bChapter /bb7 /b

“Oh, I’m just worried she’s up to something,” Jade said, ryeing Freya’s reaction, her voice low and nudging.

Then she added, “She’s trying to steal your ce as the Lambert heiress. You’ve got to show this nobody who’s boss.”

Freya’s blood heated at the idea of Skr swooping in to take everything she’d worked for Gripping her lunchbox, she marched toward the ward, her heels clicking with bpurpose/b.

Jade followed close, leading her to the room, a susig grin creeping onto her face

Inside, Skr stood quietly with the Lambert.

She didn’t know what to say to them. Every time she tried to leave, bYana’s /bteary eyes held her in ce.

She’d swem off bfamily/b, but here she was, stuck.

“Pathetic, she thought, scolding herself. “Burned by family time and againb, /band still, a few words from them, and I can’t move.

She’d given up on the idea of family, yet she was hesitating-

“Skr, I know it’s tough to take in,” bYana /bbsaid /bsoftly, her voice shaky. “I bwon’t /bpush you, but… can bI /bat least see byou /bsometimes? Even from afar?”

bSkr’s /binstinct bwas /bto shut it down, to bcut /bthe tie before it pulled her in deeper. “Mrs. Lambert, you’re messing up my life. If you really bfeel /bbad, just leave

bme /balone.”

Yana’s face fell, her heart breaking at her daughter’s words. “Skr…” she whispered, her voice cracking.

Skr ignored her, reaching for the door to get out of the heavy room.

She pulled it open and came face–to–face with Freya, who’d been standing right outside.

Freya’s eyes narrowed, her sharp gaze sliding bover /bSkr before moving past her.

“Dad, Mom,” she called, her voice bright bbut /bwith a bite.

“Dad, byou’re /bstill sick–back to bed!” she scolded as she hurried to Carlos’s bside/b.

Then she eased him down, tucking the nket around him.

Reaching into her bagb, /bshe pulled out a small container. “I grabbed you a pudding from downstairs. I knew byou’d /b

ou’d love it.”

Carlos nced at Skr, his face uneasy. “Thanks, but I’m not hungry right now,” he said, gently pushing the pudding aside.

bFreya /bset it down, her smile tightening. She tilted her head, ying dumb. “Dad, who’s this?”

Carlos paused, caught between his biological daughter and the girl he’d raised for over twenty years.

One wrong word could hurt either of them.

Yana, though; was more direct. She believed Skr, their true daughter, would eventuallye back to the Lamberts.

Freya, though adopted, had been their daughter for years–they wouldn’t push her out just because they’d found Skr

bShe /bwanted them to get along.

Taking bFreya’s /bhand, bYana /bsaid, “This is Skr, our biological daughter we lost over twenty byears /bago

She turned to Skr, her voice warm. “Skr, this is Freys, our adopted daughter.“

Freya’s fingers twitched, gripping her skirt. “Mom, you’re too trusting. She could be after

r your money or status, spinning a sad story to worm her way in

She shrugged, her smile thin. “Wouldn’t be the first time someone’s tried it.”

The Lamberts had always known Freya wasn’t their biological child and had spent years, and millions, searching for their lost daughter.

Plenty of people had tried to cash in, pretending to be the missing heiress

Yana wiped her eyes, her voice firm. “Freya, she really is, had a DNA test done.”

She handed Freya the results, her hands steady.

Freya nced at the report, her smile slipping for a moment before snapping back. “Well, that’s great.”

bSkr /bcaught the tension in Freya’s grin and gave a cold smirk in return. It seemed this Lambert adoptee was no pushover.

Freya stepped toward bSkr/b, offering a hand. “Skr, hi. I’m Freya Lambert. Your big sister.”

Skr’s smile sharpened, unyielding.

b“/bbMs. /bLambert,” bshe /breplied coolly, ignoring Freya’s hand.

Freya’s face darkened, but with her parents watching, she swallowed her banger/b, her jaw light.

“I’ve got things bto /bbdo/b,” Skr said, uninterested in their family mess. “You all catch upb./b” She turned and walked out, bleaving /bthe room behind.

Yana watched Skr disappear, her eyes red and teary.

She bsank /bonto the edge of the bed, her voice heavy. “Carlos, what do we bhave /bto do to bring her back?” she asked, her sigh full of longing.

Carlos let out a tired sigh, his voice soft but firm, “You’ve seen how she feels, Yana. We’ve got bto /bgive her more time.”

Yana rubbed her temples, frustration carved into her face. “More time? I’ve waited years. How much longer do I have to wait?”

She pressed ba /bbhand /bto her wet eyes, her voice cracking. “I just want to bring bSkr /bhome now.”

Freya stood quietly, her stomach churning as she heard them gush over Skr

b“/bbShe’s /bnot even back, and they’re already obsessed with her, she thought bitterly. “All that talk about treating us the same? Total lies!

Unable to take it, she muttered something about needing air and slipped out of the room.

Skrb, /bmeanwhile, had just checked on Louis and stepped out of his room.

“Skr,” Freya called, her voice sharp.

Skr looked up, her face neutral “Something you need?”

Freya crossed her arms, her chin high, her eyes shing with contempt.

She gave Skr a slow, judging look. “Look, Skr, you might be their real kid, but I’m the one they raised from the cradle. You’ll never stack up.”

She leaned in, her tone poisonous. “So drop whatever ns you’re hatching band /by nice–or I’ll make you sorry.”

bSkr’s /blips curled binto /ban amused smile. “Well, that’s adorable.

Freya’s smug grin faltered. “What?”

12:44 bWed/b, 18 Jun

Skr’s smile held, brimming with confidence. “This little game–sweet in front of them, ws out behind their backs… bWonder /bwhat Mr. and Mrs. Lambert would think of it.”

Freya’s eyes narrowed to slits, her re cutting. “You’re gonna snitch on me? Go ahead–see if they believe you over me

bSkr’s /btone turned mocking, each word precise. “They’re my blood parents–flesh and bone. You? You’re just an outsider, Who do

Trust?”

you

think they’d

She lingered on “outsider,” letting the word hit like a dart.

Freya’s face burned with anger. “You’re already turning them against me, you scheming bitch!”

Her hand swung toward Skr’s bface /bwith full force.

Skr caught her bwrist /bmid–air, twisting it hard.

“Ow! Let go, you bitch!” Freya yelped, writhing in bpain/b. “Let go!”

Skr tightened her hold, her voice calm but firm. “Can’t talk like ban /badult?”

Freya doubled over, her polished heiress act falling apart as she gasped in pain

“Okay, I’m sorry!” she whimpered, her voice small and desperate. “Please, let go.”

Skr let go, stepping back.

Skr let go, stepping back.

Freya clutched her throbbing wrist, her face twisting with rage. “You’ll pay for this, you nobody! I’m telling Mom. You’ll never step foot in the Lambert family!”

“Oh, I’m terrified, Skr said, her face nk, her eyes sparkling with sarcasm.

Freya shook with fury, her bvoice /bpiercing. “Skr, how could you hurt me like this?”