Chapter 1
15
My last memory was the icy river engulfing me, my mother’s candy still clutched in my fist as my six stepbrothers watched me drown
When I opened my eyes, I was tiny, wrapped in blankets–a one–month–old baby.
Six boys stared at me, eyes glinting coldly. One reached out, ready to pinch the life from me.
Recognizing their vile faces, I cursed them inwardly:
You damn mutts. Just wait till I can talk!
Suddenly, Mom rushed from the kitchen. “I asked you to watch your sister! Why did I hear ‘mutts‘?”
The boys exchanged looks. The eldest shrugged. “You misheard, Mom.”
“We were just going to play with her,” another added.
Fuming inside, I glared:
You’re the worst, you traitor. At three, you tried to sell me to some creep!
Mom’s hand shook. She lifted me into her arms, eyes wide with a strange light.
1
My mother, Renee, held me tight, her eyes a whirlwind of confusion and alarm.
She said nothing, just hurried back to the bedroom and shut the door with a firm click, leaving the six little wolves staring at each
other in the hallway.
Inside, Mom placed me on the vast, soft bed and simply stared. Her intense gaze was starting to creep me out. I blinked my big,
innocent eyes, made a little cooing sound, and blew a milk bubble.
Hey, Mom, don’t look at me like that. I know I’m cute, but you don’t have to be so obsessed.
Don’t worry, though. This time, I’ll protect you. I won’t let those animals win again.
Renee’s expression grew even stranger. She reached out, felt my forehead, then her own.
“No fever…” she murmured.
I had no idea what she was talking about. Being scrutinized by my own mother was making me a little shy, so 1 stretched my tooth-
less mouth into a wide grin.
Mom is the most beautiful, most generous mother in the whole world! I love Mommy the most!
Her body went still. Then, the tense line of her brow softened, melting into a gentle, loving smile. She leaned down and planted a
soft kiss on my cheek.
“Mommy loves her baby, too.”
Outside the door, the six little monsters were still whispering.
“What’s with Mom? She just blew up out of nowhere.”
“Who knows? Maybe it’s menopause.”
“She probably just can’t stand us. I mean, we’re not her real kids.”
Hearing them, I felt a surge of fury.
15:05
15.05
Chapter 1
Bullshit! You’re not just ‘not her real kids,‘ you’re the bastard children of his mistress! My mom is the poor, clueless saint who got
stuck with you!
Renee’s head snapped up. Her gaze seemed to pierce through the door, landing on the figures outside.
Her eyes turned to ice.
Just then, a knock sounded on the door.
“Renee, what’s wrong? The boys said you were upset.” A gentle male voice drifted in. “Talk to me. Don’t frighten the children.”
A tall, handsome man walked in. Behind him trailed the six boys, each with his head bowed, feigning innocence and hurt.
This was my father, Landon.
And he was the monster who, in my last life, was responsible for my mother’s death and the theft of my grandfather’s entire fortu-
- ne.
Looking at his handsome, deceitful face made my stomach turn.
Hah. The king of all scumbags. You’re a worthless gold–digger who married into my mother’s family for their money, and you still
had the nerve to keep a mistress on the side.
You brought all six of your bastard sons home for my mom to raise. What a joke.
Disgusting. This whole family is rotten to the core.
Mom’s arms tightened around me, squeezing a little too hard. Her eyes, sharp and questioning, settled on Landon’s face.
He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, his charming smile faltering. “Renee? Why are you looking at me like that?”
She didn’t answer, her voice flat and distant when she finally spoke. “It’s nothing. It’s just… you seem like a stranger to me all of a
sudden.”
