Trix's POV

It’d been twenty years since my birth parents left me, and now, out of the blue, they found me.

I was working a quiet little street stand, selling spicy skewers, when Leroy Hurst—my father, apparently—came right up to me. One look, and he knew. I guess the resemblance was hard to miss. Meanwhile, his "heiress," the fake one they'd raised, just glared at me like I’d done something wrong by existing. Leroy, clearly uncomfortable, coughed and took my hand.

"My sweet daughter," he said, "come on home with Dad. No need to suffer anymore."

As my birth family walked back to their car, I whispered into my earpiece to let the director know I was done filming. Then, I packed up my stall and went along with them.

What they didn’t know was that my real identity was I was no small-time vendor, but Trix Kennedy, a rising star worth billions in America.

Leroy held the car door open himself, practically insisting I sit up front beside him. As we started off, he gave me a sideways glance and said, “From now on, you’ll go by the name Alexia Hurst.”

In the rearview mirror, I caught sight of my biological mother, Velma Hurst, and their adopted daughter, Lauren Hurst, sitting silently as stones in the back seat.

Lauren met my eyes and smirked, but I just looked away, not giving her the satisfaction.

When we got to the Hurst mansion, I’d barely stepped one foot inside when Velma stopped me cold. “Hold up! Change out of those filthy shoes first!” she said, tossing me a pair of disposable slippers without a hint of warmth.

Leroy looked back at us and then added, “We’re not on the street anymore; we’ve got standards of cleanliness here.”

I just looked him square in the eye. “Well, that’s how I live outside. If it’s too much for you, I’ll gladly head back to my stand.”

Truth be told, I came back to see what kind of folks they really were. My adoptive parents not only raised me—they set me up as a trainee in one of the West’s biggest entertainment companies. Five years after my debut, I became wildly popular overseas, and my current commercial value had long exceeded a billion. Selling skewers was just a cover for a variety show, a way to understand the grassroots life better as I prepared to expand into the US market.

Seeing I wasn’t about to back down, Leroy’s face darkened, while Lauren sneered with contempt. “How dare you speak to Dad like that? Where are your manners?”

I shot her a look and retorted, “I grew up abandoned on the streets. Just surviving was a blessing. I don’t have the same ‘manners’ as an adoptive daughter who got handed everything.”

My words hit hard, and Leroy and Lauren looked like they’d swallowed lemons. Lauren huffed and clung to Leroy’s arm. “Dad, look! She’s bullying me already!”

Leroy looked flustered, so Lauren turned to Velma. “Mom… If she doesn’t want me here, I’ll go. She’s your real daughter, after all.”

“Nonsense! I raised you myself. To me, you're my real daughter,” Velma replied without hesitation. Suddenly, she faltered, seemingly realizing how those words might sound. But she soon recovered and shot me a cold glance, saying nothing, while Lauren’s eyes sparkled with pride.

Years ago, the Hurst couple left me on the street as a newborn, alone and freezing. Fortunately, my adoptive parents found me just in time; otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. I never knew why they abandoned me; all I knew was that soon after they left me, they adopted the baby girl of their neighbor, the Montgomery family. That girl, born just a few hours after me, was none other than Lauren.

Trix's POV

Watching those three put on their little show of fake warmth, I turned away and headed upstairs. Figured I’d settle right into the master bedroom.

“Thanks, Mom and Dad, for setting up this room for me,” I said, stepping inside.

“That’s Lauren’s room,” Velma replied, marching in with a scowl. “Yours is the guest room next door.”

Right then, Lauren and Leroy walked in behind her. Lauren gave Leroy a pitiful look and started tearing up on cue. “I'll just move out,” she sobbed. “She's your real daughter, so she's the rightful one to occupy the master bedroom.” She let the tears roll, casting glances at Leroy and Velma like she was waiting for someone to rush in and save her.

But I wasn’t about to give them that chance. I just smiled, cool as a spring morning. “Thanks so much, sister. Truly.”

Before they could say a word, I shut the door in their faces. Whatever family drama they were cooking up outside was none of my concern. I started tidying the room, tossing anything I didn’t like onto the floor.

Just then, my agent Iris called, and I answered right away.

“Trix, what’s going on over there? The show’s still recording; you can’t hold things up too long.”

“Iris,” I said, getting an idea, “scrap the street vendor role. Let me just play as the long-lost heiress making her grand return home. That’s bound to get folks talking.”

We hashed out the details, and soon enough, Iris had the company rewriting the program’s script. I’d been wearing hidden cameras since the Hurst family “found” me on the street, so this twist would roll smoothly right into the story.

No sooner had I finished the call than there came a loud knocking at the door. I opened it to see the whole family practically falling over themselves outside.

Leroy got up, dusted himself off, and glared at me. “Alexia, the master bedroom’s always been Lauren’s. You don’t get to just claim it.”

“Yes, Alexia,” Velma cut in. “Your sister simply humbled herself, how can't you know how to read the room?”

I raised an eyebrow and glanced at Lauren, who looked like she’d been wronged. “Well, she offered it to me. So I thought it was okay to take it. I didn't know it was just for show.”

Lauren’s face went bright red, caught in her own act. “Mom, Dad,” she sniffled, “I'll... I'll just leave. I can't possibly compete with your true daughter. I'm just an adopted, after all.”

Leroy pulled her close, glaring at me like I’d hurt his favorite pet. “What are you doing just standing there? Do I need to kick you out?”

I stared right back. “And why is that? You abandoned me for twenty years; can’t I at least choose my own room now?”

His face hardened, and in a flash, he slapped me across the cheek. “Ungrateful brat! You're in my house, so what I say goes—not you!”

Holding my cheek, I felt my heart grow colder. “So, that’s why you brought me back? Just to quiet the rumors? That’s all I am to you?”

Leroy clenched his jaw and looked away, saying nothing. Meanwhile, Velma sighed, her tone indifferent. “Alexia, you may be our daughter by blood, but we haven’t seen each other in two decades. You can’t expect that to give you the same standing as Lauren. She’s been my daughter for twenty years, so our bond with her is deeper than with yours.”

Leroy just cast me one last icy look, his mouth curling into a disdainful sneer.

Trix's POV

“Lauren’s been raised with care, graduated college by twenty, and has been right by my side, helping me run the company,” Leroy said. "So, how could you, selling street food, compare yourself to her? Let me get things straight now that you're here. Everything in the Hurst family—the business, the estate—that’s all going to Lauren. All you gotta do is sit back and enjoy the good life as a Hurst heiress.”

I looked at the three of them, standing together like they were thick as thieves. Seeing their “family unity” stirred up a cold smile on my face. I had already braced myself for this, but it still hit me.

The truth was, all of this had been planned in advance. They didn’t just stumble upon me by chance. I’d known I was the Hurst daughter even before I came back for the show. And I had people leak the news that the Hurst family’s long-lost daughter had ended up as a street food vendor. The media ate it up, and public pressured them to bring back their biological daughter. Without the weight of public opinion, I doubt they would have bothered taking me back at all.

As for my reasons for coming back, I simply wanted to know what kind of people they were—and why they’d abandoned me all those years ago.

I gave a small cough and spoke as calmly as I could, “If that’s the case, maybe I’ll just leave.”

“Don’t you dare!” Leroy grabbed my arm, his grip like iron.

I looked at him, puzzled. “What’s wrong? You don’t want me here, so why can’t I go?”

Leroy seemed to hesitate as if there were words stuck on the tip of his tongue. But he kept his mouth shut.

Velma then stepped forward, taking my hand gently. “Come on, Alexia, don’t be stubborn. It’s just a room. The guest room is a lot better than that little shack you were staying in.”

“Your father doesn’t want you to manage the family business for your own good,” she continued, her tone soft but dismissive. “You don’t know anything about it. You’d just run it straight into the ground.”

Fine. They didn’t want to tell me the truth? I’d find it out myself, sooner or later.

Seeing I’d gone quiet, Leroy put on his “loving father” face again. “Just get settled here. If you behave, maybe I’ll let you manage part of the company. Step by step, alright?”

I’d had enough of their show. I wasn’t here to win a place in this family, especially not with Lauren. So I picked up my bag and moved to the guest room without another word.

The next morning, I was half asleep when a loud knocking jolted me awake. Groggy, I opened the door to find two tall men in white coats shoving their way in. Before I could process what was happening, they were pinning me down on the bed.

“What are you doing?!” I shouted, struggling.

Leroy stepped into the room with a fake, reassuring smile and placed a hand on my head. “Relax, Alexia. They’re just here to give you a physical.”

A sudden chill ran through me as I realized what was going on. I fought harder. “I’m healthy! I don’t need a check-up!”

Just then, Velma walked in and tried to soothe me, her voice as smooth as honey. “It’s just a few vials of blood, dear. No need to be afraid.”

Despite my efforts, the two men held me down and drew my blood. Once they’d finished, they tossed me back into the guest room without a word. No one came to check on me after that—not a single person.