Chapter 2

At the family dinner, I was seated at the far end of the long table with distant relatives.

They were used to it and openly laughed at me.

Declan finally returned from work, sitting right beside me.

"Nora, why are your hands so cold? Get some hot tea," he said, and someone immediately replaced my cold drink.

"Mom, are you picking on Nora again?" I tugged on Declan’s arm, trying to prevent a confrontation.

"As if I dare bully her," Mrs. Declan said calmly. "Have you seen Phoebe?"

Declan's hand stiffened, his grip on mine painful. I called his name several times before he responded.

"I see Phoebe as a sister, don't overthink it."

My heart sank; he was lying. He rubbed his thumb on his hand whenever he lied.

Phoebe waved from Mrs. Declan's left, "Declan, come. I peeled shrimp for you."

Declan released my hand, quietly moving over. "Nora, we’ll go home after."

Even if it was a dream, I didn’t want to break it.

The next moment, Mrs. Declan spoke, and I felt a chill to my bones.

"Declan, I gave Phoebe the Phoenix Jade."

The Declan family has a pair of jade pendants, a dragon and a phoenix.

Declan has the dragon, but Mrs. Declan refused to give me the phoenix.

She said someone like me wasn't worthy.

My nose felt blocked; I couldn’t breathe.

I opened my mouth, taking deep breaths.

"Nora, don’t overthink. We don’t need any jade. Next week’s auction, I’ll buy a better one and carve it for you."

I nodded, but deep down, I knew I wouldn't get either the Phoenix Jade or the one Declan promised to carve.

Everyone watched me with mocking smiles. My heart was in chaos; I dared not look up, fearing their ridicule.

Looking up, Mrs. Declan, Uncle Robert, and Declan seemed like a real family.

That perfume scent returned...

I felt nauseous.