Ryan, why do you ask me that?” Then she lowered her head and murmured, “What good is it if *I* like him? He has to like *me*.” In terms of power and wealth, the Miller family was one of the top families in the entire capital city. Ryan had only recently taken over Sterling Corporation, and his foundation wasn’t stable. And no matter how favored Vivian Hayes was, she wasn’t a legitimate daughter of the Sterling family. A distant cousin of the Blackwood family, she was not a suitable match and could never marry into the Miller family. This was also why Vivian Hayes had secretly liked Brandon Miller for years but never confessed. I watched Ryan slowly lift his head, gazing at the countless flowers in the mansion’s courtyard, and he spoke softly, “Lily was my wife. Since you are her cousin, I should take good care of you, too.” “If you like him, why don’t I officially adopt you as my sister? Then you’ll be a daughter of the Sterling family, and it will be easier for you to discuss marriage with him.” I stared at Ryan blankly, never dreaming he would say such a thing. Although Ryan had proposed to Lily and even held a symbolic wedding, legally, they were not married. After Lily’s parents passed away last year, Vivian Hayes had hinted to Ryan that she wanted him to adopt her as his sister so she wouldn’t be looked down upon by the upper-class families in the capital. But Ryan had always insisted that he and Lily were already married and refused to agree to her request. Now, Ryan was actively bringing up this matter, all for the sake of fulfilling Vivian Hayes’s wish to marry the man she loved. I couldn’t help but take a few steps back, a strange panic stirring within me. Even though Ryan didn’t care for me, I was still a Sterling, still shared his blood. I still held a tiny hope that Ryan felt some familial affection for me. That’s why he had never suggested adopting Vivian Hayes as his sister. But now, he was willing to admit that he and Lily weren’t legally married, just to give Vivian Hayes a higher status and help her marry into the Miller family. I couldn’t help but shed tears. Ryan, was there no place for me in your heart anymore? All those promises made years ago couldn’t compare to the care you showed Vivian Hayes. Vivian Hayes’s face was filled with excitement and joy. She cautiously said, “Really? Does that mean I can openly call you brother from now on?” At that, a flicker of hesitation crossed Ryan’s face. “Let’s keep things as they were. Changing it would make me uncomfortable.” Before she could speak, Ryan glanced at a nearby housekeeper. “Where’s Anya?” “Is she still sulking because I confined her, refusing to come out?” Ryan walked towards the mansion. “Nonsense. I’ll go see her.” Hearing this, Vivian Hayes’s eyes flashed with a hint of panic. “Ryan, don’t go yet.”
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