I was the real daughter of the wealthy family. However, when they brought me back, my father drugged me and threw me at a sixty-year-old man.

Then he turned around and comforted the weeping fake daughter, saying, “I told you, we only brought her back for the marriage alliance. You’re the only one we truly love.”

As they planned, I was indeed taken advantage of—only, I ended up in the wrong man’s bed.

Now the most feared figure in the capital has just sent me a message.

[Hey! I’m a virgin. You have to take responsibility.]

——

The day the Perkins family brought me home, Sariyah cried like her own mother had died.

Dressed in a white dress, she sobbed in my mother's arms like a tragic heroine, clutching the paternity test results as if it were her lifeline. Her voice was hoarse from crying.

“It’s really okay... she’s the real daughter... I just can’t bear to leave this family...”

My mother gently patted her shoulder, her voice soft and doting.

“Don’t cry, sweetheart. You’ll always be our Perkins family’s daughter.”

My father frowned, impatience lacing his tone.

“Enough crying. Today’s about recognizing our real daughter. Don’t embarrass us in front of outsiders.”

And I stood across from them, like an outsider who had stumbled into someone else's play.

Everyone in the house avoided looking at me.

...

“The Larson family has invested heavily in Perkins Corp recently.”

“They’ve proposed a marriage alliance.”

“Sariyah’s too stubborn. She absolutely refused. So...”

I sat alone at the end of the hallway staircase, separated by a door, listening to my father’s cold, emotionless voice.

“She’s a daughter of the Perkins family too. She should be willing to make some sacrifices.”

My fingers whitened as I clenched the water glass in my hand.

Three days later, the family recognition banquet went ahead as scheduled.

A five-star hotel, packed with elites and celebrities. The Perkins family was dressed to impress, glowing with status and grace—and I was the awkward contrast, wearing the gown my mother picked out, completely out of place.

Suddenly, Sariyah appeared beside me and took my arm.

She smiled sweetly, and cooed, “Sis, don’t be nervous. Why don't you have a drink and relax?”

I gave her a wary glance, but she had already handed me a glass of champagne.

I hesitated—but in the end, I accepted it.

She clinked her glass lightly against mine and smiled. “From now on, we’re family.”

I only took a single sip, but a burning sensation erupted in my stomach, like fire had been poured into it. My vision blurred instantly.

Grabbing the nearby sofa, I felt the whole room spinning around me.

Sariyah leaned in, her voice suddenly changing.

“Sis, you better behave tonight. The Larson family isn’t to be messed with.”

A deafening buzz exploded in my mind.

Before I could react, two men in black suits rushed in and grabbed me by the arms.

I tried to scream, but my tongue had gone numb. My vision was a haze of shadows and light.

She leaned in again, whispering coldly into my ear.

“Don’t worry, Sis. I’ve arranged a car to take you somewhere to rest. Tonight, just do as you're told, or Mr. Larson won’t be pleased.”

A jolt ran through my body as blood rushed from my head to my toes.

Mr. Larson?

She was sending me to the Larson family?

Panic surged. I tried to pull away, but my heel slipped.

Two men in suits approached from behind and respectfully supported me.

“Miss Perkins, the car is waiting downstairs. Mr. Perkins asked us to escort you.”

I wanted to fight back—but no sound came out of my mouth.

When I came to, I was on a hotel bed.

The harsh lights made it hard to open my eyes. My stomach churned violently.

My dress was in disarray. My hair clung to my damp forehead.

I lay there like discarded dough—on a bed that didn’t belong to me, in a room I’d never seen before.

Voices echoed faintly nearby.

“Has Mr. Larson arrived yet?”

“He’s stuck in traffic. Just have her wait here.”

“Miss Perkins doesn’t look quite right. Should we give her more water?”

Then, they left the room.

The room was empty now—just me, alone.

I tried to prop myself up, but my limbs gave out, and I crashed hard onto the floor.

The damp carpet reeked of something sour and nauseating. Gasping for breath, I clawed my way toward the door.

Just as my fingertips brushed the doorknob—the door was kicked open with a deafening crash.

Startled, I whipped my head around and instinctively curled up to protect myself.

A man stood in the doorway—someone I didn’t recognize. His face was sharp and fierce, his suit jacket hanging loosely from one shoulder, and his expression was thunderous.

“...What the hell?”

He looked down and saw me sprawled on the floor. His gaze immediately darkened to something terrifying.

“Who the hell are you?”

I bit down hard on my lip, my body shaking.

“You... Are you from the Larson family?”

“Larson, my ass.”

He stormed in, towering over me with clenched fists and a voice like ice.

“This is my room.”

He stepped closer. His eyes were bloodshot, filled with a wild intensity I couldn’t decipher.

—

When I woke again, pain tore through my body as if I’d been taken apart and put back together wrong.

The air reeked of something intimate—an unfamiliar men’s cologne, the over-soft mattress pressing against my skin.

I tried to move, but my legs buckled beneath me.

My head was spinning. My waist was aching. My body still clung to the scent of a man I didn’t know.

Pushing myself up, I looked down—and froze.

I was completely naked.

No... No. This couldn’t be happening.

Did I really end up being sent off to the Larson family?

How could this happen?

I grabbed the blanket beside me and wrapped it tightly around myself. My heart pounded wildly. Tears welled until in my eyes, blurring my vision.

There was a burning, unfamiliar pain deep inside me—as if this nightmare had torn me apart from the inside out.

And I didn’t even know who that man was.

There had definitely been something in that drink.

I only had a sip. I just wanted to seem obedient so they wouldn’t target me anymore.

Why did it end like this?

I was breaking down against the headboard, barely able to breathe through my sobs, when suddenly the door slammed open again.

I flinched, instinctively pulling the blanket tighter.

It was the same man from last night—the one who stormed in.

His shirt was still half-open, hair tousled, and his eyes were like blades.

He stood at the threshold, his face cold as ice, and his gaze locked on me like he was trying to piece something together.

My heart dropped, and I shrank back without thinking.

His eyes scanned the room and saw the discarded dress, the empty champagne glass, the way I looked like a terrified wreck.

He paused for a second. Then his voice cut through the air, cold and sharp. “Who are you?”

My throat was aching, but I tried to speak without trembling. “I... I’m from the Perkins family...”

His gaze turned even darker.

“They sent you here?”

I didn’t dare nod. But I didn’t deny it either.

He let out a short, bitter laugh. His eyes flickered with impatience, yet beneath it, I could see him struggling to rein in his anger.

“Last night, you mentioned the Larson family? Are you the bride they sent for the alliance?”

My voice felt like sandpaper in my throat. “I... I don’t know. I only know its a marriage alliance.”

His eyes shifted. The fury faded a little—replaced by something deeper, heavier.

“Did you realize they drugged you last night?”

I shook my head.

He stared at me for a few moments, then suddenly let out a dark, sarcastic laugh. A shadowed smirk curled on his lips as he said, “You didn’t do it willingly, did you?”

I nodded instinctively, tears still clinging to my lashes.

He stepped forward, looming over me.

“Then you’re screwed.”

A chill ran through me.

“What... what do you mean?”

He clenched his jaw, speaking slowly through gritted teeth, “You slept with me.

My mind went completely blank.

What?!

“I-I don’t understand... I didn’t.. I didn’t know…”

He suddenly leaned down close to me, voice hoarse and low.

“I was drugged too. They sent the wrong person to the wrong room—not me.”

My head buzzed with static.

I stared at him, struggling to believe it. “Who... who are you, really?”

He let out a cold scoff. “Then listen carefully—I'm Shawn Perez.”

—

I didn't even remember how I ended up in the car.

The Perkins family’s bodyguards cornered me behind the hotel. I didn’t even get the chance to struggle before they shoved me inside.

I clenched my teeth the entire way, silent.

The Perkins family never cared for my opinion in anything they did.

By the time the car pulled up to the old estate, dawn was already breaking.

A line of house staff stood in the courtyard, heads bowed like they were waiting for judgment.

The moment I stepped inside, a furious voice exploded from the living room.

“What the hell is the Perkins family playing at?! Where’s the girl? Last night you promised—so where the hell is she? Are you trying to make a fool out of me?!”

A bloated man with greasy hair sat sprawled across the sofa, yelling between puffs of a thick cigar.

His ill-fitting suit was stretched tightly over his belly, which jiggled with each angry shout.

“Think you can trick me? I’d like to see if the Perkins family really wants to lose this investment!”

I hadn’t even gotten a good look at his face when his eyes locked onto mine.

Instantly, his expression turned sleazy and disgusting, like a man picking through spoiled meat.

He took a few steps toward me, then suddenly froze. His face twisted like he’d just stepped in something foul.

“What the hell is this?”

He glared at my father, his tone poisonous.

His smoke curled in the air as he jabbed a finger at him.

“My family’s offering you a billion dollars to invest in your company, and you try to fob me off with this trash?!”

Then his eyes snapped back to me, sweeping over me from head to toe that made my skin crawl.

Contempt and mockery seeped into his expression.

“She’s not even a virgin? You dare send me damaged goods?!”

I was still wearing Shawn's oversized coat, my hair disheveled, my face drained of color.

Roland Larson let out a disdainful click of his tongue, his sneer filled with loathing.

He turned to my father, voice now edged with threat. “That investment? It’s going to be half now—at best.”

“You really think I’d take in some used-up slut like this?”

My father’s face went paper white, but he still forced a groveling smile.

“Yes, yes, of course, President Larson is right. She’s young and ignorant... she didn’t know any better...”

“What she knows or doesn’t know has nothing to do with me,” Roland snapped, waving him off like swatting a fly.

Then, with open disdain, he kicked me.

My father glared at me, his expression blazing with anger.

“Why are you just standing there?! Kneel down and apologize to President Larson!”

I gritted my teeth and didn't move.

He glanced at the bodyguards—and the next moment, a hard slap cracked across my face, splitting the corner of my mouth open.

The sharp taste of blood flooded my mouth and nose.

I was shoved to my knees, my legs scraping the icy marble floor. Hands held my shoulders down, forcing me to stay there.

Suddenly, Roland snorted.

“Forget it. It’s not like it’s her first time. She's just a tool for marriage anyway—I'm not expecting her to be pure.”

“Trash like this is worth five hundred million.”

And before he left, he reached out and patted me on the head—like I was some untrained mutt.

I stared after his retreating figure, my fingernails digging into my palms so hard it hurt.

The moment he was gone, the Perkins family dropped their masks.

My biological mother, Daisy, stormed over, rage twisting her features, and lashed into me like a whip.

“Disgraceful! You’re nothing but a curse to this family!”

“You’ve only been back a few days, and you’ve already stirred up this kind of mess! Do you think the Perkins family exists just for you to humiliate?!”