Chapter 2The Trust Fund Diagnosis

William studied me, a sadistic excitement creeping onto his handsome, refined features.

"What an unexpected delight."

He began walking toward me.

"Don't touch her!"

My father, Robert, let out a raw, desperate roar.

My seven brothers, their eyes blazing red, all struggled violently to break free and attack him.

But the bodyguards held them down effortlessly.

My mother suddenly threw herself in front of William, dropping hard to her knees.

She sobbed, her voice trembling:

"Mr. DuPont, I'm begging you, my two daughters are so young..."

William impatiently kicked my mother aside.

Chloe suddenly lunged forward like a madwoman.

She spread her arms wide, shielding me completely.

"I'll go with you!"

Her voice was thick with tears.

"I'll go back to Europe with you."

"Let my family go."

"Let my sister go!"

William stopped in his tracks, the smirk on his face growing wider.

He turned his head, utterly amused.

My father, Robert, his eyes bleeding red with fury, roared in agony:

"Chloe! Step back right now!"

"The men of the Sterling family are not all dead yet!"

"It is not your place, as a young girl, to sacrifice your life for us!"

My mother was sobbing uncontrollably, gripping Chloe's arm with a death grip.

But Chloe slowly, firmly pried my mother's fingers away.

She turned her head, looking at our parents, the tears finally overflowing.

"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry."

"I was never the biological daughter of the Sterling family."

"I occupied my sister's place for over a decade. I stole over a decade of the love that was meant for her."

"I should have given this life back to the Sterling family a long time ago."

I stared at her frail, trembling back.

And somewhere deep inside, a cold, frozen corner of my heart took a massive, heavy hit.

Three years ago, on my very first night back in the Sterling house.

Chloe, her eyes red and puffy.

Used clumsy, heavily practiced sign language to tell me:

"Sister, I am so sorry."

"I will protect you with my life."

For three years, she had kept that promise.

Even if someone just dared to give me a funny look.

She would bristle like a furious cat and stand fiercely in front of me.

Just like she was doing right now.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

William laughed uproariously, clapping his hands in genuine entertainment.

"Brilliant!"

"Absolutely touching!"

William turned to look at my father.

"Look at this profound family devotion."

"Well then, I'll just take both of these girls back to Europe and lock them in the dog kennels on my estate."

"Especially the little mute one. Watching her desperately sign for help is going to be incredibly entertaining."

With that, William threw his head back and laughed maniacally.

I raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.

This foreign aristocrat... he's got some really sick kinks, doesn't he?

Right at that moment, chaos erupted.

My youngest brother, Julian, who was closest to William.

Violently bucked the bodyguard holding him down.

He snatched a jagged, broken piece of glass from the shattered coffee table.

He launched himself into the air like a cornered leopard.

And tackled William from behind, wrapping his arm in a lethal chokehold around his neck.

The razor-sharp edge of the glass was instantly pressed directly against William's carotid artery.

"Nobody move!"

Julian's eyes were wild and bloodshot.

"Tell your men to drop their guns!"

"Or I swear to God, I will slit your throat right now!"