Adora suddenly remembered that Eugene had an uncle who was only five years older than him, a child born unexpectedly to his grandparents when they were nearly fifty.

It was said that because he was a late-in-life child, he was spoiled beyond reason.

He grew up with a nasty temper—moody, unpredictable, impossible to please.

Eventually, he was sent abroad to fend for himself.

So, he had returned and become a doctor?

Adora was a little surprised.

Louis Walker stepped forward, towering over Eugene by more than half a head.

His gaze was indifferent as he looked down.

"What do you want?"

Eugene had always been wary of his uncle.

Despite being only five years older, Louis was calculating, sharp-tongued, and had a habit of pulling rank.

Growing up, Eugene was forced to take the blame for countless things, thanks to him.

Seeing Eugene hesitate, Ruby quickly stepped in, flashing a sweet smile. "Mr. Louis, could you do us a favor and check on my sister? That way, she won’t feel like we’re all accusing her unfairly."

Louis’ expression turned amused. "So, you’re afraid of dying, but you assume I’m not?”

Eugene finally mustered up the courage to speak.

"But you’re a doctor—this is your field. And don’t you always carry emergency antiviral meds with you?"

Louis was a renowned surgeon, and due to the nature of his work, he did indeed carry HIV post-exposure prophylaxis with him at all times.

Many surgeons did.

"Mr. Louis, please," Ruby coaxed again, her voice soft and syrupy.

But Louis didn’t even spare her a glance.

Instead, he followed the conversation to its natural conclusion and turned his attention toward the woman standing in the courtyard—Adora.

He vaguely remembered her from the past.

The radiant, untouchable socialite, the pride of the city’s elite.

And now, she had fallen so far.

Sold into human trafficking, gone without a trace for three years, only to return in a state like this.

Silence hung heavy in the air as Louis took a slow, measured step forward, descending the stairs at an unhurried pace.

Adora tensed, her brows furrowing as she watched him with wary eyes.

For some reason, the moment he approached, the suffocating summer heat seemed to dissipate, replaced by an unsettling chill.

It felt as if a storm cloud had rolled in overhead, pressing down on her with an invisible weight.

Weren’t doctors supposed to be compassionate?

This man—cold, detached, and utterly indifferent—seemed far better suited for something else.

A butcher, perhaps.

"Give me your hand."

Louis lifted his hand slightly, his lips parting to issue the command in a voice devoid of warmth.

Adora instinctively pulled her hand back, her brows knitting together.

Ruby’s eyes lit up at her reaction, seizing the opportunity.

"Sis, just let Dr. Walker check you. He’s the youngest medical professor in the country. His reputation is unmatched."

Adora glanced at the man’s outstretched hand.

His skin was pale, his fingers long and well-defined, exuding an air of precision.

At the sight of Adora’s hesitation, Ruby’s smile sweetened, her tone dripping with faux concern, laced with quiet provocation.

"Are you nervous? You don’t have to lie, you know. We’re family. No one here is looking down on you.

“But if you just tell the truth, we can at least take precautions. After all, we wouldn’t want the whole family—"

Before she could finish, Adora lifted her hand and extended it toward Louis.

Without hesitation, he wrapped his fingers around her slender wrist, his cold, impassive face showing no reaction as he examined her arm, checking her joints and skin.

Faint whip marks crisscrossed her forearm, some healed, others fresh, telling a silent story of past torment.

But her skin itself appeared healthy—no open sores, no lesions, no warts.

After finishing with her arm, Louis shifted his gaze to her neck.

"Have you had a fever recently?"

"No."

Louis didn’t respond.

Instead, he reached out with his free hand, fingers grazing her jaw before pressing lightly behind her ear.

He was checking for swollen lymph nodes—one of the key indicators of late-stage HIV.

The courtyard went completely silent.

Everyone stood frozen, watching as Louis conducted his impromptu examination, the tension thick enough to choke on.

Ruby’s grip tightened around Eugene’s hand.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she silently prayed, “Please, let him find something. Let him confirm she has it.”

But then, Louis straightened, turned to face the Matthews family, and spoke in that same indifferent tone.

"She’s fine. She has no illness."

What?

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

Theodore's eyes widened in shock. "How is that possible? When we went to the police station, we saw the report—it said she had a child, that she was infected with HIV…"

Louis’ expression darkened with irritation. "You asked me to check her, but now you don’t believe me? What, am I just here for your entertainment?"

Technically, he and Theodore were of the same generation, so he had no reason to be polite.

Theodore quickly backtracked, shaking his head. "No, no, Dr. Walker, that’s not what I meant."

Ruby, still unwilling to accept the truth, quickly added, "Maybe it just hasn’t shown symptoms yet? Even if she’s only a carrier, it’s still dangerous!"

Louis checked his watch, his tone completely disinterested. "Even if she did have HIV, you wouldn’t catch it from casual contact."

Adora, already irritated by the entire ordeal, snapped, "I don’t have HIV."

Louis turned his gaze on her, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement.

"Why are you yelling at me? I’m not the one doubting you—your family is."

With that, he turned back to Theodore. "Since the engagement’s off, I’ve got things to do. I’m leaving."

Theodore, worried he had somehow offended him, immediately tried to smooth things over. "Dr. Walker, since you’re already here, why not stay for a meal?"

Louis had already reached his Bentley.

Without so much as a backward glance, he got into the driver’s seat and shut the door.

"Not interested in your family’s mess."

Theodore’s smile stiffened, his face twisting with embarrassment.

Still, he forced himself to maintain his polite demeanor. "Take care, Dr. Walker, take care."

Adora had no fond feelings toward the man.

Seeing her father all but groveling to him only reinforced what she already suspected—someone from a family as powerful as the Walkers didn’t need to earn their reputation.

With enough influence, they could make people believe whatever they wanted.

After sending Louis off, Theodore turned back to the house, deciding to dismiss the few remaining guests altogether.

The last thing he needed was more people gossiping about their family drama.

Adora followed her family up the steps, preparing to enter the house only to be stopped again.

"Adora… wait a moment."

Lilian stopped in her tracks and called toward the house. "Mary, go prepare a room."

The housekeeper, Mary Smith, immediately acknowledged the order and hurried off.

Lilian turned back to her eldest daughter, clearly uneasy about letting her step inside just yet.

"Just wait a little, Adora. It’ll be ready soon."

With that, she pulled Ruby into the living room, the two whispering closely as if they were the only ones who mattered.

At this moment, Ruby didn’t seem to be in any stomach pain.

Adora remained at the doorstep, her face devoid of expression, standing like an abandoned child no one wanted.

Eugene stood off to the side, his dark eyes fixed on her, a mix of shock and pain flickering across his handsome face.

But from start to finish, Adora never once spared him a glance.

Before long, Mary returned, offering a polite smile. "Miss Adora, this way."

Adora followed her inside, assuming she was being taken upstairs to her old bedroom.

But instead of leading her up the grand staircase, Mary guided her through the living room, out the back door, and into the courtyard.

They stopped beneath the covered walkway, where she gestured toward a small structure tucked into the corner.

"Miss Adora, Mrs. Matthews said… you’ll have to make do with this for now."

Eugene, who had been trailing behind, froze.

His expression darkened as he turned sharply toward his mother-in-law.

"Madam Lilian, what is the meaning of this?"

Lilian pursed her lips, rising from the couch and walking over with an air of disinterest.

The barely concealed look of disgust on her face made it clear how she truly felt.

"Eugene, this has nothing to do with you."

The room they arranged for Adora wasn’t a room at all.

It was a doghouse.

A custom-built pet villa, crafted for the Matthews family's beloved dog.

It was about waist-high, with just over a hundred square feet of space—more luxurious than what most people lived in.

A classic case of a pet being treated better than a person.

Adora stared blankly at the structure before her.

Then, as if needing confirmation that she wasn’t imagining things, she turned back to her own mother.

"You’re telling me… to live with the dog?"

The words came out tight, caught between a bitter laugh and sheer disbelief.

Lilian shot a brief glance at her eldest daughter, keeping her distance as she spoke in a clipped, indifferent tone.

"Adora… it’s just you. That should be more than enough space."

Adora remained silent.

Not in her worst nightmares had she imagined this—spending three years locked in a pigsty, only to come home and be placed in a doghouse.

It was as if she had escaped one hellhole, only to be thrown into another.

And this time, there was no escape because this place was supposed to be her home.

"Madam Lilian, this is too much!" Eugene finally spoke up, his voice carrying a rare edge of anger.

"Adora is your daughter. How can you treat her like this?"

Ruby immediately tightened her grip on Eugene’s arm, her brows furrowing as she looked up at him.

"Eugene, why are you so concerned about my sister? Do you still love her?"

"I…" Eugene hesitated, turning his gaze toward Adora.

Her face was pale, her expression carefully controlled, but he could see the pain she was trying so hard to suppress.

They grew up together and were childhood sweethearts.

Their love was once effortless, sweet, and unshakable until the night she vanished.

Even now, deep down, he knew that he had never stopped loving her.

But the woman standing before him was no longer the dazzling socialite, the brightest star in the city.

She was no longer the brilliant girl who had once been the envy of their entire university.

She had been tainted—defiled by countless filthy old men, forced to bear a child for a fool.

And worst of all, she carried an incurable, contagious disease.

A heaviness pressed against his chest, suffocating him.

In the end, he forced himself to say, "No… I just think she’s pitiful."

"She is," Ruby agreed, nodding, her face painted with just the right amount of sympathy.

"Adora’s been through so much… but we can’t let pity cloud our judgment. We still have to think about the family’s health.

“It’s already generous enough that we’re letting her stay."

She spoke of "letting her stay" as if Adora were nothing more than a burden they had taken in out of pity.

Ruby had conveniently forgotten that she was the adopted one.

Eugene opened his mouth, but the words never came.

It was clear now that none of them truly heard a word Louis said.

In their minds, Adora was already infected.

Lilian’s voice softened slightly, as if coaxing a child. "Adora, you can use the downstairs bathroom for washing up.

“For now, just stay in the pet villa. In a few weeks… we’ll have a small house built for you in the backyard."

The downstairs bathroom was for guests and servants.

The official members of the Matthews family all lived upstairs.

Even so, Lilian still found it repulsive.

But there was nothing she could do.

Adora stood stiffly in place, every word her mother spoke slicing into her like a blade, carving deeper wounds into an already shattered heart.

Just moments ago, she still held onto a sliver of hope, telling herself that maybe her family was just overwhelmed, unsure how to react to her sudden return.

But now, she understood that they had considered her dead three years ago.

And in her place, Ruby stepped in seamlessly, filling the void, becoming the Matthews family’s beloved heiress.

Ruby’s act of replacing her was a complete success.

In three years, she erased Adora’s existence entirely, claiming her title, her position, and her family as her own.

The realization burned like acid, but Adora didn’t cry.

She simply took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay composed before walking over to the couch and sitting down.

"If anyone wants to stay in the doghouse, be my guest. I’ll sleep here in the living room."

"You—"

Lilian turned to her, momentarily speechless.

She stumbled over her words before finally sputtering, "Sleeping in the living room? What kind of behavior is that? Are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for us?"

Adora had no energy to argue.

Her heart ached so much that even speaking felt like it drained the last bit of strength from her.

So, she simply turned over, lay down on the couch, and closed her eyes right there, in front of everyone.

The entire room fell into stunned silence.

The Matthews family members exchanged looks of disbelief, unsure how to react.

Only Ruby, standing off to the side, let a small, cunning smile slip into her expression.

She wanted Adora to stir up trouble.

The more she acted out, the more their parents would resent her.

Eventually, they’d kick her out for good.

And just like that, Adora spent the rest of the day lying there in the middle of the living room, as if the entire family didn’t exist.

The lingering scent of the pigsty still clung to her, and after hours of her presence, the stench had seeped into the air, filling the entire space.

By evening, Lilian finally caved.

Lilian tossed a set of clean clothes onto the couch with visible impatience.

"Go take a shower. There’s a spare maid’s room. You can stay there for now."

Adora didn’t open her eyes.

But she was awake for a while, lying still as she strategized on how to shamelessly stay in this house.

She needed to find ways to expose Ruby’s lies and exact her revenge, to put those traffickers behind bars, finish the education that had been taken from her, and most importantly, she had to figure out her next move.

One thing was clear: she couldn’t stay in this house forever.

She wasn’t delusional—her so-called family was dead to her.

When Lilian didn’t get a response, her patience wore thin.

She called out again, voice sharper this time.

"Adora, did you hear me?"

Finally, Adora opened her eyes.

There was no warmth and emotion, only an eerie coldness that sent an inexplicable shiver down Lilian’s spine.

Adora sat up and glanced at the clothes beside her. "These aren’t mine."

"They’re Ruby’s," Lilian admitted, hesitating for a moment before adding, "Your clothes… were all thrown out when we renovated the house."

Adora’s brow arched. "Renovated?"

"You weren’t here, and the room was just sitting empty. So, we connected it to Ruby’s room and turned it into a walk-in closet."

Lilian’s explanation lacked confidence, as if she knew how absurd it sounded.

Adora let out a quiet, humorless laugh.

How fitting.

Not only had Ruby taken her place in the family, but she even took her room.

"You really did treat me like I was dead," she said, her voice eerily calm.

Lilian stiffened.

Adora chuckled coldly. "But even if I had died, I was still your daughter. And yet, you didn’t leave behind a single thing, not even a memory."

Knowing she was in the wrong, Lilian quickly added, "Of course, we kept your valuables as a way to remember you."

Adora lifted her gaze, her voice calm but firm. "Give them to me."

Lilian bristled at her eldest daughter’s commanding tone, but she wasn’t in the mood to argue, especially not while standing in the middle of a room tainted with that unbearable stench.

Without another word, she turned and headed upstairs.

The so-called valuables were Adora’s jewelry—gifts she received every year for her birthdays, carefully selected by her family.

But now, they all belonged to Ruby.

Lilian stepped into her younger daughter’s room, unlocked the safe, and pulled everything out.

Ruby’s eyes widened, her expression shifting instantly to one of reluctance.

"Mom…" she whispered, unwilling to part with them.

"Sweetheart, just give them back to her," Lilian soothed, her voice dripping with indulgence.

"Let her have them, so she doesn’t make a scene. We’ll buy you more—better ones. Tomorrow, we’ll go shopping."

At that, Ruby’s entire demeanor changed.

She immediately softened, nodding obediently.

"Mom, these belonged to my sister in the first place. Since she’s back now, it’s only right that she gets them back. Come on, I’ll go with you to return them."

Lilian beamed with pride.

"You really are so considerate. Your sister… she’s like a completely different person now, every word she says is like a dagger straight to my chest."

"Mom, don’t be upset," Ruby consoled her gently.

"She’s probably suffered too much and isn’t in the right state of mind. We just need to be patient and show her kindness."

"Thank goodness I still have you," Lilian murmured, patting Ruby’s hand affectionately.

Together, they carried down the jewelry cases—over a dozen sets of expensive pieces.

"Adora," Ruby called sweetly as they reached the bottom of the stairs, flashing an angelic smile.

"While you were gone these past three years, I kept these safe for you. Now, they’re all yours again."

Her words sounded generous, but her tone was laced with smug and taunts as if saying, “See? While you were gone, I had everything that once belonged to you.

Adora glanced at the jewelry, already calculating how much she could sell them for.

Then, she turned to Ruby with a smile.

"Thank you, sister. You must not feel great to cough up something you’ve already swallowed, huh?

“But you don’t have to feel too bad. You’re the real Matthews heiress now. Jewelry isn’t something you’ll ever be short on. Mom and Dad will just buy you more."

Lilian visibly stiffened, quickly averting her gaze.

On the other hand, Ruby acted as if she hadn’t caught the underlying sting in Adora’s words.

Smiling sweetly, she asked, "Which set do you like? I’ll help you put it on."

Adora studied her carefully, then tilted her chin toward her.

"I like the one around your neck. What should we do about that?"