A young woman dressed in prim and proper business attire suddenly came barging through the door. Everyone who was in the room swung their gaze to rest on the lady, who walked in with confidence in her steps. She was Evangeline Young. She had thick, round glasses propped on the bridge of her nose, and her hair was pulled up into a neat and tight bun. The overall look she sported was that of a strict, no-nonsense businesswoman. And she was exactly that.

"Evangeline, what are you doing here?" Samuel Young asked as he rose from his seat at the head of a long table. He was currently in the midst of having a meeting with the board of directors in his classy office.

"What do you mean by that, Grandfather? I am the CEO of this company, and you're asking me what I am doing here?" Evangeline fired off.

"Eva, leave this place. I will talk to you once we're home." The old man waved his hand in a dismissive gesture as he sat back in his chair.

Eva's eyes widened as she stood there stubbornly and responded, "Grandfather, I am utterly confused. I demand an explanation right here, right now, on why you're doing this." She clenched her fists.

"Evangeline!" Samuel shouted at her. "From today onwards, you will step down from your position as this company's CEO. The board of directors has already chosen the one who will be replacing you, and she's going to take over as soon as possible."

Eva was stunned into silence. Did her grandfather just shout at her and fire her as the CEO? Right in front of all these people? Her body was unmoving as she looked at the faces of everyone around the table. None of them were showing any signs of shock, like she was feeling at the moment. They could only look away when her eyes met theirs. Apparently, she was the last one in the know…

"What did you say? You're stripping me of my position? Why?" Eva demanded in disbelief as she slowly walked over to where her grandfather was seated. 'This doesn't make any sense. Is this a dream? I am the CEO of XY Corporation. I am the one who made this company soar to its current heights. Why am I getting demoted out of nowhere?'

"Eva, go home. I will talk to you." Samuel replied with a sigh, not answering her questions.

"No!" Eva burst out in anger, her fingers clenched so hard that they were digging deeply into her palms. "I demand an explanation right now, grandfather! Tell me…what the hell is happening? Tell –"

"Because you are not my legitimate granddaughter!! That is why!" Samuel's voice thundered over the chaos as he rose from his seat again.

Eva froze in shock. 'What?’ She thought. ‘I'm not a legitimate member of the Young Family? Is grandfather joking with me?'

Shaking her head in denial, Eva turned to look at Samuel Young. "Grandfather, what are you saying? How could you say that –"

"The DNA test just came out yesterday." Samuel boomed out, cutting Eva off. "You are not related to us by blood. I don't know how it happened, but the investigation is still ongoing."

"No, that can't be…you're lying. There must be a mistake." Eva kept shaking her head. Denial hit her hard as her body began to tremble.

"I will show you the DNA test results later. I did the test more than once! There is no mistake, Eva. Now leave this place and wait for me at home." The old man said firmly.

Eva's knuckles turned white. Her hands were trembling as she slowly clenched them into fists. She gritted her teeth and looked at her grandfather again.

"So? Because I am not related to you by blood, you're saying that I'm no longer qualified to be the company's CEO?"

The old man averted his gaze, causing Eva to laugh in disbelief.

"Eva, don't worry. You will still work as one of the directors. You will assist your sister." Samuel quickly said, in the hope of placating her.

"Oh. So, my dear younger sister is the one who will be replacing me?" Eva barked out in laughter again.

"Eva, y –" Before Samuel could continue his sentence, Eva raised her hand like a boss, stopping the old man from speaking any further. Something dangerous blazed in her eyes as she looked straight at him.

"Forget it, grand...oh, Mr. Young." A bittersweet and painful smile curled on her face. Then, her eyes became menacing, almost dangerous. "Listen, Mr. Chairman. Without me, XY Corporation will crumble into pieces. Mark. My. Words." With her head held high, she swished out of the room like a queen and closed the door with a bang.

...

At a clinic, Eva sat in a chair, staring at her DNA results, held in hands that could not stop trembling. Her lips curled up bitterly as her eyes watered.

"So, this must have been the actual reason why I was treated like that since I was young…and why my parents and family are so cold to me." She muttered to herself. Casting back throug her memories, Eva remembered her time with her grandmother. Back then, she had already felt that her parents were deliberately ignoring her and were always cold to her.

She had asked her grandma if her mother and father truly hated her. And she could still vividly remember the answer she received. Her grandmother told her that everyone was cold and harsh to her because she was being trained so that she could survive the harsh world she would one day face when she grew up. Her grandmother also told her that they didn't want her to grow up as a spoiled weakling, and that's why no one was pampering her.

Eva grew up believing those words. She never complained, because she thought that everything was for her own good, so that one day she would be formidable and strong once she finally ran the family business.

Crumpling the paper in her hand, Eva's eyes blazed with quiet rage. 'I am so stupid in believing you. They must have known from the start that I was not their legitimate daughter, right? That's why they never showed even an ounce of care or love towards me. They just kept me and raised me because they knew I would be a great asset to them. And now that I've become independent and brought the company to its peak, they see me as a threat, and therefore it's the right time for them to dismiss me? They are casting me out now after they are done using me?' Eva smiled bitterly as she reasoned things out within herself.

After leaving the clinic, Eva found herself driving fast. She was trying to call someone, but no one was answering her call.

When she arrived in front of a luxurious apartment building, she rushed up to the highest floor as quickly as she could.

Once the elevator dinged, she rushed out and ran to the unit at the end of the hallway. She only had one thing on her mind at that moment, and that was to see and speak with Julian, her fiancé.

She tapped in the password for Julian's apartment and entered. But the moment she closed the door and turned around, she froze at the sight of a pair of red high heels at the entrance to the hallway.

Nervously, she silently walked inside. Her heart was thumping hard as she approached the door of Julian's room. Taking a sharp and deep breath, Eva pushed it open.

Her eyes widened at the sight of two naked people on the bed, fucking ferociously like animals in heat.

Eva stood there frozen, and then her phone slipped from her hand due to shock, causing Julian to whirl around. He cursed at the sight of Eva standing at the door. The woman also looked up with wide eyes, and at the sight of her, Eva's face paled as if she had seen a ghost, unable to believe that the woman her fiancé was fucking was none other than her younger sister, Jessa Young.

Julian had been Eva's college sweetheart and was her current fiancé. He had been such a nice man to her. They had been in a relationship for years, but he never tried to make a move on her. Eva had always thought he was just being considerate, and that they were both just too busy to pay attention to their romance. He had told her he didn't mind the lack of intimacy between them and that he was ready to wait until their wedding. But now, here he was…

"What the f*ck, Eva?! What are you doing here? Barging into my house like this?" Julian roared out. Eva did not speak; she couldn’t. She only stared at the woman, who was supposed to be her sister, sitting on the bed with the covers pulled over her.

"Eva, get out! Or do you want me to drag you out?" Julian shouted at Eva and stood, not caring if he was naked. He strode forward and was about to grab hold of her arm, but Eva stepped back, avoiding his grasp like it was the plague. Her gaze sharpened like the deadliest sword as she glared at him.

Julian dropped his hand but leaned in and whispered. "We're over, Eva. I heard the news. You're no longer XY's CEO. You're nothing but a nameless bumpkin now, and yet you dare to come here? Are you thinking of coming to seek shelter at my place? Listen, I was only engaged to you because we thought you were the Young's legitimate heir." He smirked at her mockingly as he pulled back. "Our shitty engagement is already over, so don't you ever show that ugly face of yours in front of me ever again. I've been sick of it for many years now."

Eva could feel her eyes burning so badly, but she bravely held back her tears. 'No. Don't you dare cry, Eva! I am not going to shed any tears in front of this asshole. Never. I would rather die than do that. I am strong. Nothing is going to beat me down. Just watch me!' She growled in her mind, steeling herself and adjusting her emotions before lifting her downcast eyes to look at the two pieces of scum who were before her.

Clenching her fist tight, Eva opened her mouth and spoke. "Oh…is that so?" She smirked as she glanced at the girl on his bed.

"Listen to me, Julian, and listen well. One day, I will make sure that you, too, will die from utter regret. I promise you that. Just you wait…" Eva declared and before Julian could react, the door had already slammed shut with a loud bang right in his face.