CHAPTER FOUR

Chapter Four

Five Years Ago

Nineteen-year-old Jade had never been the type to take strolls. But on that fateful day, she had made the mistake of stepping outside for fresh air one she would regret for the rest of her life.

She barely made it past two streets when a group of tough-looking men appeared out of nowhere.

Before she could react, they grabbed her.

Bundled her up.

Threw her into a van.

She hadn't even been given the chance to scream.

Her vision went dark as they blindfolded her, the van speeding off to God knows where.

By the time they arrived at their destination, rough hands dragged her out, her feet barely touching the ground.

"Do you guys have no compassion for the fairer sex?" she had scoffed at them, trying to maintain her composure. "You could at least be gentle, you know."

She wasn't particularly scared. This wasn't her first time being kidnapped.

Being the daughter of a rich man had its perks, after all.

But three days later, she realized this time was different.

They left her alone in that silent, empty room.

No food. No water.

No one even bothered to come in and have a conversation with her, like kidnappers usually did.

The silence was deafening, like she had been abandoned in a graveyard.

Still, she didn't make a sound.

Didn't beg.

Didn't panic.

She waited.

On the fourth day, their supposed leader finally barged in, a cell phone in his hand.

Jade barely had the strength to lift her head. Her vision blurred from hunger, her body weak.

She was on the verge of dying.

Then, she heard his voice.

A voice she recognized.

The man on the other end of the call.

"Your daughter is going to starve to death if you don't hand over the file," the kidnapper said coldly. "We will send her cold corpse back to you."

He spoke like Jade was nothing. Like she was already dead.

But what truly shattered her—what made her body go numb—was the response.

"I don't care about the girl in your custody."

The words rang in her ears.

"Go ahead and kill her if you want, but I won't give you the file."

"You've made a mistake. That girl with you is not our child, so whatever you do to her is none of our business."

The line went dead.

No hesitation.

No panic.

No remorse.

It was as if she was less than trash to them.

Jade's vision darkened as tears slipped down her hollow cheeks.

She had never cried when she was kidnapped before.

But now, she couldn't stop.

For years, they had told her she wasn't really their daughter.

She had heard it, but she had never truly believed it.

Not until that moment.

The kidnappers must have been just as stunned as she was because instead of holding her for ransom, they beat her lightly just enough to vent their own anger and then let her go.

She had even heard their boss curse about how they had wasted their precious time on a piece of shit.

A few hours later, they dumped her three streets away from the mansion.

Battered. Hungry.

But somehow, she dragged herself back.

With sheer willpower, she made it to the large iron gates that separated her so-called family from the rest of the world.

And there, she collapsed.

She never knew what happened next.

But sometime after, she overheard the maids gossiping about it.

No one had called the police.

No one had gone looking for her.

They hadn't even lifted a finger to save her.

They thought she would die.

And they were prepared to receive her corpse without so much as a second thought.

The worst part?

After she returned… they pretended it never happened.

And so did she.

Because what else was she supposed to do?

She had licked her wounds in silence.

And moved on.

---

Flashback Ends

Back in the present, the silence in the room was suffocating.

Scarlett sat stiffly, a cold chill running down her spine.

She never imagined living in this house would be easy, but getting kidnapped?

"Maybe being a pauper isn't so bad after all," she thought.

At least then, she wouldn't have to walk down the street fearing she'd be thrown into a van.

A voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"What's happened has happened," someone said blankly. "No need to dwell on the past."

Jade's eyes flickered to the speaker.

Of course.

Her so-called big sister.

They had lived together for over twenty years, but she had never truly felt close to her.

She wasn't as ambitious or hardworking as the other.

They had nothing in common.

And now, she had nothing left to say to her.

Mrs. Shawn sighed, her heart aching as she watched Jade.

"Baby, let's go," she said softly. "You don't have to say another word to them if you don't want to."

She realized now that this girl had lived a hard life.

She felt ashamed for how she had treated her earlier mocking her, belittling her.

No mother should treat their child that way.

"We might not have much," she continued, stepping toward Jade, "but what little we have is enough for all seven of us."

She pulled Jade into a hug, tears brimming in her eyes.

Jade froze.

She didn't know how to react to this kind of emotional display.

She wasn't used to it.

But… she liked it.

A choked voice interrupted the moment.

"Mom… don't you want me anymore?"

Scarlett.

She looked terrified.

"Please don't leave me here," she begged. "I don't want to stay in this place."

Mrs. Shawn's warmth disappeared instantly.

She turned to Scarlett, her eyes cold.

"Back when you found out your real parents were wealthy and powerful, you were so happy," she said.

Her voice was steady. Sharp.

"You haven't called me 'Mom' in weeks. Not once. You didn't care that we were devastated by the news."

She let out a bitter chuckle.

"And now? Now you remember you have a mother?"

Scarlett flinched.

Jade sighed. "Let's just go."

She turned to the Thomases, her expression unreadable.

"As for the company, you don't need to pay me a single dime for it."

She smirked.

"After all, it was never officially transferred to me. You always knew I would sell it back to you. That kind of hypocrisy is something I refuse to accept."

No one had anything left to say.

Both families turned away, going their separate ways.

They all hoped that nothing would ever bring them face to face again.

But fate had other plans.

Things had returned to where they were supposed to be.

Each person could start anew.

As for Jade…

Maybe, just maybe, she'd find her own place in this world.

Or maybe not.

Who knew?