The car pulled into Walton Manor, which sprawled over a thousand acres. The moment I stepped out, I knew my future was about to shine like gold.

Sarahe, the fake heiress, was dragging her suitcase, clearly intending to leave.

Grace held her tightly. "Sarah, you can't go. How would I survive if you left?"

Raymond grabbed her arm. "Sarah, you're the one we nurtured from the start. No one will ever replace you."

Sarah frowned and gently pushed him aside. "Who says I'm leaving? I have a project that takes me out of town. It's no big deal to have one extra person at home. I'm not going to kick her out."

The comments popped up in front of me again.

"Nothing could be more humiliating. In her last life, Yara made a scene and was placed under house arrest for a week."

"With Lexie's intelligence, I guarantee she'll be thrown out in five minutes."

Raymond's patience was running thin as I said nothing. "Sarah is the heiress we raised. Nothing or no one will ever change that. If you're unhappy—"

I quickly looped my arm through hers and nodded obediently. "Sarah has always been part of the Walton family. We were twins. I was just sent to the countryside to recover from poor health and was only recently brought back."

At once, Raymond's and Grace's expressions softened with tenderness, and before leaving, they slipped me two black cards. My heart soared.

Sarah led me into a room. The entire room was pink. The bed and tables were covered with teddy bears. The closet was stuffed with cute dresses straight out of a fashion catalog, and the vanity was loaded with jewelry that obviously cost a small fortune.

Sarah crossed her arms and leaned against the door. "My room is twice as big as yours. These pieces of jewelry are the ones I don't want, and these clothes aren't even the latest runway designs."

The comments popped up in front of me again.

"Last life, Yara completely lost it and wrecked the room. Raymond and Grace were so disappointed."

"Sarah wasn't trying to be cruel. She's just cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Everything was arranged perfectly—she just didn't tell Lexie."

"Honestly, if it weren't for Sarah, Yara would have been left outside the family for 20 years."

I covered my mouth and sobbed.

Sarah froze in panic. "It's no use crying. Mom and Dad love me more. If you really don't like it, I can have the room redecorated, but it cannot be bigger than mine."

I hugged her tightly, pressing my face against her neck. "Sarah, you're too kind to me. I've never lived in such a beautiful house. I love everything here."

Sarah shoved me away, clearly annoyed, though her ears turned a little pink. She cleared her throat and proudly said, "Since you like this junk jewelry, my room has plenty more. Think of it as me clearing out the extras. You can have it all if you want."

The butler brought in a whole crate of emeralds and diamonds. My eyes went wide.

That night, I lay on a king-size bed, surrounded by jewelry and beautiful dresses, snacking on cherries flown in from Caraska.

As I savored them, Yara's call came through. "Prepare one million dollars. Meet me at the cafe tomorrow afternoon."

Yara walked into the cafe with her boyfriend, Joseph. Without a word of courtesy, she snatched my card and sneered. "You didn't sleep a wink last night, did you? Your parents favor Sarah, and Sarah's crazy. Life at that house must have been miserable for you."

I glanced in the mirror and realized she was right—my dark circles were terrifying.

Comments scrolled across my vision.

"Lexie wasn't scared in the slightest. She spent the entire night trying on every dress and splurged three million dollars online."

"She's far too petty. The Waltons would definitely look down on her. Yara never spent any of it last time."

Fearing I might change my mind, Yara hurried to say, "It's too late to regret now. The Walton family is a place that takes everything and gives nothing. My future husband and I are off to follow our own hearts."

I frowned at Joseph. The stench of sweat clung to him, his skin was tanned, and he was hunched over a mountain of desserts, shoveling them into his mouth.

Back when Yara first got together with him, I had been strongly against it, but everyone assumed I was trying to meddle, so I let it go.

Comments appeared again.

"Perfect! With that one million dollars, Joseph can launch his business sooner. He'll show the Walton family who's really in charge, rise to the top as a tycoon, and finally be with Yara."

I smiled. There was no way I would let some broke man destroy the happiness I had fought so hard to build. For the next five years, I made sure someone was always watching their every move.

Their business got off to a good start, and they made some profits. However, Yara, who had grown up in luxury, demanded the absolute best in everything.

Joseph grumbled endlessly, and the two argued constantly. He had always been a gambler and had kept it in check for Yara, but after a few wins, he fell back into old habits. Within three years, the one million dollars was completely spent.

Over those five years, Yara had tried to reach me, but as long as I refused, her status meant she could never get through. I had learned Raymond's and Grace's likes and dislikes perfectly, and even Sarah was completely at my mercy.

Soon, I entered Walton Group and became the company's second-in-command.

One day, the orphanage called, requesting my presence at the director's funeral. I agreed, only to find that nobody I knew had come.

Then, a familiar voice suddenly cut through my thoughts.

"Lexie, it hasn't been easy to meet you. How long do you plan on keeping my identity?"

I looked at her and barely recognized her. Yara's face was pale, and her once-perfect features were drained of life. She charged at me like a lunatic, clutching my neck and screaming, "Have you been meddling all these years? Is that why I never saw anyone from the Walton family?"

She held on even tighter. "It shouldn't be this way! How can you be safe in the Walton residence? Why didn't they throw you out and humiliate you?"

I battered her hands with all my strength, but it didn't work.

Joseph slapped her. "You crazy bitch, now is not the time to lose it!"

I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. The comments that had been silent suddenly exploded across the screen.

"She's completely lost her personality. I want the poised, aloof Yara and the devoted, rough Joseph back."

"Poor Lexie. Yara was the one who insisted on swapping identities back then, and now she refuses and is forcing her to switch back."

I calmly slipped my hand into my pocket and touched the dagger I carried at all times.

Yara sneered. "Lexie, you're still so foolish. The director's funeral was fake. If we hadn't deceived you, how could we swap identities?"

I answered calmly, "Why do you think the Waltons would recognize you after all these years?"

"You're fake, Sarah's fake, and I'm the only true blood of the Walton family. No one abandons their own child!"

She turned sharply to Joseph. "Tie her up. After she dies, I'll take my place as the Walton heiress."

Joseph boxed me in, but I took the opening and slashed his palm with my dagger. He jerked back in pain, and I bolted for the exit.

I didn't get far before several burly men blocked the exit. Yara yanked my hair and lashed out at my face. "You think you can escape? I'll end you!"

Comments poured in.

"She's terrifying. She wouldn't actually kill her, would she?"

"She's staging a fire. When the Walton family discovers Lexie's body, she'll cry about a stolen identity and walk back into the family's arms."

Joseph swung a wooden stick at me in desperation. I covered my head, doing what I could to protect myself, yet they still overpowered me and tied me up.

Yara poured a bucket of oil over me and viciously said, "Lexie, die!"

I watched the lighter inch closer and closed my eyes in despair. Suddenly, a crowd appeared at the doorway, and Sarah elegantly stepped down from a car.

"Lexie Walton, you're hopeless. I thought you could handle this."

While Yara was still stunned, I used the last of my strength to slam into her and stagger her back, then ran toward Sarah as fast as I could.

Yara chased after me with bloodshot eyes, but security rushed in and stopped her.

Sarah glanced at me with clear distaste, then took off her coat and draped it over my shoulders. "I'm not helping you," she said flatly. "I just can't stand seeing my people bullied by others."

Yara struggled against the guards and screamed, "Sarah, you impostor! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have ended up like this. That life of wealth should have been mine. Walton Group should be mine, too!"

Sarah showed her no mercy and slapped her across the face. "With your intelligence? Even if Mom and Dad had another child, they still wouldn't raise you."

Yara cursed wildly. "Just you wait. When Mom and Dad learn the truth, they'll throw you all out. I'm the real daughter of the Walton family."

In the car, Sarah rested with her eyes closed. I studied her carefully. During my first month with the Walton family, I had already understood why Grace and Raymond favored her.

She was bold, meticulous, and ambitious. It was less that she depended on the Walton family and more that the Waltons depended on her.

She suddenly opened her eyes and looked at me calmly. "On the day you came home, I had someone investigate you. I don't care whether it's true or not. As long as you're not a bad person, that's enough. Lexie, you're smart."

After a brief pause, she continued, "In one week, the Walton family will hold a recognition party for you. As long as nothing goes wrong, the Walton family's second daughter will be you. I've had Yara locked up. She'll be there for at least half a month."

I let out a quiet breath of relief. When I learned that Yara had secretly approached Grace and Raymond, I had already prepared to run. Now that an opportunity remained, staying was no longer out of the question.

…

A week later, I appeared at Walton Manor, dressed in an elegant white gown.

Jealous gazes followed me from every angle as I patiently waited at the side for the ceremony to commence.

Lennox Graver looked me up and down before stepping closer with a mocking smile. "So you finally made it. The Walton family has acknowledged you at last. You must've done plenty of shady things behind the scenes, right?"

Lennox was notorious in our social circle for his reckless lifestyle. His girlfriends never lasted more than a week. When I first returned to the Walton family, he had bet with his friends that he could win me over within a month.

I turned him down every time. Eventually, he was embarrassed in front of his friends and openly marked me as his rival. I had no plans to entertain him.

He leaned close to my ear. "You play the fake pretty convincingly. I wonder if you'll still be this calm when the truth comes out."

At that moment, the floating comments began to scroll again.

"Here comes the devoted Lennox. Lexie's plot armor is insane. She just has to cry once on the street, and Lennox falls in love."

"Thanks to Yara's plan, Lennox thinks Lexie used any means to snatch her identity. Yara has been lying low among the staff, waiting for the Walton family to announce the truth so she can make her move."

"Honestly, Lexie is the only normal one here. Dear author, please own up to this mess."

Before I could react, the Walton family members on stage were already calling my name. With no choice, I stiffened and walked up.

Lennox watched with eager anticipation, and the sight made my scalp tingle. Then, in the crowd, I instantly spotted Yara in plain clothes.

Just as Raymond was about to introduce me, Yara suddenly stepped forward.

With a face that closely resembled Grace, she cried loudly, "Mom, Dad, you've all been deceived! I'm your real daughter."