The day the Hawthorne family, Miami's wealthiest dynasty, came to claim me, I was one of Hollywood’s brightest rising stars. The whole city’s paparazzi were there, live-streaming my homecoming. But Brielle, the Hawthornes’ adopted daughter, stood at the door, blocking my way. “Sister,” she began, her voice dripping with faux concern, “we’ve looked into you. You’re famous for a… certain scandalous art-house film. The Hawthorne family has its standards. You’ll have to change your clothes in front of everyone before you can come in.” She smiled sweetly. “Father said that when he and my brother aren’t home, I’m the lady of the house. I hope you can understand.” In my past life, I would have been cautious, desperate to protect my image, and would have probably swallowed my pride. But this wasn't my past life. I was reborn. I kicked over a large, ornate planter by the door, sending dirt scattering across the pristine marble. Shoving the stunned Brielle aside, I scoffed. “A joke! You want to strip me? You're not worthy.” “Every inch of me is insured for more than you’re worth. If you so much as pluck a single hair from my head, you couldn't afford it.” “‘Lady of the house’? We’ll see how long it takes for you to be on your knees, begging me.” 1 The moment the words left my mouth, a tidal wave of paparazzi surged forward, flashes erupting like a lightning storm, nearly blinding me. “Marissa! The rumors are true! You’re the long-lost Hawthorne heiress!” Brielle reached for my dress, and I slapped her hand away. “Don’t you dare!” “Even if I weren’t a Hawthorne, I’m still a multi-million-dollar celebrity! I’m warning you, touch me again, and you’ll be hearing from my lawyers.” Brielle clutched her face, her eyes burning with fury. “You…!” This was the kind of raw confrontation the paparazzi lived for. They shoved their microphones in Brielle’s face. “Ms. Hawthorne! Marissa is a huge star! Aren’t you happy to have a sister like her?” “And besides, she’s the real Hawthorne by blood. Don’t you think you’re being a little harsh?” A slow, calculating smile spread across Brielle’s face. “Of course I’m happy to have a sister. But this… this was Father’s wish.” “And I’m about to launch my own career, you know. I understand what’s acceptable and what isn’t. I would never sell my body for a bit of fame. So let’s be clear, no one here is better than anyone else.” She looked at me, a condescending tilt to her head. “Today, as her older sister and the lady of this house, I’m simply teaching her the Hawthorne way.” I let out a sharp laugh. “‘Lady of the house’? We’ll see what the real Hawthornes have to say about that. For now, you’re nothing but a cuckoo in the nest who thinks she’s a swan.” Just then, the family butler stepped forward, whispering to Brielle but speaking loud enough for the closest cameras to hear. He glanced at me with a sneer. “The master said actresses love their drama. He told you not to be afraid. You are the only daughter of his heart. No one will bully you!” 2 The butler’s words sent the paparazzi into a frenzy. “The master? Does that mean Marissa’s return won’t change Brielle’s status at all?” “Looks like it! So what if she’s back in the family? She’s still second-class!” My phone buzzed violently. My agent, Amy, was on the line, her voice a shrill shriek in my ear. “Marissa! My god, are you insane?! Get back here right now! Forget this family reunion!” “The live-stream has gone viral! The internet is exploding! They’re all saying you’re an ungrateful brat! This is the Hawthorne family we’re talking about!” “Do you have any idea how much Hawthorne Capital has invested in our agency?! Are you trying to kill me?!” I listened to her tirade and let out a soft laugh. “It’s fine, Amy. Just sit back and watch the show. If anything goes wrong, I’ll take the heat.” Amy’s voice was thick with tears. “My sweet girl, do you know who Kurt Hawthorne is? He’s the heir! He’s famous for being obsessed with his sister!” “You’ve made an enemy of Brielle. You think he’ll let you get away with this? The second Hawthorne Capital pulls their funding, you’ll be the first one the agency shelves!” Suddenly, there was a commotion on her end of the line. “Oh, hell! I have to go! We just got a message from Hawthorne Capital’s business affairs! Listen to me, Marissa! Come back now!” She hung up. I smiled to myself. She didn’t know that I was a major, silent partner in our agency. I’d used the fortune I’d built to invest, but I’d kept it quiet, not wanting to be accused of getting ahead because of my money. The Hawthorne family was going to ‘shelve’ me? Not likely. Seeing me hang up, Brielle leaned in, her voice a low, taunting whisper. “Looks like my brother has already made his move. I’d listen if I were you.” “So what if you have Hawthorne blood? With an attitude like that, you’ll never set foot in this house again.” Just then, a flame-red Ferrari screeched to a halt in front of the gate. The legendary Hawthorne heir, Kurt Hawthorne, stepped out, his face a mask of cold fury. Brielle’s expression transformed instantly. She ran to him, her voice a delicate, wounded cry as she grabbed his arm. “Kurt… you’re finally back…” Kurt walked straight up to me, his eyes raking over me from head to toe. “You’re Marissa?” The paparazzi held their breath, their faces alight with glee. They stretched their necks. “Mr. Hawthorne! The hottest rising star, Marissa, is your long-lost sister! How do you feel?!” Kurt scoffed. “Marissa may share our blood, that’s true. But Brielle has been in our family for years. She is, and always will be, the only sister in my heart.” “Besides,” he continued, his voice dripping with contempt, “Brielle is a few months older than her. For Marissa to come here on her first day and show her such disrespect… it’s clear she’s had a lack of proper upbringing.” My phone rang. It was my adoptive mother. She must have seen the live-stream and was furious. I ignored the call. Kurt looked at me, pressing his advantage. “I don’t care what kind of star you are. The Hawthorne estate is not a stage for your publicity stunts. If you plan on making a scene here, don’t blame me for being merciless.” The paparazzi buzzed, turning all their cameras on me, waiting for my response. I met the cameras with a smirk. “This is being live-streamed to the entire country. Everyone can see what’s happening. Who was it that tried to strip my clothes off just now? And somehow I’m the one making a scene?” “And didn’t you just pull the funding from my projects? What’s with the self-righteous act now?” “I had no idea the great Hawthorne family was so good at twisting the truth.” My words sent the live-stream chat into an explosion. A tidal wave of supportive comments flooded the screen. I didn’t even need to look to know public opinion was on my side. Brielle’s face tightened, but she quickly shifted back into her innocent-little-damsel routine. “My brother didn’t mean it like that. He just… he can’t stand to see me get hurt.” She paused, then added in a tone of magnanimous charity, “We’re the Hawthornes, Miami’s wealthiest family. We can certainly afford to feed one more person.” Her eyes reddened. “What happened today was just standard Hawthorne protocol. My sister must have misunderstood. After all, she didn’t have much of an education. She’s been working since she was very young, so she has more… real-world experience than I do. It’s only natural she’d think the worst of people.” I laughed coldly and raised my hand as if to strike her. She flinched, squeezing her eyes shut and cowering back. I lowered my hand, my smile dripping with scorn. “Do you know who the first person to seek me out for a DNA test was?” “Let me tell you something. Whether or not the Hawthorne family accepts me isn’t up to a little stray like you.” 3 All I knew was that after I went missing, my birth mother searched for me for years, until, consumed by guilt and despair, she took her own life. And I, after I became famous, was on screens everywhere. My grandmother saw me and recognized me instantly as her long-lost granddaughter. She came to my door time and time again, begging me to take a DNA test, desperate for me to come home. The person who wanted me back was never the high-and-mighty Mr. Hawthorne, and it certainly wasn’t the arrogant Kurt Hawthorne. Brielle’s eyes flew open. “So what if Grandmother recognized you!” she shrieked. “This is the Hawthorne house! What does her word matter here?” She pointed a trembling finger at me. “My brother is the one Father chose! He is the one and only heir to the Hawthorne fortune! If he says you can’t come in, you’ll never set foot past this gate!” I laughed inwardly. She really wasn’t family, was she? She didn’t even know who really called the shots here. I gave her a cold stare, pulled over a chair, and sat down with a cool, unbothered air. A smirk played on my lips. “Fine. Then we’ll wait for the master of the house to return.” Seeing the viewer count on the live-stream skyrocket, I smiled. If I didn’t blow this up today, these two would never learn who was really in charge. I was casually scrolling through the live chat when a furious roar cut through the air. “What is going on?! When did the Hawthorne estate become a public stage?!” I looked up. It was Arthur Hawthorne, his eyes wide with rage. I rose slowly, a mocking smile on my face. “No one’s treating this place like a stage. But some people seem to have forgotten their place and started thinking they’re the masters here.” Arthur’s eyes scanned the forest of cameras, and his face turned a furious shade of purple. “Henderson!” he bellowed at the butler. “Get these reporters out of here!” The paparazzi erupted. “On what grounds? We’re just filming Marissa!” “What a tyrant! The great Arthur Hawthorne won’t even let his own daughter in the door! Is there no decency?!” A vein throbbed in Arthur’s temple. “My daughter? Who knows if she’s just after our money! Don’t think that filming a few sleazy movies makes you a princess!” “We’re gracious enough to acknowledge her, and instead of being grateful, she comes here to ruin the Hawthorne family’s century-old reputation!” I looked at him and felt a profound sense of irony. This man, who had changed his own name just to marry into wealth, had the audacity to lecture me. Seeing my silence, Kurt thought I was scared. He arrogantly ordered the security guards, “Get them all out of here! And for the next few days, if I see a single negative headline about the Hawthorne family, there will be consequences!” The reporters exchanged uneasy glances. Most of them reluctantly lowered their cameras, seemingly forgetting that this was all being broadcast live. Brielle pointed at me, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Looks like there won’t be a family reunion today. When the great star is ready to change her clothes and walk over a pit of fire, we can talk.” Arthur looked at me with disgust. “Don’t think a little shared blood gives you the right to throw your weight around in our house! We don’t welcome women who sell their bodies!” “Now get out, before you dirty our home!” Just then, a powerful, commanding voice boomed from the entrance. “I’d like to see who dares touch a single hair on my granddaughter’s head!”
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