His frown deepened, voice sharp and clear. "Don't talk nonsense. We'll both live long lives. When I recover, I'll rebuild the James Corporation. You'll be the princess of the James family again."

But I don't want to be a princess anymore.

I don't want the title, and I don't want you, Jonathan.

I'm giving it all to Valerie.

"We need to run pre-admission tests," Dr. Armstrong interrupted. "It'll take some time, Miss James. Why don't you wait outside?"

In the past, I would have believed him. I would have left Jonathan in their care and sprinted to my part-time jobs, racing against the clock to earn pennies for his "treatment."

Now, I knew better. It was just a pretext to get rid of me.

I stood at the corner of the deserted corridor, hidden in shadow. I watched my brother—the man who supposedly couldn't walk without support—change his clothes with fluid ease. He strode toward the elevator, impatience evident in his gait.

Downstairs, a sleek luxury car waited. He slid into the backseat and sped away.

I stared at the empty space where the car had been, then walked into a different doctor's office.

"Miss James," the oncologist said, voice heavy. "The tumor has grown too large. Inoperable. If you'd come two weeks ago, maybe... but now..."

He sighed, removing his glasses. "It's a matter of days. You should say your goodbyes."

I sat in silence for a long time, numbness spreading through my limbs. Finally, I nodded.

"After I die, cremate me immediately," I said, voice steady. "Send my ashes to the James Estate. Deliver them personally to Jonathan James."

I left the hospital with the last of my money. Just as I stepped onto the sidewalk, my phone buzzed.

A message from Valerie.

Come to the estate. There's something you need to see.

I hailed a taxi to the most exclusive villa district in the city.

For five years, I believed our family home had been seized by the court, auctioned off to pay debts. But as I stood before the carved iron gates, the mansion blazed with light—more lively and opulent than I'd ever seen it.

Guests swarmed the lawn, a sea of designer gowns and tailored suits. Luxury dazzled at every turn.

Standing outside the gate in my worn, cheap clothes, I felt like a ghost from another world.

Valerie stood in the center of it all. She wore a sparkling tiara and haute couture, looking every bit the heiress, her arm linked possessively through Jonathan's.