Two months later, Averi was working late at the office when she suddenly got a call from Eli Forbes.
"Averi! You have to help me—if Dad finds out about this, I'm done for." His voice was panicked, words tumbling out in a mess.
They shared the same mother, Teagan, and were true siblings by blood, but they'd never been particularly close. If he weren't completely out of options, he would never have come to her for help.
"What's up?"
Eli hesitated. "I'd rather not say over the phone."
"Where're you?"
"I'm at home. I'm at home."
"Okay."
Eli was already waiting in her room, and the moment he saw her, he nearly broke down in tears.
Not long ago, he met a wealthy young man named Clayton Gibson at a party. Clayton openly admired his car, and Eli, eager to build a connection, generously offered to lend it to him. While officially a loan, it was, in reality, more of a gift. The Gibson family had political ties, so keeping a low profile was preferable, and having the car stay under Eli's name worked even better.
But then, disaster struck.
That very night, Clayton went on a drunken joyride, crashed into a guardrail, and was rushed to the hospital. Worse still, there was a girl in the car with him, unrestrained by a seatbelt. She was thrown through the windshield on impact. The scene was scandalous—luxury car crash, a girl flying out of the window, disheveled clothes. Photos from the scene quickly made their way online.
In just an hour, the posts had gone viral, bound to hit trending by morning. The license plate number was visible, and sooner or later, it would trace back to Eli.
Averi knew about Clayton's background. His mother, Bella, was well-known in the city. She had maintained her position as a mistress for over twenty years without faltering. Every holiday, she would even bring Clayton along to visit his grandfather and ensure they received their share.
Seeing her silence, Eli grew desperate. He crouched down in front of her, tears streaming down, "Averi, we're real siblings. Mom ran off to Singapore for some peace, leaving us on our own. Dad never liked me. Sis, you're the only family I have."
Averi asked, "What do you want me to do?"
"Just get brother-in-law to delete those photos online. As long as the Gibson family isn't dragged in, and I'm kept out of it."
He had thought it all out already.
Averi said nothing, her gaze piercing through him like a cold splash of water to the face.
Eli felt indignant, almost shouting, "I know you've never treated me like a real brother," but right now, only Milo could solve this. He had no choice but to endure and continue pleading with her.
Averi finally called Milo.
Milo didn't say much, hesitated for a couple of seconds, then agreed.
Two hours later, as dawn broke, Milo finally sent a message: "Don't worry."
Eli, more anxious than her, immediately leaned over when he heard the notification. Seeing the message, he exhaled a long sigh of relief, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Watching his expression, Averi spoke coldly, "What are you planning to do about that girl?"
He paused, then asked in return, "Who?"
Averi was bitterly disappointed. After a long pause, she said, "Don't associate with Clayton again."
Eli nodded eagerly, "Alright, Averi, I'll listen to you. It's late, you should get some rest."
Watching him walk away lightly, Averi felt a wave of self-mockery. She told herself she was helping him, but wasn't she really just helping herself? If their older siblings found out, they'd never let it go. Eli thought their father favored her, but in reality, he just liked that she followed orders.
Too many children, and family affection thinned out.
While waiting for Milo, Averi instructed her secretary, Kerri, to check in at the hospital. Around 6:30, Kerri called back.
"Kerri, how's Clayton?"
"Averi, he's out of surgery. It was successful, and with about six months to a year of rest, he'll be fine."
Relieved, Averi asked a few more questions about the Gibson family's reaction. Upon hearing that the photos had been scrubbed from the internet, they hadn't been overly aggressive. Instead, they had Jordan pass along a message, saying that once Clayton regained consciousness, they'd handle his transfer immediately and there was no need for her to worry.
"What about the girl?"
"Not good. Head trauma. The doctor said even if they save her, she might not regain consciousness." Kerri paused for two seconds, lowering her voice, "Averi, should we… still go through with it?"
Receiving no reply, Kerri called again, "Averi?"
Averi finally spoke, "Let the doctors do what they need to. Have we looked into her background?"
Kerri let out a breath, returning to her normal tone, "Her real name is Fiona Bullock, from J City. Orphaned, with just an older brother. She dropped out of high school, went to B City to model, uses the stage name Anna, did some magazine shoots, and met Clayton only a week ago. Her brother is at the hospital now, only aware that his sister was in a car accident."
"And the Gibson family's stance?"
"They haven't asked about her once since they got to the hospital."
So, they weren't planning to get involved.
"Have Attorney Carson draft a confidentiality agreement. Once it's ready, come pick me up and we'll go to the hospital together. Don't call the driver—I want as few people involved as possible."
"Got it."
She hung up, only to hear a chilly voice behind her, "Averi, you shouldn't save her."
A chill ran down Averi's spine as she turned to look at the figure standing in the doorway.
It was Odin, the fifth son of the Forbes family, an illegitimate child that Cristopher had brought back. His appearance back then had been the final straw that broke her mother, Teagan, leading her to divorce without hesitation.
Rumors had long circulated that Odin's mother was a famous triple-award-winning actress, but Cristopher and the actress both brushed it off with a smile. Over time, the gossip faded—yet as Odin grew older, his features started to resemble that actress more and more.
"Odin, what are you doing here?"
Odin raised the mug in his hand. "Bringing you coffee." He knew her routine: up by six, and the first thing she did was reach for a coffee. When he didn't see her by six-thirty, he decided to come up and check.
"You heard everything?"
Odin nodded casually. Eli nodded easily. "I found out last night. He made enough noise that it was hard to miss." He saw her concern and quickly added, "No one else is home. Dad's not back, Mareli took the youngest back to her family. It's just me here."
Averi let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Odin repeated, "Averi, you shouldn't have saved her."
Of course, she knew all the trouble that would arise if Fiona woke up—that's why she'd hesitated so long when Jordan Gross asked whether to save her.
Averi lowered her gaze, her lashes casting shadows over her eyes, making her expression unreadable. Half-jokingly, she said, "Helping someone out never hurt anyone, right?"
The boy laughed. "You're probably the only one in this house who thinks that way." At just nineteen, he still had a hint of youthfulness in his features, and his smile made him seem almost androgynous.
"Here's your coffee. Don't drink it if it cools down; I'll make you a fresh one downstairs." The young man gave a couple of reminders, set the cup down, and left.
Watching his back as he walked away, Averi's mind drifted to the first time she'd met him over a decade ago.
Odin had been brought home by Cristopher at the age of five, sparking Teagan's outrage—she swore she'd never raise another woman's child. No one in the family would pay him any attention, so he sat quietly on the sofa in the front hall. She, pitying him, invited him over for some fruit. The little boy jumped off the sofa and ran to take her hand.
From then on, Odin had clung to her, and over time, they became closer than even her bond with Eli.
Now, even Odin had grown into a "proper" member of the Forbes family...
Outside the door, an enormous crystal chandelier hung from the third-floor ceiling down to the grand hall on the first floor, casting dazzling reflections on the marble tiles—beautiful yet lifeless, like a gaping maw lined with teeth, ready to devour every Forbes family member within these walls.
Averi didn't want to look any longer. She turned to the window, hoping the greenery in the garden would ease the inexplicable chill in her heart.
*
Within the hour, Jordan arrived in her car, and the two headed straight to the hospital.
"Averi, Fiona is out of surgery and in the ICU now. The doctors aren't sure if she'll pull through."
"What about her brother?"
"He didn't make a fuss or cry. Aside from asking the doctor about her condition, he's hardly said a word."
Jordan handed her a folder as she spoke, filled with all sorts of details about Fiona—a single sheet summarizing her life: a small-town girl unwilling to settle for the ordinary, who wanted to make her mark with her looks. But after arriving in J City, she realized beauty wasn't exactly rare here.
Her brother, Dallas, chose a completely different path. He enlisted at eighteen, entered military academy a year later, and upon graduation joined the Snow Leopard Commando Unit, taking part in numerous high-risk missions. During an evacuation mission in the southern region, he repeatedly ventured into the combat zone, rescuing over twenty civilians, earning him a First-Class Merit Award.
Someone like him should've stayed in the military and risen through the ranks, but he chose to retire last year, joining a private security company as a bodyguard.
Looking at the sharply defined face in the photo, Averi felt a vague sense of familiarity but couldn't place where she'd seen him before. As she stepped into the hospital corridor and caught sight of his soldier-straight back in the distance, a buried memory surged to the surface.
It was him—the bodyguard for the "Addict Heiress."
Hearing footsteps, Dallas immediately looked toward the newcomers. Two young women approached, one in a white silk blouse and a muted pink skirt suit, her pace unhurried. She seemed about twenty-four or twenty-five, dressed with an unusual sense of propriety, mature but not aged—rarely did young people dress like this anymore.
Dallas narrowed his eyes. He couldn't guess why they were here, but he was certain it wasn't to offer condolences.
