Chapter 1

1

My childhood sweetheart and my brother both fell for the new scholarship girl, Jane Reed.

One of them, my fiancé, turned his back on our betrothal, sneering, “A princess like Elara Vance? I’m not man enough to handle that.”

The other, my brother, forgot our mother's dying wish. “Jane’s had it so tough,” he’d pleaded. “Is it really so wrong if I just give her half the love I give you?”

On my birthday, my fiancé chose to be with Jane.

On the anniversary of my mother's death, my brother was at a party, celebrating with Jane and her mother.

And while they were off in Port Moore, accompanying Jane as she accepted a prestigious design award, I set a match to the house that held all our memories.

I faked my death and vanished from Crestwood.

But when the news of my demise reached Port Moore, the two men who had grown so tired of me went mad, rushing back to Crestwood that very night.

They knelt before the smoldering ruins of the house, their cries echoing in the ashes.

The last time I brought up my engagement to Carlos Lockhart, the room fell silent.

Then, after a collective glance at the irritation tightening his features, the space erupted in jeering laughter.

“What century is this? Who still believes in childhood engagements?”

“Our dear princess Elara seems to be feeling a little insecure, doesn’t she?”

I ignored the toxic cloud of mockery, my eyes fixed on Carlos, who was lounging on the sofa. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing the faint, damning marks on his neck and collarbone. A fine needle of pain pierced my heart, the ache a delayed reaction, slow to register.

“We were kids. We didn’t know what we were doing, agreeing to something so ridiculous,” Carlos said, his voice laced with a lazy disdain. He finally looked at me, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips. “Elara, we’re adults now.”

He held my gaze. “Let’s just forget about it.”

I stared at him, stunned, about to speak when the door swung open.

Jane Reed entered, dressed in a server’s uniform and carrying a tray. She flinched the moment she saw me, her voice a timid whisper. “Elara… I mean, Miss Vance.”

She shot a quick, teary-eyed glance at Carlos. “I-I’m so sorry. Am I interrupting something?”

Her voice trembled as she finished, and she made a move to set down the tray and leave.

But Carlos suddenly kicked the coffee table over.

A crash of shattering glass echoed through the room. Shards flew, and one sliced into my arm. Blood welled, a sharp, searing pain.

Carlos didn’t even glance my way.

His face was a thundercloud as he strode over to Jane. He grabbed the frilly apron she wore and tore it off with a rough tug.

“Jane, haven’t I told you to stop working these jobs?”

Jane nodded meekly, her eyes already turning red. “I just… I don’t want to keep taking your money,” she sniffled. “You and Julian have already given me so much. I can earn my own living expenses…”

“But it hurts me to see you like this,” Carlos cut in, tossing the apron aside. “You’re coming with me, right now. And if I ever see you working in a place like this again,” he declared, his voice dangerously low, “I’ll have it shut down.”

He then turned his cold gaze back to me.

“And if anyone else tries to throw their weight around, don't blame me for forgetting old times.”

I clutched my bleeding arm, my expression a blank mask as I met his furious stare amidst the chaos.

2

This private club was one of my family’s properties.

Carlos assumed I had arranged for Jane to work here just to humiliate her. How laughable. With him and my brother showering her with affection, Jane was treated like a little princess. She had more money than she could ever spend. Why would she subject herself to this kind of work?

But I knew the truth didn't matter.

Even if I explained, even if I brought the club manager here to vouch for me, Carlos wouldn't believe it. In his eyes, I had become the villain of our story, the cruel heiress hell-bent on tormenting the innocent heroine.

“Elara,” Carlos said, pulling Jane into a protective embrace. “A princess like you is more than I can handle.”

He locked his eyes on mine. “This engagement… let’s just call it off.”

His words hung in the air, plunging the room into another dead silence.

Jane’s face went pale, and she trembled, burrowing deeper into Carlos's arms. The few friends around us watched me with wary eyes, as if expecting an explosion.

A bitter laugh threatened to escape my lips. It was true. Ever since Jane’s mother had insinuated herself into our family, and Jane had done the same with my relationship with Carlos, I had reacted. I’d fought, I’d cried. After all, the devotion that had once been mine alone was now being siphoned off, unconditionally, to Jane and her mother. How could a spoiled princess like me endure that?

But the result of my tears and tantrums was that I had only pushed everyone I cared about further into her camp.

Now, I was just tired. So incredibly tired.

“Fine,” I said, my voice eerily calm.

I took a few slow steps forward. Carlos instinctively tightened his hold on Jane, shielding her behind him.

“Elara, whatever you’re planning, direct it at me.”

I released my wounded arm and held out my hand. My palm, once pale, was now slick with a spreading stain of crimson.

Carlos’s lips thinned into a hard line, but for a fleeting moment, the cold indifference in his eyes seemed to waver.

3

But in that instant, Jane broke free from his embrace.

“Miss Vance, please don’t make things difficult for Carlos,” she pleaded, tears streaming down her face. “It’s all my fault. I should have never shown up, never disturbed you…”

She choked on a sob. “I’ll leave right now.”

“Jane, I told you, I’ll handle everything,” Carlos said, his heart melting at the sight of her tears.

He gently wiped her face, and when he looked back at me, any trace of that brief softness had vanished, replaced by pure, unadulterated loathing.

“Elara, can you please stop this pathetic clinging…”

“The engagement is off,” I cut him off, my voice flat. “But I want my things back.”

Carlos froze. “What things?”

I reached up and unclasped the silk cord around my neck. A jade locket hung from it, a family heirloom from Carlos’s mother, given to me when our families made the pact. The gift my mother had given him was far more valuable—a relic from a royal dynasty, blessed by a renowned ancient monk.

“You take the locket. I want the bracelet.”

Carlos’s expression hardened. His gaze fell to the locket in my hand. I had worn it every day since I was fifteen, never taking it off. Everyone in our circle knew how much I treasured it.

“You think everyone’s as pathetic as you?” he sneered, snatching the locket from my hand. “Clinging to every little piece of junk.”

He shot me one last, cold look. “I’ll find it when I get home and send it to you. After that, we’re done.”

When I got home, my brother, Julian Vance, was waiting for me in the living room.

“Elara, there’s something I need to talk to you about,” he said, handing me a thick stack of documents. “I’m planning to transfer this office building into Jane’s name. She can live off the rental income. She’s been through so much; now that she’s with us, it’s time she had an easier life.”

I glanced at the papers. That building was part of my mother’s inheritance, property she had brought with her from her family.

Without a word, I took the documents and ripped them in half.

“Elara!” Julian exclaimed, pushing his glasses up his nose, his face a mask of disapproval. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“That incident where you pushed Jane down the stairs? I already took care of it for you,” he said, his tone accusatory. “She was hurt, and she didn’t even press the issue. Giving her one building is nothing compared to what she went through.”

“Have you forgotten what you promised Mom?”

Julian fell silent.

On her deathbed, our mother had clung to his hand, making him swear. Swear that he would protect me, care for me, and cherish me his entire life. That he would never let anyone hurt me.

And that he would never let anyone take what was mine.

“I haven’t forgotten,” he finally said, his voice quiet. “But Elara, Jane is my sister now, too. Is it really so wrong for me to share my love with her?”

He sighed, a sound heavy with disappointment. “You’re too willful, Elara. Too arrogant. Why can’t you be more like Jane?”

4

I wanted to laugh, but tears came first.

“Julian,” I said, my voice shaking. “No one is taking what belonged to Mom. No one.”

I fixed him with a hard stare. “If you want to give Jane something, fine. Give her anything from the Vance fortune you want.”

“What good is there in the Vance fortune…” he started, then immediately bit his tongue.

He was right. What good was there left in this family? From the people to the possessions, nothing was untainted.

I threw the shredded documents into the trash and turned to go upstairs.

“A few days from now is the anniversary of Mom’s death,” I said over my shoulder. “Don’t forget.”

“How could I forget?” Julian replied, his laugh hollow. “Get some rest. I’m going to my study to work for a bit.”

I didn’t answer, didn’t look back.

I didn’t sleep a wink that night. Instead, I went through the house, gathering every single thing that tied the three of us together.

I burned the photographs.

Anything that could be smashed or dismantled, I broke.

Anything that could be given away, I packed up and sent to a local charity.

All that remained was this little house, its walls saturated with memories. It was the only villa the Vance family owned when my mother married into it. After she died, Julian and I couldn't bear to leave. Then, our father moved out to live with Jane’s mother. And slowly, Julian started coming back less and less.

Carlos used to come over every single day. But he hadn’t been here in a long, long time.

I sat on the terrace, clutching my mother’s portrait. I cried for a long time before exhaustion finally pulled me into a fitful sleep.

My birthday was the day before the anniversary of Mom's death. She had fought to hold on, to see me celebrate one more year before she finally let go. I had been inconsolable back then, and Carlos had stayed by my side, not daring to sleep for a full day, a silent guardian. He’d been there for the next eight birthdays, a constant presence.

This was the first one he’d missed. But it didn’t matter anymore.

Carlos didn’t show up, but Jane, like a persistent ghost, haunted my evening. Her social media was a constant stream of updates, and some of our so-called friends made sure to broadcast it all directly to me.

“We couldn’t find a reason to celebrate, so Carlos said we should just celebrate my tablet’s birthday tonight!”

“Just an excuse to eat cake, really. ;)”

A beautiful, expensive two-tiered cake. A champagne tower. And there she was, the little princess in her tiara, surrounded by designer bags and beautiful clothes. She was smiling, her eyes full of adoration as she gazed at the person beside her.

And Carlos was smiling right back, his look just as tender. They looked so perfect together.

I closed the app and set my phone face down on the table.

Closing my eyes, I made a wish over a single, flickering candle.

Mom, please let everything go smoothly.

Mom, please help me get away from these rotten people, forever.

5

On the anniversary of Mom’s death, I waited.

And waited.

Dad sent someone over with some offerings, but Julian never appeared.

I called him. The first three calls went unanswered. On the fourth, a woman’s voice answered. It was Jane’s mother.

“Oh, Elara, dear. Are you looking for Julian?”

“Today is my mother’s death anniversary.”

“Oh, my! It’s my dear sister-in-law’s anniversary? Look at us, how could we have forgotten? We should be ashamed,” she said, her tone syrupy sweet. “You see, my little dog just had puppies, and Julian and Jane are so completely smitten with them, they must have let the day slip their minds… It’s probably too late to make it over now. What ever shall we do?”

I could hear Jane’s voice in the background. “Who is it, Mom?”

“It’s Elara. I think she’s upset. Oh, Julian, what should we do?”

Then, Julian’s voice came on the line. “Hello, Elara?”

I ended the call and blocked his number.

On the headstone, Mom’s black-and-white photograph smiled down at me, her expression full of love and warmth.

It was a beautiful spring day, but I knelt on the cold ground, feeling as if I’d been plunged into a frozen abyss.

I hugged the cool stone, pressing a kiss to her picture. It’s okay, Mom. At least you have me. I’ll never, ever forget you.

I was just returning from my lawyer’s office when I saw them outside the little house.

Carlos, Julian, and Jane.

Jane was in the middle, cradling a huge bouquet of flowers, her face beaming with joy. When he saw me, Julian was the first to speak.

“Elara, look how amazing Jane is! Her design sketch won a major international award.”

“I was just trying to follow in your footsteps, Elara,” Jane said, the picture of shy humility.

Carlos, holding the design portfolio, scoffed. “Follow in her footsteps? She studied with a master and never won a single thing.” He turned to Jane, his voice softening. “This kind of thing is about talent, Jane. Don't sell yourself short.”

My eyes snagged on the lines in the sketches. I lunged forward and snatched the portfolio from Carlos's hand. I flipped through the pages, one after another. They were nearly identical to my own drafts.

She stole my designs to win that award!

“You stole my work! Jane, how could you be so shameless…”

I was shaking with rage, my hand rising to strike her.

But before it could connect, Carlos’s hand shot out, clamping around my wrist like a vice. A moment later, a powerful shove sent me sprawling to the ground.

6

“Elara, I have put up with your spoiled, arrogant bullshit for a long time,” Carlos snarled, his voice dripping with venom. “Jane won that award with her own talent. You accuse her of theft? Where’s your proof? If you can’t produce any, then it’s slander.”

“Elara, I swear I didn’t steal your designs,” Jane sobbed, collapsing into Carlos’s arms. “You’ve always hated me. How would I even get near your computer?”

My head snapped toward Julian.

My computer was always in the study. The only person who regularly used that room was him.

Julian’s eyes darted away, unable to meet mine.

In that moment, everything became painfully clear.

“Look at yourself, Elara. Just look at the state you’re in,” Carlos said, looming over me. He pulled the fiery red bracelet from his wrist and tossed it onto the ground beside me. It landed with a soft thud.

“I honestly don’t know what I ever saw in you.”

I looked up at him, a mocking glint in my eyes, about to retort when my gaze was drawn to the necklace around Jane’s neck.

When I saw it clearly, a fresh wave of fury washed over me, so intense I trembled.

It was a diamond necklace in the shape of a tulip. My mother’s.

“Julian!” I shrieked, pointing a shaking finger at Jane. My eyes were bloodshot. “How dare you give her Mom’s necklace!”

Julian’s lips pressed into a thin line, a flicker of guilt in his eyes. “Elara…”

Jane, head bowed, began to cry as she fumbled with the clasp. “I’m so sorry, Elara. I didn’t know it was your mother’s. I’ll give it back right now.”

Her tears fell, and Julian’s heart immediately went out to her. “Jane, don’t take it off. It was a gift from me to you.”

He then turned to me, his tone firm. “It’s just an object, Elara. Jane likes it, so let her have it. I’ll buy you a new one, something even better.”

A pain like a slow, deliberate evisceration tore through me. My voice shook. “That was Mom’s. You have no right, Julian.”

My voice rose, venomous. “Besides, I’d rather smash it to pieces than let the daughter of a homewrecker wear it!”

A flash of shame and anger crossed Julian’s face. “Elara! Don’t be so cruel to Jane.”

7

“The sins of the parents have nothing to do with her!”

Jane buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

Carlos stepped forward, shielding her. “That’s enough, Elara! You’ve gone too far.” He ripped the necklace from Jane’s neck and threw it violently to the ground. “So what? It’s just some stupid necklace. Come on, Jane. I’ll buy you a new one right now, something bigger and more expensive.”

Julian shot me a look, sighing heavily. “Elara, why do you always have to be so difficult? Why do you always have to make a scene?”

His voice was filled with a weary disappointment. “Jane has been through so much. Can’t you find it in your heart to make room for her? You’re a young woman. Why can’t you learn to be a little kinder?”

His next words were a hammer blow. “And as for the designs… Elara, you already have so much. You’ll have plenty of other chances to win awards. But Jane is different. She needs this award right now to establish herself, to get a foothold in the industry.”

He paused, his voice dropping. “To be accepted by Carlos’s family.”

He reached for me, trying to pull me up. “Elara…”

“Get off me,” I hissed, shoving his hand away. A strange, cold smile spread across my face.

“Brother.”

It was the last time I would ever call him that.

The last time I would ever look at him with anything but contempt.

“You will pay for this.”

Julian frowned, but he couldn’t meet my gaze. “Elara… I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

With that, he turned and hurried after Carlos and Jane.

I knelt, my fingers closing around the cold, delicate necklace. I pressed it to my chest, remaining motionless for a long, long time.

I didn’t cry. Not a single tear fell.

I suppose when you reach the absolute peak of grief and heartbreak, the tears simply refuse to come.

The sun began to set, swallowing the world in a wash of blood-red light.

The weather forecast had predicted a heatwave. Dry conditions.

A perfect time to be careful with fire.

8

Deep in the night, I tossed a thick bundle of letters into the fireplace. Then I picked up a photograph.

Carlos and Julian stood on either side of me, their faces lit with brilliant, carefree smiles. Looking at it now, the image was nothing but a bitter, laughable irony.

I held it to the flames. The smiling faces warped, then blackened, turning to ash.

My eyes reflected the hungry orange light. As the letters burned, I caught glimpses of the words within.

Julian’s handwriting: I will love and protect my sister forever. Elara will always be my little princess.

Carlos’s: I’m going to marry Elara when we grow up. We’ll have two kids, a boy and a girl, an older brother for his little sister.

They had made their promises with such earnest sincerity. They had both sworn that I was more important than their own lives.

But now, the paper was yellowed and brittle. The black ink had faded. Just like their pathetic vows, scattered to the wind.

The flames licked at my fingertips. I let the last of it go, watching it flutter down onto the silk evening gown I’d laid on the floor.

The fire grew, catching the curtains, then a wooden chest. Thick, black smoke began to pour out into the night.

I stood motionless, the heat flushing my cheeks, the smoke stinging my eyes until tears streamed down my face.

My phone rang. It was Carlos.

I ignored it.

A moment later, Julian called.

I declined it.

As I was about to delete and block their numbers, a message from Carlos popped up.

“Elara, no matter what, Jane is your sister. I hope you can congratulate her on this important moment. She really wants your blessing.”

Then another, from Julian.

“Elara, I promise I will make this up to you. And Mom’s necklace… I’ll have an identical one made. Please, forgive me.”

I wanted to laugh. And this time, I did, the sound wet and broken as tears finally fell.

I typed out two replies.

To Carlos: I won’t wish her well. I’ll only wish for her and her mother to rot in hell.

To Julian: Why don’t you go ask Mom for forgiveness in person?

After sending them, I blocked and deleted every trace of them from my phone.

I grabbed my suitcase, took one last look at the villa brimming with ghosts and memories, and walked away without a backward glance.

Everything that needed to be settled was done. I had nothing left to hold onto here.

Not long after I left, the night wind tipped over a burning candle.

At first, it was just a tiny flicker.

But the dry air fed the flame, nurturing it, helping it grow.

Until its fiery tongue engulfed the entire house.

The home that had held a universe of memories was reduced to a pile of smoldering ruins.

9

Jane, dressed in a stunning couture gown, waited in the front row, moments away from taking the stage.

Carlos’s phone buzzed. Irritated, he pulled it out, intending to silence it, but a notification on the screen caught his eye.

“Carlos, call me back NOW. Something’s happened to Elara.”

Carlos scoffed. Remembering the vicious text she’d just sent, his annoyance hardened into resentment.

He casually typed back: “What little drama is she stirring up now?”

Jane was about to receive her award. He had no time or energy to deal with Elara’s theatrics. Pulling a stunt now? It was obviously just a desperate attempt to ruin Jane’s big moment.

His friend called again. Carlos impatiently rejected it.

Jane looked over, her expression anxious. “Carlos, I’m a little nervous.”

He took her hand. “Relax. I’m right here with you.”

The announcer called Jane’s name. Carlos leaned down, helping her with the train of her dress. The spotlight found her, and in that moment, she was the center of the universe.

Jane took a deep breath, a gentle smile on her face, and glided towards the stage.

His phone rang again. He answered.

His friend’s panicked voice crackled through the speaker. “Carlos, it’s Elara! The Vance villa caught fire last night. By the time anyone noticed, it was already burned to the ground.”

The voice was frantic. “They think Elara was still inside… she never came out. The police are saying… they’re saying she’s most likely gone.”

Carlos let out a cold laugh. “Don’t think I don’t know what she’s trying to pull. You tell Elara to give it up. This won’t work.”

He hung up before his friend could say another word. To avoid any further interruptions, he switched his phone off completely.

Just as he put it away, Julian’s phone started ringing. It was the same friend.

Julian was about to answer, but Carlos reached over and ended the call.

“It’s just Elara acting out again. Ignore her. Jane’s ceremony is what’s important.”

Julian frowned. “What is she trying to do now?”

“What do you think?” Carlos said dismissively. “Causing trouble. Trying to trick us into running back home. She can’t stand seeing us here supporting Jane, so she’s trying to ruin it.”

Julian’s frown deepened. He turned his phone off, too. “She’s getting more and more out of control.”

“She’s a spoiled brat,” Carlos said with a cold smile. “It’s time she learned a lesson.”

A wave of applause swept through the hall. Carlos and Julian joined in, their eyes fixed on the graceful figure on stage.

Jane, in turn, smiled sweetly down at them.

“There are two people I need to thank for this award,” she said, her voice carrying through the auditorium. “My mentor, Carlos, and my brother, Julian.”

“Without them, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”

“Thank you.”

Carlos and Julian’s faces were masks of identical, tender pride. Their gazes followed her every move, as if she were the only person in the world.

10

The awards ceremony was a resounding success. To celebrate Jane’s win, Carlos and Julian took her on a lavish shopping and vacation trip.

On the way to the resort, Jane brought up the phone calls from the ceremony.

“Was that Elara calling you? I thought I heard her name just before I went on stage.”

“Don’t worry about her,” Carlos said. “She was just trying her old tricks. Probably set a small fire to get our attention.”

“Carlos, don’t say that,” Jane chided softly. “She’s only acting out because she wants your attention. She doesn’t mean any harm.”

Her voice was full of manufactured concern. “It’s all my fault. If you and Julian weren’t here with me, she wouldn’t have resorted to something so drastic… Maybe we should go back and check on her. If she yells at me, I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear.”

Her eyes were wide and wet, like a gentle kitten that had been wronged.

Carlos’s heart ached for her, and he pulled her into a hug. “Jane, you’re just too kind. That’s why she’s always bullying you.”

Julian chimed in from the side. “Don’t blame yourself, Jane. She’s the one who’s arrogant and cruel.”

Just as he finished speaking, his phone rang. The caller identified himself as an officer from the Crestwood Police Department, asking if he was a relative of Elara Vance.

Before Julian could answer, Carlos snorted. “A cop? Elara’s got some nerve, hiring someone to impersonate a police officer.”

“My badge number is 010-XXXX,” the voice on the phone continued, firm and professional. “We received a call at dawn about a fire at a villa in the South Hills district. Security footage shows Miss Vance returning to the villa but never leaving before the structure was completely destroyed. The scene is too badly damaged, but we’ve recovered a few items that we believe belonged to her.”

Carlos’s smirk widened. “Playing dead now? Tell Elara that trick won’t work either. She can forget it.”

He took Julian’s phone and blocked the number.

A menace like Elara Vance wouldn’t die so easily.

11

The private jet landed on a small, idyllic island. It was Carlos’s private property, and everything had been redecorated to suit Jane’s tastes.

That afternoon, while they were out fishing, Carlos idly scrolled through the news from Crestwood.

A headline caught his eye: a villa in the city’s South Hills district had burned down. The fire had started late at night, and by the time firefighters arrived, the house was nothing but a charred shell. The blaze had been so intense that no body could be recovered from the dangerously unstable ruins.

Police had reviewed surveillance footage from neighboring properties and confirmed that no one had left the villa.

The preliminary conclusion was that the occupant was likely deceased.

Carlos’s finger paused over the article. For a moment, he was lost in thought.

“Carlos, come on, smile!” Jane’s voice pulled him back. She was holding a selfie stick, leaning in close.

The faint scent of jasmine filled the air. Carlos instinctively put his arm around her shoulder, posing for the camera.

“This one’s nice, don’t you think?” Jane asked, looking up at him. Her soft lips brushed against his chin.

The atmosphere grew charged as their lips met.