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Chapter 7
Mrs. Smith’s voice lingered in my ears long after she left.
She had told me Adrian once had a little sister–Susannah Smith, his cousin, taken in after her
parents‘ death. She had died protecting him during a kidnapping, beaten to death before his eyes.
From that day on, Adrian had locked himself in silence.
I finally understood.
No wonder he had always seemed frozen, detached, unreachable.
And no wonder Mrs. Smith had brought me into this house–not just as a daughter, but as a chance
for Adrian to heal.
When I was discharged a week later, life in the Smith household had shifted.
Before, I had been tolerated just another foster child who could be sent away at any time. But after the hospital incident, the servants treated me differently. Their gazes were no longer dismissive, but careful, even respectful.
Still, Mrs. Smith’s expectations for me only grew heavier.
My lessons doubled. Public speaking, business etiquette, advanced economics–my schedule was
packed tighter than ever.
“Someday you’ll step into the business world,” she told me sternly. “You’ll face doubters. Without
real ability, no one will take you seriously.”
Her words drew startled looks from the relatives around us. I could feel their suspicion–Why was she grooming an adopted daughter so seriously?
I glanced at Adrian nervously, afraid he might resent me for being singled out. But instead, he was watching me with a rare intensity, chin resting on his hand.
His lips moved slowly. “…Sophia, don’t be afraid. You’re the best.”
My throat tightened. I nodded hard, tears burning at the corners of my eyes. “Mm.”
Mrs. Smith’s expression softened for once. “Adrian, you must work hard too. Otherwise your sister will surpass you–and then you’ll have to rely on her for protection.”
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“No!” Adrian shot to his feet, his voice urgent, clear. “I’ll protect her!”
To prove it, he immediately broke into a set of martial arts drills he had been practicing. His
movements were sharp, determined.
Mrs. Smith and I exchanged glances and both burst out laughing.
But behind the laughter, warmth spread through me.
Mrs. Smith had once said, “Adrian is lucky to have you.”
But in truth, I felt just as lucky to have them.
Time flew.
Under the Smiths‘ relentless training, I became the student every parent pointed to as the model child. My name appeared regularly on the school’s honor roll–sometimes right beside Adrian’s, though he was in a higher grade.
In contrast, Lily Walker, who had once been a star in our past life, slipped further behind. She spent
most of her time playing and dressing up, never once appearing on the honor board.
Ethan didn’t fare any better. He had always been mediocre academically, and in this life, nothing had changed.
The Walkers and the Smiths grew more distant, our paths no longer crossing often.
But sometimes, I caught Ethan watching me from afar. His gaze was dark, unreadable.
“Ethan, what are you staring at? Our names aren’t even up there,” Lily would ask in confusion.
“Nothing,” he would murmur, dragging her away.
And just like that, another year passed.
I turned eighteen–the year of my college entrance exams.
Adrian had already left for an Ivy League program three years earlier, but when my test day arrived, he flew back overnight just to be with me.
“Sophia comes first,” he said simply.
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I wanted to argue, but seeing his determined look, I simply smiled, my throat tight with emotion.
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