Chapter 4

"Thud."

The bowl hit the table. Julian snatched my phone.

Celeste's face turned ashen as she put down her bowl, implying.

"Aria, why are you secretly contacting them behind Mom and Dad's backs?"

"They..."

She spoke as if she wanted to say more, then suddenly turned to my parents, throwing herself into their arms.

"Mom and Dad, please don't let Aria go back to that place. I don't want her to go!"

"I'm doing this for her own good!"

Her crying filled the air, and Julian's expression shifted.

My heart sank. Realizing something was wrong, I immediately tried to grab my phone.

"Give it to me!"

Julian shoved me hard, holding up the phone with a smirk.

"Aria looks down on you for being poor, why would she ever come back?!"

"Don't dream about it. You're not good people either. Haven't you tortured Celeste enough? How much more do you want to gain?"

"Aria?! She wishes you were dead."

I looked at Julian in utter disbelief. When had I ever said those things?!

He was doing this on purpose.

My parents reacted, once again snatching the phone from Julian before I could. They immediately spoke into it.

"Yes, those things you did to Celeste! We'll investigate everything!"

"Aria will never return to that hellhole of yours!"

"She's staying with the Hayes family forever!"

My breath hitched. I watched as Mom swiftly hung up the phone. Before I could explain, a slap landed on my face.

"Aria Hayes, is this your dramatic ploy?!"

The last shred of affection in my heart shattered. I met the disappointment and doubt in their eyes.

Celeste was finally satisfied.

She stepped forward triumphantly, pretending to hold my parents back, speaking gently on my behalf.

"Aria was spoiled for eighteen years, so it's normal for her to feel disappointed."

"No matter what, she shouldn't say she wants to go back to that den of evil and hurt Mom and Dad's feelings..."

She was seemingly speaking up for me, but actually implying I was ungrateful and not worth raising.

My parents' faces grew even uglier. Julian scoffed, muttering "ungrateful brat."

The air in the villa instantly turned sour.

My parents' expressions were indifferent; they didn't spare me another glance. Only Celeste winked at me.

In the following days, my treatment at the Hayes' home plummeted.

The entire Hayes household treated me like air. The family driver picked up and dropped off Celeste for school, completely ignoring me.

Everyone at school laughed, saying I'd fallen from queen to commoner. Only Celeste would step forward to defend me.

Every time she did, she'd receive praise, and Julian, especially, would go out of his way to humiliate me for her sake.

Until a month later, Celeste felt unwell and asked to go home, but then suddenly went missing.

She'd been kidnapped!

The moment the Hayes family driver relayed the news, everyone remained silent, but their eyes immediately turned to me.

"Did someone finally snap?"

"Celeste has no enemies, why would she suddenly be kidnapped?"

"Could it be someone deliberately seeking revenge? After all, the public media hasn't even announced Celeste's identity yet."

"Speaking of which, I think the person who hates Celeste the most must be her."

Countless suspicious gazes fell on me. Julian even pushed me directly, his brows furrowed.

"Aria, where did you take Celeste?!"

I thought they had lost their minds. Celeste was kidnapped, and instead of calling the police, they suspected me first.

"I don't know."

My face was devoid of expression. The moment I said those words, the classroom door burst open.

Mom and Dad rushed in, their faces anxious.

"Aria, do you really not know?!"

"Yes."

I wasn't lying. I really didn't know.

But I probably knew where Celeste had gone...

I met my parents' gaze directly. Just as I was about to drop my eyes in disappointment, a voice suddenly spoke from above my head.

"I believe Aria."

"She's the child we raised since she was little. No matter how much she dislikes Celeste, she wouldn't hurt anyone."

My eyes flickered. My chest warmed, and I couldn't help but look up.

But just as I was about to explain, Julian suddenly moved. Holding up his phone, his face pale and distraught.

"The kidnappers sent a video!"

The next second, the video started playing. A voice came through.

"Celeste, right? You're the real daughter Aria talked about!"

"You're worth a lot more than her."

"We have her to thank for being able to catch you..."

The entire room erupted in chaos.

My parents instantly let go of my hands, their faces filled with utter disbelief.

My dad's facial muscles twitched. He pointed at me, his chest heaving.

"You animal!"

I didn't explain. I raised my hand and dialed the emergency number.

Seeing me about to call the police, Julian's face suddenly fell.

"Don't call the police!"