Chapter 3The Black Gold Princess

I stared at the three of them. From childhood, I had always shared everything good to eat, everything fun to do, with them. Over the years, my father had never shortchanged them an inch. Yet, each of them, while claiming not to want to marry me, stubbornly refused to give up their place as a candidate. They wanted to inherit the vast Hayes fortune, but they didn't want to join my family. Their hypocritical greed was truly sickening. Thankfully, heaven's mercy allowed me to see through their false faces in advance.

I let out a cold laugh, forcefully pulling my hand free from Caleb's grasp, and walked straight forward. But in a flash, Aiden fiercely grabbed me back, his voice sharp. "Apologize to Skylar!" I turned, meeting Aiden's furious gaze, and retorted coldly, "Why should I apologize to her?"

I tried to pull away from Aiden again, intending to continue walking. But Jax and Caleb instantly blocked my path, malicious intent blazing in their eyes. Skylar, seeing her moment, met my gaze with a triumphant, challenging smirk. The next moment, she suddenly said in a soft voice, "No, please don't argue with Willow because of me! It's all my fault, my fault!" Skylar, realizing her advantage, immediately fell to her knees before me, whispering, "Willow, if I've done something wrong, please tell me. Don't take it out on the three of them!" Skylar played the victim role to perfection, further highlighting my supposed arrogance and cruelty.

The three men immediately helped her up, then turned on me, their voices filled with rage. "Miss Hayes, do you think everyone is just a toy to you?" "Or do you see us as your personal pets, summoned and dismissed at your whim?!" "Today, you will apologize to Skylar!"

I bit back the tears stinging at my eyes, staring at the three of them. My mind replayed their arrival at the Hayes estate when they were just boys. Caleb, who'd been afraid of dogs, had needed my beloved golden retriever rehomed for him to feel comfortable. Jax, when he first arrived, cried secretly every night; I was the one who woke Dad up in the middle of the night to take him to the hospital when he had a fever. And Aiden, who'd been quiet and withdrawn as a child, always had me stepping in to defend him when the staff picked on him. And now, in their eyes, I had become nothing more than a vicious, spoiled brat. It was incredible how ten years of living side-by-side couldn't compare to a few manipulative words from an outsider.

My gaze, cold and detached, swept over all four of them. Then I shouted, "Butler! Are you all blind?!" I called out three times, only to find the butler and the bodyguards standing respectfully to the side, secretly watching Aiden. Over the years, Aiden had become Dad's favorite, taking over many of Hayes Corporation's assets. These staff members were always opportunistic; no doubt they already saw Aiden as the next head of the household. And I, the heiress without real power, was little more than a prop.

Just then, a voice from the staff called out, "Mr. Hayes has arrived." Aiden finally released my hand, and the three men stood respectfully behind me. Free at last, I stormed towards the door. This household clearly needed a clean-up, or it might as well be known as the Reynolds estate. But thankfully, tomorrow I would announce my engagement to Liam Sterling. And the three of them would be utterly irrelevant to my life.