Love Disappears Before Dawn

But this happiness came to an abrupt end with a car accident.

Dad and the driver died unexpectedly.

Before his death, the driver entrusted Fiona to the Hartley Family.

To everyone's surprise, the Hartley Family suddenly fell from grace and both daughters became nothing more than commodities for sale.

Fiona moved quickly, pretending to be innocent and pitiful to win everyone’s sympathy.

They felt sorry for her, worried about the Hartley Family's reputation and feared she would suffer even the slightest hardship.

But no one cared about how difficult it was for me—having lost my father and being abandoned by everyone.

"Lauren, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and apologize to Fiona!"

My brother and Noah glared at me.

But when they saw the pool of blood on the floor, their faces froze.

Noah hesitated, stepping forward.

"I didn’t know you were hurt this badly. Let me help you."

"No need."

My cold response made him uneasy.

Suppressing his frustration, he tried to calm down.

"Stop being childish. Given the current situation of the Hartley Family, no one has the energy to pamper you."

"I’ll go buy you some handmade chocolates from East Street later. Be good, don’t make things worse."

I had always been afraid of pain and hardship. Even when I scraped my skin as a child, they would comfort me for hours. Whenever I was sick, my brother and Noah would buy me handmade chocolates from East Street to cheer me up.

My mother didn’t allow us to eat too many sweets, so we secretly broke the chocolates into three pieces.

The most significant piece was always mine.

But now, the chocolate shop on East Street has been closed for a long time. I didn’t even like chocolate anymore.

I quietly tended to my wound, then spent the rest of the day packing my things.

Looking at the familiar room, I felt a mix of emotions. This was the princess room my brother Noah had personally designed for me. It was every girl's dream.

I still remember when friends visited, their envious eyes fixed on everything.

"Lauren, you’re so lucky! This pearl necklace must have been a gift from your brother, right? It’s just like the one the British royal family wears. You truly are the little princess of the capital."

"Wow, look at this wooden sculpture! Not only is the material priceless but it was also carved by Noah Radford himself. The thoughtfulness behind it is more precious than anything else."

Every year, my brother and Noah would compete to see who could give me the most thoughtful gift. Whoever chose the most meaningful gift was like winning a contest. Of all the gifts, the one that moved me most was the wooden sculpture.

Noah had carved a figure for me. His hands, usually so graceful, were covered in scars from the effort. Some of the scars remained. Unfortunately, the scars remain, but the love and care they represented, just like everything in this room, had gathered dust.

"Lauren, move to the basement for a while and let Fiona have your room."

My brother’s voice brought me back from my memories. Before I could respond, the two of them eagerly began packing up my things. Fiona eyed my pearl necklace and reached for it. My wooden sculpture crashed to the floor and broke into two pieces. Noah casually kicked it aside. Seeing my dark expression, he quickly added,

"It’s not a big deal, really. I’ll buy you a new one later."

"Exactly, don’t overreact. Once the guest room is ready, you can move out of the basement. You just have to endure for a while. Fiona, however, will have to endure three years of humiliation for you!"

Yes, I only needed to endure for three years at the Sinclair Family.