h1 ss="text-24-scble xs:text-20-scble"3.Chapter/h1

Silence stretched. Ste kept her eyes fixed on the passing scenery, her face unreadable.

Max’s grip tightened on the wheel. “After everything you’ve been through, you still haven’t learned?” His voice turned icy. “Are you even listening to me?”

Ste still refused to look at him, her words slow and deliberate. “When the kidnapper took me away, I overheard Dad saying they had 2.5 million set aside—just in case the ransom demand was high.

“But they didn’t want to pay that much. Thepany was struggling, so they could only offer 1.5 million. But the kidnapper told me if they were willing to pay the full amount, he’d let both Anna and me go.”

The guilt in Max’s eyes vanished in an instant. “So you’re ming Mom and Dad for not saving you because of thepany? Did you ever stop to think none of this would’ve happened if you hadn’t run away?”

Ste finally turned to face him. “Tell me, Mr. Hayes—do you remember why I ran away in the first ce?”

Max had always assumed she couldn’t open her eyes—every time he’d seen her before, they’d been shut. But now, her unsettling gaze locked onto him, sending a chill down his spine.

He stumbled, “Y-You know exactly what you did. Anna’s been fragile since birth, and you did it. You owe her. With your SAT scores? A gap year with proper tutoring could still get you into Quentiham.

“But no, you had to cause trouble instead. Mom and Dad even promised to take you to that amusement park you always wanted to visit if you just behaved.”

When Ste was little, she’d begged to go to the amusement park. But her parents always refused—Anna was too sick, they said. It wouldn’t be fair to Anna if Ste went without her. Over time, the longing faded into resignation.

When she was first lured to Dusty Pines, part of her had still believed that, despite everything, her parents wouldn’t abandon herpletely. She was their daughter too. Sooner orter, they’de for her.

*****

As the car rolled into the Hayes residence, Ste felt no sense of familiarity. This wasn’t the way home she remembered. From the moment they entered the gates, everything felt foreign and even unsettling.

The car came to a stop. Max turned toward her, reaching for the takeout bag hanging on the seatback. Just as he was about to step out, he paused and shot her a suspicious nce. “You didn’t take anything from the bag, did you?”

Ste held her breath.

He seemed to catch the usatory tone in his own voice and softened. “I’m not saying you can’t eat. But the police said you barely had anything in that small town. Overdoing it now wouldn’t be good for you. I’m just looking out for you.”

“I didn’t eat anything,” she said tly.

Max blinked in surprise. In the past, whenever he’d bring home treats—meant for Anna, not her—Ste would help herself anyway. He’d always leave some for his sister, but since the snacks weren’t intended for Ste, he’d scold her for being greedy.

Now, he checked the bag. No signs of tampering. Weird. But he just shrugged. “Go get ready. Don’t take too long.” With that, he strode off toward the hall, his mood noticeably lighter.

Ste turned toward the noise. Even with her blurred vision, the buzz of voices told her the ce was packed. Of course, after her kidnapping ordeal, the Hayes family had to make a show of her return.

This was good for their image and thepany. Never mind how Ste felt about being paraded around like this, knowing people would always see her as damaged goods.

She didn’t want to go in. But before she could protest, a servant rushed over and pulled her inside. The lights were so bright and harsh that she had to look away.

The servant’s disgust was barely concealed, though she forced a polite tone. “Ms. Ste Hayes,” she said, handing her a change of clothes, “while you were gone, Mr. Max Hayes took over thepany. With the Quinn family’s help, things turned around quickly.

“This house was bought just five months ago—the old one hasn’t been sold. Mr. and Mrs. Hayes said if you ever returned, you’d still know your way home. But we’ve prepared a room for you here. I’ll take you there.”

Ste’s eyes adjusted to the brightness, revealing a mansion far grander than the previous one. Lavish decor filled the space, but what caught her attention was the framed diploma disyed prominently in the center—a Quentiham University graduation certificate.

Something about it pulled her in. While the servant was distracted, Ste lifted the frame. Anna’s beaming face stared back at her, the name beneath it unmistakable. The date was this year.

That didn’t make sense. Quentiham was a four-year program—unless someone graduated early, which required top marks. But Anna had failed the entrance exam back then.

The servant returned and gasped. She snatched the diploma from Ste’s hands, reverently cing it back. “Mr. and Mrs. Hayes’ orders—no one touches this without permission.”

Ste frowned in confusion but said nothing.

“Let’s go upstairs,” the servant said.

The staircase was a challenge. Ste gripped the railing, refusing to let her slow pace make her a spectacle. She’d have to adapt eventually. The servant’s impatient re burned into her back.

As they passed a massive room—easily 800 square feet—Ste tried to peek inside, but the servant stepped in her way, offering no exnation.

At the very end of the hall, the servant opened a door to a modest 500-square-foot room, its decor a stark contrast to the luxury downstairs. “Your clothes are inside. Change quickly. The party’s about to start.”

Ste nodded. “Okay.”

When she stepped outter, the servant was gone. Gripping the railing, Ste made her way toward the party hall. The ce was packed—seemingly every elite in Jaloria had shown up.

Three years had changed everything. The Hayes family had climbed from modest wealth to the upper echelons of high society. Ste watched as people who once looked down on them now fawned over her family with practiced smiles.

Her father, Andrew, stood taller than she remembered—confident, vibrant, practically glowing with pride. Her mother, Fiona, had aged like fine wine, looking decades younger than the noblewomen surrounding her.

And Anna was radiant, the center of attention, practically Jaloria’s princess with Lionel and Max nking her like devoted knights.

The sight twisted something inside Ste. She wasn’t needed here. She never had been.

She hesitated at the entrance, ready to turn back. And then she saw the banners. Anna and Lionel were smiling in their wedding attire. Realization hit her. This wasn’t a homing for her. It was their engagement party.