"For someone who could have a mistress’s daughter the same age as his own, surely he wouldn’t be so petty as to stop the real daughter from going out for a meal with her friend, right?"

Every word stabbed at the stepmother’s sore spots. She understood my jab at her as the mistress-turned-wife. Her face turned pale, then green, then pale again, before she forced out a strained smile.

"Of course not. If Emily wants to go out, she can—just don’t stay out too late."

I took Emily to a restaurant.

Watching her eat so ravenously only deepened my heartache.

When she finally slowed down, I asked softly, “Why didn’t you tell me you were struggling?”

Her hands froze, eyes reddening. “Claire, I don’t have any family left.”

Tears streamed down her face as she recounted her past two years.

When she first returned home, her mother had been cremated hastily, and Emily herself had to pay for the burial plot.

Before the seven-day mourning period had even passed, her father had moved the mistress and Olivia into the house.

"I thought Jason Shaw would support me. But no—he slept with Olivia instead, and in the very new home my mom had bought for me!"

Her grief and fury were palpable.

"Did you get the house back?" I asked.

She shook her head. “My father wanted to transfer it to Olivia. Luckily, my mother left a will. I made sure to notarize it as soon as I returned, so they couldn’t take it.”

Emily was clever—I had always known that.

All these years, while I lived comfortably abroad, it was only thanks to her wisdom and resilience.

She always said, “What’s happened has already happened. Leave the sadness for later. The most important thing is to protect yourself in the moment.”

My heart broke that she had lost her mother so young, and worse, that she had to fight alone to protect what rightfully belonged to her.

"They want you to marry someone?" I asked again.

She nodded, though there was a hint of relief in her eyes.

"Yes—"

But before she could finish, angry voices erupted outside the private dining room. Olivia was trying to force her way in, but the bodyguard held her back, and she screamed incessantly.

I turned to Emily. “Does she bully you often?”

Emily gave a bitter smile. “Dad dotes on her. He thinks she’s had a hard life outside the family all these years, so he wants to give her everything. He even tried to hand over the dowry my mom prepared for me so she could marry my fiancé instead.”

Her fiancé was Jason Shaw. His reputation was awful—a notorious playboy. He already had over twenty official girlfriends, and countless unofficial flings.

Not even thirty yet, his health was already failing like an old man’s.

And yet women still lined up to marry him, simply because the Shaw family had such influence in the corporate world. Olivia was one of them.

The Carter family wanted to climb higher through this marriage but didn’t want Emily to gain status over them, so they let Olivia snatch the engagement instead.

"A fiancé who can be stolen isn’t worth suffering for. As for the dowry…"

My eyes narrowed. “If you trust me, make a list of everything your mother prepared for you.”

"Of course I trust you, Claire. But my family situation is too messy. Now that Jason is backing Olivia, I don’t want you dragged into this.”

Even while trapped in her own nightmare, Emily worried about me.

I smiled at her, trying to ease her fears.

"Don’t worry. I’m back now—and I won’t let anyone bully you again."

I rose to my feet and walked toward the door.

"Emily, you are the friend I chose wholeheartedly. From now on, I’ll be your family, your strength, and your support."

With that, I opened the door of the private dining room. Outside, Olivia Carter was still making a scene. The moment she saw Emily inside, she sneered viciously:

"Keeping guards outside the door? Anyone would think you’re sneaking around with a lover."

I lifted my brows slightly, smiling faintly.

"If you have something to say, come in and say it."

Olivia strode in with false confidence. The moment the bodyguard shut the door, I grabbed her arm and forced her to turn toward me.

"What are you—ah!"

My hand cracked across her cheek. My voice was calm as I said, "That’s to teach you not to speak recklessly."

Neither Emily nor Olivia had expected me to strike so suddenly.

Olivia clutched her face, then quickly tried to strike back. Emily only hesitated for an instant before rushing over, pinning Olivia so she couldn’t move.

I smiled and raised my hand again, but Emily stopped me.

"Let me."

She held Olivia down and delivered two resounding slaps.

"One for your disrespect at my mother’s funeral home."

"And one for sleeping with my fiancé in the new home my mother bought me."

Emily was much stronger than me. After two slaps, Olivia’s face was swollen.

"How dare you hit me? Emily, I’m Jason Shaw’s girlfriend now! Don’t you know what kind of man he is? Aren’t you afraid he’ll come after you?"

Olivia shoved Emily off and glared at me, clutching her cheek. "And you! You’ll regret crossing me."

I laughed coldly. "Looks like you still haven’t learned your lesson."

Olivia brandished her phone. "I already texted my mom—just wait for what’s coming!"

Emily looked worried, but I held her hand and said calmly, "Let’s finish our dinner. I want to see what your family can really do to me."

I summoned the bodyguard to keep an eye on Olivia, and under her furious, hateful stare, I ate at ease.

Soon her mother and Richard Carter stormed in.

"What are you causing trouble for again? Every day you bully your sister!" Richard barked the moment he entered, his scolding aimed straight at Emily.

Her bowed head told me this treatment from her own father was nothing new.

I tapped the table. "Why are you shouting? The one who—"

"I hit her. So what?" Emily cut in, stopping me from taking the blame.

I understood—she had struck those slaps on purpose, hoping to shield me.

"You ungrateful brat!" Richard roared, raising a hand to strike her, but my bodyguard intercepted him.

I sipped my tea leisurely. "I hit her. And you’re supposed to be a CEO—why so hot-tempered, like some nouveau riche fool?"

In the corporate world, being called “nouveau riche” was an insult no one wanted to hear. Richard’s face darkened with humiliation.

"Girl, do you even know who you’ve offended?"

I curled my lips. "The Carter family of Silverlake. So what?"

He hesitated, realizing I wasn’t intimidated even after naming his family. He began to study me carefully, trying to figure out who I was.

But unlike him, Olivia and her mother had no such sense.

"Our Olivia is engaged to the Shaw family’s young heir! What if her face is ruined?!" the mistress wailed.

Olivia straightened proudly. "That’s right. My fiancé is—"

"—Jason Shaw of Bayview City, who’s had over twenty official girlfriends and countless more claiming to be his fiancée."