At the dinner party, Jasmin, the adopted daughter of the Brooks family, pushed the heiress of the Wilson family down the stairs. Furious, the Wilson family demanded an explanation.

Gripping Sheena’s hands tightly, Amanda pleaded, her voice trembling, "Jasmin didn’t mean it. She’s terrified right now, crying so hard that her eyes are red."

Before Sheena could process her words, her mother added, "Sheena, since you’re Jasmin’s sister, you should go to the Wilson family and take her punishment for her."

Stephen, Sheena’s twin brother, stormed into the kitchen just as their mother finished speaking. Despite being her blood relative, his words were devoid of compassion.

"Exactly. The Wilson family is infamous for their cruelty. Dad and I practically begged on our knees, but they wouldn’t relent. They’ve only given us five days to hand someone over. If Jasmin goes, who knows what they’ll do to her? She wouldn’t survive!"

Even Sheena's childhood sweetheart and fiancé urged her, "If you’re willing to take the punishment for Jasmin, I’ll fulfill our engagement and marry you immediately!"

Left with no choice, Sheena went to the Wilson family as they wished. But they soon came crying, begging her to return.

—

Back at Brooks mansion, chaos ensued.

In the kitchen, Sheena was meticulously preparing the family’s breakfast for the next day. She was carefully whipping cream when her mother burst in, her eyes red and swollen from crying.

Gripping Sheena’s hands tightly, Amanda pleaded, her voice trembling, "Jasmin didn’t mean it. She’s terrified right now, crying so hard that her eyes are red."

Before Sheena could process her words, her mother added, "Sheena, since you’re Jasmin’s sister, you should go to the Wilson family and take her punishment for her."

Startled, Sheena froze, her hands trembling. The bowl of cream slipped from her grasp, crashing to the floor in a splatter of white.

A maid nearby smirked at the unfolding scene, her eyes glinting with schadenfreude.

Everyone in their elite social circle knew the Wilson family’s reputation. After returning from overseas, they had swiftly risen to prominence, wielding immense power in business. For Jasmin to harm their heiress at a public event, it was akin to signing her death warrant.

Stephen, Sheena’s twin brother, stormed into the kitchen just as their mother finished speaking. Despite being her blood relative, his words were devoid of compassion.

"Exactly. The Wilson family is infamous for their cruelty. Dad and I practically begged on our knees, but they wouldn’t relent. They’ve only given us five days to hand someone over. If Jasmin goes, who knows what they’ll do to her? She wouldn’t survive!"

Sheena’s heart sank. So Jasmin couldn’t endure it, but she could? If she was sent as a scapegoat and the Wilsons discovered the truth, their wrath might cost her life. Yet, her family seemed entirely indifferent to this possibility.

Sheena stared at her mother and brother in disbelief. Were these not the people who were supposed to love her unconditionally? They were her biological family!

She remembered her childhood vividly—when her mother would cradle her in her arms, stroking her hair, and whispering, "Mommy loves Sheena the most. You’ll always be Mommy’s little treasure."

That love vanished when her mother lost a long-awaited pregnancy. The heartbreak of losing that unborn child changed her mother completely. She stopped smiling gently at Sheena and instead spent her days crying over the baby clothes she had prepared in advance.

Later, their father brought home a little girl from an orphanage. Everyone remarked how this girl bore an uncanny resemblance to the sister who had died at birth. Her mother agreed. And thus, Jasmin officially became the adopted daughter of the Brooks family. Her mother treated Jasmin like a precious jewel, cherishing her as if she were the very air she breathed. Jasmin not only healed her mother’s fragile mental state but also took all the love and affection that had once belonged to Sheena.

Initially, Sheena bore no resentment. If Jasmin could heal her mother’s pain, it was worth it.

But one incident changed everything.

One evening, Jasmin went missing after school. The Brooks family mobilized every resource to search for her. Her mother was inconsolable, pacing and sobbing hysterically until Jasmin limped home late that night.

As soon as she entered the house, Jasmin flung herself into Amanda’s arms, tears streaming down her face as she cried, "Did I do something wrong?"

Chapter 2

"Why did Sister leave me alone in the woods?" Jasmin sobbed. "I was so scared."

It was at that moment that Sheena realized the malicious, provocative looks Jasmin had always given her were not just her imagination.

Unfortunately, before she could explain herself, her mother slapped her hard across the face.

Her ear struck the corner of the table, and a gush of blood poured out instantly.

Her father kept cursing at her, while her mother held Jasmin the whole time, not sparing her even a glance.

It was a servant who pitied her and took her to the hospital. However, they missed the optimal treatment window, and her right ear permanently lost its hearing.

Her father sent her away to the countryside.

Before she left, only Stephen held her hand. "Don’t worry, Sheena. In a few months, I’ll beg Mom and Dad to bring you back."

At first, Stephen called her every week. But later, the calls became monthly, then once every six months, and mostly it only revolved around Jasmin.

"Jasmin won first place in the painting competition today!"

"If only you were as talented as Jasmin."

"Jasmin said she’s already forgiven you, but I think you need to reflect a bit more."

And so, Sheena was abandoned in the countryside for ten years. It wasn’t until she turned twenty that she was finally brought back to the Brooks family.

She thought her parents still loved her after all.

For that insignificant sliver of familial affection, she humbled herself every day, trying her best to please her family, hoping to receive the same love in return.

But only now did she finally understand—no matter how hard she tried, people who didn’t love her never would.

Since that was the case, she didn’t want them anymore, either.

Seeing that Sheena remained silent, Stephen grew annoyed. "Sheena, are you mute?"

"All I asked was for you to take Jasmin’s punishment for her, not to die. What’s there to hesitate about?"

"What’s wrong? You’ve neglected your filial duties to Mom all these years, and now you won’t even listen to her?"

Just as Stephen was about to act, a servant burst through the door, and shouted, "Something’s wrong! Miss Jasmin is threatening to jump off the building!"

Amanda turned pale with fright and rushed out without hesitation.

Stephen retained some composure but looked grim as he snarled, "If anything happens to Jasmin, I won’t let you off!"

Grabbing Sheena’s wrist, he dragged her along to Jasmin’s room.

By the time they arrived, Sheena’s wrist was red and swollen from his grip. Just as she tried to rub it, she noticed someone familiar—Travis, her childhood friend and fiancé.

The Brooks and Flores families had been close for generations, and their arranged marriage had been decided long ago.

Travis had grown up with her, and during her years in the countryside, he had been her constant companion and support. Without him, she might never have made it through.

Travis used to say, "To me, Sheena will always be the most important person. No one can compare."

"Your parents abandoned you in such a place, and your brother didn’t even visit you once. They’ll regret it someday!"

"Don’t be sad, Sheena. When you marry me, I’ll make you the happiest little princess in the world!"

At that time, Sheena had developed a deep-seated fear that Jasmin would take everyone important to her. Clinging to Travis like a lifeline, she begged, "Then swear to me—you’re never allowed to see Jasmin again!"

Chapter 3

Travis gently ruffled Sheena's hair with a doting smile. "Alright, alright, in my eyes, there will always only be you. That Jasmin or whatever her name is, she’s not even worth one of your fingers!"

Finally, Sheena smiled. She thought, at least someone would always choose her without hesitation.

But all of that vanished after she returned to the Brooks family.

Travis met Jasmin.

Within half a year, Jasmin once again succeeded in taking away the person Sheena cherished most.

Travis even brought up postponing their engagement on his own. "Jasmin depends on me a lot. If I proceed with our engagement now, I’m afraid she won’t be able to handle it."

Her memories were abruptly interrupted by Amanda’s desperate cries, "Jasmin, come down! Let’s talk this out. What are you doing on the windowsill? Do you want to scare your mother to death?"

Jasmin was sitting on the edge of the second-floor window. Her feet hadn’t even stepped over the railing, but her eyes were swollen like walnuts.

"Mom, didn’t you hear what the Wilson family said? They said they’d push me down the stairs just like Megan!"

"If I go to the Wilson family, I’ll be tortured to death! Instead of that, I’d rather die at home—it’d hurt less."

Stephen, furious, slapped Sheena across the face. "This is all your fault! If you had just agreed to go to the Wilson family and take Jasmin’s punishment, would she even have thoughts of ending her life?"

"Jasmin is your sister! How could you be so cruel? Do you want to see her die?" he continued, seething in rage.

That slap was merciless, leaving a red handprint on Sheena’s face. Yet Amanda only stared at her with resentment and disappointment in her eyes. "If something happens to Jasmin, I won’t live, either. Sheena, if you still refuse to take Jasmin’s punishment at the Wilson family, then don’t call yourself a Brooks anymore. Don’t consider me your mother!"

If Stephen’s words were angry accusations, Amanda’s were blatant threats.

Anger, fear, despair, sorrow—all these emotions swirled inside Sheena. She trembled uncontrollably, feeling as if her heart was being crushed.

At that moment, Travis stepped forward.

He gently touched the red mark on her face, and the tenderness in his eyes almost made Sheena believe things had returned to how they once were.

But his next words shattered her last shred of hope.

"Sheena, I’m begging you."

"If you’re willing to take Jasmin’s punishment, I’ll marry you immediately."

In that instant, Sheena realized that in the depths of extreme pain, one could no longer even shed tears.

Looking at the room full of her so-called family and lover, not a single one of them stood by her side.

Suddenly, Sheena laughed softly. "Alright. I agree to go to the Wilson family and take Jasmin’s punishment in five days."

Perhaps her smile was too heartbreaking, because Travis frowned and instinctively reached for her hand.

But before he could touch her, Sheena brushed his hand away.

The gesture was light, yet it felt as if a searing flame had burned his skin, causing a pang in his chest.

"Sheena..."

Sheena didn’t look at him. Instead, her gaze swept calmly across everyone in the room, and she continued, "But you all need to agree to one condition."

Stephen immediately frowned in displeasure. "It’s just a small favor for your sister, and you want to make demands? Sheena, since when did you become such a calculating person?"

Sheena’s lips curled into a faint smile.

Chapter 4

"Don’t worry, it’s a very small request. You’ll definitely agree," Sheena flatly said.

Stephen was about to retort, but Amanda stopped him.

Though her health wasn’t the best, the entire Brooks family had risen from her parents’ legacy, and even now, all the children carried her surname. As a result, her words often carried more weight than Christopher’s, her husband.

Looking at her daughter, who had grown so unfamiliar, Amanda felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "As long as you’re willing to go in Jasmin’s place, I’ll give you whatever you ask for."

Hearing what she said, Sheena mentally scoffed. So, all these years, the family love she had desperately sought had been nothing but a cruel joke.

Biting her lip, she said nothing more and quietly left the room.

Jasmin was successfully rescued.

For a short time, the room was filled with sobs and words of comfort.

Even Christopher, who was usually stern and composed, hurried to Jasmin’s bedroom after seeing off the guests, his face full of concern for his beloved youngest daughter.

When he bumped into Sheena at the corner, he didn’t spare her a single glance.

Caught off guard, Sheena lost her balance and fell to the ground. Her ankle quickly swelled.

The evening breeze stung her skin, and Sheena couldn't help but inhale sharply.

"Sheena, are you alright?"

Travis suddenly appeared in front of her, reaching out to help her up.

As he leaned closer, Sheena caught the faint scent of gardenia perfume on him—Jasmin’s perfume.

Gardenias had once been her favorite.

Travis had always gone out of his way to find all sorts of gardenia-themed gifts for her. But shortly after returning to the Brooks family, Jasmin had managed to break all those gifts with various excuses.

When Sheena angrily confronted Jasmin, Travis stopped her. "Jasmin didn’t mean to do that. In the end, those were just trinkets. If you like, I can get you more."

At that time, Sheen believed him but she never received anything else from him.

Instead, not long ago, Jasmin flaunted a bottle of gardenia-scented perfume in front of her. "Sheena, you’re so useless! Your family doesn’t want you, and now even your fiancé doesn’t want you!"

Sheena felt a pang in her chest and stepped back, forcing herself to stand without Travis’ help.

His hand hung awkwardly mid-air, and his face turned sour. "Sheena, I know you’re upset about going to the Wilson family for Jasmin’s sake. But I’ve already promised to marry you. What more do you want?"

"Jasmin is your sister. What’s wrong with helping her? Do you have to be so narrow-minded?"

Sheena felt a surge of anger that she couldn’t suppress. Her voice turned sharp as she retorted, "Being forced to act as a scapegoat and take her punishment—am I supposed to be grateful for that?"

Hearing this, Travis raised his voice as well. "Jasmin didn’t do it on purpose! And besides, it’s just a trip to the Wilson family. What’s the big deal?"

"If it’s no big deal, then why can’t Jasmin go herself?" Sheena clapped back.

Travis fell silent, his face growing even darker. "You’re being unreasonable. There’s no point in talking to you anymore!"

In the end, Sheena returned to her room alone.

Calling it a "room" was generous—it was worse than the servants’ quarters.

Compared to Jasmin’s bright and spacious princess-style bedroom, hers was a stark contrast.

She stayed in a damp, dark basement, surrounded by cement walls with no windows. The bathroom was so far away that every night, she had to carry a flashlight and nervously traverse a long, unlit hallway just to relieve herself.

Chapter 5

Because her swollen ankle hurt so much, Sheena walked slowly all the way back to her small bed, and only then did she finally wipe away all the tears from her face.

In the dim light, Sheena carefully packed up everything in her room.

When she was done, she realized just how little she owned: a few pieces of clothing, a handful of books, a family photo, and a necklace.

The family photo was taken before Jasmin came to live with them. Her parents had brought her and Stephen to a sunflower garden for the photo. In it, Sheena’s small figure nestled in her mother’s arms, her tiny hands tightly wrapped around her mother’s neck, radiating deep attachment.

Her father stood to the side with his usual stern expression. Stephen, however, smiled with arched brows, posing like a knight protecting her. His right hand, half-hidden, was cheekily tugging at the corner of her dress.

It was the only thing Sheena had taken with her when she was sent to the countryside.

For years, this photo had been her token, the proof she clung to in order to convince herself that her parents and brother still loved her. Someday, they would be a happy family again, just like in that picture.

But now, that dream was utterly shattered.

Sheena took the photo out of its frame, ripped it into tiny pieces, and tossed them into the trash.

As for the necklace, it was a gift from Travis. A small, unremarkable trinket from a village market. The pearl had long since faded, and the chain was tarnished and dull. Yet Sheena had treasured it like a precious heirloom.

She held onto it because when Travis gave it to her, he had declared with unwavering conviction, "This is our token of love. Sheena, wait for me. I promise to make you the happiest bride in the world!"

Perhaps because the necklace was so old and cheap, it was the only thing that Jasmin hadn’t bothered to destroy. But now, Sheena didn’t want it anymore.

She slipped the necklace into her pocket, thinking that no matter how worthless it was, it was still a gift from Travis. Since she didn’t want it anymore, she should at least return it to him before leaving.

With that thought in mind, Sheena fell into a restless sleep.

When she woke up, Stephen’s furious face was looming over her. "Sheena, you did this on purpose, didn’t you?"

Her leg had throbbed all night, leaving her with a splitting headache. She had no energy to deal with him.

Her silence only fueled Stephen’s anger. He grabbed her and dragged her out of bed, pulling her all the way to the dining room.

Once he roughly threw her to the floor, he shouted again, "Look at what you’ve done!"

Sheena glanced at the empty dining table, utterly baffled as to what he was so enraged about.

Just then, Jasmin walked in wearing a pretty princess dress, covering her mouth in a mock surprise, "Sis, why didn’t you make breakfast for us?"

'Ah, so that was it.' Sheena thought.

In the past, Sheena had bent over backward to please the Brooks family. She had carefully observed everyone’s preferences, waking up three hours early every morning to prepare breakfast for them.

But today, she hadn’t done it.

Jasmin pouted, pretending to be upset. "But I love the breakfast that sister makes the most."

While comforting Jasmin, Stephen turned his fury back on Sheena. "You know perfectly well that Jasmin loves the breakfast you make, yet you deliberately didn’t cook today. How could you be so cruel?"

So it was all about breakfast—something entirely inconsequential to anyone else.

Suddenly, Sheena couldn’t help but laugh.

Chapter 6

“Oh? But in five days—no, four now—I’ll be sent to the Wilson family to bear their punishment. Will you drag me back from there just to make breakfast for you?” Sheena indifferently retorted.

At that instant, the dining room fell into a sudden, oppressive silence.

After a moment, it was Jasmin who broke the quiet, her voice trembled as she sniffled. “Sis, you’re not skipping breakfast because of the Wilson family thing, are you? If that’s the case, then I’ll go take the punishment instead!”

With that, she turned to run outside.

Stephen hurriedly grabbed her, pulling her into a comforting embrace. “If someone has to die at the Wilson family, it should be Sheena! How could it be you?”

The moment the words left his mouth, Stephen froze, stunned at his own cruelty.

'She’s my sister too...' he muttered inwardly.

Instantly, Sheena’s eyes turned ice-cold, as if looking at a sworn enemy. “Stephen, I will never waste another ounce of emotion on someone as vile as you for the rest of my life!”

Her words shattered the fleeting guilt in Stephen’s heart. His face twisted in anger. “Fine! Sheena, you’re really something!”

He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her into the storage room, slamming the door shut.

Before locking it, Stephen spat out his final words, his voice trembling with rage, “Sheena, you can stay there until you come to your senses and agree to make breakfast. If not, then rot in there for all I care!”

With that, he stormed off, taking Jasmin with him. Before leaving, he sternly instructed the servants. “Don’t let her out until she admits she was wrong and cook breakfast!”

What Stephen didn’t know was that Sheena was already running a high fever.

Her sprained ankle, untreated from the night before, had swollen grotesquely. On top of that, her skin had scraped against the rough ground as she was dragged, leaving raw, bleeding wounds.

The searing pain on her scalp from having her hair yanked was now the least of her worries.

At first, Sheena banged on the door and screamed for help. But before long, her strength gave out, and she collapsed unconscious.

The servants, following orders, ignored her silence and they didn’t open the door.

It wasn’t until Amanda casually asked about her that the truth came to light.

Since losing her youngest child, Amanda had suffered from chronic headaches, which had only worsened over the years. But things had slightly improved after Sheena returned from the countryside.

Although Sheena was cautious and distant in the Brooks household, Amanda noticed her daughter often stealing glances at her.

When Sheena discovered her mother’s headaches, she began secretly learning massage techniques during her spare time. Without access to professional instructors, she studied online tutorials instead.

She filled up four or five notebooks with detailed notes and practiced late into the night for two months straight.

To ensure her skills were effective, she tested the techniques on herself repeatedly before shyly suggesting she could help relieve her mother’s pain.

Looking at the daughter she had barely raised, Amanda couldn’t bring herself to refuse and reluctantly agreed.

By sheer luck, Sheena’s massages actually eased her mother’s headaches.

When she saw her mother’s furrowed brows relax, Sheena’s joy was beyond words.

From that day on, she faithfully massaged her mother every evening.

But two days had passed without Sheena showing up.

Suspicious, Amanda sent someone to find her.

They discovered Sheena locked in the storage room, her entire body burning with fever. By the time they carried her out, her breathing was faint and uneven, as if she were clinging to life by a thread.

Chapter 7

Seeing Sheena lying lifelessly on the floor, curled up and pale, Amanda felt fear for the first time. She immediately ordered for her to be taken to the hospital.

Thankfully, due to the timely intervention, Sheena’s fever subsided.

When Stephen was summoned to the hospital, he was startled to the core. He never imagined things would escalate to this extent. Even now, he couldn’t quite understand why he had been so furious at the time.

Yet, when he saw the look of resentment on Sheena’s face, a chill had run down his spine.

'She’s my sister. How could she look at me like I’m her sworn enemy?' he thought.

Sheena, who had always been meek and eager to please him, circling around him like a lapdog, suddenly declared, “I will never waste another ounce of emotion on a piece of garbage like you, for anything, ever again.”

’What gave her the right to say that?' he internally muttered.

Amanda harshly reprimanded Stephen.

Jasmin hurried forward, tearfully defending her brother, “Big Brother didn’t mean it. Besides, it was Sis who made him angry first.”

“She was upset about being sent to the Wilson family and took it out on Big Brother. He’s been so distressed these past two days he hasn’t even eaten properly.”

“Mom, please don’t scold him anymore. If Sis still won’t forgive Big Brother, let her take it out on me instead. She can hit me or yell at me—I’ll take it.”

As she spoke, Jasmin began to sob pitifully.

Amanda immediately embraced her younger daughter. “Alright, alright. Sheena isn’t the type to hold grudges. She’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

No one noticed that Sheena, lying in the hospital bed, had already opened her eyes. She watched the scene before her with icy indifference.

The next day, Sheena was discharged from the hospital.

Although the doctor had advised her to stay two more days, the following day was the Wilson family’s final deadline.

Amanda arranged for her discharge. Initially, she planned to personally pick up Sheena, but as she was about to leave, Jasmin clung to her arm.

“Mom, you promised to take me to get my dress tailored today. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?” Jasmin pouted.

“But I also promised Sheena I’d pick her up today,” Amanda hesitated.

Knowing Sheena was leaving for the Wilson family the next day, Amanda felt a twinge of guilt.

“But this dress is being custom-made by a master designer I worked so hard to find...” Jasmin’s eyes turned red as she continued, “You always kept your promises to me before. Is it because Sis is back that I’ve become less important to you?”

“If that’s the case, then I’ll just leave. After all, Sis tried to abandon me in the woods back then.”

At the mention of the past, Amanda’s expression darkened. She casually instructed the driver to pick up Sheena later before leaving with Jasmin.

The Brooks family’s driver, a shrewd man, had long noticed Sheena’s low status in the household. After receiving a subtle hint from Jasmin, he didn’t bother to go to the hospital that afternoon.

Sheena waited at the hospital entrance for three hours. Finally, with a bitter smile, she muttered to herself in self-mockery, "As expected."

She had already known this would happen. After all, tomorrow she would be sent to the Wilson family, never to return.

As she was about to hail a cab, a car pulled up in front of her.

Travis stepped out from the driver’s seat. When he saw Sheena, he barely recognized her.

In just three days, how had Sheena become so frail?

“Sheena, what happened? Why are you coming out of the hospital? No wonder I couldn’t find you at the Brooks house,” he said, his voice filled with worry.

“Do you know how scared I was when I couldn’t find you? I almost called the police.”

Chapter 8

Through the car window, Sheena noticed a cake box sitting on the passenger seat.

It was vanilla-flavored, Jasmin’s favorite.

She had heard that cakes from that bakery needed to be pre-ordered a week in advance. Once, Sheena had paused outside its window, admiring the cakes on display.

But Travis had dismissed her interest at that time, saying, “There’s nothing special about that bakery. They just use advance bookings as a marketing gimmick to attract customers. If you want cake, I’ll take you to the shop next door—they have ready-made ones.”

In the end, Sheena hadn’t bought any cake at all.

Now, she realized that while the bakery might not have been special, people certainly could be.

She wasn’t special enough—not even for a simple cake.

“Sheena, Sheena?”

When she didn’t respond, Travis frowned impatiently. “If I’ve come looking for you, it means I’ve already forgiven you for what happened last time. You should know when to back down.”

Seeing that she wasn't responding, Travis dragged her inside the car. His expression remained sour.

Since their last unpleasant encounter, he had been waiting for her to lower her head and apologize. After all, that was what Sheena always did in the past. But this time, three days had passed without so much as a phone call or a text.

An unexplainable unease crept over him, as though something precious was slipping away from his grasp.

He went to the Brooks family house, needing to see her in person, convinced that her presence would calm his inexplicable sense of alarm.

Yet, she wasn’t there, and even the servants claimed they didn’t know where she had gone.

Desperate, Travis drove through every street in the city until he finally spotted her outside the hospital.

Now, glancing at her through the rearview mirror, he felt some relief. As long as Sheena was within arm’s reach, the alarm bells in his mind seemed to quiet.

But during the drive, Sheena remained silent, not saying a single word.

That was simply impossible in the past.

The uneasy feeling surged again. Travis abruptly stepped on the brakes, stopping the car in the middle of the road.

Although the route to the Brooks family villa was usually empty, Sheena was startled. She instinctively grabbed his sleeve.

Seeing her still clinging to him, Travis’s panic melted into satisfaction.

But he masked his emotions, keeping his tone distant and commanding as he said, “Since you know you were wrong, you should give that account to Jasmin.”

Sheena immediately understood why Travis had come looking for her.

Since childhood, Sheena had loved drawing. Even after being sent to the countryside, where she could no longer afford lessons or art supplies, she practiced every day with a pencil.

To keep herself motivated, she created a social media account called “Rose,” where she posted all her work.

Her unique technique and style quickly gained her large followers, and even the internationally renowned Gideon Bowen extended her an invitation.

Gideon was a towering figure in the art world, and his invitation was practically a declaration of his intention to take her as his last student.

But before Sheena could even respond to him, Jasmin cried and said she wanted to study under Gideon as well.

Of course, someone like Gideon wouldn’t accept just anyone.

Chapter 9

Despite the Brooks family spending a significant amount of money, they still couldn't persuade Gideon to relent. Initially, Sheena assumed Jasmin would back down, but to her surprise, Jasmin took an unexpected turn—she convinced Travis to step in as a negotiator!

Meanwhile, Travis continued speaking without regard to her feelings. “Anyway, your account is anonymous. If you just give it to Jasmin, Gideon will definitely take her as his student.”

“Jasmin has great talent in painting, and if she learns from Gideon, she’ll definitely become a world-renowned artist in the future!”

Seeing the pride unconsciously shining on Travis’s face, Sheena couldn’t help but ask, “And what about me?”

Gideon hadn’t taken a student in decades, and this was practically her only chance. If she missed it, she doubted there would ever be another.

“You?” Travis looked at Sheena with a puzzled expression. “I’ve already promised to marry you. You’ll be my wife in the future. What more do you want?”

Sheena felt as though she had heard the greatest joke. Scoffing, she spat, “Impossible!”

Her firm tone made Travis momentarily pause. “What did you say?”

“I won’t give my account to Jasmin!” Sheena retorted.

Looking into her eyes, which seemed almost filled with hatred, an unexplained anger flared up inside Travis. “Sheena, let me tell you, I know all your account passwords. So, whether you want to or not, you’ll give it up!”

In the past, there had been no secrets between Sheena and Travis, including the password for the “Rose” account.

But the closeness they once shared now felt like a sharp thorn, driving directly into Sheena’s chest.

Furious, Travis pulled over and shoved Sheena out of the car without warning.

“You should reflect on yourself!” he snarled.

He left her on the mountain road, even forcefully smashing her phone on the ground.

There was hardly anyone around, and Sheena couldn’t get a taxi. She had no choice but to drag her injured leg and run toward the Brooks family villa.

She knew she had to change the “Rose” account password before Travis could.

But in the darkness, the pain was so intense that she could barely walk. She fell to the ground after only a few steps.

Her body screamed in agony, but Sheena ignored it, pushing herself forward with all her might.

How long she crawled, she didn’t know, but when she was finally exhausted, she made it back to the villa just as dawn broke.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

The servants were excitedly discussing how the Brooks family's young miss had been officially accepted as a student by Gideon, marveling that the Brooks family was about to have a world-class artist.

Sheena grabbed their phones and discovered that last night, Jasmin had logged into her “Rose” account and posted a video thanking Gideon.

The fans were cheering, praising Jasmin not only for her exceptional talent in painting but also for her good looks. They tagged Gideon, urging him to take Jasmin as his last student.

And just ten minutes ago, Gideon had posted a formal invitation to accept her as his student.

Sheena felt her heart shatter into countless pieces, beyond repair.

Stephen was the first to see her, collapsed on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. But he averted his eyes, unable to meet her gaze.

Soon, Amanda came over.

She had originally intended to scold Sheena for being missing all night, but upon seeing her pale, disheveled face, she was struck speechless.

Sheena looked at them, and asked in trembling voice, “You both knew about Jasmin using my account, didn’t you?”

Neither Amanda nor Stephen spoke, but their expressions were both unnaturally stiff.

Sheena wiped away her tears and limped back to her room. On the way, Amanda reached out as if to support her, but Sheena subtly avoided her touch.

In the past, Sheena would have been happy just to be close to Amanda.

Stephen furrowed his brow, wanting to say something, but Amanda stopped him.

They silently watched as Sheena packed her belongings.

It was only at that moment that they realized how shockingly few things Sheena had.

A wave of sorrow swept over Amanda’s heart.

Stephen snatched Sheena's suitcase and spoke awkwardly, “Why are you bringing these old, tattered clothes? When you come back, I’ll take you shopping for new ones.”

“Let go.” Sheena’s voice was so cold that Stephen actually released his grip.

After finishing her packing, Sheena took out two documents and handed one to Amanda.

“This is a severance agreement,” she intoned coldly. “After leaving the Brooks family, I will sever my ties with you and no longer carry the Brooks family name. Please sign it.”

Amanda’s face instantly turned pale, and she instinctively refused.

Stephen stormed over and shouted, “Sheena, what are you doing? It’s just a little punishment for Jasmin! Do you really need to go this far?”

“If you don’t sign, I won’t go to the Wilson family. I think—” She trailed off, her voice carried a hint of sarcasm. “The Wilson family’s car should be waiting outside by now, right?”

At that moment, Jasmin suddenly appeared from somewhere, throwing herself at Amanda’s arms as she cried, “Mom, how can you bear to send me to the Wilson family for punishment?”

Christopher also entered the room with a cold face. He snatched the severance agreement from Sheena’s hands and signed it without hesitation.

“We're just asking you to do your sister a favor, yet you’re causing such a scene over something so trivial. I really don’t think you deserve to carry the Brooks name!”

Sheena immediately handed over the second document. “This is my letter of annulment for the engagement with the Flores family. Please give this along with the necklace to Travis.”

This time, Jasmin eagerly took the letter. “Don’t worry, Sis. I’ll make sure to deliver it to Travis.”

Sheena withdrew her hand, grabbed her luggage, and walked out without a second glance.

As she got into the Wilson family’s car, she took one last look at the Brooks family.

Whether she lived or died, she would never return to them.