Chapter 1

I was fourteen when the car took Mom and Dad.

I woke up a week later in a hospital bed, my body aching and my mind blank.

Cassandra had woken up before me.

She was the daughter of our family's maid. Her mother died giving birth to her, so my parents raised her alongside us. She lived in our mansion, went to the same school, and had a room beside mine.

She wasn't related to us by blood, but I'd always called her my sister.

Mom bought her clothes. Dad paid her tuition. When she was sick, they took care of her.

I never knew she hated me for it.

I saw the envy sometimes, whenever Mom hugged me or Dad called me sweetheart. But I never thought she'd destroy our family because of it.

That night, my parents told Cassandra that her mother's family had found her. They wanted to take her back.

Cassandra lost control.

"I don't want to go!"

She grabbed Mom's hair.

"Cassandra, stop! You're hurting me!"

"You raised me! I'm your daughter too!"

Dad tried to pull her away, but she scratched his arm.

"I'd rather die than leave this family!"

I was sitting in the back seat when the car suddenly swerved. Mom screamed and Dad shouted.

Then everything went black.

…

I woke up in white sheets.

Cassandra was already awake. Her eyes were red and watery, and her voice shook just enough to make her sound frightened.

“It was Larisse,” she told Jacob and Noah. “She went crazy in the car. She was screaming at Mom and Dad. She grabbed Mom’s hair and wouldn’t let go. She even said she wished they’d die.”

My heart dropped. “That’s not true!”

Cassandra looked at me with those innocent eyes. “I’m sorry, Larisse. I didn’t want to say anything, but they deserve to know what happened.”

“You’re lying!”

Jacob’s face twisted with anger. “Shut the fuck up, you bitch!”

I flinched. “I swear I didn’t do it! I was just sitting in the back seat. Cassandra was the one who attacked Mom. She grabbed her hair, and Dad tried to stop her!”

Noah stepped closer, his expression filled with rage. “You’re still lying?”

“I’m not!”

“You expect us to believe you after Mom and Dad are dead?” His voice shook as he stared at me.

“I didn’t!” My voice broke. “I didn’t kill them. They were my parents too. Why would I ever want them dead?”

Cassandra started crying. “Please, stop fighting. I don’t want Larisse to be punished. She’s still my sister. I just want us to stay together. We’ve already lost Mom and Dad.”

Jacob pulled her into his arms while Noah stood beside her, glaring at me. The two brothers who used to carry me on their backs now looked at me like I was some monster.

That was the day I lost everything.

Jacob made sure I understood exactly what I was to them now. “From today on, you’re not our sister. You’re a servant. You’ll work for this family until the day you die. You owe us your fucking life.”

I stared at him. “Jacob, please. I didn’t do it.”

“You should be grateful we’re letting you stay alive.”

Noah looked away from me. “I don’t want to hear another word from you.”

And Cassandra? She sat beside the window, crying quietly while my brothers comforted her.

But when they weren't looking, she wiped her tears away and smiled at me.

It was a cold, satisfied smile.

...

For ten years, I lived like I didn't exist. I scrubbed floors, cooked meals, and signed away my inheritance and everything else that belonged to me.

Meanwhile, Jacob and Noah grew into the men who took over our parents' empire. They became the mafia bosses of the Murray Syndicate and the owners of Murray Group.

Everyone feared them.

Everyone respected them.

And I was still the servant they believed had killed our parents.

Cassandra made sure they never forgot.

She learned exactly how to hurt me without ever touching me. She'd cry at the right time, act frightened whenever they entered the room, and somehow, every time something went wrong, I was always the one they blamed.

One morning, I carried a breakfast tray to Cassandra's room. She was standing near the mirror, fixing her hair.

I placed the tray on the table. “Breakfast is ready.”

She didn't even look at me. “Leave it there.”

I turned to leave, but Cassandra suddenly grabbed the tray and tipped it toward herself. Hot food splashed across her dress, and the tray crashed onto the floor.

“Ah!” she screamed. Cassandra dropped to the floor, clutching her arm. “My hand! Larisse, why did you do that?” she looked at me with tears filling her eyes. “You threw the tray at me.”

“I didn't touch you!”

The door flew open, and Jacob stormed inside. “What the fuck happened?”

Cassandra immediately started crying harder. “Larisse got angry because I told her she needed to clean the room again. She threw the breakfast at me.”

My stomach twisted. “No. She's lying. She spilled it herself.”

Jacob stared at me. “You're still doing this?”

“I swear, Jacob. I didn't touch her.”

Noah appeared behind him, his eyes going straight to Cassandra's stained dress. “Get the fuck out of here, Larisse.”

“But I didn't do anything!”

“You've been causing trouble for ten fucking years,” Noah snapped. “How many times do we have to warn you?”

“I’m telling the truth!”

Cassandra shook her head quickly. “Please don't punish her. Maybe she didn't mean to. She's probably just tired.”

I almost laughed. She was enjoying every second of this.

“You bitch,” I whispered.

Her crying stopped for half a second before she looked at my brothers. “See? She's angry at me again.”

Jacob's face hardened. “Enough.” He pointed toward the door. “Outside. Now. Dog cage.”

My heart sank. “No, Jacob. Please. Not there.”

“You heard me.”

“I’ll clean the room. I’ll clean the whole house. Just don't lock me outside. It's freezing at night.”

Noah grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the door. “You should've thought about that before you hurt Cassandra.”

“I didn't hurt her!”

My voice cracked as I struggled against him. “Please, Noah. You know me. You know I’d never hurt Mom and Dad. You know I wouldn't hurt her.”

For one second, Noah hesitated. Then Cassandra whimpered behind us. “Noah, it's okay. Let her go.”

His expression changed immediately, and he shoved me toward the hallway. “Get in the cage.”

The door slammed behind me. I sat on the cold floor outside, hugging my knees as the wind cut through my thin clothes.