Chapter 1

When I woke up, I was in a hospital room, the air thick with antiseptic and the scent of lilies—Grandpa Crestwood's favorite flower.

His eyes were red, his cane tapping restlessly against the floor.

“Silly girl,” he muttered, voice cracking. “It’s Grandpa’s fault. I should’ve known better. I shouldn’t have tried to have it both ways…”

He turned toward the butler. “Call that bastard again!”

The butler shook his head. “Still no answer, sir.”

I forced a smile. “It’s okay, Grandpa. It’s over between me and him.”

But my gaze dropped to the gold ring still clinging to my finger.

Plain. Unimpressive. He’d bought it from a roadside kiosk. Said he couldn’t wait to propose.

I found out later it was all a bet.

He’d told his friends I’d say yes right away. They laughed. He won. I lost everything.

Funny thing is, I didn’t even like Killian Crestwood at first. But he chased me so hard, made it seem so real… I fell.

Grandpa Crestwood’s hand shook as he slammed it on the table, eyes burning with guilt.

Before he could speak, two nurses passed by the door, their hushed voices leaking in.

“President Crestwood of Nexus Group is such a sweet husband. He carried Madam Crestwood in himself, looked like he was going to cry.”

“I know, right? And it turned out to just be period cramps! That man is a good model of all husbands.”

Grandpa Crestwood’s jaw clenched.

We both knew they weren’t talking about me. They meant Kayla Donovan.

His current mistress.

She wasn’t like the others. He used to get rid of them within a week—always using my name. But Kayla? She’d been around three months now.

This time was different.

Grandpa Crestwood’s face flushed as he snatched up the phone and finally got through.

“Where the hell are you?” His voice thundered down the line.

Killian’s voice came through, light and careless. “What now, Grandpa? What did I do this time?”

“I asked you where you are.”

He sighed. “Let me guess—Aven Calloway complained again? Jesus, is she a student of primary school? Always tattling.”

“Don’t you dare blame her!” Grandpa snapped. “You're out there flaunting your mistresses while your wife—your wife—is in the hospital! Are you proud of yourself?!”

Silence. Then, his voice dropped, cold and bitter. “She is bad luck. Her parents died when she was young. Now she’s brought her curse into our family too.”

“Shut up!” Grandpa roared, slamming his cane against the floor.

I sat frozen, tears slipping silently down my cheeks.

The phone was still connected.

In the background, I heard her—Kayla—sniffling. And him… comforting her in the same soft voice he once used on me.

Grandpa Crestwood’s voice broke. “I’m sorry. This is all my fault. All of it.”

He turned to me, full of pain. “Don’t worry. I’ll make this right. He’s no longer welcome in the Crestwood family.”

But I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.

Because the truth was… no one knew Grandpa Crestwood was my biological grandfather.

And Killian?

He wasn’t even a Crestwood.

He was just a substitute—switched at birth by Grandpa to pay back an old favor and secure the Crestwood fortune for someone else's blood.