More than a year had passed since Cheyenne's return home. As she stood at the door, a pang of nostalgia struck her.

"Click."

She turned the doorknob, but hesitated at the threshold. Shock replaced her bright expression as she saw her room transformed into a storage space overflowing with Nora's belongings.

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When had the Lawrence family become so impoverished that they needed to use her bedroom as storage? And why Nora's belongings, specifically?

Except for her bed, everything was different. Her beloved rosewood bookshelf was gone, replaced by rows of picture frames and easels. Watercolor splatters covered the floor and windowsill, creating a messy, chaotic scene.

"Great! Just great!" Cheyenne's bright almond eyes sparkled. Without hesitation, she rolled up her sleeves and tossed Nora's paintings into the hallway.

"Bang!" The loud noise echoed through the building, startling three people downstairs who looked up simultaneously.

"Oh my god! My paintings! Cheyenne, you're done for! Don't touch my stuff!" Nora's high-pitched scream pierced the hall.

"Your stuff?" Cheyenne sneered, stepping on one of Nora's paintings with her high heel. A small footprint marred Nora's sunflower painting—a piece she'd spent three nights on, a work with a touch of Van Gogh's style, and her best painting yet, intended for a competition. It was destroyed.

Nora's face flushed crimson with fury. "You shouldn't have come back, you troublemaker! You always cause problems!"

"This room is mine," Cheyenne retorted. "Who gave you the right to make changes without my permission?"

The couple who had followed Nora upstairs overheard the exchange. George's face registered displeasure. "It's just a room. Did you have to destroy Nora's painting? We have other rooms in the house!"

"If there are other rooms, why my bedroom? You never even considered leaving me any space," Cheyenne retorted sharply, her words laced with guilt-inducing accusation.

Malaya quickly intervened, attempting to smooth things over with a smile. "Cheyenne, I thought your room, being more spacious and bright, would be suitable for a studio. But I've arranged another room for you. Shall I show you?"

"I don't need it! I want this room back exactly as it was!" Cheyenne refused. Glancing around at the remnants of her belongings, she added, "And where are my trinkets and antiques?"

These items had been passed down through generations of the Edwards family, prominent local merchants who had accumulated a significant collection of precious items over centuries. Her great-grandfather had given half to her mother as a wedding gift, and they had remained in Cheyenne's bedroom ever since. Each item held considerable value.

Malaya had appropriated these antiques for her own bedroom! After Cheyenne's marriage, Malaya had periodically auctioned them off, lining her purse with the profits.

When asked about them, Malaya could not produce them, looking to her husband for help.

"Who knows if those things were broken or thrown away by a servant? Cheyenne, stop being unreasonable. Malaya has prepared a room for you," George scolded.

Cheyenne remained calm, replying sarcastically, "If they were lost due to servants, then investigate! Whether it's irresponsibility or theft, the police will surely recover some of it."

George retorted, "Nonsense! The Lawrence family is influential. We can't involve the police and make ourselves look bad!"

"Father, these are antiques my great-grandfather left for my mother, then me. If you're afraid of disgracing our family, I'll report it myself," Cheyenne stated.

"No! You can't report this because we didn't take your things!" Nora exclaimed nervously, her words only fueling Cheyenne's suspicion.

Cheyenne's cold gaze fell on Nora, and she spotted Selah's jade bracelet on Nora's wrist—an exquisite piece, one of a pair, the other broken accidentally by Cheyenne years ago. She kept the remaining bracelet locked in a safe.

As Cheyenne stared intently, Nora tried to hide the bracelet, but it was too late. Cheyenne stepped forward and firmly grasped Nora's wrist. "This jade bracelet is also mine," she declared.

George recognized the bracelet. His displeasure was evident as he turned to Malaya and Nora. "Nora borrowed it. She needed a bracelet for a socialite party last week, so I…"

"Borrowed? Did you tell me about it?" Cheyenne had no memory of this.

Malaya bit her lip and offered a strained smile. "I've been busy, and my memory isn't great. I forgot."

"If your memory is bad, how do you remember the password to my safe where the bracelet was kept? If someone broke into my safe, that's theft!"

Theft! The situation had escalated. The lady of the Lawrence family was a thief! If this became public, Nora's prospects of marrying into wealth would be ruined.

Malaya's face paled under Cheyenne's unwavering gaze. She quickly apologized, "Cheyenne, I took the bracelet, but only borrowed it."

"But I didn't know; even if I did, I wouldn't have agreed. That's not borrowing, it's stealing!"

"Enough! Who cares about your broken bracelet? I'll give it back now!" Nora's face burned with embarrassment and anger. She tried to remove the bracelet, but it was too tight, causing her pain.