Her father’s expression turned serious as he spoke slowly.

"If that were true... if you weren’t our daughter... then of course we would have to bring back the real one."

His next words felt like ice piercing her heart.

"And naturally, we would have to send you away to make space for her."

He laughed again, as if it were a harmless joke.

Her mother joined in.

But Thessy didn’t laugh. She only felt cold.

From that moment onward, something inside her changed.

She shut everyone out, hiding behind the mask of a perfect daughter.

But beneath that mask, she began searching for the real heiress.

It took her an entire year. And when she finally found her...it was Lana; Thessy made her decision.

’She can never return,’ she thought firmly. ’She can never know the truth.’

And so, without hesitation, she contacted Mr. Almond and Mrs. Almond.

Lana was the true Peterson heiress.

Thessy... belonged elsewhere.

And Brenda... was part of the Almond family.

Fate had twisted their lives cruelly.

First, Lana and Thessy had been swapped.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, Lana and Brenda had been switched again.

In the end... Lana grew up in the Almond family.

Brenda suffered in poverty.

And Thessy lived a life of luxury that was never meant to be hers.

Thinking about it now, Thessy’s lips curled into a faint, bitter smile.

’I was supposed to live like a loner... But I ended up as a privileged perso.’

And she had no intention of letting that privilege slip through her fingers.

’Why should I give up everything... for someone else’s destiny?’ she thought, her lips pressing into a thin, determined line.

That was precisely why, when she approached the Almond family, she carefully crafted her words.

She told them that Brenda and Lana had been switched at birth, but she deliberately hid the most crucial truth.

She never mentioned that she herself had been switched with Lana as well.

That omission changed everything.

When the Almond family first learned the truth, their reaction had been far from emotional.

They were calm, almost indifferent.

To them, Lana was already their daughter in every way that mattered.

They had poured years of resources into her upbringing, shaping her into someone exceptional.

She was intelligent, capable, and refined.

Bringing Brenda back? It did not seem necessary.

But Thessy had not come unprepared.

She leaned forward slightly that day, her voice soft yet persuasive as she said,

"Your real daughter... she is very obedient. She would do anything for your recognition. She is also a dream warden."

Her words carried temptation.

A daughter who could be controlled... molded without resistance and was talented.

That was far more appealing.

The moment those words sank in, Mr. and Mrs. Almond exchanged glances, silent understanding passing between them.

And just like that, they agreed.

For two whole years, they played along with Thessy’s narrative, maintaining the illusion without a crack.

Until everything unraveled.

Lana, influenced by her crush, who was also her neighbor, decided to take an ancestry test.

And with that single decision... The truth surfaced on its own.

Now, sitting alone, Thessy’s fingers curled slightly as unease crept into her chest.

’Someone from her life might come after me...’ she thought, her gaze darkening.

One person stood out in her mind.

Lucian.

’Too suspicious,’ she concluded silently.

Taking a slow breath, she steadied herself and reached out to the Almond family once more.

"Do inform the Perry family about Lana’s true identity yet," she instructed calmly.

Her reasoning was simple.

As long as Lana remained occupied, confused about her origins, and entangled in her own struggles, she would never have the time or clarity to search for her real family.

A faint, cold smile appeared on her lips.

’Keep her busy... keep her lost,’ she thought. ’That way, she will never interfere with me.’

........

While Thessy was busy weaving traps to make Lana’s life miserable, Lana herself was caught in an entirely different storm.

After fully recovering, she finally learned the truth about Wade’s plan.

And it was far more disturbing than she had imagined.

Wade was carrying another 3000-year-old ghost with him.

The plan was chilling.

That ghost was meant to be eaten by a 3000-year-old ghost whose exorcism Lana and others had gone to see.

Once the two interacted, the second ghost would evolve and transform into a 6000-year-old ghost.

And then... it would possess Lana. Control her. Use her.

’So I was never the byproduct of chaos...’ Lana thought, her brows knitting together. ’I was the target all along.’

The so-called "incident" involving the boy at school was merely a distraction.

That boy had only been a temporary vessel, a puppet for the ghost.

None of its actions had been planned. The ghost who had possessed Lana was doing everything according to his own wishes.

A deep frustration rose within her as she looked around the city.

’Pathetic,’ she thought bitterly. ’The security here is a joke.’

A person carrying a 3000-year-old ghost had been moving freely, orchestrating everything, and yet no one had noticed.

Not a single authority.

Taking a slow, steady breath, Lana tried to calm herself.

Now that she had recovered, she only wanted one thing, to return to her university and regain some sense of normalcy.

But fate had other plans.

Just as she stepped outside... They appeared. The Perry family.

’How did they even get my address?’ she wondered, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Before she could react further, they rushed toward her.

Tears. Cries. Chaos.

Leading them was Beatrice.

In her previous life, Lana had learned one thing very clearly: Beatrice was dangerous, not because of strength, but because of manipulation.

She could twist any situation to her advantage.

And today was no different.

The moment Beatrice saw Lana, she burst into tears and rushed forward, arms wide open, attempting to pull her into a hug.

But Lana stepped aside swiftly.

Beatrice froze mid-motion, her expression faltering for a split second before she recovered.

"What happened?" she cried, her voice trembling. "Do you... not like me? Do you look down on me because I come from a suburban area?"