I came home early, hoping to surprise my little sister.

But when I arrived, she was nowhere to be found.

Then, by sheer chance, I spotted a scrap of her clothing poking through the bars of the locked dog cage near the front gate. Alarmed, I rushed over, opened the cage—and froze.

There she was, curled up inside a cramped wooden kennel, no bigger than a square meter. Her tiny frame looked pitiful, huddled like a stray.

I knelt down, trying to keep my voice light. "Why are you sleeping in here, silly? Come out—big sis brought your favorite milk cake!"

But she recoiled, shaking her head desperately. "No, no... milk cake is for the master. Puppies like me don’t deserve it. I can only eat dog food..."

Before I could respond, a mocking voice rang out behind me.

"Cathy said studying was too hard and being a dog seemed easier," my stepmother said lazily. "She insisted on living in the kennel."

I turned. Her pregnant belly was huge—at least eight months along—and around her neck hung the family’s seal, the symbol of our lineage’s authority. One that should have remained between me and my sister.

Noticing my gaze fixed on the seal, she smirked and patted her stomach proudly. "The doctor confirmed it’s a boy. So naturally, Cathy’s seal now belongs to me—and soon, yours will too."

I smiled faintly, biting back my rage. Clearly, she didn’t know the truth: my father was merely a live-in son-in-law, and he’d been infertile since the year my sister was born.

——

And now, the second daughter of the Downing Family—a girl born to be cherished—was chained up like an animal in the yard.

My heart twisted at the sight of the iron collar around her neck.

No wonder she never contacted me during the three years I was abroad. Every time I asked our father, he brushed it off, saying she was busy with school.

The room that once belonged to her had been taken over, the villa refurnished completely. Nothing remained of what it had looked like when our mother was alive.

I helped my sister out of the cage, brushing off the dust clinging to her frail body. She was wearing the dress I had gifted her three years ago—it was now threadbare, barely covering her properly.

I quickly wrapped my coat around her.

"Olivia," I said, cold fury in my voice, "how dare you speak this way to the second daughter of the Downing Family? Tired of living, are you?"

"How dare you speak to your mother like that!" a man bellowed.

Our father—Edmund Reeves—had appeared with a group of strangers, all glaring at me with hostile eyes.

"My mother died long ago," I said flatly. "And she means nothing to me."

"Alice!" my father barked. "Olivia is my wife—your mother—and the rightful mistress of this home! Apologize to her at once, or I’ll disown you!"

I turned on him with a sneer. "A country maid who climbed into your bed is now worthy of being called my mother? And you, Edmund, have you forgotten whose name this household bears?"

My mother was the 75th High Matriarch of the Order of the Azure Serpent—grandmaster of both the arcane and the divine, bearer of the Serpent’s Sigil, and supreme leader of over 8,000 covens across Europe and North America. A woman of unparalleled power and legacy... and yet, she fell for a man like Edmund.

For love, she defied her family, risked her life, and finally convinced my grandfather to allow the marriage.

My sister and I both called my grandfather ‘Grandpa,’ just like she did.

Before her death, my mother split the Sigil of the Serpent in two—entrusting one half to me, and the other to Cathy—warning us only to use it when absolutely necessary.

After she passed, Father claimed my sister needed care, so he brought in his old flame from his hometown.

"I agreed to let Olivia enter this house as a nanny," I said sharply, "not as the mistress of the Downing Family."

Before I could say more, Edmund slapped me hard across the face.

"This is my house now! If you don't like it, then leave!"

I touched my burning cheek, my voice steady and cold. "Don't forget—you're living in the villa my mother purchased before she married you. This is Downing Family property. If anyone needs to leave, it should be you and your mistress."

"You really have some nerve!" Edmund raised his hand again to strike me.

Olivia hurried to stop him, putting on a show of restraint. "Enough, the child’s still young and ignorant. There's no need to lower ourselves."

She turned to me with a falsely gentle tone. "Alice, it’s not that I’ve been harsh with your sister. She’s simply unwilling to study. She said she preferred the freedom of being a dog."

"I never wanted her to stay in the kennel," she added with a sigh. "But every time we refused, she’d starve herself for days. In the end, we had no choice but to give in."

"If you don’t believe me, ask your father. Or better yet, let Cathy explain it to you herself."

Edmund gave a cold snort. "It’s Cathy who’s the problem. She won’t study, skips school, and would rather bark like a dog. A child like that isn’t worthy of being called my daughter!"

I felt a tug on my sleeve. My sister’s voice was hoarse and trembling. "Sister... I don’t like school. I like being a puppy. I like living in the doghouse."

Then she dropped to all fours. "Woof... woof... I’m a puppy!"

"You’re not a dog, Cathy. You’re a person!" I snapped, my heart breaking.

I looked around the yard. No familiar faces—no housekeeper, no old nanny, no bodyguard. Everyone had been replaced. And they all stared at me with wary, almost predatory eyes.

"I don’t care what happened before," I said, voice steady with fury. "Now that I’m back, my sister—Alice—will no longer be treated like an animal!"

Olivia chuckled and played the innocent. "Then, Alice, you take responsibility for her from now on. We clearly can't manage her."

As she spoke, she picked up a ball at her feet and tossed it across the yard.

Without hesitation, my sister dropped to all fours again and chased after it. She bit the ball with her teeth, ran back, and dropped it into Olivia’s open palm.

Olivia threw it again. Cathy eagerly prepared to run after it.

I rushed over and pulled her up. "Cathy! You are human. You stand on two legs. You use your hands, not your mouth!"

"Please," I said gently, "promise me you won’t pretend to be a puppy anymore, okay?"

But she only shook her head again and again. "No, I like it... I’m a puppy, I want to be a puppy..."

Olivia burst into laughter and dangled the ball again. "Want to play some more?"

My sister’s eyes lit up. She stuck out her tongue, panting happily. "Yes! Yes!"

"Enough!" I snapped, spinning toward Edmund. "My mother begged you to protect her before she died. Is this how you honor her wish?"

He shrugged without emotion. "She brought this on herself. I can’t help it if she turned out useless."

"Give me the key. I’m removing that chain from her neck!"

Silence. Not one servant moved.

I turned to them, eyes blazing. "Are you all deaf?! I said, get the key!"

Only after Olivia gave a nod did someone finally spring into action.

That’s when I realized—I had no authority in this house.

Once the chain was removed, Cathy panicked. She shrank back, scrambling toward the kennel.

"I don’t want to live in a house! I’m a puppy—I live in the doghouse!"

I grabbed her tightly and whispered, "It’s okay, Cathy. Don’t be afraid. I’m taking you to a doctor right now."

There was no time to gather our things. I rushed her straight to the hospital.

After the examination, the doctor’s expression turned grim.

Not only was her psychological state deeply damaged, but her body had been ravaged. Scars covered her chest and back—just hidden by clothing. There were signs of repeated whippings, burns, and blunt trauma. Several of her ribs had been fractured, and her skull had sustained damage as well.

As I listened to the doctor's report, tears spilled uncontrollably down my cheeks.

How could anyone do this to a child?

I pulled my sister into my arms, holding her tightly.

"Don’t be afraid, Cathy. From now on, I’ll protect you. No one will ever hurt you again."

I brought my sister back to the villa, only to be greeted by Olivia waddling out with her pregnant belly leading the way.

"Alice," she said with fake warmth, "do you have the Sigil of the Serpent Seal with you?"

Inside the living room, I saw my luggage already opened, its contents rifled through like someone was looting.

"Who gave you permission to touch my things?" I snapped.

Olivia pretended not to notice my anger. "Alice, hand over your half of the seal to your mother. You know she's carrying your baby brother, and in the future, he will be the one to inherit the family's legacy."

I couldn’t help but laugh, cold and sharp. "The Sigil of the Serpent reveres bloodline. Only direct descendants of the Downing Family can carry on its power. And you think the bastard in your belly qualifies? You’re delusional."

Edmund’s face turned an ugly shade of green. "Watch your mouth! That’s your brother, not a bastard!"

I looked directly at Olivia. "Does she believe that?"

Olivia quickly leaned into Edmund’s arms, eyes brimming with false tears. "Your father is the only man I’ve ever loved. How could you accuse me of something so vile?"

"Apologize to your mother!" Edmund barked.

But I ignored him and took my sister upstairs.

Behind me, Edmund continued his rant. "Your mother even had your room cleaned and stocked with your favorite fruit. How can you be so ungrateful?"

I slammed the door behind us and locked him out. He tried to shout orders, wanting to throw me out, but Olivia made a show of calming him down, pretending to be the bigger person. It wasn’t until much later that the hallway finally quieted.

I gave my sister a bath, changed her into clean clothes, and stayed with her until she fell asleep. Only then did I finally lie down beside her, mentally preparing to confront them properly once my people arrive tomorrow.

I must’ve drifted off close to dawn. When I woke up, my sister was gone.

Panic hit me instantly. I jumped out of bed and tore through the villa looking for her.

I found her in the dining room—kneeling on the floor, obediently serving food to Olivia’s nephew.

Marshall looked up and smirked when he saw me. "My aunt said she’d give Cathy to me as a wife. Said she was born to serve me."

He tore off a piece of bread, chewed it, then spat it on the floor. "You were good today, little dog. Here’s your reward."

My sister immediately crawled forward, about to eat the chewed bread with her mouth.

Marshall burst into laughter. "You really are a dog! Eating what I chewed? Disgusting!"

Then, to my horror, he climbed onto her back. "Let’s go! Run faster, dog, or you don’t get dinner!"

My sister got on all fours and crawled through the room with him on her back.

"Faster!" Marshall barked. "You want food or not? If you’re this slow, you’ll starve tonight!"

He tossed a few pieces of dog food onto the floor. My sister scrambled to pick them up.

"All you care about is eating, just like a mutt!"

I couldn’t take it anymore. I stormed forward and kicked Marshall off her.

He hit the floor hard with a loud thud, then scrambled up, shouting, "You bitch! You dare hit me?"

"Someone tie her up! Now!"

"Don’t you dare," I said coldly, pulling my sister into my arms. "Marshall, kneel and apologize to my sister. Do it now, and I might let you keep your life. Refuse, and I swear you’ll regret it."

"You’ve got a lot of nerve!" he sneered. "This isn’t like when your mother was around! This house is ours now. The Downing name? That’s dead. The Serpent’s Sigil? Belongs to the Fowlers! My uncle runs the show now—who the hell do you think you are?"

"Grab her!"

The guards lunged at us and held me and my sister down.

Olivia strolled in, playing the kind-hearted matron. "Alice, don’t be angry. My nephew is just a bit spoiled, but he meant no harm. He was only playing with Cathy."

Then her tone shifted, coy and calculated. "How about this—give me your half of the seal, and I’ll make him apologize to both of you. Isn’t that fair?"

I glared at her with utter disdain. "You want the Sigil of the Serpent Seal? In your dreams."