Now, despite my desperate attempt to chase after the car, I stumbled and fell hard.
Lying there, overwhelmed with despair, I saw the car slowly reverse toward me.
Tracy, seeing me in this pitiful state, couldn’t help but laugh. "Pfft—" she sneered.
In the past, I would’ve fought back, wanting her to experience the same cruelty I endured. But now, all I felt was fear and utter helplessness.
I couldn’t stay here any longer.
I was going to be tortured to death.
As soon as I returned to the familiar, comforting villa, I encountered Ceasar once again.
The moment Tracy walked in, Ceasar hurried over to embrace her, gently caressing her cheek with eyes full of tenderness, as if she were a rare treasure. In the next instant, they were caught up in a passionate kiss.
I didn’t want to attract Ceasar’s attention, so I tried to shrink into the background, making myself as invisible as possible.
But, unfortunately, I was still noticed.
Five years was enough to change me beyond recognition.
Dressed in tattered clothes that barely covered me, the exposed skin was marked with bruises and wounds, a testament to the pain I had endured.
At first, Ceasar didn’t recognize me. He frowned in disgust and snapped at our family’s butler, "Charlie, why did you let this beggar in? Get her out, she’s filthy and reeks."
His words hit me like a blow. A bitter wave washed over my heart and in that moment, I realized—he had truly forgotten me. In his eyes, I was nothing but an insignificant stranger.
I stood frozen, unsure of what to do, my lips trembling as I tried to say something, but no sound came out.
It was only then that I understood—he could be so gentle with someone else.
It was only now that I realized, Ceasar could smile so happily when he was with someone he cared about.
This thought sent my mind racing back to the past.
At the banquet where my true identity as the legitimate daughter was revealed, I fell head over heels for Ceasar at first sight.
I had learned from my parents that he was the only son of a prestigious family, close friends of ours and had been exceptional since childhood. Seeing me in my youthful infatuation, my parents were more than eager to play matchmaker.