Chapter 1 — The Woman They Should Never Have Touched

Nobody moved.

Hundreds of guests stood frozen as the final steel barrier locked into place.

The heir of the Blackwood family stumbled backward.

"What... what is this?"

His voice no longer carried arrogance.

Only panic.

I calmly removed the diamond earrings from my ears and placed them on a nearby table.

"They're bulletproof."

Several people frowned.

"What?"

"The walls."

I looked around the ballroom.

"The doors."

"The windows."

"The security system."

"This entire estate."

"It doesn't belong to your family."

A murmur spread through the crowd.

Damien Blackwood laughed nervously.

"Stop lying."

"My father donated this mansion years ago."

I smiled.

"He donated the ballroom."

"Not the estate."

Every face turned toward the massive staircase.

Footsteps echoed.

Slow.

Measured.

Heavy.

More than fifty armed security officers entered in perfect formation.

None of them wore Blackwood insignias.

Instead...

Each uniform displayed a silver phoenix.

Every officer stopped simultaneously.

Then saluted.

"Welcome home, Chairwoman Carter."

The ballroom erupted.

Chairwoman?

Impossible.

Damien's face turned white.

"No..."

"No, that's impossible..."

I stepped forward.

"My name isn't Emily Foster."

"I've been using my mother's maiden name."

"My legal name..."

I paused.

"...is Emily Carter."

Silence.

Everyone in the city knew that name.

The Carter family owned Carter Global Holdings.

Banks.

Hospitals.

Shipping ports.

Telecommunications.

Even the land beneath this estate.

Damien suddenly remembered something.

Five years ago...

The Carter heiress had disappeared from public life.

No interviews.

No photographs.

No public appearances.

No one knew where she had gone.

Because she had been living beside the very people who believed she was powerless.

Watching.

Waiting.

Collecting evidence.

Then I looked directly into Damien's terrified eyes.

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