Chapter 1 Chapter 1 The autumn wind was cold and biting . It was past nine at night , and outside the emergency room , Shermaine Shue leaned against the hallway wall in a thin black evening dress , her arms crossed over her chest , her posture lazy and sultry . She let out a slow yawn , looking like she was about to drift off . A nurse walking by couldn't help sneaking a glance at her and immediately got caught off guard by her beauty . Shermaine was just too gorgeous , like a siren born to steal hearts , sweet but dangerous . Her skin was flawless and radiant , and her eyes were mesmerizing . When she smiled , there was this teasing charm about her , alluring but never cheap . Her irises were a lighter shade , clear and sparkling . With a light smirk , she was the perfect mix of bold and innocent , elegant with a wild edge . She was absolutely beautiful , and the body under that evening dress had curves in all the right places , every line dripping with sex appeal . And yet , Shermaine had apparently sent a six - foot - tall guy straight into the ER . Word was , the dude ended up with a broken hand and a mild concussion . She glanced over at the nurse and caught her staring , wide - eyed and dazed . Shermaine couldn't help but chuckle , her tone playful , " Do I look good ? " Without thinking , the nurse blurted out , " You look amazing . " Shermaine's smile widened , a mix of devil - may - care cool and breathtaking beauty . Watching her pull off that combo of gorgeous and badass , the nurse felt her heart skip a beat . She thought , ' Am I seriously about to switch teams right now ? ' Just then , another woman , gentle and delicate , walked over from a different direction and spoke softly , " Shermaine , there you are . I've been looking for you everywhere ." The nurse thought , ' So her name's Shermaine . What a beautiful name . ' The other woman was wearing a white embroidered dress with a cashmere shawl draped over her shoulders . She looked extra elegant , like a pure lily blooming quietly in a world of its own . However , when she stood next to Shermaine , all her glow seemed to fade away . Shermaine glanced at the woman named Wendelyn Jean who had called her so warmly , her expression still cool . They weren't related by blood . After Shermaine was brought back into the Jean family , the two of them were sisters in name only . Shermaine had grown up an orphan , living off the kindness of strangers . She never would have dreamed that on her nineteenth birthday , a man named Ross Jean , claiming to be her older brother , would show up and tell her she was the heiress of the Jean family in Basterel . " Shermaine , come home with me , " Ross had said . Basterel had a handful of famous old - money families , and the Jeans were one of the biggest names . Shermaine had always longed for a real family , but after returning to the Jean family , she realized her parents were nothing like what she had imagined . They didn't like her at all . Instead , all their affection was still wrapped around Wendelyn , the daughter they had adopted and spoiled after losing Shermaine . Even after Shermaine came back , nothing had changed . There was never any real love left for her . Shermaine had tried to win it . But half a month later , nothing had shifted . 1/5 Chapter 1 JU May If it weren't for Ross , her brother who had brought her back and actually treated her well , Shermaine honestly wouldn't have wanted to stay a lacón longer . She figured it made sense she grew up alone . Even if she wasn't the heiress , it didn't matter to her . She didn't care . She didn't need any elit Shermaine asked lightly , " Can I go home now ? " " Not yet . Mom wants to see you , " Wendelyn said with a soft smile . " Alright , " Shermaine replied . The man Shermaine had broken the bones of was Ronnie Leeds , heir to the Leeds Group . The Leeds family held a middle - tier status in Basterel , not quite at the top , but not at the bottom either , and they had business dealings with the Jean family . Today was the day Shermaine was formally acknowledged and welcomed back into her biological family . The Jean family had thrown her a lavish , extravagant party to publicly confirm her identity . Shermaine hadn't meant to cause any trouble . It was just that Ronnie's mouth had been way too foul , and on top of that , he had tried to take advantage of her . Inside the hospital room , Ronnie lay on the bed . The moment he saw Shermaine , his face twisted , full of fear , rage , and shame . Ronnie's mother , Amira Leeds , glared at Shermaine with clear dissatisfaction , her voice sharp with the fierce protectiveness of a parent . She said sarcastically , " If I had such a vulgar daughter , even if she were my own , I wouldn't let her out in public to be a disgrace to the family . " But you Jeans are just too kindhearted for your own good , letting her loose without even teaching her basic manners ." Standing next to Amira was a woman with an air of elegance and nobility , her expression ice - cold . " Shermaine , apologize to Ronnie , " said Ruth Jean , Shermaine's mother . Hearing this , Shermaine responded flatly , " Why should I apologize ? " Just that one sentence was enough to make Ruth's face darken with barely concealed anger . She thought her biological daughter was not only unruly but also constantly stirring up trouble and causing chaos wherever she went . Ruth took a slow breath . " You hit someone . That's wrong . Come over here and apologize . " Shermaine was deeply disappointed and thought , ' As a mother , shouldn't she be asking what happened first ? Shouldn't she find out why I hit Ronnie instead of scolding me right away without even hearing the full story ? ' She said calmly , " I did hit him , but I'm not gonna apologize . " She figured Ronnie was nothing but trash . He didn't deserve an apology . Honestly , she had gone easy on him and let him off with a broken bone . " You brat , " Ruth snapped . She was famous for her gentle and elegant image in their circles , but now she raised her hand as if ready to slap Shermaine . Shermaine didn't dodge . She was about to lift her hand to block it when someone stepped in front of her , taking the furious slap for her . Wendelyn's head jerked to the side , a red mark quickly blooming across her cheek . Her voice was soft as she said , " Mom , let's just talk it out , okay ? Don't hit Shermaine . " Ruth froze for a second . When she realized she had hit Wendelyn by mistake , her anger instantly turned to worry . " You dummy , what were you thinking jumping in like that ? " Wendelyn's cheek was still flushed , but her voice stayed gentle . " Mom , even if Shermaine made some mistakes , if you talk to her nicely , she'll listen . " Ruth didn't calm down because of Wendelyn's words . In fact , seeing her slap land on Wendelyn only made her even angrier . She looked at Shermaine , her expression growing darker by the second . 2/5 20:34 Fri , 30 May G. Chapter 1 Ruth thought , ' What biological daughter ? She's nothing but a walking disaster , always here to make my life miserable ! There was nothing about Shermaine that Ruth could find even remotely satisfying . Watching all of this unfold , Shermaine gave a slight smirk and thought , ' What a damn act . She let out a cold laugh . " Wendelyn , isn't this exactly what you wanted ? " Wendelyn's checks flushed deeper as she looked up , her face full of innocent confusion . " Alright then , tell me . What exactly did I do wrong ? " Shermaine's tone wasn't harsh . It was lazy , almost casual , but she still carried that undeniable air of superiority . Wendelyn bit her lip . " You hit someone . " Shermaine's voice was still light but pressing . " Didn't I hit him because Ronnie's a piece of trash who deserved it ? " Wendelyn's eyes shifted . " Do you have any proof ? " Shermaine thought , ' Proof ? If I really wanted it , it wouldn't even be hard . ' If someone gave her a laptop , she could pull up the evidence right away . The only problem was she didn't even have a phone on her right now , let alone a computer . For a moment , Shermaine stayed silent . " There must be some misunderstanding between you two , " Wendelyn said , her voice all knowing and wise . " Shermaine , don't let your emotions get the better of you . " Shermaine looked at her with a complicated , unreadable expression . Ever since she came back home , Wendelyn had actually been resisting her presence , constantly picking at her and showing off . But Shermaine wasn't some pushover . If someone really pissed her off , she would even steal their man . Shermaine had heard Wendelyn had a big crush on someone - Joshua York , heir to the York family of Basterel . The York family was one of the city's absolute elite , They had deep roots and their descendants thrived across all kinds of industries . And as luck would have it , there was already a marriage arrangement between the Yorks and the Jeans . If Shermaine hadn't shown up , rumor had it Wendelyn would've been the one to marry Joshua . But really , it wasn't even fair to say Shermaine stole Wendelyn's fiancé . The engagement with Joshua had always been Shermaine's to begin with . Hearing Shermaine call her son trash completely set Amira off . Amira shot to her feet , shouting , " Ruth , listen to your daughter . Does that sound like anything a decent person would say ? * " If you don't give me an explanation tonight , I'll march her straight to the police . By tomorrow , everyone's gonna know the Jean family's so - called heiress is nothing but a loud , uncultured thug . A total joke . " Ruth stayed unmoved , her face cold as she made it clear she was ready to punish Shermaine . " It's my fault for raising her poorly . Do whatever you want with her , " she said as she smoothed down her clothes / " Wendy , let's go home . " Wendelyn hesitated . " But Shermaine- " " Forget her ," Ruth cut in sharply , her expression chilling . " She made this mess . Let her deal with it . " In her mind , this was exactly what Shermaine deserved for not listening to her . Wendelyn looked like she wanted to say something but ended up staying silent . She was very pleased with the outcome . She thought , ' As long as I'm here in the Jean family , Shermaine can forget about ever replacing me . She'll see soon enough that just flashing the heiress title doesn't mean people will like her . It sure as hell won't get her anywhere . ' Chapter 1 On the way back to the Jean residence , Wendelyn seemed deep in thought before asking , " Mom , do you know where things stand with the York family ? " At tonight's party , Joshua was supposed to show up , but he never did . Wendelyn figured he probably didn't take the engagement seriously at all . " With a temper like Shermaine's , there's no way the York family would ever let Joshua marry her . And an outstanding man like Joshua probably wouldn't be interested in her anyway , " Ruth said , frowning with worry . " This engagement might not hold up after all . " If the engagement fell through , it would be a huge blow to the Jean family . Wendelyn bit her lip and made her move . " Mom , you still have me , don't you ? I've loved Mr. York for years . Please help me ." After Ruth left with Wendelyn , Amira finally realized where Shermaine stood in the Jean family . Without a mornent's hesitation , she pulled out her phone and called the police . Shermaine stayed as indifferent and unbothered as ever . She figured if she had to go to the police station , so be it . She had no money on her , no phone either , so she might as well head over , borrow a computer or something , clear her name , and take back her dignity . Outside the hospital , a black Maybach rolled to a smooth stop . A man in a tailored suit stepped out . He was tall , built solid and lean , dressed to the nines , exuding a mix of maturity , wealth , and effortless grace . His face wasn't fully visible under the night sky , and a pair of gold - rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose . But even at a glance , it was obvious - he had to be devastatingly good - looking . When he walked with unhurried steps into the light , the sight of him stunned everyone nearby . His refined , handsome looks were flawless , as if he had stepped right out of a dream . There weren't many men in Basterel who had that kind of looks and presence , but among them , Joshua York was hands - down the most famous . He was the textbook definition of male perfection . And right now , it was Joshua himself . No one would've guessed that the man usually seen only in finance reports would suddenly show up at a hospital at a time like this . Joshua held his phone , his tone cool . " Grandpa , I'll keep an eye on her situation and handle it . " " Try to be a little nicer , alright ? Don't scare off my future granddaughter - in - law , " Owen York , Joshua's grandfather , reminded him from the other end of the line . " Got it . Hanging up , " Joshua said . Everyone's attention was on Joshua . No one noticed the clean - cut young man following right behind him . The man walked up and reported , " Mr. York , we found out that Ms. Shue hit Ronnie because he insulted her and tried to get handsy , thinking she was pretty . " The man was Bradley Webb , Joshua's assistant . Joshua gave a soft hum in response . Bradley glanced at the file in his hand and scoffed , " Ronnie's pathetic . He's trained in kickboxing for five years and still got knoc under three moves . " He thought , ' Five years of kickboxing , and he's basically learned nothing ' it by Ms. Shue in Bradley continued , " But Ms. Shue's situation's not great either . Ten minutes ago , Mrs. Jean already left the hospital , completely washing her hands of her . And Mrs. Leeds called the cops . They're on their way now ." Chapter 1 Su May Joshua lifted his eyes slightly and asked , " What floor is she on ? " " Eighth floor , " Bradley answered . Amira heard a knock at the door outside the hospital room and thought it was the police . But when she looked up and saw that it was actually Joshua , her expression changed instantly . She had no idea why he would be here , and she had a sinking feeling . Amira's expression shifted slightly , but she forced herself to stay calm . " Mr. York , what brings you here ? "