Chapter 1 Two Daughters
The servant pushed open the door with a creak. "Miss Anderson, this is where you'll be staying from now on."
The stench hit Noelle Anderson like a punch to the gut. Damp, musty, and rotting—the air was thick with decay, rolling out in waves, practically choking her. The room itself was a disaster: an abandoned storage space shoved into the farthest, gloomiest corner of the Anderson estate. It was dark and utterly lifeless, as though even sunlight had decided it wasn't worth the effort.
Noelle stood quietly beside the servant. She was petite, almost delicate, but her bright, clear eyes sparkled with intelligence and quiet determination. Her features were impossibly doll-like: a high nose, softly upturned lips, and a face so perfect it looked unreal. Yet, as her gaze swept over the shabby little room, she didn't flinch. Instead, she turned to the servant with a radiant smile, warm enough to light up even this miserable space.
"Got it. Thanks," she said, her voice soft and honey-smooth, as if she hadn't just been shown what was essentially a glorified broom closet.
That smile—it could've melted stone. The servant's chest tightened. Such a sweet, kind girl… but what a shame. Noelle had returned at the absolute worst time, shattering the fragile peace the Andersons had spent years desperately trying to maintain. Noelle Anderson, the true heir to the Anderson fortune, hadn't exactly been given a warm welcome.
A hospital mix-up years ago had robbed her of her rightful place in the family. Instead, the Andersons had poured their love and care into another girl, Leia Anderson, who they'd believed was their daughter all this time. But fate had a twisted sense of humor, and Noelle's sudden reappearance had sent shockwaves through the household.
For the Andersons, her return wasn't a happy reunion; it was a disaster. Leia, devastated by the truth, had collapsed and was now in the hospital. The family was torn between two daughters: one, the biological child they'd never known, and the other, an adopted daughter who had been their everything. It wasn't even a contest. They sided with Leia, clinging to her and blaming Noelle for everything.
The servant still remembered the fury in Damon Anderson's voice, the fourth heir of the family, as he practically shook the walls with his rage: "Why the hell did she come back? If she'd just stayed gone, Leia wouldn't be in this mess! And if anything happens to Leia, I swear to God, I'll make her pay for it!"
Snapping back to the present, the servant forced a small smile. "Miss, I'll leave you to settle in. Call me if you need anything."
"Thank you," Noelle replied sweetly, her tone as cheerful as ever.
Once the servant had gone, Noelle stepped into the room and quietly closed the door behind her. She scanned the room, ensuring she was alone, before reaching up to press the small button on the pendant of her platinum necklace. A faint blue glow appeared, and a calm, almost chipper male voice rang out.
"Good morning, Noelle. Congratulations on finding your biological family. From now on, you will live with them and your five older brothers. Mission activated: Earn their trust and love. Deadline: six months."
"Understood," she murmured.
Before she could take another breath, the door burst open with a deafening bang. In strode a tall man, his presence commanding and his expression full of disdain. He was undeniably handsome, with sharp features and a smirk that oozed arrogance. Leaning casually against the doorframe, he looked her over with the air of someone inspecting a broken toy.
"So, Noelle," he drawled, his voice sharp and cutting, "how do you like your new kennel? Cozy enough for you?"
It was Eli Anderson, her fifth brother. And if anyone in this family wanted her gone, it was him.
Her eyes lingered on her brother, Eli—the tall, striking one with that infuriating air of smugness. She studied him for a moment before breaking into a bright, daring smile.
"Not bad. Honestly, I've lived in way worse places. Compared to those, this is basically the Ritz." Her mind flickered to her time as a mercenary, particularly that one mission where she'd slept in the rainforest bed. Just a relentless barrage of mosquitoes, venomous snakes, and the occasional hungry predator lurking in…
Eli let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "Yeah, okay." To him, her words were just a pathetic attempt to save face. Who wouldn't feel pissed being dumped into a storage room so grim even the rats wouldn't use?
Arms crossed, he leaned against the doorframe, the corner of his mouth twisting into a sneer. "Let me get something straight," he said, his tone dripping with disdain. "I only have one sister: Leia. You? You're just some stranger who happens to share our DNA. Don't kid yourself into thinking I'll ever treat you like I treat her."
"Huh?" Noelle tilted her head, her expression all wide-eyed innocence. "Why not, Eli? You could treat me like Leia. I mean… I'm your sister."
Eli blinked at her, momentarily stunned by her audacity, before letting out a sharp bark of laughter. "You've got some fucking nerve. What makes you think you deserve that? You think you're on Leia's level? Get real."
"Of course I deserve it," Noelle said, her tone light but firm, as if she was stating an obvious fact. "I am your sister."
Eli's laugh this time was harsher, almost a growl. "Sister! Don't make me…" To Eli, Leia was the only sister that mattered—smart, kind, elegant, everything a proper Anderson should be. Noelle? She was nothing more than a shameless stray, a girl who'd dropped out of school and run off with some lover. Does she really think I'd ever claim her in public! She'd be a fucking embarrassment, he thought.
The air between them felt heavy, tense. Eli couldn't stand another second in the same room. As he turned on his heel to leave, Noelle's voice stopped him mid-step.
"There's a spider on your hair."
With a frustrated shake of his head, he turned back. "What?" Eli froze, his entire body going rigid. His voice climbed several octaves as he whipped his head around in panic. "Where? Get it off me!" His eyes widened in terror as he caught sight of an eight-legged nightmare crawling up his shirt toward his neck. His composure shattered as he let out a full-throated scream. "Get it off! Get it off!"
Before he could completely lose it, Noelle stepped forward, her hand darting out to grab the spider with a speed that left Eli gaping. "Got it," she chirped, holding up the wriggling spider for him to see. Her grin widened as she teased, "Wow, Eli, you're scared of spiders! That's kinda cute."
Eli stared at her like she'd grown a second head. "Are you insane! You grabbed it with your bare hands? If it bites you, don't even think about blaming me!"
Noelle laughed, casually waving the spider around like it was a toy. "This little guy? Totally harmless. You should've seen the ones in the rainforest. Some of them were as big as my face!"
"Jesus Christ, stop talking! Just get rid of it!" Eli practically shouted, his face pale and his voice tinged with desperation.
"Alright, alright," Noelle said with a shrug. She tossed the spider onto the ground and stomped on it with a decisive crunch.
Eli stared at her, completely dumbfounded. What the hell is wrong with this girl! Most women would've been screaming bloody murder at the sight of a spider, but her? She just grabbed it like it was a damn toy! And when he insulted her? She didn't back down; she just kept smiling.
Before he could process the whirlwind that was Noelle, a loud growl broke the silence. Noelle rubbed her stomach sheepishly, her shoulders slumping as she looked at him. "Eli," she said, her voice small and pitiful, "I'm starving."
The moment Eli saw Noelle, his heart started pounding in his chest. Without thinking, he blurted out, "Hold on a sec, I'll grab you something to eat."
She nodded, all sweet and innocent, but Eli couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Without another thought, he turned and bolted, completely forgetting about the food he promised to bring her.
The day Noelle returned home was also the day Leia was getting out of the hospital. While the rest of the family went to pick her up, Eli stayed behind to look after Noelle. Once he made sure Noelle was settled, Eli took off for the hospital in a hurry.
He was just about to reach Leia's room when he overheard her voice, full of emotion, as she spoke. "Mom, Dad, Brothers, I'm done with this family. Please, stop being nice to me or Noelle's gonna flip out."
The words hit hard. Kimberly, their mom, sounded crushed. "Leia, don't talk like that. You'll always be my daughter."
Her big brother, Adriel's, voice was cold and sharp. "Leia, to me, you're the only sister I'll ever have."
Bennett, the second brother, just laughed it off. "Don't worry, Leia. When the time's right, get someone to deal with that crazy bitch for you."
Charlie, the third brother, cut in with a calm but firm voice. "Bennett, chill. Is she really worth causing all this drama? We just cut her off, and she'll get the hint and leave."
Damon, the fourth brother, was fuming. "What, so we just let her get away with it? That little bitch put Leia in the hospital; she's gonna pay for that."
"Enough!" Their dad, Vincent, barked, and everything went quiet instantly. Then, in a commanding tone, he added, "Actually, this works out pretty well. We had that deal with the Sawyer family, remember? We were supposed to marry Leia off to their youngest heir, Nicolas. She didn't want him because she thought he was a player, right? Fine, let Noelle marry him instead."