The True Heiress's Return

Back at the Nelson family residence, Mitchell's mind was filled with the tales of Shakira's traumatic past-the calmness on her face contrasting with the heartbreak in her stories. It weighed heavily on him.

The things she described were unimaginable to someone like Mitchell, who grew up sheltered in a loving home. The Smith family seemed well-off, but Shakira's childhood experiences were a world apart from Yvette's. Even more troubling was the fact that all of Shakira's childhood belongings ended up with Yvette. He thought, 'It was just two years ago that we'd unearthed the truth about the mix-up. Could it be possible...?' Mitchell pushed open his bedroom door, lost in thought. The room was pitch black. As he flicked on the light, he spotted Yvette sitting on her favorite armchair, her face streaked with tear stains, her makeup ruined from crying. "Mitchell... "Yvette's voice cracked, barely above a whisper.

Mitchell's emotions churned, feeling torn inside. After struggling for what felt like ages, he turned to leave.

Panic gripped Yvette. She leaped off the chair, but in her hurry, she tripped and landed with a thud on the floor.

Mitchell instinctively turned back, and through her tears, she stumbled to him and wrapped her arms around his legs. "Please, don't leave me!"

Yvette was terrified. Ever since she learned that Mitchell had confronted Joe at school on Shakira's behalf, she hadn't had a chance to vent her frustrations; then the servant had mentioned that Mitchell had taken a box containing Shakira's things from her room... Yvette felt like the sky was about to cave in on her.

She thought, 'If Mitchell discovered what was inside that box, or worse, found out more about the truth... Her heart raced with fear as she carefully gathered information from their parents, trying to confirm that Mitchell hadn't approached them. Only then could she breathe a slight sigh of relief. Now, sitting here anxiously awaiting his return, every second felt like an eternity.

Mitchell had never seen Yvette cry so pitifully before, her tears clinging to her eyelashes, smudging her makeup completely. He found himself momentarily lost in thought, remembering the image of a small figure almost swept away by the sea. But no matter how he tried, he couldn't quite connect that memory with the Yvette in front of him.

They remained in this tense silence for what felt like forever until he heard faint voices outside, likely the servants chatting. Yvette flinched, her back arching as if she had been caught doing something wrong. Mitchell tightened his grip on the doorknob and quickly shut the door again.

Gently, he pushed Yvette aside and sank down despondently onto the floor. He covered his eyes with his hand, not wanting to look at her. "Just tell me, where did those things come from?" he asked.

Yvette trembled, continuing to cry, trying to play the helpless card to soften Mitchell's heart. But his avoidance left her feeling utterly powerless.

She sniffled and said, "Mitchell, if I did something wrong, will you forgive me?"

Mitchell instantly clenched his teeth. "That depends. What exactly did you

do?"

Yvette cried, "I don't know, Mitchell... I didn't know back then..."

"Back then?" he echoed.

"Mitchell, do you remember that time when I was taken home by another kid's parents after school?" Yvette recalled, her voice shaky.

Mitchell murmured, "I remember. You were losing your baby teeth, and we forbade you from eating candy, so you went

home with a classmate hoping to sneak some sweets."

"That was when I first met Lago..." Yvette said.

Mitchell's eyes widened, fury flashing in his gaze.

Yvette flinched and started to cry harder, clutching his arm. "No, no! But I didn't know who he was! He said he had a daughter my age who was just as cute as me. He didn't have a good relationship with her but preferred me. He gave me all sorts of things... the things you took away. He hoped I could keep them so it would be like his daughter was still with him."

"He looked so pitiful and even gave me candy, so I... I agreed. I was scared Mom and Dad would be mad, so I didn't tell anyone..."

Mitchell clenched his jaw, his expression darkening. "So you're saying that it wasn't until two years ago that you finally recognized Lago?"

"Yes, it was two years ago! That's when I found out I wasn't Mom and Dad's daughter, not your sister either!" Yvette shook her head, desperate to explain.

Hearing this, Mitchell seemed to relax slightly, but his tone remained harsh. "No matter what, those things belong to Shakira. You shouldn't have kept them for yourself."

me..."

"I didn't know at first." Yvette protested, feeling wronged. "I only realized later, but I was so afraid Shakira would be angry if I told Mom and Dad or you guys... I didn't want everyone to think I was a bad kid or that I stole from someone else. I just wanted everyone to love "Mitchell, you know how much it hurts here when you're mad at me..." Yvette pointed to her heart, tears flowing down her cheeks without end.

"I used to think I was so lucky. Heaven blessed me with a family that loved and protected me. I felt so happy, but then I realized I was the worst kid in the world, a horrible criminal who stole Shakira's happy life."

After crying for so long, she was having trouble breathing. "I betrayed Shakira. I'd do anything to atone, but I can't bear to lose my family. I'm too scared to say anything. I'm really, really scared. I don't want to lose Mom, Dad, and you, my brother..."

Shakira said, "Mitchell, am I really selfish? I know that you guys aren't my real family, yet I still refuse to leave."

"But then I think, since everyone dislikes Shakira and she doesn't want to stay here, does that mean I can continue living here? I'm not replacing her; I just want to do what I want and be with everyone, living happily as a family..." Watching his precious little sister, whom he had cherished and protected for over ten years, sob uncontrollably was tearing Mitchell apart. Yet he couldn't bring himself to cut her off.

After a while, he took Yvette's hand and spoke softly, "I know it's not your fault."

Yvette perked up, about to smile, but then she heard Mitchell's suddenly cold words, "The most suspicious part of this whole situation is Lago. Don't worry, I'll get to the bottom of this and find out who's trying to play us for fools in the Nelson family!" Yvette trembled but felt a bit reassured. She thought, 'Mitchell didn't doubt me, so for now, I was safe. As for what happened next... A dark glimmer flashed in her eyes.

*****

Shakira asked the butler for a metal bucket, took a small wooden box, and began burning the contents one by one as instructed by Cathy. The fierce flames flickered on her face, reflecting a stark, cold indifference.

Half an hour later, Shakira walked into the study with a bowl of chicken soup.

3

Water glanced at her, his attention drifting from the computer, then

returning, utterly unphased.Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

Shakira puffed up her cheeks. She thought, 'Who made him grumpy tonight? He's hard to please!'