Chapter 2

I froze, even forgetting how to cry.

Rainwater dripped from my chin. I wondered if I'd misheard, or if grief had conjured some auditory hallucination.

"What did you say?" I asked foolishly.

Maria shot a disgusted glance at the brightly lit mansion, then spat.

"I said, this wretched Davies place? Too small, too stingy. I was sick of it ages ago."

From the inner pocket of her shabby cotton jacket, she pulled out a sleek walkie-talkie.

Her movements were practiced, her tone cold.

"Jenkins, bring the cars around."

I hadn't even registered who Jenkins was.

Eight black Maybachs materialized from the rain-swept darkness, gliding silently like specters before us.

In the center was an extended Rolls-Royce Phantom, its pure silver Spirit of Ecstasy gleaming with an icy cold light in the rainy night.

The car doors opened. A dozen burly men in black suits and white gloves poured out, moving with chilling precision.

They lined up in two perfect rows in the mud, bowing at a sharp ninety degrees. Their voices, loud and resonant, sliced through the rainy night.

"Miss Stella! Please, enter the vehicle!"

The sheer display of power made me stumble back, nearly tripping into a mud puddle.

A hand steadied me.

It was Maria.

Her hand, though rough, was now firm and full of an undeniable power.

The brawling shrew who'd thrown herself on the ground for three hundred bucks? Gone.

In her place stood a queen, her aura so commanding it was impossible to meet her gaze.

An elderly, silver-haired butler approached, holding a black umbrella, respectfully offering Maria a trench coat.

Maria slipped on the trench coat, her presence absolutely dominating the scene.

She looked at me, wide-eyed and dumbfounded, and flashed a brilliant white smile.

"Sweetie, let me properly reintroduce myself."

"I am Maria, founder of Stellar Capital, and, as the rumors go… the richest person in the world."

My mind exploded with a deafening roar.

Stellar Capital? The enigmatic conglomerate that controlled half the world's shipping and wielded unparalleled power in global finance?

I stammered, "You… you were a nanny, right? Just now, you were begging for five bucks overtime…"

Maria rolled her eyes, pulling me into the Rolls-Royce.

Inside, it was warm as spring, the leather seats exuding a subtle, luxurious scent.

The butler offered warm towels and ginger tea.

Maria crossed her legs, took a wine glass, and swirled the ruby liquid within.

"That was my persona, got it?"

"If I didn't play the part perfectly, how could I have infiltrated the Davies family's den of vipers for two decades?"

"As for those five bucks…"

She let out a cold laugh, taking a sip of wine.

"Mr. Davies owes me that. Forget five bucks; even a single cent, he'd have to cough up."

I held the ginger tea, feeling like I was dreaming.

"Mom… what exactly is going on?"

Maria glanced at me, her gaze finally softening slightly.

From her limited-edition Hermes bag, she pulled out a black card and tossed it into my lap.

"There's twenty billion in here. Consider it pocket money from your mom. Go buy yourself something nice, calm your nerves."

Twenty billion? Pocket money? The three-hundred-dollar pay stub was still swirling in my mind.

"The Davies kicking you out? That's the biggest mistake they'll ever make."

"They thought you were some unwanted bastard."

"Little did they know, their precious Tiffany? She's not even fit to tie your shoes."

Maria reached out, gently touching the scratches Tiffany had left on my face. A flash of pure murder flickered in her eyes.

"Does it hurt?"

I instinctively nodded, then shook my head.

"Mom, why were you a nanny at the Davies'? And why… why were you so incredibly mean to me?"

This was the knot in my heart, the biggest question.

If she was so rich, why did she let me suffer for twenty years?

Why cut my hair? Why force me to learn things I hated?

Maria sighed, looking out at the rainy night.

"Sweetie, I was saving your life."

"Mr. Davies is a monster. He's the one who killed your father, Arthur, all those years ago."

"If I hadn't played the fool, if I hadn't forged you into an unbreakable warrior, we'd both be dead in that basement right now."

"As for everything I forced you to learn…"

She turned, her gaze burning into mine.

"Starting tomorrow, you'll realize every single thing I pushed you to learn? They were all weapons, sharpened just for you to take over this empire."