We had finally found two young girls who could potentially be our long-lost daughter. One of them looked remarkably like me, possessing my exact eyes and nose. Yet, when the DNA test results came back, they declared that the other girl was my biological child. As I stood there, utterly paralyzed by confusion, a strange, glowing feed of scrolling text comments suddenly materialized in front of my eyes: [Oh my god, the male lead is so romantic! To protect the female lead from suffering, he regressed and swapped her blood sample with the supporting girl's. Now the female lead gets to be his pampered "little sister." I am absolutely living for this!] [It's a little unfair to the real daughter, though. She was so close to finally being reunited with her real parents.] [Who cares? The vicious supporting girl spent her entire past life targeting the female lead and did everything she could to keep the main couple apart. She deserves this.] My ten-year-old son, Lucas, pointed a finger at the little girl who shared my features, his face twisted in disgust. "Mom, since she isn't my sister, throw her back to St. Jude's immediately. I hate her!" Beside him, my husband, Richard, nodded in agreement. "He has a point. We should send her back as soon as possible." 1 The moment my son, Lucas, gestured for the security guard to drag our biological daughter away, I raised my voice. "Wait!" Richard, my husband, looked at me with a frown of confusion. "Eleanor, what's wrong?" I lifted the crisp paper of the DNA report in my hand. "Are you absolutely certain there are no mistakes in this document?" Richard nodded without a second of hesitation. "Of course, sweetheart. I had Assistant Davis personally guard the lab. He brought the results straight to me the second they were printed. No one else even laid a finger on the files." I slowly shifted my gaze, locking onto Lucas, my ten-year-old son. "And the blood samples?" Lucas kept his expression perfectly calm, but I caught the briefest, guilt-ridden flicker of panic in his eyes before he looked away. Richard let out a soft laugh, completely oblivious. "Dr. Collins drew the blood himself, didn't he? There is no room for error. Eleanor, I know you think Lily looks like you, but a resemblance doesn't automatically mean a blood relation." "Sometimes, two completely unrelated strangers can look identical. Science doesn't lie, sweetheart. We have to trust the test." Standing beside him, the little girl the report claimed was our daughter, Fiona, looked up at me. Her eyes were wide, swimming with tears as she whimpered, "Does Mommy not like me?" I looked down at Fiona, an instinctive knot of disgust tightening in my chest. I couldn't explain it, but her innocent, wide-eyed look felt deeply calculated, harboring a malice that didn't belong to a child her age. It was this gut feeling that made the test results feel so utterly repulsive and wrong. Seeing Fiona on the verge of tears, Richard immediately knelt down to comfort her. "Fiona, sweetheart, Mommy doesn't dislike you. She is just adjusting. Give her some time." Fiona nodded meekly, her lower lip trembling. "Fiona will be a good girl. I'll make Mommy love me." Richard’s heart melted, and he scooped her into his arms. "You are such a sweet girl." Fiona buried her face in Richard’s shoulder, pretending to cry, but a strange, glowing chat feed suddenly materialized in front of my eyes, scrolling with floating comments: Wait, is the female lead acting too? Did she regress as well? Looks like she did! Double regression! This is getting good, haha! A cold sneer formed in my mind. She knew she wasn't my daughter, yet she was actively pretending to be. What a rotten, deceptive child. No wonder my maternal instincts recoiled from her. Lucas pointed a finger at the other little girl, the one who possessed my exact eyes and nose, and spoke with pure disgust. "Mom, I told you I hate her. Can we please throw her back to the children's home already?" Suppressing the urge to slap my own son, I ignored him and knelt in front of the quiet, trembling girl. "Lily, would you like to come with me?" The anxious little girl looked at me with wide, cautious eyes before nodding softly. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you." She clearly thought I was driving her back to the orphanage. I didn't correct her just yet. I took her small, cold hand in mine and led her out toward the garage. 2 Once we were safely inside the car, I turned down the radio and looked at her. "Lily, would you be willing to do another DNA test with me?" Lily blinked, her voice barely a whisper. "Ma'am... aren't you taking me back to St. Jude's?" I shook my head, offering a gentle smile. "No. We're going to a private clinic. We are doing another test." I loved this little girl the moment I saw her. Even if the results came back negative, I had already decided I would never let her go back to that cold children's home. Lily didn't quite understand, but she nodded trustingly. The floating chat in my vision flashed again: Oh my god! The male lead's mom is doing another test? Is his plan going to fail? Why is his mom so annoying? She hated the female lead in her past life too. Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are natural enemies! I have always been a highly rational woman. If I despised Fiona, it wasn't because of some cosmic mother-in-law rivalry. It was simply because Fiona was a wretched, deceptive creature. An hour later, I had Lily at an independent, highly secure diagnostic center, requesting an expedited test. I didn't trust a single soul in my household anymore. To prevent anyone from tampering with the vials, I sat in the waiting room with Lily, refusing to leave until the paper was in my hand. Two hours in, Richard called my phone. "Eleanor, when are you coming home? Fiona is waiting for you so we can have dinner." "I have some business to take care of," I replied, my voice flat. "Eat without me." Richard let out a disappointed sigh. "Alright, but don't stay out too late. Fiona misses you." I hung up and looked at Lily, who was watching me with a worried expression. "Ma'am... the first test couldn't have been wrong." "Our resemblance is probably just a coincidence. You shouldn't waste your time and money on me." I reached out and gently ruffled her soft hair. "We'll know the truth soon enough. I ordered some takeout. Let's eat first." Lily nodded obediently. After another three hours of agonizing waiting, the technician finally stepped out with the sealed envelope. There was no surprise. The biological probability of maternity was 99.99 percent. Lily was my daughter. I pulled my little girl into my arms, my tears flowing freely as I squeezed her tight. Lily froze in shock, her small arms hanging by her sides before she slowly wrapped them around my neck, whispering a single, tentative word. "Mommy..." "I'm here, baby," I choked out through my sobs. "Mommy finally found you." The glowing comments in my vision updated rapidly: This isn't how the plot was supposed to go. Lucas's plan completely failed. It's fine. Even if his mom doesn't accept the female lead, Lucas is a regressor. He won't just let his beloved Fiona suffer in an orphanage. But Lucas is only ten right now. He doesn't have the power to challenge his mother. Don't worry. He's a regressed male lead. He's not weak. He will eliminate all obstacles in his path, including his own mother and biological sister! I let out a silent, icy laugh. I wanted to see exactly how my own flesh and blood planned to "eliminate" his mother and sister for the sake of an outsider. 3 Both Richard and I were incredibly busy running our respective companies. When Lily was only three months old, a group of human traffickers had snatched her right out of her nanny's arms during a walk in the park. They had sold her to a wealthy, infertile couple, but the moment that couple miraculously conceived their own child, they abandoned Lily on the streets. For seven long years, we had searched every corner of the country. It was only two weeks ago that we finally traced her file to St. Jude's Home. Once my emotions settled, I took Lily’s hand and drove back to our estate. The moment we walked through the front door, the atmosphere in the living room turned frigid. Richard, Lucas, and Fiona stared at us with deep disapproval. Fiona's eyes immediately welled with tears, looking as if I had personally insulted her. Lucas’s face contorted with rage, and he pointed a finger at Lily, shouting, "Mom! Why did you bring that garbage back here? You were supposed to drop her off at the orphanage!" Richard stood up, looking at me with a patronizing sigh. "Eleanor, I know you have a soft spot for Lily because she looks like you. But the test was clear. Fiona is our flesh and blood." "You can't let your stubbornness hurt our real daughter's feelings." I didn't spare Richard a glance. Instead, I stared directly into my son’s eyes, watching the dark hatred swirling in his gaze. "Lily is my daughter. She is your biological sister. Why shouldn't I bring her home?" A flash of sheer panic crossed Lucas's face, but he quickly masked it with indignation. "You've lost your mind, Mom! She isn't my sister! Fiona is!" I let out a slow, mocking laugh. "Is that so?" Lucas’s confidence began to crumble, his voice shaking slightly. "Of course it's true." Richard looked back and forth between us, utterly confused. "Eleanor, what is going to go on here?" I pulled the fresh DNA report from my bag and slammed it against Richard’s chest. "See for yourself!" Lucas gasped, his voice cracking. "You did another test?!" Fiona’s face went pale, and she instinctively shrank behind Lucas’s shoulder. Richard opened the envelope with trembling hands, his eyes scanning the document. "This... how is this possible?" "How?" I sneered. "Why don't you ask your brilliant son?" Richard turned a furious gaze toward Lucas. "Lucas! What did you do?" Realizing his scheme had been exposed, Lucas dropped all pretense of innocence, glaring at Lily with pure malice. "I swapped the blood samples! I hate her! I don't want a pathetic loser like her to be my sister!" Lily shrank back in terror at his outburst. I immediately wrapped my arms around her, pressing her head against my chest to shield her. Richard roared, "You little brat! Lily is your sister! Even if you like Fiona, how dare you tamper with a medical test?" Lucas didn't show a single ounce of remorse. "I don't care! I will never acknowledge her as my sister!" He grabbed Fiona’s hand and stormed up the stairs, slamming his bedroom door. Richard was shaking with rage. "That ungrateful little..." The floating comments scrolled by: Are they really going to send the female lead back to the orphanage now? Please, no! My poor baby Fiona shouldn't have to suffer! Lucas won't let her. Any suffering she faces will only be temporary. The male lead's mother is so repulsive. I hope she and the vicious sister get written out of the script soon. 4 Richard felt incredibly guilty for nearly abandoning our real daughter. He held Lily in his arms, weeping as he apologized over and over. I was furious with his lack of oversight, but seeing his genuine remorse, I only scolded him a few times before letting it go. "It's almost midnight. I'm going to put Lily to bed. Go handle Fiona." If Fiona were a normal, innocent child, I wouldn't have minded adopting her. But she possessed an adult soul and a corrupted heart. I could not allow a viper to sleep under my roof. Richard sighed, nodding. "Alright." Once Lily fell asleep, I slipped out of her room and returned to our master bedroom. Richard was already waiting inside. He stood up immediately to help me off with my coat, looking deeply troubled. "Eleanor... Lucas is throwing a massive fit. He says if we send Fiona away, he's going to run away from home." "We have more than enough money. Why don't we just adopt Fiona? It's just one more mouth to feed..." I turned, my gaze freezing him in place. Richard’s posture slumped, and he let out a defeated sigh. "Fine. I'll have the driver take her back to St. Jude's tomorrow morning." "But Lucas is going to make our lives a living hell." "Let him," I said coldly. "If he wants to pack his bags and move into the children's home with her, I'll gladly pay for his cab." Today, he was willing to erase his own sister for an outsider. Tomorrow, he would be willing to destroy our entire family for her. The only thing keeping me from throwing him out of the house was the small shred of maternal instinct I had left. Richard wrapped his arms around me in a comforting hug. "He's still young, Eleanor. He's just acting on impulse. Once we sit him down and explain things, he'll realize he was wrong." I remained silent. Lucas wasn't a normal ten-year-old child. And even if he were, some souls are born rotten, beyond any saving. 5 The next morning, Richard arranged for Fiona to be sent back to St. Jude's. I expected Lucas to scream and thrash, but he remained eerily quiet. He sat at the breakfast table, staring at the floor, a dark, venomous hatred brewing in his eyes. I knew he resented both me and Lily. It was painful to see my own son look at me that way, but I had already made peace with the fact that I might have to treat him as a stranger. Because of our demanding careers, Richard and I couldn't be with Lily every second of the day. I hired two highly qualified private nannies, giving them strict instructions never to let Lily out of their sight. Although Lucas ignored Lily entirely, he didn't attempt to physically harm her. I could see that Lily desperately wanted a relationship with her older brother. She would watch him from a distance, or run to help him whenever he dropped something, only to scurry away the moment he glared at her. Lucas’s initial hostility seemed to soften slightly over the next few weeks, no longer flinching away when she stood near him. Deep down, I wanted nothing more than a peaceful, happy family. Richard was equally thrilled to see the ice between the siblings starting to melt. Three months flew by. For the school's summer festival, Richard and I cleared our schedules to spend the entire day with the kids. Lily wanted to visit the municipal aquarium, while Lucas insisted on going to an indoor rock-climbing gym. Knowing Lucas possessed an adult soul, I didn't force him to join us at the aquarium. Richard took Lucas to the gym, while I took Lily to see the marine life. At seven in the evening, I brought a exhausted, happy Lily back to the estate. As we walked up the driveway, the sound of childish laughter drifted from the open living room windows. Puzzled, Lily pushed the front door open, holding a gift she had carefully picked out for Lucas. The scene inside made us both freeze in our tracks. Richard and Lucas were running around the couch, playing a lively game of tag with a girl who shouldn't have been there... Fiona. Seeing us standing in the doorway, the laughter died down, and the three of them stopped playing. Richard offered a hesitant, nervous smile as he walked over to us. "Hey, sweetie. Did you have fun with Mommy today?" Lily clutched the gift bag tightly to her chest, nodding slowly. "Yes, Daddy." "I'm glad." Richard patted her head, then turned to look at me, his expression incredibly tense. "Eleanor, there's something we need to talk about." "A few days ago, I made a shocking discovery. Fiona's late father was actually one of my closest friends from university." "I can't bear the thought of his only child growing up in a cold orphanage. I've decided to formally adopt Fiona." The glowing comments began to scroll across my vision: The mother-in-law never saw this coming! Fiona's biological mother was actually the university goddess of the male lead's father! His tragic first love's daughter! Unbeatable! And that's not all... Fiona's real father is actually incredibly powerful! She is the secret heiress of the elite Belmont family! Eleanor and Lily aren't even worthy of wiping her shoes! Fiona is going to inherit everything. If Eleanor dares to cross her, she is dead! 6 I took a deep, steady breath, forcing down the white-hot rage that threatened to consume me. "Richard, I am going to give you two choices." "One, you send Fiona back to the children's home tonight and promise never to meddle in her life again." "Two, we get a divorce." The nervous, placating smile on Richard’s face vanished, replaced by a dark scowl. "It's just one more child in this massive house! We have the money. Why must you be so incredibly hostile toward Fiona?" "Divorce it is," I said, my voice dead calm. By choosing Fiona, he was choosing the memory of his tragic first love over his actual wife. I refused to tolerate a single speck of betrayal in my marriage. I took Lily’s hand and led her straight up the stairs to pack our bags. Half an hour later, I carried our suitcases down to the lobby, my daughter’s hand gripped firmly in mine. Lucas and Fiona watched us from the stairs, their eyes cold and indifferent. Richard blocked the exit, his face red with anger. "Eleanor, are you seriously doing this over a child?" "Do I look like I'm joking?" I replied, looking at him with utter disgust. "She is a sweet, innocent girl! What did she ever do to make you hate her this much?" My composure snapped, and a razor-sharp smile touched my lips. "If she weren't the daughter of your beloved college goddess, would you still be standing here fighting me to adopt her?" Richard froze, staring at me in utter shock and panic. Before he could stammer out a lie, I pushed past him, walking out into the cool night air with Lily. This is perfect! The main characters have finally cut ties with these two toxic women! But wait... if they actually divorce, Eleanor's pre-marital company is incredibly successful. Richard doesn't own a single share. She's going to walk away with a massive fortune. It doesn't matter. Her little company is nothing compared to the Belmont Group. Once Fiona is welcomed back into the Belmont family, she can crush Eleanor's business in a matter of seconds! The Belmonts? They were indeed one of the most powerful, elite families in the country. But Mrs. Catherine Belmont had a young son, Oliver, who was the sole, undisputed heir to their fortune. How could a secret, illegitimate daughter like Fiona ever inherit the Belmont empire? Unless... the young heir, Oliver, suffered some kind of fatal accident. I needed to find out exactly what this "accident" was, and when it was supposed to happen.
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