The sister who had been missing for years was finally found, only to be living as the "fake heiress" in a wealthy family. On the day I went to pick her up, I witnessed her being kicked out onto the streets. "Our Sterling family has no room for a daughter as hypocritical and vicious as you. As expected, blood tells—you can never truly raise someone else's child!" "Raising you this far is already the utmost we could do. You've occupied Mia's place for so many years; it's time to give it back." "Stop playing the victim. What right does the cuckoo who stole the nest have to feel wronged?" "..." My biological sister was shoved to the ground. The true heiress stood off to the side, looking glamorous, a flash of jealousy and hatred in her eyes. They were waiting to see this "fake heiress" lose everything and beg for their mercy. However, her biological sister was also a genuine, bona fide billionaire. When the police called, I was in a rural village doing agricultural charity work. Hearing that my sister, who had been missing for 18 years, had been found, I stood up abruptly. Even after the call ended, I stood frozen in place, tears welling in my eyes. My assistant instinctively asked, "Ms. Hastings, what happened?" I quickly composed myself, trying my best to sound calm. "Arrange for someone else to handle the wrap-up here. I have an emergency and need to go to Capital City immediately." After a long journey, I finally arrived at where my sister was currently living. The police had told me she was adopted by a wealthy family and had lived a good life all these years. The massive mansion before me certainly proved the family's financial status, and the excitement of finding her cooled slightly. I had imagined many scenarios. For instance, what if my sister was very happy in this family and didn't want to come back with me? That would be fine. As long as I could see with my own eyes that she was safe and happy, that would be enough. Despite rushing all this way, standing right on the threshold of seeing her, I actually found myself hesitating. It was the police officer beside me who nudged me forward. Before I could even approach the grand double doors, they were thrown open from the inside. The next second, a figure in a plain white dress was shoved out. She stumbled a few steps and fell to the ground. Following closely behind were several other figures. "After raising you for so many years, you actually dared to push your sister down the stairs?!" "Our Sterling family has no room for someone as hypocritical and vicious as you. Blood really does tell—you can never truly raise someone else's child!" "Raising you this far is already the utmost we could do. You've occupied Mia's place for so many years; it's time to give it back." "Stop playing the victim. What right does the cuckoo who stole the nest have to feel wronged?" "..." The harsh, cutting words rang clearly through the air. I stopped in my tracks, my gaze instantly locking onto the young woman who had fallen to the ground. The resemblance was striking. She looked so much like the old photos of my mother when she was young. Almost at first glance, I knew for certain she was my biological sister. The young woman on the ground was surrounded by four people. That scene didn't show me the slightest hint that she had "lived a good life." Among the four people surrounding her were a middle-aged couple, a young man, and a girl about my sister's age. At that moment, the girl on the ground fought back tears and tried to defend herself: "Dad, Mom, I really didn't push her. It was her..." Before she could finish, the young man cut in: "If you didn't push her, are you saying Mia threw herself down the stairs just to frame you?" The disgust in his tone was palpable. "Brother, I... I really didn't. Don't you believe me either?" "Don't call me brother. I only have one biological sister." Those words hit hard. I saw the color drain from the girl on the ground after he said that. I also saw the glamorous girl, who had been silent the whole time, flash a look of triumphant satisfaction. I frowned. Didn't they say my sister was adopted by this family? Why did it sound like she had maliciously usurped their daughter's identity? On the way here, the police told me this family's surname was Sterling, and they had recently found their biological daughter who went missing 18 years ago. My biological sister and their missing daughter were the exact same age. Both went missing when they were two years old. Seeing that they were entirely absorbed in their crusade against the "fake heiress" and completely ignoring our group, I finally spoke up: "Excuse me, are you throwing her out?" The group finally looked over, including my sister. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" the middle-aged man demanded, frowning. My tone was flat. "I heard you recently found your biological daughter. Congratulations." Before they could react, I continued, "Since that's the case, can you give my sister back to me now?" My words were like a stone dropped into a lake, instantly sending ripples across the surface. The group was completely stunned. Only the young woman on the ground looked at me in disbelief. I stepped forward and helped her up. The last time I touched my sister was 18 years ago. I had loved her so much back then. While she was still in our mother's belly, I wished for a sister so I could share my pretty dolls with her and braid her hair the way I learned. The tear tracks on the young woman's face were still wet as she stared intently at me. I introduced myself: "My name is Chloe Hastings. I am your biological older sister." The police officer next to me explained the situation: "Ms. Sterling, shortly after you came to the station last time, your DNA matched with a relative in the database. This is your biological older sister. Ms. Hastings rushed here immediately upon hearing the news. We tried contacting you earlier, but you didn't answer." The young girl hesitated for a moment and said, "My... my phone broke two days ago, and I haven't had a chance to buy a new one." "What does this mean?" The man who had just declared he only had one sister became even more aggressive. "Maya Sterling, you went to the police station to look for your birth family?" Following his lead, the girl next to him chimed in: "Sister, the bond of raising a child is greater than the bond of giving birth to one. How could you just go looking for your birth family without saying a word? Mom and Dad have provided you with a life of luxury all these years. Are you being fair to them by doing this?" Then, the woman who I assumed was my sister's adoptive mother looked me up and down. I had rushed here directly, having just finished agricultural charity work in the countryside. My clothes were ordinary, I wore no makeup, my hair was messy, and there was even some rural mud stuck to the soles of my shoes. A sharp contrast to this glamorous family. The wealthy socialite sneered, her gaze sweeping over her adopted daughter: "Maya Sterling, these are the relatives you wanted to find? Giving up the life of the Sterling family's eldest daughter to go acknowledge these poor relatives?" Poor relatives? Me? I hadn't even had time to learn more about my sister's life over the past 18 years, but from this single encounter, it was glaringly obvious that this family did not treat her well. Maya, my sister, pale-faced, looked at the wealthy woman: "Mom..." Before she could even finish the word, she was cut off. "Don't call me Mom. Since you've found your relatives, go with her. Our Sterling temple is too small to house an ungrateful wretch like you." Her voice was sharp and piercing, making the girl beside me flinch. My eyes hardened, but I kept a smile on my face. "Mrs. Sterling, I'm relieved to hear you say that. I was worried you wouldn't be able to bear parting with my sister. It seems I was overthinking." Then, I turned to Maya and said gently, "Maya, Mom, Dad, and I have been looking for you for years. Do you want to come home with me?" Before the young girl, who had just been thrown out, could respond, the man who had acted as her brother for years scoffed coldly. "Maya Sterling, don't blame me for not warning you. If you walk out of this house today, don't even think about ever coming back!" And the "bullied" true heiress chimed in, sounding incredibly understanding: "Sister, you should apologize to Mom and Dad quickly. Otherwise, if the Sterling family disowns you, what kind of life will you have?" But that statement was like pouring oil on a fire. The middle-aged man, the head of the household, finally spoke up: "If she wants to leave, let her leave! After all, she doesn't have Sterling blood. You can never truly raise someone else's child!" Their barrage of comments helped the wavering young girl make up her mind. Her voice was very soft: "Mom, Dad... I'm leaving. Take care of yourselves from now on." With that, she looked at me, opening her mouth, but for a moment, couldn't quite bring herself to call me "Sister." I patted her shoulder and asked softly, "Do you need to pack any luggage? It's fine if you don't. Just bring your ID. We have everything you need at home." Maya paused for a moment, then looked down. "Okay." She had her ID on her. Aside from the clothes on her back, she didn't take a single thing from the Sterling family. I led her to the car, glancing back at the gloating Sterling family, and pressed my lips together. No matter what, my sister was coming back. I owned several properties in Capital City. Soon, the driver dropped Maya and me off at a high-end residential complex. As we got out of the car, I clearly felt Maya freeze for a second. She looked at me, hesitating. It wasn't until we went upstairs and entered the luxurious penthouse apartment that she finally spoke. "Sis...ter," she called out awkwardly. "Where is this?" I spaced out for a fraction of a second hearing that "Sister," then smiled at her. "This is one of my apartments. Do you like it? There should still be some unsold units here. How about I buy one for you in a few days?" Maya's mouth dropped open slightly, seemingly shocked by my words. Her worldview was clearly undergoing a rapid refresh as she looked me up and down again. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror and suddenly understood what she meant. My outfit, along with the incredibly low-key car I used to pick her up, didn't exactly scream "wealth." I took her by the hand to give her a tour, smiling as I asked, "What, does your sister not look rich?" "N-no," she quickly explained. "I just... didn't expect it." Seeing her anxious explanation tugged at my heart. What exactly had she been through in the Sterling family all these years? How does a wealthy family raise such a sensitive, self-doubting child? But now wasn't the time to ask about her life. I could only smile and tell her, "Your name used to be Aria. Mom and Dad thought 'Aria' was a good name, hoping you would be outstanding and have a bright future. Do you want to change it back?" The young girl froze again. After a moment, instead of answering, she asked, "I want to know how I got lost." The smile froze on my lips. Even now, some memories remain grey and painful. I was 10 that year. We still lived in our hometown, and our family business hadn't grown to its current scale. But our parents were still very busy, constantly meeting with clients. My sister and I were left with a nanny. That day, we went out to watch a street parade. It was barely a hundred yards from our house. The crowd was dense and separated my sister and me. When the crowd cleared, her tiny figure was gone. I could still hear her calling me "Sister" through the crowd just moments before. My sister's disappearance traumatized our entire family. We searched for so long. Our parents cried constantly, and our mother developed severe depression. "Mom and Dad are already on their way. You'll see them tomorrow." Maya stumbled back two steps, tears shimmering in her eyes. She told me she thought she had been abandoned. After the Sterling family found their kidnapped biological daughter, she went to the police station for a blood test solely driven by a desperate need to know why she was thrown away. "How could you have been abandoned?" I reached out and stroked her head. "You are the treasure of our family." A treasure lost and found. I have a branch office and a factory in Capital City. That evening, I took Maya to see the factory. Inside were massive stacks of brand-new packaging boxes. While she was still shocked that this brand was a family business, I pointed to the missing person notice printed on the inside of the boxes. "This is a photo of you when you were 2 years old." Maya stared blankly at the photo and information, then looked at the towering stacks of boxes. She had probably seen this missing person notice before, but never realized it was her. The path to finding missing family is daunting. The probability of ever finding a child missing for so many years is incredibly low. In my teens, I realized that I needed sufficient power to expand our reach. So, during college, I started learning the business from my father. As his energy waned, I took over the company and steadily grew it. Perhaps the heavens were looking out for us, because I was always lucky in business. As our products sold across the country, my sister's missing person notice spread with them. The notice was also pinned to the top of all our official corporate social media accounts. Over the years, an endless stream of people had come forward claiming to be her. I was terrified she had been trafficked into the deep mountains. Even to places where our products couldn't reach, I would personally go there under the guise of charity work. There were some horrific possibilities we didn't even dare to imagine. Thankfully, she was back. "We won't need these boxes anymore. They'll all be recycled to make new packaging, and we'll use the opportunity to share the good news with the customers who have supported us all these years." As I spoke, I noticed Maya staring blankly at the missing person notice on the box. Then, her tears fell, and she threw herself into my arms. She cried pitifully, as if releasing all the grievances of the past years. "They... they always told me I was thrown away..." Holding my sister, I suddenly realized she was carrying severe psychological trauma. Our parents arrived the next afternoon. When they saw my sister, their faces went blank for a few seconds, followed by a tearful, emotional reunion. Our parents weren't even 60 yet, but their hair was entirely gray. The worry and regret of all those years had wrapped around them like sharp thorns, suffocating them. After meeting our parents, my sister told me she wanted to change her name. I paused for a moment, then smiled. "Okay. I'll go negotiate with the Sterlings in the next few days to get your residency registration transferred..." "No need," she said. "I was adopted by the Sterlings, but my residency was always registered under some relatives of theirs. Those relatives passed away a few years ago, so I'm currently the head of my own household registration." I hadn't anticipated that. It wasn't until the private investigator reported back that I finally understood. The name "Maya" was actually the original name of their biological daughter. After their daughter went missing, they adopted a girl of the same age. Calling her by the same name—how is that any different from finding a substitute? The private investigator uncovered much more. Less than five months after their biological daughter went missing, they adopted my sister. But at that time, it hadn't even been 30 days since my sister went missing. According to regulations, a missing child must go through a public search period of no less than 30 days before they can be adopted. Moreover, how could a child missing in Huai City be adopted by the Sterling family through a Capital City orphanage in less than a month? It reeked of corruption everywhere. Most importantly, they used my sister as a substitute for their lost daughter, but they didn't treat her well. Even though she had the exact same name, they knew perfectly well she didn't share their blood. Whenever they saw their adopted daughter doing well, they would think about how their biological daughter might be suffering. So, they would harshly criticize their adopted daughter, belittling her personality and abilities. After her daughter was kidnapped, Mrs. Sterling's mental state was often unstable. During her episodes, she would even hit my sister. The two men never laid a hand on her, but they watched with cold indifference and contributed plenty of verbal abuse. I didn't know how to describe the anger burning inside me. How innocent was my sister? My mother's mental state had been poor ever since my sister went missing. Now, looking at her youngest daughter who had grown into an adult, she poured out everything she had saved for her over the years. Bank cards, properties in her name, and beautiful, expensive jewelry. My sister, now back to the name Aria, held the items awkwardly. She wasn't entirely ready to accept all of this yet. I walked over, patted her shoulder, and handed her a card. "This is an unrestricted secondary card linked to my account. You can use it for your daily expenses."
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