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Chapter 1
The summer sun blazed relentlessly outside, but inside Shepard Villa, a young woman lounged on an expensive leather sofa, lazily chewing gum. Her flawless skin seemed to shimmer under the golden rays streaming through the windows. She looked like a living work of art.
She popped a bubble, its size nearly surpassing her face.
“Bonnie’s just not good enough for me, okay? I’m calling off the wedding!” The man standing in the doorway shot her a look of pure disgust.
Vera Shepard, Bonnie’s mother, looked alarmed. “Hadwin, I can’t say I’m not disappointed, but Bonnie’s always been a handful. But her grandfather and your grandfather both wanted this marriage. How can you just call it off like this?”
She turned a scathing look toward Bonnie. “You apologize to Hadwin right now and promise never to cause trouble again.”
Bonnie shot her a defiant glance, chewing her gum nonchalantly. “Apologize? He should be the one apologizing! He broke his promise to marry me and insulted me!”
Vera’s face reddened with anger, but before she could respond, Bonnie continued, “Besides, I’ve never been the one fooling around. He’s the one who’s been cheating on me! So, honestly, I don’t care if the wedding’s canceled.”
“Bonnie! You—”
“Enough, Vera.” Hadwin raised his hand, cutting her off. His voice was firm as he looked Bonnie up and down. “Bonnie’s beauty may be skin deep, but I value inner beauty. I could never marry someone like her, even if she begged me. There’s only one woman I’ll ever marry…” He paused, his eyes softening as he glanced up the stairs.
“And that’s Trina.”
Trina Shepard appeared at the top of the stairs, a look of longing in her eyes.
“Trina!” Hadwin called out, striding toward her with open arms.
Trina ran into his embrace, tears glistening in her eyes. “I can finally marry you now!”
“I’m sorry, Trina. I should have called it off sooner,” Hadwin whispered.
“It’s okay. I understand. You had your reasons…” Trina replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
As the couple shared a tender moment, Bonnie’s phone buzzed with a new message.
“Ms. Bonita, the research is almost complete. Elite soldiers have been dispatched to escort you for safety. We’re arriving now.”
Bonnie quickly typed a reply. “Be right out.”
She spat out her gum, stood up, and made her way to the door.
Trina, watching from the corner of her eye, thought Bonnie was leaving in shame, but she didn’t feel Bonnie had been humiliated enough.
“Don’t go, Bonnie! I’m sorry for what happened. Hadwin and I love each other. You can blame me, okay? It’s not his fault.”
Bonnie glanced over her shoulder with a cool, emotionless look. “Fuck off, bitch.”
Trina hesitated, then stepped forward, grabbing Bonnie’s hand and using it to slap her own face. “Won’t you forgive me? Here, hit me if it’ll make you feel better.”
Bonnie stared at Trina, unfazed. Before she could react, Vera stormed over and slapped Bonnie’s hand away.
“What the hell are you doing, Bonnie?” Vera fumed. “How dare you assault your sister?”
Bonnie’s gaze fell to her hand, which had left a red mark on Trina’s cheek. After a long moment, she raised her eyes to meet Vera’s.
Vera’s face was filled with anger and disappointment, but Bonnie remained impassive.
“Trina is not my sister,” Bonnie said coldly.
The truth hung in the air like a thundercloud. Twenty years ago, Bonnie and Trina had been switched at birth by a nurse. It wasn’t until five years ago that the mistake was discovered, and Bonnie had been brought back to the Shepard family from the countryside. But by then, Vera had already grown attached to Trina, who had been raised as her daughter.
Instead of embracing Bonnie, Vera had shown her bias, leaning toward Trina, who had grown up in comfort and wealth, while Bonnie had endured hardship in rural life.
“How could you say that?” Vera’s voice trembled. “I may not have given birth to Trina, but she’s still my daughter! Don’t ever say that again.”
Bonnie stared at her, indifferent. “You’ve said it enough times. I’m done with this.”
Vera’s eyes welled up, but Bonnie turned her back and walked toward the door.
“What did I do to deserve such a daughter?” Vera muttered, hands wringing in frustration.
Bonnie didn’t respond. She stepped outside the villa, just as a convoy of more than a hundred green armored vehicles roared into view.
A deafening whoop echoed through the air as a dozen helicopters hovered above, wind swirling around them. The soldiers clad in camouflage uniforms swiftly descended from the vehicles, forming a protective circle around Bonnie.
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