Thessy’s expression shifted ever so slightly, narrowing at Lucian as though she were silently accusing him of crossing a line he should have never dared to step over.

Lucian, however, merely let out a low, careless chuckle.

He leaned back slightly and said, "Now that you’ve asked everything you wanted, can you leave? I want to change my clothes."

Hearing him, Thessy paused for a brief moment before nodding, her lips curling into a faint, controlled smile. "Alright," she said.

Without another word, she turned and walked away, her steps quicker than usual, almost as if she were fleeing from something unseen.

Her easy agreement caught Lucian off guard.

His brows furrowed, and he narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched her retreating figure until she disappeared beyond the door.

’That was too easy,’ he thought, a flicker of suspicion crossing his mind.

Meanwhile, Thessy returned to her room.

The moment the door shut behind her, the faint composure on her face shattered completely.

’Pretending I didn’t know... how ridiculous,’ she thought bitterly.

While she had stood there earlier, calmly asking Lucian who that girl was, as if she were clueless, the truth was she had recognized her instantly.

The moment she knew that girl, Lana, was snatching away the man she had been quietly eyeing, something inside her had snapped.

Jealousy surged through her veins like poison.

’Why is it always her?’ her thoughts burned. ’Every time I reach for something, every single good thing ends up in Lana’s hands.’

Her breathing grew uneven as anger coiled tightly in her chest.

"But not anymore," she muttered under her breath, her voice low and trembling with restrained fury.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she pulled out her phone.

Without hesitation, she sent a message to Mr. Almond and Mrs. Almond, agreeing to help them... and to protect their company.

As the message was sent, her mind drifted back, pulled into memories she had buried deep.

In truth, long before the Almond family, and even before Lana herself, had discovered anything, Thessy had already known the truth.

She had been only fifteen.

It had started with something trivial, almost laughable now.

Back then, she had wanted to prove that her so-called eldest brother was adopted. To do that, she had secretly conducted a blood test.

’Who would have thought...’ her lips trembled slightly at the memory, ’that I would be the one exposed instead?’

The results had shattered her world.

She was not their biological child.

She was a baby... switched at birth.

The moment she realized that somewhere out there existed another girl, the real daughter, the one who rightfully belonged to everything she had, jealousy consumed her completely.

That girl... Lana.

Back then, upon learning the truth, Thessy had almost rushed back to the Peterson family to reveal everything.

She still remembered that day vividly.

Just as she was about to reach, a woman in a dark, flowing cloak suddenly stepped into her path.

Annoyed, Thessy tried to bypass her, but the woman blocked her again and again, her presence eerie and persistent.

Finally, Thessy snapped, "Who are you? And why are you standing in my way?"

The cloaked woman let out a soft, almost amused chuckle.

"I know what you’re about to do," she said, her voice calm yet unsettling.

"But tell me... do you want to see what your future will look like if you reveal the truth?"

Thessy frowned, confusion flashing across her face. "What are you talking about?"

In the next moment, the cloaked woman slowly took out a crystal ball.

The surface of it shimmered faintly.

Against her better judgment, Thessy’s gaze was drawn toward it.

And then, she saw it.

The future unfolded before her eyes like a nightmare she couldn’t escape.

She saw herself bringing back the real daughter, the rightful heiress.

But instead of gratitude, there was only hatred.

The real heiress turned against her, seeking revenge for the life Thessy had lived in her place.

When Thessy tried to defend herself, the entire family sided with the real heiress.

They mocked, shamed, and abandoned her.

Her breathing grew ragged as the visions intensified.

One scene, more horrifying than the rest, burned itself into her mind, someone cutting her body apart... feeding it to dogs.

Her entire body went cold.

The crystal ball slipped slightly in her trembling hands as the vision ended.

She looked up at the cloaked woman, her voice shaking. "Is... is that the truth?"

The woman said nothing.

Her silence was answer enough.

Thessy clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms.

"No... that’s impossible," she insisted, her voice rising.

"My parents, my brothers, they’re understanding. They would never do something like that!"

The cloaked woman suddenly laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. "Understanding?" she echoed.

"You see the future with your own eyes, yet you still cling to such foolish beliefs. How amusing."

Her tone turned colder.

"The future is already in front of you, yet you act innocent... as if you’re not afraid of death at all."

Those words struck Thessy like a blow.

For a moment, she stood frozen.

Then, gritting her teeth, she muttered, "You’re just trying to confuse me."

With that, she turned and rushed back toward the mansion.

But just as she stepped inside, a strange voice echoed in her mind.

"If you don’t believe me... why not test it yourself?"

Her steps faltered. A chill ran down her spine.

Slowly, hesitantly, she walked further inside.

That evening, she casually brought it up during a conversation.

"I was thinking..." she began, trying to keep her tone light, "what if I were switched at birth?"

For a moment, there was silence.

Then, her parents burst into laughter.

"How could that be possible?" her mother said, still chuckling. "We’ve done so many blood tests. You are our daughter."

Thessy forced a smile, but she didn’t stop.

"What if... I’m not?" she pressed again.

This time, the laughter faded.

A heavy silence settled over the room.