Chapter 5

"Ellie... they said you're a thief... they stomped on my drawing board... and they held me in the sink..."

On the phone, my fourteen-year-old brother, Leo, was sobbing uncontrollably. In the background, there were sharp jeers and the sound of things smashing.

My mind went blank. I dropped the box and ran like a madwoman to flag down a taxi.

By the time I reached the special education school, the sky had turned gloomy. The school entrance was blocked, swarming with influencers who had descended from every corner of the city, drawn by the scent of blood. Seven or eight blinding ring lights were pointed at the school gate.

"Everyone, look closely! This is the crazy brother of that fifty-million-dollar pink diamond thief!" A yellow-haired influencer held a selfie stick, almost shoving his phone into Leo's eyes. "To raise such a scoundrel, this little psycho must be rotten to the core too!"

The school's security guard was sweating profusely, trying to block the cameras. "Stop filming! The child is innocent!"

"Hey, what the heck! The old man dares to hit me?!" The yellow-haired influencer shrieked dramatically, then grabbed a cup of sour milk tea from a nearby trash can and violently slammed it onto Leo's head.

Sticky tapioca pearls and sour milk tea dripped down Leo's face. Leo cowered in the corner, clutching his head, trembling all over, letting out unconscious screams. It was a sign of his condition acting up.

My eyes instantly turned red. I charged into the crowd, grabbed the yellow-haired influencer by the collar, and shoved him hard.

"Get out! Who gave you permission to cause trouble here!" I stood in front of Leo, like a protective mother wolf.

"The main culprit is here! Guys, quick, film her!" All cameras instantly swiveled, pointing at me. The flashing lights made it impossible to open my eyes.

Just then, the screeching roar of a sports car tore through the commotion. A black Rolls-Royce drove directly onto the sidewalk, stopping at the school gate. The crowd automatically parted.

The car door sprang open. Ethan, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, his leather shoes spotless, stepped out. Chloe clung to his arm, looking like a helpless bird. She carried a brand-new Hermès Himalaya bag, its perfume scent overpowering the sour smell in the air.

"Eleanor, you won't believe it until it's staring you in the face, will you?" Ethan walked up to me. He pulled a black card from his suit's inner pocket, holding it between two fingers, disdainfully swaying it in the air. "Inside here is a million dollars."

He gestured to the ground with his chin. "Now, kneel down."

"Kowtow three times to Chloe and say you were wrong, that you shouldn't have thrown dirt on her name."

"Then I'll give you this money, as if charity to a beggar, for your mother's surgery and to treat your foolish brother."

The surrounding influencers, as if on drugs, furiously pressed their camera shutters. Leo cried out in fear, clutching my shirt corner tightly.

I pulled Leo behind me. I turned, staring fixedly at Ethan. The hatred in my eyes was almost palpable.

"Ethan, you think a bit of money can help you manipulate everything?" I gritted my teeth, enunciating each word. "Your dear sister right here knows better than anyone where that fifty-million-dollar pink diamond went."

Ethan took a step forward. He grabbed my chin tightly, with so much force it almost crushed my jawbone.

"Eleanor, I'm warning you for the last time." His eyes were menacing. "Dare to bite Chloe again, and I'll make sure your whole family can't survive in New York."

He disgustedly pushed my face away. He took a wet wipe Chloe offered him, carefully cleaning his fingers as if he had touched some disgusting virus. When he finished, he crumpled the wipe into a ball and threw it at my face.

"Tomorrow, the industry-wide blacklist will be sent to every company."

"Let's go."

The sports car roared away, leaving a trail of exhaust and the influencers' unrestrained mockery.