Minerva had always known that Astrid Preston harbored feelings for Frederick.

What she hadn't expected was for Astrid to secretly screenshot one of their group chats—just a random, unserious conversation between friends—and send it to someone else behind her back.

But what hurt Minerva most wasn't Astrid's betrayal. It was the fact that Frederick would rather take that out-of-context, cropped-up nonsense at face value.

Instead of coming to her directly for the truth, he went so far as to stage an entire performance with another woman—just to provoke her.

Everything they had built over the past two decades seemed to mean nothing to him. Her love and sincerity didn't even earn her a moment of his trust.

The thought was so absurd that it felt unreal. Minerva's chest tightened. It was as if a pair of invisible hands had wrapped around her lungs and were slowly squeezing the air out of her.

Minerva was struggling to breathe.

She gasped for air, her steps unsteady as she turned and walked away.

Stumbling out of the club, she made it back to the parking garage. She climbed into her car, hands trembling as she fastened the seatbelt and reached for the ignition.

Just as the engine roared to life, the passenger door suddenly flew open.

Yolanda slid into the seat beside her without a hint of shame, insisting on hitching a ride. No matter how many times Minerva told her to get out, she stayed put, smug and unmoved.

Minerva's head was still spinning from everything she had just heard. She didn't have the energy to argue, so she simply put the car in gear and drove off.

As soon as the car hit the winding road into the hills, Yolanda pulled out her phone, snapped a few selfies, and suddenly started taunting her.

"Minerva, it must eat you alive that your childhood sweetheart picked me over you in just a month. After 20 years with you, he still chose me. That's gotta sting."

Minerva's grip on the steering wheel tightened for a moment, but she didn't respond to the provocation.

Yolanda couldn't stand Minerva's high-and-mighty attitude and immediately grew frustrated. She pulled out a photo and waved it in Minerva's face, eager to show off and prove her point.

"I bet you don't even know what this is. It's the latest diamond ring released by Caldwell Auction House. It cost 700 million, you hear? Frederick bid on it himself.

"He's going to propose to me at his birthday party. I can't wait to see if you'll still pretend like it doesn't bother you when that day comes."

Frederick's birthday happened to be the same day the legal paperwork would be finalized, officially making her and Frederick siblings.

She had already made up her mind to let him go. Whatever ridiculous show he wanted to put on after that wouldn't concern her anymore.

So she gave Yolanda a calm, polite reply. "Congratulations."

To Yolanda, it sounded like mockery. Her face flushed red with fury.

Before she could snap back, her eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, and she noticed a car following behind them. Her anger gave way to smug satisfaction.

"Wanna make a bet? Between you and me, Frederick will always pick me," she said, leaning forward.

Minerva had no interest in any kind of bet, let alone this one. She didn't respond.

But in the next second, Yolanda suddenly lunged forward like a madwoman, grabbing the steering wheel.

The car jerked violently, weaving sharply across the narrow mountain road in a wild zigzag before smashing straight into the hillside.

With a loud bang, Minerva's vision flooded with red.

She felt herself float, light and untethered, as if her body were no longer part of this world.

Her vision blurred and fractured into shadows. The pain soon faded as her consciousness began to slip.

And just before everything went dark, she saw a familiar face.

Frederick had stopped the car beside her and opened the driver's door, his eyes filled with raw despair and heartbreak.

Minerva instinctively called his name, but he froze in place.

After a tense few seconds, he snapped out of it and walked over to the passenger side to carry the unconscious Yolanda away.

He left behind only one sentence. "If you're still conscious, call an ambulance yourself. I'm going to save my girlfriend."

Watching his car disappear down the road, Minerva smiled bitterly, feeling a strange sense of relief mixed with sorrow.

Summoning the last of her strength, she dialed Algernon's number. The moment the call connected, she slipped into endless darkness.

Minerva felt like she had been trapped in a dream for far too long.

In that dream, she returned to the day of her coming-of-age ceremony. A 19-year-old Frederick stood beside her, and under the watchful eyes of everyone present, he fastened his family's heirloom necklace around her neck.

She looked down, hoping to see what the necklace looked like—but there was nothing there, just an empty stretch of skin. When she reached up to touch it, her fingers brushed against something wet and cold, like the trace of a tear.

The startlingly real sensation pulled her scattered consciousness back together, piece by piece.

In the darkness, a voice broke through—shaky and choked with tears. "Minerva, please wake up. Don't scare me like this. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone in the hills…"

That familiar voice guided her toward a glimmer of light.

With great effort, she forced her eyes open. The first thing she saw was Frederick's face, his eyes wide with disbelief and joy.

But within seconds, every trace of emotion vanished from his face. His expression morphed back into that casual indifference he now always wore.

Seeing him switch so suddenly, Minerva almost believed she was still dreaming.

But then he spoke, his words cutting through that illusion. "You're awake? My parents said your injuries were serious and insisted I check on you, but you seem fine to me."

If she hadn't already learned the truth, his dismissive tone might have fooled her again.

She looked at him in silence. "Frederick, I never knew your acting skills were this good," she thought.

But Minerva no longer had the strength or patience to be part of his performance. It didn't matter how long he planned to keep up the farce. Soon enough, they would officially become siblings.

She parted her dry lips, her voice hoarse. "If you've got things to do, go and take care of them."

Frederick froze for a moment, unsettled by something in her voice.

Whenever she got hurt or upset, it used to take him a long time to talk her down.

But now, it was like she had become someone else entirely.

Just as he was about to press further, a text from Yolanda popped up on his phone.

Glancing at the message, he shrugged and forced a lazy smirk. "Yeah, I've got stuff going on. I'll have my mom look after you."

He stood and headed for the door. Just before stepping out, he turned back, his voice carrying something unreadable.

"Oh, by the way—don't forget my birthday's the day after tomorrow. Make sure you come. I'm planning to propose to Yolanda that day."

Thinking of the diamond ring Yolanda had flaunted, Minerva could already picture Frederick on one knee, asking her to marry him.

She managed a faint smile, her voice barely audible. "I'm leaving. I won't get to see the grand finale of the show you directed yourself."

Of course, Frederick didn't hear her. He had already disappeared down the hallway.

The doctors diagnosed her with a mild concussion. After she stayed one more night at the hospital, Algernon and Maxine came to take her home.

Back at the Davison residence, they handed her a paper envelope. Inside was the revised birth certificate showing her name filed under their family, legally making her Frederick's sister.

Maxine's eyes softened as she looked at her. "Minerva, everything's been finalized. You've just been in an accident. Why don't you delay your trip a few days until you're feeling better?"

Minerva stared at the document in her hands, where the line now officially labeled her and Frederick as siblings. She exhaled quietly and shook her head.

"It's better to leave today. My friend has already taken time off to pick me up. I don't want to trouble them again."

Hearing that someone would be there to meet her, Algernon and Maxine looked a little more at ease. They helped her with her luggage and drove her to the airport soon after.

On the way over, the older couple started talking about Frederick again.

"I've no idea where your brother ran off to. We haven't been able to reach him. We were hoping he'd come home for his birthday, and we'd tell him then that you've officially joined the Davison family as his sister."

Seeing how frustrated they were, Minerva quickly tried to calm them.

"He's probably hanging out with friends. It's fine if he doesn't come to see me off. Dad, Mom, can you please hand him the gift I left in my room?"

They nodded and continued fussing over her with heartfelt reminders and last-minute advice. Minerva listened carefully, committing every word to memory.

When the boarding announcement echoed through the departure terminal, she waved them goodbye and walked into the security checkpoint without looking back.

Just before boarding the plane, she tried calling Frederick's number. She wanted to tell him herself that she was now legally part of the Davison family. But the call rang endlessly, and no one picked up.

Just as the line disconnected, a message came through.

It was a photo from Yolanda, taken at a party.

In it, Yolanda was kissing Frederick.

Minerva glanced at it, but not a flicker of emotion stirred within her.

Quietly, she typed out a text and sent it over. "Frederick, from today onward, we are officially siblings. I wish you and your fiancee a lifetime of love and happiness."

As if on cue, the plane began moving down the runway.

Without waiting for a reply, Minerva powered off her phone completely.