I sponsored Preston’s lifestyle for three years, only to find out he was never bankrupt. On the fake heiress’s birthday, my parents announced her engagement to him. A stream of comments floated before my eyes like a hallucination: [Does the side character actually think the second male lead loves her?] [He’s just using her to get revenge for the heroine.] [God, I’m already cringing. She’s about to get caught sneaking around with him.] [Wow, the male lead is here! I love a good showdown.] I was embarrassed, too. But not for the reason they thought. I was embarrassed because I had been conquering the wrong target. I stopped my march toward Preston, the man I intended to confront, and pivoted toward the aloof, elegant man standing further away. The fake heiress’s ex-fiancé, her secret crush, and the man I should have been targeting all along— The male lead, who had actually gone bankrupt. In the silence, I grabbed his arm and dragged him into the nearest side room. 1 "Ava, I know you treat me... however you want at home, but Preston is my fiancé now. How could you..." Bella swallowed the rest of her sentence. Because the man standing with me wasn't Preston, as she had expected. It was the white moonlight she kept hidden in her heart. The man she had begged our parents not to break her engagement with, even after his family lost everything. The sole heir of the fallen Julian empire. Julian. Tears of grievance hung on Bella’s lashes, trembling but not falling. Her expression froze for a split second. "Julian? Why... why are you with my sister?" Julian’s voice was cool, carrying his habitual reticence. "Business." "Bella, can you not even tell people apart anymore?" I let out a theatrical laugh. "Or are you just not used to your new fiancé yet?" Julian and Bella were childhood sweethearts. My family, the Yans, only secured that engagement because my biological mother, Evelyn, had once done a favor for Julian's grandfather. Without that, we were new money; we couldn't touch the old-money prestige of the Julian family. But the moment Julian’s family fell, my parents turned their backs. They bullied Julian, claiming the engagement was just a childhood joke since his grandfather had passed. Bella choked on my words. The floating comments were equally confused: [What’s happening? Since when is the real daughter so sarcastic? Usually, she just screams and throws tantrums.] [Ugh, get away from the male lead, you witch!] [I can’t stand seeing my baby Bella cry! Male lead, comfort her!] I looked at Julian. There was no loss, heartache, or sadness in his eyes. He just looked back at me, calm and unbothered. "Bella... what are you all doing here?" Preston arrived late, looking breathless. He immediately pulled the teary-eyed Bella into a protective embrace. Then, he turned and saw me standing with Julian. "Ava, it's you again? Are you bullying Bella?" The guests had been dragged here to watch a scandal. With Preston’s arrival, the show became twice as interesting. The second daughter's ex and current fiancés were in the same room. The eldest daughter was entangled with her sister's ex. And Julian, being destitute, shouldn't have even been on the guest list. "I misunderstood my sister," Bella said softly, leaning pitifully into Preston’s arms. "Where were you? I thought Ava went to find you... I made a scene for nothing." With a few words, she successfully painted me as loose and desperate. But honestly? This was way better than the script the floating comments had predicted. 2 Originally, Bella was supposed to bring the guests in to catch me clinging to Preston. I had supported him for three years. He watched me like I was an idiot, letting me send him money, paying off his "debts." But he wasn't broke. And on my birthday, he announced his engagement to my sister. If we had been caught, Preston would have flipped the script, claiming I seduced him. No matter how I explained, it would look like desperation. My biological parents didn't like me anyway. A scandal like that risks the stock price. They wouldn't take the risk—they would have disowned me on the spot. That was Preston’s original plan. Just because Bella had once made a vague comment implies she felt slighted by me. So, he decided his crush had suffered, and he needed to ruin me to avenge her. Bella, from start to finish, only had to play the victim. But reading the comments, she wasn't exactly innocent. Everyone knew I liked Preston. He treated me like dirt. If not for Bella, he wouldn't have feigned bankruptcy. He told me that if I paid his debts, he’d be with me. When I hesitated, he played the martyr, saying he’d find someone else so I wouldn't be burdened. So, I agreed. The numbers were huge. My allowance from the Yan family wasn't enough. I worked three jobs. I didn't sleep. I scrimped and saved to pay a debt that didn't exist. Even though I was the "real" daughter brought back to the mansion, I hadn't lived a single day of luxury in three years. But at least now I knew. It was all a mistake. It was time to correct course. 3 "Bella, time to cut the cake." The gossip was interrupted by the arrival of my father, Simon. His brow held nothing but doting affection for Bella, coupled with the undeniable authority of a powerful man. The crowded room fell silent. From start to finish, my biological father’s gaze never once landed on me. It was as if I were something dirty. In the ballroom, Bella closed her eyes to make a wish, surrounded by adoring stars. She was a pearl—beautiful, confident, gentle. Everyone loved her. In the shadows, where no one else could see, the corners of her mouth curled up. She shot a provocative look at me, standing in the corner. Three years ago, I came to this house full of hope. All I got was a whispered comment: How vulgar. Due to a hospital error, Bella and I were switched at birth. My adoptive mother couldn't afford me, so at age two, she dumped me at an orphanage. When I returned, my biological parents only had eyes for the elegant, polished fake heiress nurtured by their money and love. The grades and awards I proudly presented meant nothing to them. I didn't want to fight Bella for anything. I just wanted them to see me. To see that Ava had grown up well. That even when things were hard, I hadn't given up on myself. But they didn't care. They needed a perfect Yan heiress. I wasn't the child they dreamed of. Worried Bella would feel insecure, they announced to the public that I was just a "lost daughter" found later, while she remained the true Second Miss Yan. Song—my childhood friend—was wrong. Not all parents love their children. Luckily, it only took me six months to accept that. "Happy Birthday." A cold, clear voice sounded beside me. 4 A small velvet box was held out in front of me. I froze. I hadn't heard those words in a long time. I turned around in a daze. In the interplay of light and shadow, Julian’s face was sharp and defined, his nose straight, his expression carrying a hint of untamed wildness. I was surprised. The live comments were confused, too: [Wait, how does the male lead know the villainess shares the女主's (heroine's) birthday?] [Isn't this the part where the heroine secretly meets the male lead to say she was forced to break the engagement?] [Is the plot broken? Does the male lead like the real daughter?] [Impossible! The real daughter is plain. Bella is exquisite.] I agreed with them. Who would like a stranger? Even though he was my true target, I had just survived Preston’s betrayal. Three years of effort, wasted on a dog. I couldn't just pivot to romancing someone else instantly. I only grabbed Julian earlier to get out of a jam. He was known as a "Flower on the High Peak"—unattainable. The difficulty level was obviously way higher than Preston. "So," Julian asked, "where am I sleeping tonight?" I blinked. "Didn't you say you were going to sponsor me?" He said it so casually, as if it weren't something shady. Huh? He accepted it that fast? [Does the male lead not want to work hard anymore?] [Bro, are you really leaving with her? Look back at the heroine! She’s about to cry!] I took Julian back to the villa I had bought outside the city. As we left, I deliberately grabbed his hand. Bella’s eyes turned red with jealousy. So she did love him. Julian went to shower. I opened the gift box. Inside was a single earring shaped like a Sycamore leaf. A phoenix rests on the Sycamore. What was this? Did the fallen angel empathize with the lost orphan? A hot tear dropped onto the silver leaf. I realized my eyes were burning. But this had nothing to do with Julian. I was thinking of the boy under the Sycamore tree. Sawyer. I hadn't let myself think about him in a long time. Across from the orphanage, there was a huge Sycamore tree. I was a loner; no kids played with me. I used to climb the tree and watch them. One day, Sawyer climbed up too. "The sunset is so much brighter from up here," he said. That became our secret base. He saved his allowance to buy me dolls and candy. No matter how broke we were, he always bought me a rose cake for my birthday. We grew up, got into college, and left the orphanage. We worked part-time, studied, and saved money. We had dreams. But it all ended on my 19th birthday. Snap. Outside, fine snow was falling. A withered branch cracked under the weight. I walked to the balcony. It snowed like this that day, too. But on the ground, the snow had been stained a dark, rusty red. I wondered if Sawyer felt cold then. I wondered if it hurt when he fell. He was still holding the rose cake. Without him to blow out the candles, cake didn't taste good anymore. Sawyer, I miss you. I miss hearing you say Happy Birthday. ... Suddenly, a heavy wool blanket was wrapped around my shoulders. "You can't watch the first snow without a coat," Julian said. He wrapped me up and stepped back. For a brief moment, our skin touched. I smelled the humid heat and my own body wash on him. He closed his eyes and made a quick wish. "You believe in that?" "I didn't used to," Julian said. "But someone told me about it, so now I do." "Did you make a wish?" I smiled bitterly. "I don't ask for things from the void anymore. They don't come true. But you can." I looked him over. Water droplets still clung to his hair. The thin bathrobe rose and fell with his breathing, hinting at solid muscle underneath. He was wearing less than me, yet he was lecturing me about the cold. I pulled him into the bedroom. When I pushed him onto the bed, a flash of shock crossed his eyes. He tried to maintain his composure, grabbing my hand as I tugged at his robe. "Is this your wish?" His Adam's apple bobbed silently. I ran a finger over it. He seemed to lose control of his limbs. I didn't expect Julian to be so... innocent. The comments were going crazy: [The male lead’s first time can’t be with the villainess!] [This book is supposed to be Double Clean (both virgins)! Get off him!] [Wait, I get to see this for free?] His grip on my hand loosened. He seemed to give up resisting. The look in his eyes was heating up.
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