The next time Nurse Evans entered the room, her look mixed pity with disdain. She carried a cardboard box and dropped it on the floor.
“These are from Mr. Rivera,” she said, tone clipped. “And this.” She slapped a thick envelope onto the bedside table. The hospital bill.
Adelina glanced at the bill, face unreadable. The box held scattered remnants of her old life—a few books, worn-out clothes, trinkets Carter thought worthless. She ignored it all.
“I need a set of clean clothes,” Adelina said, calm and steady. “And a complete makeup removal kit.”
The nurse stared, bewildered. “Miss Hughes, given your situation…”
“Don’t worry about the bill,” Adelina cut her off smoothly. “My mother’s trust fund is valued in the nine figures.”
The words “nine figures” hung in the air. The nurse’s eyes widened, her professional disdain melting into stunned deference. A hundred million? Two hundred? She couldn’t comprehend. Her whole demeanor shifted.
“Of course, Miss Hughes. Right away.” She scurried out like a different person.
Adelina pushed herself out of bed and walked into the small bathroom. She braced her hands on the sink and looked up at her reflection. A stranger’s caricature stared back. Heavy, smudged black eyeliner. Eyebrows plucked and drawn into harsh, ugly shapes. Thick, caked foundation making her skin look sick. She remembered now. This was Carter’s younger sister, Chloe, who always insisted on giving Adelina “edgy” makeovers that made her look cheap and unwell.
The nurse returned quickly, arms full of supplies. Adelina took them, locked the bathroom door, and began wiping away the mask.
She soaked a cotton pad with remover and gently swiped it across one eye. Black grime came off, revealing skin underneath. She kept going—layers of foundation, harsh brow pencil, pale chalky lipstick.
With each swipe, a new person emerged.
When the last trace of makeup was gone, she stared at the face in the mirror, and a jolt went through her. The reflection wasn’t a stranger. It was her.
The face of Alpha.
Same high cheekbones. Same full lips. Same pale, flawless skin. And the eyes—identical. Piercing, clear gray that seemed to see everything. An ethereal, breathtaking beauty that had been deliberately buried under layers of garish paint.
She reached up and touched her cheek. Foreign and familiar at once. “So this was you all along, Adelina Hughes,” she whispered to the reflection. “I’m sorry they made you hide.”
At that exact moment, across town in the Rivera mansion, Eleanor Rivera was on the phone with her family’s attorney. The attorney had just uncovered something startling while reviewing old records.
“Are you absolutely certain?” Eleanor demanded, voice sharp. “Nine figures?”
“That’s correct, Mrs. Rivera,” the lawyer confirmed. “The Beaumont trust is one of the largest private funds I’ve ever seen. It appears Adelina’s biological mother left it to her, though access is restricted.”
Eleanor’s mind raced. That kind of capital couldn’t just salvage their struggling real estate projects—it could propel Rivera Corporation into a new level. She hung up and immediately dialed her son.
“Carter, get to the hospital now,” she commanded. “You’re going to fix this. I don’t care what you have to do. Bring that girl back.”
Carter’s voice dripped disgust. “Are you insane, Mother? The whole city saw those photos. She humiliated me. I’m not going anywhere near her.”
“Reputation is temporary, but money is power!” Eleanor snapped. “That trust fund could double our net worth. I’m not asking you, Carter. I’m telling you. Get her back.”
Back in the hospital room, Adelina had changed into the plain hospital gown. Simple, shapeless, but on her, it looked like minimalist designer wear. The transformation was absolute. When she stepped out of the bathroom, she overheard two nurses whispering in the hallway.
“Did you see her? She looks like a movie star.”
“I can’t believe that’s the same woman.”
Adelina felt nothing. Beauty was a tool, nothing more. And now, she was going to use it to acquire her first weapon.
