Samuel’s words stabbed mercilessly into Kylie’s heart as each word throbbed painfully. She clenched the silver needle in her hand tightly and said, “You’d better not speak too soon, Mr. Vance.” With that, she continued administering acupuncture to Vincent. Behind her, countless eyes filled with mockery and disdain fell on her. Yet she remained unfazed as her hands moved with skill and precision. After the acupuncture, she wore a prescription and handed it to a nearby housekeeper. “Follow this prescription. Get the medicine ready and give it to Mr. Vance Senior three times a day.” The housekeeper did not move and shot Kylie a look of open disdain. Kylie sighed inwardly. The fact that even the housekeepers didn’t take her seriously could show how tough her life in the Vance family would be. She had no choice but to turn to Samuel. Noticing her look, Samuel ordered in a deep voice, “Do as she says.” … Night had fallen by the time everything was settled. Though Samuel had agreed to marry Kylie, it was conditional on curing Vincent’s illness. The treatment would take time, and since she had no official status yet, she couldn’t stay at the Vance residence. The butler, Jim Wise, approached. “It’s getting late, Ms. Clark. It’s difficult to grab a cab here. Let me take you home.” “Thank you so much.” Kylie’s heart warmed. She wondered if that was Samuel’s instructions. Exhausted from the day’s events, she fell asleep as soon as she got into the car. With a bang, the black Bentley jerked violently and came to an abrupt stop. Then, it stalled. Kylie was startled awake, and a sense of unease crept into her heart. Could it be… Jim’s words confirmed her fears. “My apologies, Ms. Clark. The car seems to have broken down.” Kylie sighed helplessly, feeling both resigned and guilty. She’d always been unlucky and plagued by misfortune since childhood. Now, even the Vance family’s Bentley had fallen victim. A loose manhole cover on the road had caused the left front wheel to get stuck. Jim tried stepping on the gas pedal multiple times, but the car wouldn’t budge. “The Dale residence isn’t far from here, Jim. I’ll just walk back,” Kylie said as she stepped out of the car. It wasn’t long before she arrived at the Dale residence, a brightly lit three-story white villa. She reached out and entered the passcode for the door. “Incorrect password.” Hearing the automated voice, Kylie frowned and tried again. Again, she was informed that she’d inputted the incorrect password. She quickly understood what was going on, so instead of entering the passcode, she rang the doorbell. The housekeeper, Sara Holmes, saw her and opened the door. “Why are you only back now, Kylie? Mr. and Mrs. Dale look grim. The first thing they did after coming home was to change the door passcode and have your belongings packed up.” Sara was the only one in the Dale residence who treated her well. Kylie didn’t hide the truth. “Mr. Vance Senior is seriously ill. I used his treatment as leverage to force Samuel to marry me.” Sara’s eyes widened in shock. Her eyes were full of anger and distress as she said, “What! You know full well that he and Ms. Dale are in love; why would you do that?” Kylie didn’t explain further. She simply said, “I have my reasons.” “What reason could that be? How is it worth gambling on your future happiness? Listen to me, Kylie, forced marriages never end well. Marrying a man who doesn’t love you will only bring misery, and Mr. Vance is known to be a powerful man. “A divorce might not affect him much, but it does to you. If you end up getting divorced, what will you do then?” Just then, Adrian Dale and Euphemia descended the stairs. Adrian’s expression was gloomy as he said, “You ingrate! You had the nerve to force Mr. Vance into marriage, but not the ability to have him send you home?” Euphemia sneered and went along with his words. “Mr. Vance would never take a fancy to her. She’s just a shameless country bumpkin dreaming of marrying a prince. Just how shameless she is to steal Iris’ fiancé!” Her delicate makeup could not hide the malice on her face. “A country bumpkin? You’re my parents; if I am one, what does that make you?” A bitter smile appeared on Kylie’s lips. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides as she laughed coldly. They were her biological parents, while Iris had no blood relation to them. On the day she was born, Haven Clark secretly took her away. The hospital tried to cover up the incident by finding another baby born on the same day to replace her—that baby was Iris. Meanwhile, Haven took Kylie back to Starlight Village. Haven had given birth prematurely to a baby who died soon after. Then, she was diagnosed with a mental illness that left her unable to care for herself. If it hadn’t been for the kind-hearted Allan Musk, who’d taken her in at the sanctuary, she might’ve died of starvation or illness. When Kylie was three, Haven fell off a cliff and died. And from then on, Allan raised her in the sanctuary. … “You sharp-tongued brat! You need to be taught a lesson!” Euphemia’s expression darkened. She raised her hand and was ready to slap Kylie. But Kylie swiftly caught her wrist and flung it away. “I forced Samuel to break off his engagement and marry me, while you, out of all people, should know the reason why. If Iris hadn’t stolen my emerald bracelet, would Samuel have agreed to marry her?” The sanctuary that had taken her in was situated at the peak of Starlight Summit. It was a famous site of worship that attracted many devotees. Euphemia was one of them. Two years ago, when Iris was admitted to Tenby University, Euphemia took her to the sanctuary to offer thanks. That summer, Iris noticed the emerald bracelet on Kylie’s wrist, and they soon became friends. When Iris asked about the bracelet, Kylie truthfully told her its origins. Coincidentally, Iris and Samuel’s younger sister, Yvonne Vance, were friends. She later learned from Yvonne that Samuel had a crush—a childhood savior whom he’d given an emerald bracelet. When Iris realized Kylie’s bracelet was identical to the one Alissa owned, she stole it from Kylie and used it to climb her way into the Vance family. “So what if I took your emerald bracelet? Do you think a mere bracelet would get Samuel to marry a country bumpkin like you? “He loves me, and he’ll never believe you even if you tell him the bracelet is yours. Mr. Vance Senior is old and dying, and one day, I’ll be the lady of the Vances!” Euphemia sighed in disappointment and chimed in, “Iris is right! You grew up in the mountains with no education. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so let her have it. She’s a top student at Tenby University and a perfect match for Mr. Vance. “If the Dale family could thrive from her marriage, it’ll be a good thing for you too. But I can’t believe you don’t know what’s good for you and offended the Vance family.” The Dale family used to be an insignificant household. It was only after hooking up with the Vance family through the emerald bracelet that they’d been thriving. But now, offending the Vance family would bring disastrous consequences. After weighing the pros and cons, Adrian’s expression darkened and turned ice-cold. He roared, “You’re nothing but a jinx! If I’d known this would happen, I should never have taken you back! Get out! Leave the Dale residence at once!” A deafening bang followed. A housekeeper ruthlessly threw Kylie’s belongings outside and scattered her clothes all over the ground. Before Kylie could gather them, a black Bentley suddenly pulled up beside her.