Chapter 1 Release
1/8
In Orley, the iron gates of the prison creaked open slowly, and sunlight spilled onto Aurora Elvador’s pale, gaunt face.
The clothes that once fit her perfectly now hung loosely on her frail frame.
After enduring five long, dark years behind those cold walls, her sentence was finally over.
Aurora limped out of the prison, dragging her leg behind her.
Her steps dragged painfully, each movement a deliberate struggle despite her best efforts. A
black Bentley idled by the roadside, its tinted window gliding down to reveal a man with sharp, angular features.
His dark eyes fixed on her injured leg, and a contemptuous snort broke the silence. “Five years in prison,” he said, voice dripping with derision, “and you’re still all about the theatrics.”
A sharp pain stabbed at Aurora’s heart. Her throat tightened, her eyes burning.
The man was Barnett Elvador.
He was her older brother by blood.
Chapter 1 Release
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Years ago, when fifteen–year–old Aurora joined the Elvador family from the orphanage, her desperate attempts to win his affection went unrewarded. Instead, he betrayed her, fabricating evidence that led to her conviction for attempted murder–all to protect Bertha, his adopted sister.
His tone, dripping with sarcasm even after five years, made his loathing for her unmistakable.
Aurora swallowed the bitter ache in her chest, pretending not to notice Barnett and continuing to limp forward.
Barnett’s expression froze.
He hadn’t expected to be ignored.
This cold reception jarred against his memories of Aurora, who had always been eager to please.
She’d greet him with his slippers, soothe his tired shoulders with massages, and bring hot drinks during his sleepless nights. Even on his busiest days, she’d brave any weather to deliver hot meals to his office, waiting patiently outside..
During her three years with the Elvador family, her attentive. care had eased his chronic stomach troubles. But since her imprisonment, searing pain frequently jolted him awake in the dead of night.
When he learned she was being released, he had felt an unexpected flicker of joy. He even canceled an international meeting just to come and pick her up.
Chapter 1 Release
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He thought she would be overjoyed to see him. He had even prepared himself to hear her pour out the grievances of the past five years.
He hadn’t anticipated he would face her cold indifference.
The admiration in her eyes was gone, replaced by a distant aloofness.
The unfamiliarity of it left an emptiness in his chest. Frustrated, he tightened his grip on the steering wheel, veins bulging on the back of his hand.
“Get in the car,” he snapped, then immediately regretted his harshness. Frowning, he softened his tone. “Dad and Mom know you’re out today. arranged a welcome banquet for you.”
C
Aurora froze at his words.
The words “Dad and Mom” ignited an unwelcome surge of irritation within her.
Growing up in the orphanage, she’d dreamed of parents. who would shower her with love. For fifteen years, she had waited and hoped, until finally her wish seemed to come true -complete with a father, mother, and a tall, handsome CEO brother.
But their love wasn’t meant for her. It belonged solely to their adopted daughter, Bertha Elvador.
Chapter 1 Release
The parents she’d longed for existed only in name; in reality, they belonged wholly to Barnett and Bertha.
The irony of it all cut deep.
4/8
Three years of enduring their icy stares and quiet humiliations had taught her where she stood. Why return to a house where she’d never been anything but unwelcome?
Her steps were slow but determined.
Barnett’s irritation blazed into anger at her indifference and retreat. He flung the car door open and closed the distance. between them in swift strides. His hand shot out, fingers clamping around her wrist as he yanked her backward. “Enough of this nonsense!”
Caught off balance, Aurora fell hard to the ground. Pain shot through her injured leg, leaving her face ashen.
“Playing the victim now, are you?” Barnett’s voice turned harsh. “Let me refresh your memory. You pushed Camille down those stairs, left her in a coma, then tried to pin it on Bertha. Five years behind bars and you still haven’t learned your lesson?”
He yanked her to her feet, contempt lacing his words. “Don’t think serving time makes everything okay. Until Camille wakes up, you’re not off the hook. And you still own Bertha an apology!”
His jaw clenched. “Get in the car. I won’t ask again.”
Chapter 1 Release
Aurora found his words laughable.
5/8
Despite her countless explanations that Bertha, not she, had pushed Camille Sherwood, no one believed her. Everyone, including her own blood family, chose to trust Bertha’s lies over
her truth.
Now she recognized her mistakes. Returning to that family had been the first; yearning for love that was never meant for her had been the greatest.
She’d understood her mistake.
Now was the time to make everything right.
She wanted to leave. To get as far away as possible. To never again fight for her family’s affection. To never again stand in their way.
She couldn’t understand why Barnett was forcing her to stay.
Aurora wrenched her wrist free and stepped back, putting distance between them.
The contrast with her former self–clingy and desperate to please–made this defiance unbearable.
Barnett fought to control his voice, softening it. “Come home with me.”
Her downcast eyes and vacant expression, a complete refusal to acknowledge him, demolished the last fragments of his patience.
Chapter 1 Release
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His fury boiled over. Prison hadn’t tamed her spirit; if anything, those five years had only hardened her resolve.
Just as his control threatened to snap, a gentle voice cut through the tension.
“Aurora.”
She froze, her long–numbed heart suddenly wrenching at the sound. Five years had passed, yet that voice was unmistakable -how could she not recognize it? This was the man she’d grown up with.
A pair of polished leather shoes came into view, catching her attention. Above her, Hubery Winston’s deep, resonant voice broke the silence. “Aurora, congratulations on your freedom.”
Had anyone else spoken those words, she might have offered a polite “thank you” in return. But coming from Hubery, they felt like nails on a chalkboard, grating and unbearable.
They had grown up together, as close as siblings. When Hubery became a lawyer, his very first case had been defending Bertha, a case that ultimately led to Aurora’s conviction.
Before the trial, he had pleaded with her, “Aurora, Bertha has never faced a day of hardship in her life. She wouldn’t survive prison. Can you take the blame for her?”
In his eyes, Bertha was too fragile to endure the consequences, so he had asked Aurora to shoulder the burden instead.
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Aurora never understood his reasoning. Just because she was accustomed to hardship didn’t mean she deserved it.
Sending the Elvador family’s daughter to prison had launched Hubery’s career.
Five years ago, he had been a fresh–faced law graduate. Now, he was one of Orley’s most renowned lawyers, exuding an air of polished sophistication.
They had once been inseparable, growing up together in the same orphanage. Though not bound by blood, their bond had been stronger than that of siblings. When others in the orphanage had bullied her, Hubery had always been there to defend her.
He had even made her a solemn promise: “As long as I’m here, no one will make you suffer.”
He had vowed to become a lawyer so he could protect her. But when Bertha hurt her–time and time again–Hubery had dismissed her pain, chalking it up to her being too sensitive. “Bertha isn’t like that,” he would insist.
And when the time came, it was Hubery who had chose to side with the one who wronged her. It was Hubery who had sent her to prison.
The silence stretched unbearably.
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The smile on Hubery’s face faltered, but he forced himself to keep it. Extending a hand, he said, “Aurora, I came to pick you
up
Before he could finish, Aurora abruptly turned to Barnett.
“Didn’t you say we were going home? Let’s go.”
