Chapter 2

Hearing my question, a flicker of confusion crossed Chloe’s face.

In this house, her adoption was a taboo subject. Even though we both knew she wasn’t mine, neither of us ever brought it up.

Yet today, I was the one bringing it up. Her expression practically screamed, *Did you lose your mind?*

But she couldn't hide her excitement. If her biological parents were incredibly rich and powerful, her future would be set.

She looked at me, pretending to be sweet:

"Jane, you know that after all these years, I’ve always seen you as my real mom."

"Even though I've always wanted to know where I came from, it was just to get some closure. Don't worry, you’ll always be number one in my heart."

Listening to her fake, hypocritical words, I had to hold back a cold laugh.

She was just trying to play nice to get the information out of me. Once she had it, she would kick me to the curb without a second thought.

To have such a scheming mind at such a young age—I really had been blind.

I pulled up an article on my phone and slid it across the mattress toward her:

"This conglomerate is one of the top enterprises in the country. The CEO, Richard Sterling, is your long-lost biological father."

Chloe froze. She stared at the screen, her eyes wide as she looked at the massive corporate headquarters shown in the article.

A few seconds later, she snatched the phone wildly, scrolling down until she saw the Chairman's headshot.

Sure enough, she shared some striking physical resemblances with him.

She instantly fell into a state of hysterical joy:

"I knew it! I knew someone as beautiful and smart as me couldn't have come from ordinary people!"

Looking at her, I didn't see the joy of a child finding her lost family. I only saw greed, lust for power, and money.

I shook my head slightly. She was still too young, only seeing the glittering surface without realizing the dark truth behind it.

Once the initial shock wore off, she didn't even bother to hide her disdain for me anymore. She tossed my phone back onto the bed.

"You knew who they were this whole time? Why didn't you tell me sooner? Were you trying to keep me here? Did you steal me from them in the first place?!"

Her sudden accusation actually made me laugh out loud. I had legally adopted her with flawless paperwork. How did I suddenly become a kidnapper?

I looked her dead in the eye:

"Now you have your answer, and you seem thrilled with who your parents are. Why are you still standing in my room? Do you want to keep pretending we have a loving mother-daughter relationship?"

Chloe rolled her eyes at me, then stuck her palm out:

"Give me money. I need to go find them."

I seriously wondered what was inside her brain.

"I gave you a massive allowance every month. Where did all that money go?"

She scoffed, waving her hand dismissively:

"That pocket change? What was I supposed to do with that? If you wanted to raise a billionaire’s child, you should have looked in the mirror first. Hurry up and give me cash, or I’ll tell my parents you abused me when I go back!"

I stood up from the bed, took a ten-dollar bill from my nightstand, and slapped it right onto her face.

"That's all the money you’re getting from me. Given our 'bond,' even this is too much. Now get out of my house. Looking at you makes me sick."

I walked back into my room and slammed the door shut. Soon, the sound of her stomping footsteps faded from the hallway.

*Chloe, your nightmare is about to begin.