Chapter 1
“Lemira, are you going to admit your mistake?”
Lemira Langston’s mouth and nose were submerged; a burning sensation filled her throat as she choked on water. Gasping for air, she opened her eyes to see her second eldest brother, Lucian Langston, on the poolside, and her fourth eldest brother, Caspian Langston, holding Evelina Sterling in his arms.
A flash of astonishment crossed her eyes. This scene felt eerily familiar. Hadn't she died? Could she have been reborn three years earlier, on the day Evelina was officially adopted by the Langstons? At the party, Evelina had framed her, making everyone believe Lemira had intentionally pushed Evelina into the water. Caspian had been the first to reach them, but he only saved Evelina, leaving Lemira, who couldn't swim, struggling. Lucian even demanded she admit her mistake, implying he wouldn't save her otherwise.
Desperately struggling, Lemira admitted her fault, begging for help. Only when she neared death did they pull her out. Since then, she'd tiptoed around Evelina, trying to please her brothers. But what had she received in return? Evelina stole her thesis; Lucian testified against her, resulting in her expulsion. When Evelina needed a kidney transplant, her third eldest brother, Rou Langston, personally took her to the surgery room. When Evelina needed to bolster her resume with international competition results, Caspian, her fifth eldest brother Evander Langston, and her sixth eldest brother Alaric Langston kicked Lemira off the team. When Lemira found evidence of Evelina's plagiarism and forged medical records, she showed them to her eldest brother, Asher Langston, hoping to expose Evelina. But she was met only with anger; no one believed her, not even glancing at the evidence. Asher then kicked her out of the house.
She ended up homeless and penniless, enduring hardship on the streets. As the memories flooded back, Lemira stopped struggling, letting herself sink. Her eyes were wide open, expressionless, as if she were already dead. She watched her brothers surround Evelina, heartache piercing her even on this second viewing. How laughable. She, the blood sister, was less valued than an outsider.
Lucian, preoccupied with Evelina, only turned to the pool when Lemira's struggle ceased—she had sunk to the bottom. His face paled. “Lemmy!” He dove in without hesitation.
A gleam flashed in Evelina's eyes the moment she saw Lemira sinking, a clear indication of her wish for Lemira's death. Feigning weakness, she clutched Caspian's sleeve. “Caspian, I should save Lemmy too. It’s because of me that she fell in.”
Caspian, already worried, quickly comforted her. “Don’t be silly, Lucian’s got it. Lemira brought this on herself; she won’t die!” He turned his gaze back to the pool, his eyes filled with complexity.
In the water, Lemira saw Lucian swimming towards her, his concern seemingly genuine despite his previous indifference. This time, she didn't care if he saved her. A mocking glint appeared in her eyes as she surfaced.
In her past life, after the drowning incident, Lucian had forced her to learn swimming with Evelina. Haunted by the trauma, yet eager to please Lucian, she'd overcome her fear, only to have Lucian praise Evelina for her bravery, ignoring Lemira's suffering. No one cared about her condition; Lucian only had eyes for Evelina.
“Lemira, what are you playing at? Do you think pretending to drown will erase your mistake?” Lucian blocked her path, sensing something was different. When had she learned to swim?
Lemira looked up at Lucian, whom she had once adored most. Asher had been strict, but Lucian had shown her warmth. Now, his eyes held only disgust and impatience.
Evelina’s frail voice reached them. “Lucian, don’t blame Lemmy. I know she’s always disliked me being a Langston. It was greedy of me to wish for a family. Please don’t fight over me, you all mean a lot to me.”
Caspian glared at Lemira. “Are you happy now? If it weren’t for her father dying to save you, she wouldn’t be an orphan. He should never have saved an ungrateful wretch like you! It would’ve been better to let you die!”