Chapter 1
“Nora, you’ve been with us for fifteen years, and though it pains me to see you go, I can’t be selfish enough to keep you from reuniting with your birth parents,” Liam Martin, Nora’s adoptive father, said with a heavy voice.
With a black backpack slung over her shoulder and her lone suitcase in tow, Nora Harper cast a brief glance at his tearful face, her lips curling ever so slightly in disdain.
‘If I hadn’t overheard your little schemes, I might’ve believed you actually didn’t want me to leave, Nora thought, her eyes cold.
Abducted at the age of six, Nora was rescued from human traffickers by Henry Martin. A severe head injury left her without any memories, and from that moment on, Henry was the only person she would respond to.
Being kind–hearted, Henry took her in and adopted her as his granddaughter. Before his health began to decline, Nora enjoyed a comfortable and stable life. However, when one of his ailments recurred, she fought tirelessly to extend his life by ten years but felt helpless as his condition worsened.
Henry was the only family member who understood Nora’s quiet sacrifices over the years. He left her ten percent of Martin Group shares in his will, presenting it as a gesture of care for her future. But in truth, Henry’s real intent was to keep Nora bound to the family, ensuring she would continue safeguarding their wealth and interests.
Despite having no desire for the shares, Nora didn’t oppose his final wish.
Maintaining his facade as a dutiful son and loving father, Liam voiced no objections but ultimately changed his tune after the funeral.
Nora later saw Liam, his wife Joan Martin, and their daughter huddling in the study and overheard them plotting how to get rid of her. They schemed to reunite her with her birth parents. If that failed, Joan even suggested ruining Nora’s reputation, ensuring she’d have no choice but to leave the Martin family.
‘What a despicable family,‘ Nora thought, recalling how Liam nodded in agreement at Joan’s vile suggestion.
Nora couldn’t care less about the shares Henry had left her. Instead, what mattered was the kindness he had shown when he rescued her from the traffickers. Now that her benefactor was gone, any remaining attachment to the Martin family had died with him.
“Mr. Martin, goodbye,” Nora said, her voice icy and detached as she pulled her suitcase toward the door.
At Nora’s curt response, Liam’s expression wavered, his facade of sorrow slipping away. Meanwhile, Joan let out a derisive snort from the sofa, openly revealing her bitterness.
“We raised her for fifteen years,” Joan snapped. “Even a dog would wag its tail in gratitude. But look at her! She can’t even be bothered to say hi.”
Sitting next to Joan was her daughter, Aria Martin, a near mirror image of her mother. With her brows arched and a sneer in her voice, she glanced at Nora and said, “Mom, some people are just born beneath us. No matter how long they stay here, they’ll never rise above it. Honestly, with her attitude, she’ll fit right back into that poor neighborhood where she belongs.”
Liam cared about his reputation and was reluctant to heed Joan’s plan to avoid shame for the Martin family. To chase her out of the house, he spent a considerable sum and successfully tracked down her birth parents in Kresborough.
The Harper family was said to be the poorest in Kresborough. Their parents made a living by collecting scraps while raising four delinquent sons who didn’t even attend school and committed all sorts of petty crimes. It was easy to imagine what kind of life Nora would lead upon her return.
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Chapter 1
‘Nora will never be on the same level as me!‘ Aria thought, her face flashing with a scheming expression. She suddenly stood up from the sofa and hurried after Nora.
Catching up, Aria grabbed Nora’s hand and pressed three thousand dollars into her palm. “Consider this my farewell gift,” she said with feigned warmth. “I was going to write you a check, but who knows if your neighborhood even has a bank? You know I usually pay by card, so this is all the cash I have on me. Just take it.”
Lowering her voice, Aria’s pretense of sympathy gave way to smugness. “And here’s some good news! I’m pregnant with Benjamin’s child. He had already proposed to me, and soon, I’ll have a grand wedding. Our baby will be the sole heir to the Young family, inheriting everything.”
“I’m really grateful you agreed to marry him when the Young family went bankrupt. You kept the relationship between our families alive,” Aria continued, her voice dripping with false gratitude. “But now that Benjamin’s back on his feet, he told me you were never worthy of him. He’s always loved me, and everything he’s achieved has been to meet my standards. Nora, you’ll give us your blessing, won’t you?”
Nora’s lips curled into a faint smirk, though her expression remained calm and indifferent. “Oh, don’t worry, I will. You two are made for each other. Trash belongs with trash. Honestly, I’m relieved I didn’t end up with that garbage of a man!”
Seeing Nora’s flawless face and how calm and unaffected she remained, Aria clenched her teeth in frustration. “You’re just bitter because you can’t have him. Nora, you’re as stubborn as ever! Anyway, keep the three thousand dollars! I’m sure it’ll last you a whole year where you’re headed.”
Without waiting for a response, Aria suddenly yanked at Nora’s backpack. The sound of tearing fabric filled the air, followed by a sharp clang as a gold medal tumbled to the ground. Crafted from pure gold, it gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight.
“This…” Aria’s face twisted in shock and disbelief. “Isn’t this my medal from the Yvette International Piano Competition? Nora, why did you steal it? Is it because it’s solid gold, and you wanted to sell it?”
Her voice rising to a shrill pitch, Aria continued, “Do you even know what it represents? It is the gold medal I won from the world’s most prestigious piano competition!”
Nora could only sigh internally as she watched Aria’s performance.
Ever since Henry had fallen ill, Aria had repeatedly tried to frame Nora for things she didn’t do, as if her silence and refusal to defend herself meant she was oblivious to the schemes.
Joan stormed over, her face flushed with rage. “So that’s why you were in such a hurry to leave! You’ve been stealing from us this whole time, planning to sell something valuable! Open your bag and suitcase right now! I want to see everything you’ve
taken.”
Liam’s brow furrowed, his gaze piercing. “Nora, what’s going on here?”
Joan cut him off before Nora could speak, her voice rising with fury. “What’s there to question? She’s had it easy living here, and now that she’s returning to that miserable life with her birth family, she’s stealing whatever she can! Aria was right! No matter how well we raised her, we can’t change the filth in her blood.”
The more Joan ranted, the more her anger flared. She turned sharply to her housekeeper nearby, her voice rising to a shrill command. “Search her bags thoroughly! If she refuses, call the police immediately!”
Amid the growing tension, Nora suddenly burst into laughter. She hadn’t intended to sever ties entirely but wouldn’t hold back if they were determined to drag her through the mud.
Reaching into her backpack, Nora casually pulled out an even larger gold–plated badge, gleaming under the lights and adorned with rare emeralds. She held it up for all to see and said, “Aria, does this look familiar to you?”
Aria’s face was drained of color. “That’s… the head judge’s badge from the Yvette International Piano Competition. But….
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Chapter 1
how? How did you get it?” Her voice faltered, her composure slipping as she stammered in disbelief.
The realization hit Aria like a tidal wave. She suddenly remembered that the head judge had worn a mask throughout the competition. ‘Could it have been Nora all along? No! It’s impossible,’ she thought, panic rising within her.
“In terms of what my badge represents, I win. In terms of weight and value, mine far surpasses hers. Do you really think I need to steal from Aria?” Nora retorted, her voice steady and unyielding.
With that, Nora calmly pulled out her phone and projected a video onto the living room television. The footage played clearly and showed Aria stuffing the medal into Nora’s backpack, followed by her triumphant smirk after completing her deed.
The room fell into stunned silence. The onlookers, including the helpers around, exchanged murmurs of disbelief.
Panicked, Aria rushed to the television, fumbling to turn it off.
Unbothered, Nora pocketed her phone and fixed her gaze on Joan, whose face had turned pale as if caught in a chokehold. “Shall I call the police now, Mrs. Martin?”
Joan’s face flushed deep red, torn between fury at her daughter’s incompetence and seething at Nora’s calm defiance. “This is our house! How dare you install surveillance and invade our privacy?” she sputtered.
Quick to back her mother, Aria chimed in desperately, “Dad, she must’ve set this up to blackmail us! And I bet she stole that judge’s badge, too. We can’t let her get away with this!”
Liam’s face hardened as he turned suspiciously toward Nora.
Nora remained unfazed, casually twirling the keychain hanging from her backpack. “The doll’s eyes are tiny cameras,” she explained coolly. “How many times have you tried to pull this same scheme over the years? I never exposed you out of respect for Henry. But accusing me of stealing the head judge’s badge? How ridiculous. If that were true, don’t you think there would’ve been a public announcement by now?”
‘I’ve already repaid Henry’s kindness, but if you push me any further, I won’t hesitate to return the favor in full,‘ Nora thought, her gaze fixed on the trio before her.
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