Chapter 5

My dessert shop was ready for a major upgrade.

I had gotten in touch with a major investor, Mr. Ethan Vance.

He was a prominent venture capitalist in the city, owning several successful restaurant chains.

If I could secure his funding, I could turn my shop into a franchise and expand rapidly.

On the day of the contract signing, I wore a professional suit and arrived early at the conference room.

Mr. Vance arrived shortly after, and our meeting went incredibly well.

He loved my pastries and fully approved of my business expansion plan.

"Ms. Sterling, I have high hopes for your brand," he said, smiling.

"Likewise. I look forward to working with you," I said, reaching out to shake his hand.

Just as he was about to shake my hand, the conference room doors were violently kicked open.

Chloe burst in, followed by a middle-aged, trashy-looking couple.

"Audrey! You heartless, evil bitch!"

The woman rushed in, immediately grabbing my hair, screaming and slapping at me.

"How dare you abuse my daughter!" she shrieked.

Caught completely off guard, I felt a burning pain shoot across my face.

Mr. Vance immediately stood up, shouting, "What is the meaning of this? Stop this at once!"

Chloe stepped forward, pointing at me.

"Mr. Vance, see for yourself! These are Mia's biological parents."

"My sister not only abuses the poor girl, but she also locks her up and refuses to let her see her real family."

"How can you do business with a monster like her?"

Mr. Vance’s face turned incredibly grim.

The trashy couple kept screaming at me.

"Where did you hide our daughter?"

"Hand her over right now!"

"Or we’re calling the cops!"

Chloe kept fueling the fire.

"Audrey, how could you be so cruel?"

"They are Mia's real parents. How could you keep their child from them?"

She spoke with such self-righteousness, acting as if she were the hero of the story.

Mr. Vance looked at me, his eyes filled with deep suspicion.

"Ms. Sterling, what is going on here?"

I didn't say a word.

My face was pale, and my body was shaking.

Seeing me like this, Chloe looked smugger than ever.

She leaned in close to my ear, whispering in a voice only I could hear:

"Your lucky charm daughter is in my hands, and your little jinx has her bio-parents knocking on your door. Audrey, you lose."

Her voice was dripping with venom.

I closed my eyes, my body swaying as if I were about to collapse.

Chloe and the couple grinned, thinking they had completely broken me.

But then, I suddenly lifted my head.

I wiped away a tear that didn't exist and looked straight at Chloe.

"Chloe, who told you they are Mia's biological parents?"

Chloe froze.

"What... what do you mean?"

I turned to the trashy couple, my expression ice-cold.

"The daughter you’re looking for isn't with me," I said clearly.

"Your real daughter, Lily, is currently at my sister’s apartment, being beaten black and blue by her every single day."

Chloe’s face turned instantly white.

The trashy couple stood there, completely dumbfounded.

"What... what kind of nonsense are you talking about?" the woman shrieked.

I pulled an official document from my briefcase.

"This is the DNA test result for Lily and the two of you."

"A 99.99% match. Father and mother."

"The daughter you abandoned years ago is Lily."