Sylvana's POV
"Is this what you call 'a room'? Even a prison isn’t this bad. A chamber pot? And I’m supposed to scrub it in the yard every morning? Even rural villages don’t live like this anymore," I added aggrievedly.
My mother stood there awkwardly, clearly at a loss, and looked to my father for help.
A flash of confusion crossed my father’s face before he frowned and began to think.
Before he could speak, Elowen beat him to it. “Sylvana, I heard you came from the Colorado Plateau. Don’t people there live in cave houses? Emptying a chamber pot every morning should be normal for you, right?”
She tilted her head, then added self-righteously, “Agnes is honest and hardworking. Why would you bully her? Mom and Dad are exhausted after work every day. Can you stop making trouble? If you’re upset, take it out on me, okay? If it makes you feel better, you can even hit me.”
She looked at me with open contempt, as if she’d already seen through all my “schemes,” wearing the expression of someone completely fed up.
My mother immediately pulled her into her arms, her voice full of pity. “Elowen, you don’t need to wrong yourself like that. You’re the treasure we’ve raised with our own hands. How could we ever let someone lay a finger on you?”
“Try touching her and see what happens!” Jasper shouted, pointing at me like a street thug, spit flying as he spoke.
I let out a quiet sigh and replied, “Our institute chose the Colorado Plateau because it offers a stable experimental environment. This isn’t the 1980s. Who still lives in cave dwellings?”
My tone steady, I continued, “And if you really didn’t want me back, you didn’t have to go this far. Using a chamber pot inside a villa, have the Kesslers really sunk to this level of absurdity?”
The moment I exposed the issue in front of everyone, Elowen knew she had no ground to stand on. So, she immediately threw herself into my mother’s arms and burst into loud sobs.
To my disbelief, my mother hugged her back and started crying just as hard.
Ignoring them, I pushed open the door to the room, and a cloud of dust instantly rose, making me cough.
The place looked like an unfinished construction site. The walls were scarred where the plaster had been scraped off, the window glass was even broken, and cold wind poured in nonstop.
“You’ve really outdone yourselves,” I said, covering my mouth as I coughed.
Seeing the miserable state of the room, my father frowned deeply. “Why isn’t this room renovated yet? I arranged this long ago.”
“Dad, it’s cold lately,” Elowen replied nervously under his gaze. “No workers are willing to come.”
Was she actually brain-dead? What kind of excuse was that? Did renovation workers pick seasons now? Then who tore the place apart? Did she do it yourself?'
Helpless, I sighed. 'No, I need to contact the institute today. If I stay in this place too long, it might affect my intelligence, and that would be a loss to the country.'
Furious, my father immediately arranged for me to stay in a guest room temporarily.
Soon, news of the Kesslers' biological daughter returning home spread quickly. Competitors, aware of how the Kessler family treated their adopted daughter, seized the opportunity. They joined forces online, spread rumors, and stirred up drama, eager to watch a “real vs. fake heiress” power struggle unfold.
The Kesslers, unsurprisingly, decided to host a formal reunion party.
I knew exactly what it was really for.
Calling it a reunion was just a cover. It was a move to reassure shareholders and stabilize the company.
The party was scheduled for the evening, yet I, the supposed main character, received very little attention.
Instead, Elowen bounced around like an overexcited peacock. She went shopping for dresses, contacted guests, and busied herself with arrangements, as if she were the true star of the event.
Night fell quickly, and guests began arriving one after another.
The first floor was transformed into an event hall. Tables were laid out with exquisite dishes and expensive, well-known wines.
Standing at the entrance holding a wine glass was Elowen, greeting guests with syrupy smiles and nauseating pleasantries.
