Chapter 2

The Newan Lamdy—everyone knew their name. They were the pinnacle of power, dripping in wealth, and far beyond anyone else's league. Their wedding gifts were not merely generous; they were mind-blowing. Even without committing, it was obvious they were worth billions—a family like the Bennetts, tied to the Stewarts, was nothing short of a miracle. They weren't even in the same universe. But fate had handed them a golden ticket.

William Bennet and Alexander Stewart had once fought together, shoulder to shoulder, in life-or-death battles. Somewhere along the way, they'd sealed a promise to arrange a marriage between their future children.

Finally, the Bennetts planned to marry off Sophia. It was a straightforward enough plan until bad news hit. The man she was supposed to marry was at death's door, and whispers said he didn't have much time left.

No way were they going to send Sophia into a marriage that would turn her into a widow before it even began. Luckily—or unluckily—seven months ago, the Bennetts had found their long-lost biological daughter, Oxialys Stone.

And just like that, they had a perfect solution: send Oxialys instead. She'd secure the Bennetts' connection to the Stewarts, widow or not. Sophia would be off the hook, and the family would still come out on top. It was a win-win—at least for everyone except Oxialys.

"What am I doing here?" Oxialys said, her voice calm but laced with a sharp edge as she glanced around. She raised an eyebrow, her smirk growing. "Well, obviously, I'm here to collect what's mine."

She didn't bother hiding the amusement in her eyes. Watching the Bennetts squabble while the Stewart family bodyguards loomed nearby was too… amusing.

"What is wrong! Were you planning to keep it all for yourselves?" Her voice turned mockingly curious, her tone dripping with fake innocence. "Oh, I get it. You're trying to screw me over because you think I'm just the backup bride, right?"

Her words hit like a grenade. The bodyguards immediately paused their work, sharp eyes locking onto the Bennetts with unspoken suspicion.

Hannah's face went pale, her heavily made-up features twisting in barely contained rage. She spat through gritted teeth. "If the Stewarts gave it to you, then fine. Take it. It's yours."

"Damn right, it's mine," Oxialys tilted her head, smirk still firmly in place. "Let's go, guys. Load it all up."

The bodyguards didn't need to be told twice. They began reloading the boxes of gifts onto the waiting trucks

One of them rattled off the inventory under his breath: "Three chests with three million dollars each. Two boxes of gold and diamond jewelry, 200 pieces total. One small box containing six property deeds for Crystal Cove villas. One small box with keys to eleven luxury cars."

Sophia's fists clenched at her sides, her nails digging so hard into her palms that she almost drew blood. Those gifts were supposed to be hers. Sure, she didn't want to marry into the Stewarts, but she'd never said she didn't want the spoils. And now, she thought Oxialys was walking out with everything. Every last thing.

Her chest tightened with rage, her breaths coming quick and sharp. "Why? Why does she get to take what should be mine?!"

"Odalys Stone, don't you have any shame!" Hannah snapped, stepping forward with a trembling hand pointing at her. Her voice cracked with the effort to keep her anger in check. "Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you? Taking all this—it's disgusting."

"Laugh at me?" Oxialys turned, her expression cool, her voice calm and mocking. "For what? Taking what my husband gave me! No, Mrs. Bennett, people aren't going to laugh. They're going to be jealous as hell."

Her lips curled into a cold smile, her eyes glinting with something dangerous. "Or is it you who's jealous?"

Her gaze swept across the room, pausing on each familiar face. To her surprise, she didn't feel the anger she thought she would. The Bennetts didn't deserve it. What she felt instead was an eerie calm. She'd been here before, in another timeline. This time, she wasn't here to please anyone. This time, she was here to cut ties, burn bridges, and take what was hers.

"These gifts belong to me because the Stewarts are marrying me. You got a problem with that?" Her voice was soft but carried an unmistakable edge. Each word hit like a sap.

Her eyes scanned the room, finally settling on Sophia. Slowly, deliberately, she stepped forward.

Sophia froze, her eyes darting nervously to the side as she stumbled back a step. Her gaze flickered to the boxes of gifts, jealousy and frustration swirling in her tear-filled eyes.

She'd never wanted this to happen. Sure, she'd agreed to let Oxialys take her place in the marriage, but she hadn't agreed to give her everything. And now, Oxialys was walking away with it all. The thought made her stomach churn with rage and humiliation.

"Odalys, how could you do this?" Sophia's voice wavered, trembling with fake sweetness as she bit her lip, tears streaming down her face. "You're upsetting Mom. If you take everything, what will the Stewarts think of our family?"

Oxialys Stone chuckled coldly, her hand gripping Sophia Bennett's chin with just enough force to make the other woman flinch. Leaning in, she lowered her voice, her tone dripping with venom. "And just who the hell do you think you are? A nobody foster kid, and you've got the gall to—"

Her lips twisted into a smirk, her gaze sharp and mocking. "What the Stewarts think of you? That's your problem, not mine." She added with a scoff. "Jealous, huh? Pathetic little bitch."

Sophia froze, her eyes wide with disbelief. The insult landed like a slap, and for a moment, she couldn't even process it. She wanted to lash out, but with the Stewarts' people watching, she bit her tongue. All she could do was stomp her foot in frustration, her chest heaving as she struggled to keep her composure.

"Odalys Stone, what the fuck is your problem?" Atlas barked as he stormed forward, his expression dark. He pulled Sophia behind him protectively, glaring at Oxialys like he wanted to snap her in half.

Oxialys raised a brow, her smirk deepening. Without a word, she turned on her heel and strode toward the door. When she reached it, she pulled a key from her pocket and flung it onto the floor. The sharp clink echoed through the room.

Pausing in the doorway, she tossed a cold glance over her shoulder, her voice dripping with mockery. "And what are you going to do about it? Or better yet, maybe she should be the one marrying instead?"

The room fell into stunned silence as she walked out, her ponytail swishing in time with her confident strides. The Bennetts could only stand there, fuming, as the Stewarts' bodyguards continued hauling out the extravagant betrothal gifts without a care in the world.

Hannah staggered, her face pale as she watched millions—billions—of dollars in gifts disappear. Her instincts screamed at her to do something, to stop them, but before she could act, Sophia grabbed her wrist in a panic.

"Mom, don't!" she pleaded. "She's just trying to piss you off! Once she calms down, she'll bring everything back. She's just throwing a tantrum—nothing more."

But even as she said it, doubt flickered in Sophia's eyes.

The truth was everyone in Crownridge knew the situation with the Stewarts. Their patriarch was already at death's door, with the hospital issuing what was eventually a countdown to his final moments.

Years ago, the Stewarts and Bennetts had been close, and the marriage was supposed to strengthen their bond. But now the Stewarts were rushing the wedding to bring some semblance of good fortune to a dying man.

There wouldn't even be a ceremony. They'd sent the wedding gifts today with plans to take the bride immediately.

The Bennetts, unwilling to let Sophia marry into such a grim situation, had shoved Oxialys into the role instead. After all, she'd only recently been found after years of being lost and had no real connection to the family.

The plan was simple: send her off, let her deal with the mess, and once the Stewart patriarch passed, bring her back. It was, in their minds, the perfect solution.

Henry snorted, his tone filled with contempt. "She really thinks she can pull this shit? That's what happens when you let someone think they're equal to us. Time to remind her where she stands."

Caspian leaned lazily against the wall, his lips quirking into a cruel smile. "Relax. Let her have her little moment. Once the bridegroom kicks the bucket, we'll drag her back here and teach her a lesson she won't forget. Let's see if she still thinks she's hot shit after that."

But as they watched Oxialys climb into the waiting car without so much as a glance back, a cold wind swept through the courtyard, sending a chill down everyone's spine.

The atmosphere shifted, the air growing heavy and unnervingly still. For the first time, an inexplicable unease settled over the Bennetts.

In the backseat of the car, Oxialys sat quietly, her gaze fixed on the rearview mirror. The Bennet mansion shrank in the distance, shrouded in swirling clouds that seemed to darken the skies around it. The house looked cursed, like it was being swallowed whole by its own greed and malice.

A soft, bitter laugh escaped her lips as she leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes. Her mind was flooded with memories from her past life—memories that stung like open wounds. She could still feel the humiliation, the betrayal. The people she had once trusted—her own family—had stripped her bare, literally and figuratively. They'd recorded her, used the footage to blackmail her, and forced her to take Sophia's place. All for their own selfish gain, all to secure their position with the Stewarts.