Chapter 1

I am the real daughter of this family. My daily pursuit is to lie on the sofa and do nothing, watch TV shows and eat takeout.

When my foster sister heard I was back,

To prove she was better than me, she and I took over two of our family's failing subsidiaries at the same time.

The words barely left her mouth when an emergency news bulletin flashed across the screen.

My old factory, which I barely remembered owning, had just been rezoned as a core development area due to new urban planning. The compensation? A staggering two hundred million dollars.

"Hazel, just look at you!" My mom, Vivian Hart, jabbed a finger at my nose, trembling with rage. "Why can't you be more like Camilla? More ambitious?"

"If you had even half of Camilla's drive, would the Hart family still be scrambling to impress the Lees?"

Beside her stood my adoptive sister, Camilla Hart, who had received an elite education since childhood.

Camilla was dressed in a designer suit, her makeup flawless, exuding an aura of polished professionalism. She was a top university graduate, fluent in four languages, the golden girl everyone admired.

Meanwhile, I was in an oversized T-shirt and shorts, about to order a huge plate of spicy shrimp takeout.

To smooth Camilla's path, Mom had signed me up for a business gala, practically dragging me out of bed. She frowned, eyeing my T-shirt.

"You're wearing *that*? You'll be a complete embarrassment to the Hart name!"

Camilla, ever so graceful, glided over. Her voice was soft, but in her hand, she held a Dior dress she'd clearly outgrown. "Mom, don't be upset. Hazel, I've only worn this Dior once. You can wear it, try not to shame the family."

Her tone was pure condescension, a charity handout.

I couldn't be bothered to argue, but Mom shoved me into the room anyway, forcing me into the ill-fitting dress.

At the gala, Camilla was the center of attention, effortlessly navigating the crowd. She could chat in fluent French with guests and engage in deep discussions with top business magnates, glass of champagne in hand.

Me? I just wanted to find an unnoticed corner to hide.

A sleazy man with a drink in hand sidled up to me, a lecherous grin on his face. "So this must be the Hart family's second daughter? Heard so much about you. Care to join me for a drink?"

I looked at him, dead serious. "Will drinking with you get me a free spicy shrimp platter?"

The entire room fell silent.

The man's face flushed crimson.

Camilla elegantly came to my rescue, yet her words made me feel utterly worthless. "My apologies, Mr. Thompson. My sister is a bit… unrefined. She grew up in the countryside, isn't used to society. Please don't mind her."

My dad, Richard Hart, looked absolutely furious. He dragged me home, cleared his throat, then slammed two documents onto the coffee table.

"These are two of the group's near-bankrupt subsidiaries. You two girls each get one. One month. Whoever can turn their company around will have a better claim to..."

He didn't finish, but his meaning was crystal clear. He looked at Camilla, his eyes full of expectation, then glanced at me, adding coldly, "I know Camilla's capabilities. What about you? What can you bring to the Hart family?"

Camilla picked up one of the files, a triumphant smirk playing on her lips. "Dad, Mom, don't worry. I won't disappoint you."

She finished, then shot a challenging look my way.

I nonchalantly picked up the other file, not even bothering to read the company name, and simply stuffed it into my pocket. "Sure, got it."

My attitude completely enraged them.

"Hazel Hart! What kind of attitude is that?! Do you have any idea how much Camilla sacrifices for this family? She raises investments, runs deals, she's running herself ragged! And you? All you do is lie here and order takeout!"

Mom's voice was shrill and piercing.

Too lazy to argue, I turned and went back to my room.