Fortunately, the hotel staff arrived in time. I was dragged out of the water and saved.

Kurt rushed over almost immediately, pulling me into a tight embrace. His eyes trembled with lingering panic.

"Daniella, you scared me to death! Why would you do something so stupid? If something happened to you, what would I do?"

My throat burned from the seawater I choked on, tears leaking uncontrollably as a reflex.

I listened numbly as Kurt rambled through his explanation—that I'd gotten drunk, they lost track of me for a moment, and some drunken stranger dragged me away.

They had searched everywhere for me. So he said.

I pushed him away, my voice cold and firm. "The hotel has surveillance. I'm reporting him."

But before I could take a step, Kurt blocked me.

He wrapped me back into his arms, coaxing softly, "Daniella, that man is the son of the city's richest tycoon. We... can't afford to offend him. When I have power one day, I'll get justice for you, I swear."

I closed my eyes, tears spilling like snapped beads, my heart filling with an icy hopelessness.

I almost died, and even so—Kurt would rather protect his own lie than make the man who almost assaulted me pay.

"Come on, let me take you to Disneyland, okay? Didn't we say we'd go together when we grew up?"

"Trust me. Soon, we won't have to live like this..."

He clumsily changed the subject. Before he finished, one of his friends rushed over.

"Kurt, Olivia fainted from the shock!"

Kurt's expression instantly shifted.

Without thinking, he shoved me into the arms of a hotel staff member.

"Daniella, I'll take you to Disneyland tomorrow. Go with them for a checkup—I'll come find you later!"

"Kurt!" I couldn't help shouting his name, but all he did was drop a perfunctory kiss on my forehead before rushing away.

I watched his disappearing figure—and finally vomited all over the ground.

A cruel realization twisted in my chest:

If the one assaulted had been Olivia, Kurt would've torn the world apart to make the perpetrator pay.

I closed my eyes, ripped off the amulet we'd bought together, and threw it into the ocean where it vanished.

And the so-called "compensation trip" to Disneyland?

It wasn't just the two of us.

He brought Olivia.

"Olivia is not feeling well. I can't leave her alone. She'll just tag along a bit—she won't bother us."

"Then I'm not going."

I turned to leave, but Kurt grabbed my arm. His brows tightened with irritation.

"What are you angry about now? Why are you being so unreasonable?"

"Olivia just came back today and wants to get along with you. She's trying. Why can't you?"

Before I could even respond, he pulled me toward the door with a force that made me freeze.

It reminded me of Arturo—and instantly extinguished all my resistance.

In the car, both Olivia and I sat in the backseat.

But she suddenly shrank back, looking up at me with tear-filled fear, like I might hurt her.

Kurt paused only one second before opening the front passenger seat.

"Olivia, sit here."

She glanced at me once, her eyes gleaming with smugness, then obediently slid into the seat.

My fingers clenched quietly in my sleeve.

When Kurt bought this car, he tossed me the keys with a gentle smile. "The front passenger seat is only for my Daniella, okay?"

But now even that belonged to someone else.

I blinked my numb eyes and turned to the window. I agreed to come to Disneyland because when we were kids, Kurt said he'd take me there someday—that it would mark a new beginning.

I'd held onto that promise for years.

But now... if I couldn't refuse, then I would treat today as our final goodbye.

The park buzzed with people, laughter everywhere. But I felt like I was trapped behind a glass wall, only watching the silhouettes of Kurt and Olivia walking ahead.

All the way, they stayed side by side.

"What do you want to play first, Olivia?" She pointed; he bought the tickets immediately.

Whatever she wanted to eat, he queued without complaint.

I followed behind, like a piece of air tagging along.

A staff member saw them standing together and smiled warmly.

"You two have such a lovely relationship. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness!"

Kurt stiffened. His gaze flicked toward me. But in the end, he said nothing.

Only when Olivia went to the restroom did he walk over.

"She's a foreign worker. She doesn't understand. No need to explain."

"I know."

He frowned, like he finally noticed I wasn't tailing behind him as usual.

It seemed being ignored made him uncomfortable. He even had the ridiculous illusion that I was like a kite—and if he loosened the string for even a second, I'd fly away.

He opened his mouth to speak—but Olivia emerged from the restroom, calling sweetly, "Kurt, I want ice cream."

"Okay, I'll buy it." He swallowed whatever he meant to say and walked off, leaving me alone with her.

Olivia studied me for several seconds, then suddenly smiled.

"Daniella, confused, aren't you?" She leaned close, voice dripping with malice. "Wondering why your brother is hot and cold with you?"

I stayed silent.

She didn't mind. Her tone turned almost playful. "Because he thinks you inherited trash genes and wants to 'fix' you. To you, he's probably the most important person in the world, right?"

"But to me? Kurt is just one of the men around me. If you kneel and kowtow a few times, I might even return your precious brother to you."

She watched my face eagerly, waiting for it to break.

She hadn't changed since high school—she still delighted in ripping away what others treasured most.

My eyes flickered. My voice was steady. "Kurt is just one of your men?"

She laughed lightly. "Of course. What else? He's just a decent-looking orphan. In high school, I teased him a little—pretended to turn myself in to help him—and he treated me like his savior. He never knew I was the one who orchestrated his bullying. He still thinks I was brave to stand by him."

She paused, then smirked. "Oh, and do you know why he believed your child wasn't his? Why he forced you to abort it? Because I told him I saw you sleeping with Arturo at a hotel. I said it casually, and he believed it. Isn't that hilarious?"

"You—!" My vision blurred red. I lost control and grabbed her collar in a tight fist.

That innocent child's death was my lifelong wound.

I could endure her destroying me—but the fact that my baby died because of her casual lie...

Olivia's grin sharpened like a blade. "So what? It was just a lump of flesh. A puddle of mud."

I couldn't hold back anymore. I raised my hand, ready to slap Olivia, but the next second, someone shoved me hard.

An adult man's strength was overwhelming—I crashed into a nearby chair, pain ripping through my abdomen like it was being torn open.

"Daniella! You're bullying Olivia again? You've grown up, but you still can't change your disgusting genes! You're just like your father—a sadistic monster!"

Kurt was so furious he spoke without restraint, dropping every pretense he usually kept in front of me. Every word was exactly what he truly thought.

"It was Olivia who caused my child—"

My nose burned, but I forced myself to stay calm. I wanted to explain what really happened to my baby.

"Looks like I was right to make you get an abortion. Genes as filthy as yours shouldn't be passed on!" The moment Kurt heard the word "child," he cut me off sharply.

His eyes were filled with unmistakable disgust.

And in that instant... every emotion inside me died.

All the explanations bubbling in my throat, all the desperate desire for him to finally see the truth—they vanished.

I turned away and said coldly, "I'm leaving."

But Olivia suddenly spoke. "It was my fault earlier. I accidentally upset Daniella... It wasn't her. Kurt, let's not ruin our day in the happiest place on earth."

Then she looked at me with a fragile smile, as if earnestly trying to mend our sisterly bond.

"Daniella, how about we go on the roller coaster together?"

But we both knew the truth. Roller coasters were a nightmare for me.

Back then, when Arturo was in a bad mood, he tied me to one and forced it to run ten full loops. I'd been spun until I almost passed out.

After that, I never dared touch that ride again.

"Get lost." I shoved away Olivia's reaching hand—but before I could walk away, Kurt grabbed my wrist tightly.

"Olivia is trying to make peace with you and you still act this way? If you still see me as your brother, you'll go apologize and accompany her!"

"If you don't listen, then I don't want you anymore!"

His grip was harsh, dragging me toward the roller coaster, trying to force me into the seat.

And when I heard him say he didn't want me... most of my strength to resist disappeared.

The sun was blazing that day, but I felt no warmth at all.

The machine began its slow climb upward.

Wind roared past my ears. Olivia tilted her head and glanced at me.

Then she smiled.

Her lips clearly formed the words: "See? Your brother is my dog. He does whatever I tell him to."

The next second, the world flipped over.

My heart felt like it was being torn into pieces.

Raw terror crashed over me. I screamed until my throat tasted like blood.

By the time the ride stopped, I couldn't even stand. My legs buckled, and I collapsed to the ground, vomiting uncontrollably.

My vision spun, my throat burned with the taste of iron. I didn't even know if I was crying or choking.

"Daniella! Are you okay?" Kurt rushed toward me, panic and worry flashing across his face.

I blinked in a daze.

Then Olivia pressed a hand to her forehead and whispered, "I... I feel a little dizzy..."

"What's wrong? Did the wind get to you?" Kurt immediately turned away and walked to her without hesitation.

Just one turn of his body—and I was completely left behind.

In an instant, all the magical illusions I had about Disneyland shattered into dust.

My vision darkened. I closed my eyes with a bitter smile and fell backward.

'Kurt... maybe we'll still be step-siblings in the future, but we will never again be the most important person to each other.'

...

When I woke up, I was alone in the hospital room.

A nurse whispered, "Your brother dropped you off and left. He said he was busy... his girlfriend is waiting."

Girlfriend?

I nodded silently.

My hand trembled as I reached for my phone.

On Instagram, Olivia had updated her page with a nine-panel grid full of photos of her and Kurt.

She was leaning on his shoulder, while he was bending to turn on the faucet for her. Another was Kurt holding bags of the souvenirs she bought.

Every picture was a sweet moment between them.

The caption read. [Now that the annoying person is gone, my knight is finally mine alone :)]

A tear splashed onto the screen.

I didn't even know when I started crying. My phone vibrated, there was an incoming call.

It was Kurt.

His voice carried its familiar warmth. "Daniella, feeling any better? Something urgent came up at the company, so I left first. Rest well, okay?"

"In the afternoon... that was my fault. I forgot you're afraid of roller coasters. I'll buy you a strawberry cake later to apologize, alright? Don't be mad. I really didn't mean it."

He sounded tired, as if he truly was busy. But I clearly heard a soft voice next to him—

"Kurt~ come buy cake with me later~"

He quickly lowered his voice, like he didn't want me to hear. "Mm... I'll visit you tonight."

Then he hurriedly added, "Don't forget you still need to go to Arturo later. If you're late, he'll torment you again. Wait for me to come back."

Before he finished, he hung up.

The screen went black. Only my reflection stared back at me.

I let out a hollow laugh and went home alone.

In the living room, I looked at all the familiar things—the white plush sofa, the solid wood table, the landscape painting we hung together.

I once thought this place was warm. A safe haven.

But now... standing here felt like I was trespassing in someone else's home.

I packed the few belongings I had.

When I zipped the bag shut, it was barely filled.

This home we built together—after all these years—hardly had anything that belonged to me.

And suddenly, I realized a cruel truth: This wasn't my home. It was just a house I lived in.

If I hadn't discovered the truth by accident, a few days later, I would've been thrown out like a stray dog.

Until the day before I planned to leave, Kurt never came home.

He didn't even call—just sent some daily texts pretending to care.

Through Instagram, I watched how far he and Olivia had progressed. With every update, the pain in my chest dulled a little more.

I accepted my absurd life as Daniella. I only wanted to walk away from everything that hurt me... and let my life regain even a little weight.

The day before I left for Africa, I anonymously sent that surveillance footage to Kurt's biggest enemy.

Then I placed the DNA test results and a voice recorder on the table, picked up my bag, and left.

Three hours later, I was on a flight bound for Africa.

When the cabin door closed, an indescribable sense of relief washed over me.

Like I had finally locked a burning, ruined city behind me.

'Kurt... I hope you enjoy the gift I prepared for you.'