Rebirth: Revenge of the abandoned heirress-Chapter 22: Step sister

Jazmine Harrison stepped out of the car, accompanied by Amelia. She glanced at the three-story European-style mansion, and a strong wave of nostalgia struck her.

When her mother had married her father, he was already in a relationship with Scarlette Whites. Scarlette, her stepmother, was a commoner, so Jazmine's paternal grandfather never allowed their marriage. Her mother, on the other hand, was the only daughter of the prestigious Davenport family. Driven by greed, her father married her mother, Catherine Davenport.

The marriage was a disaster.

After the wedding, for some reason, her grandfather cut ties with her mother. With no powerful background to support her, Catherine was left vulnerable. The mansion they were standing before had been a gift to Catherine at her wedding. Yet, cruelly enough, her mother, her father, and his mistress — Scarlette — all lived in the same mansion.

Shortly after Jazmine's birth, her stepmother gave birth to Rosaline.

With Catherine left defenseless, Scarlette and her father delighted in bullying her mother. But Catherine endured it all — silently and with grace — for Jazmine's sake.

Jazmine had witnessed countless humiliations her mother suffered, especially during social gatherings when her father openly favored Scarlette. And away from prying eyes, things were even worse.

Despite it all, her mother managed to protect Jazmine — until her death when Jazmine was ten years old. After that terrible day, Jazmine's life turned into a nightmare. Alone, she was left in the hands of those beasts.

Amelia noticed Jazmine's face darkening, her expression twisted with suppressed memories. A shiver crept up Amelia's spine as she glimpsed the cold fury in her friend's eyes.

"Are you alright, Jaz?" Amelia asked carefully.

Jazmine snapped out of her thoughts. "Yes," she said, her voice steady. "Let's go in."

The mansion's lobby buzzed with conversation. Elegant guests dressed in designer suits and shimmering gowns sipped wine and exchanged pleasantries. Jazmine's sharp gaze swept the room — the chandeliers glittering above, the marble floor polished to a mirror shine — yet all she could see were ghosts of her past.

Then she spotted Rosaline, rushing toward her.

"Jazmine!" Rosaline exclaimed enthusiastically, her voice ringing loud enough to turn heads. She threw her arms around Jazmine, pulling her into a dramatic embrace. "I've been waiting for you! You have no idea how much I missed you."

Tears clung to Rosaline's lashes — staged, yet convincing.

For a moment, Jazmine's brow furrowed. Then she let out a soft chuckle, inwardly amused.

So that's your plan.

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Her face shifted — her cool detachment replaced by warmth. She hugged Rosaline back, squeezing tightly with a smile that outshone Rosaline's act.

"Rosie!" Jazmine's voice rang with affection — sweet and syrupy. "I missed you even more than you could ever imagine. All this time, I've been thinking about you." She beamed. "I even brought you a gift!"

Rosaline's smile faltered.

"A gift?" Rosaline stammered, her carefully constructed façade flickering. She had expected Jazmine to scoff or push her away. If that had happened, Rosaline could've played the victim, winning the crowd's sympathy.

Instead, Jazmine had outperformed her.

"S-Such a coincidence," Rosaline stammered. "I also prepared a gift for you. I had it placed in your old room."

Jazmine's smile didn't waver, but beneath it, a cold glint flickered in her eyes.

I know exactly what that 'gift' is.

Her mind flashed back to her last life — the cruel trap Rosaline had set for her. The memory burned, but Jazmine refused to let it show.

For a brief moment, her warm smile twisted into something sharper — something colder.

Only Rosaline noticed the change.

A sudden chill crawled up Rosaline's spine. What... what was that smile?

"Such a sweet girl," one guest whispered to another. "It's her first visit home after her marriage, and she still brought a gift for her sister."

"Indeed," another chimed in. "How ridiculous of me to believe those fake rumors — that Jazmine didn't treat her sister well. She clearly dotes on her."

Rosaline's forced smile stiffened as she overheard the murmurs. Her plan had backfired. And worst of all, she couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that Jazmine was no longer the same woman she once manipulated so easily.

This time, Jazmine thought darkly, I know how to play the game.