Chapter 1
Ethan Walker and I had both been given a second chance at life.
In my previous life, I was the girl he had personally picked out at the orphanage to be his adopted sister–and eventually, his wife. We had lived together for decades, growing old hand in hand.
But this time, when Mr. and Mrs. Walker beckoned me forward at the orphanage just as they had in the past, Ethan stopped them.
“Dad, Mom, I don’t want her. I want this girl to be my sister instead.”
He took the hand of the girl beside me–the one who had died young in our past life.
“You stole Lily’s life and caused her to die miserably. This time, it’s your turn to taste the hell she went through.”
In that moment, I understood.
Ethan wanted to play the noble knight, the dragon slayer who rescued the princess.
I looked up at Mrs. Smith, her expression calm and composed. Then I turned to watch Ethan’s back as he walked away, leading the girl he had sworn to protect this time.
I nodded quietly.
So be it.
This time, I wanted to live differently too.
When I walked out of Hope Orphanage, the Walker family hadn’t left yet.
The moment Ethan saw me, he stiffened. He quickly shoved Lily into the car, glaring at me with
venom.
“Sophia Walker, even if you got down on your knees and begged, I’d never take you with us. You don’t belong in our family!”
“You’re just a thief. You belong with the Smiths–let them deal with you.”
He shoved me aside, slammed the door shut, and the Walker convoy sped off, leaving me stumbling in the dust. The exhaust swirled into the air, stinging my eyes until I could barely keep them open.
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A sleek black Maybach pulled up in front of me.
The tinted window slid down, revealing Mrs. Smith’s face, cold and unreadable. “Do you still want to go with the Walkers?”
I shook my head. “The Smith family is fine.”
Her brows lifted slightly, as if surprised by my answer. “What’s your name?”
I lowered my voice. “Sophia.”
“From now on, you’re Sophia Smith.”
Her tone was curt, but I understood what she meant.
I climbed into the car quickly and obediently. “Yes, Mom.”
Mrs. Smith raised an eyebrow but said nothing more. She leaned back in her seat and closed her
eyes.
Knowing better than to push my luck, I stayed silent.
The car rolled through the gates of Hillcrest Mansion. I followed her inside, watched her drop her handbag onto a table, and then she lifted her gaze, speaking almost absently to someone upstairs.
“Adrian, this is your new sister. Sophia Smith.”
Startled, I glanced upward.
Leaning against the railing of the second–floor gallery was a boy with striking features–even more refined than Ethan’s. His face was almost too perfect, his expression distant as he stared down at
- me.
I froze, stunned by how breathtaking he was.
Adrian Smith.
In my past life, I had barely met him. I’d been adopted into the Walker family, and soon after, Adrian had been sent abroad. Years later, when I finally saw him again, he had already inherited the Smith empire. His face had been scarred by then, his methods ruthless. The business world had
nicknamed him Ironhand Smith.
But right now… he was still just a boy.
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I curved my lips into a smile and greeted softly, “Hello, Adrian.”
Adrian didn’t reply. He simply leaned against the railing, his gaze detached and unreadable.
“Don’t mind him,” Mrs. Smith said coolly. “He doesn’t like to talk.”
She called over a housekeeper to show me around and walked away without another glance.
As I was about to leave with the housekeeper, I couldn’t help but turn back. For a split second, my eyes met Adrian’s–his gaze so silent it seemed bottomless. My heart gave a sudden jolt.
But before I could smile, he had already turned away and disappeared into his room.
