The Beggar Who Stole My Crown

Luca looked at the streaks of blood on me and frowned.

Sally, however, looked like she had suffered a terrible grievance. "Forget it. If she likes the necklace, she can have it."

Luca was enraged upon hearing this. "No way! You're my real sister, Sally. Grammie's keepsake should belong to you."

His real sister, huh?

In the past, Luca would go to great lengths to spoil me and get me whatever I wanted. But ever since our parents adopted Sally, his attitude toward me changed completely. He believed Sally was his perfect little sister and that I was just a spoiled brat.

Just like that, they gave her my identity and the love that once belonged to me. In the end, to keep me from standing in Sally's way, they made it so that I perished in a fire.

In this life, I refused to stand down in hopes of securing their worthless love.

"Grammie passed down that necklace to me, but you stole it. Wait till Mom and Dad arrive and find out you not only gave her the heirloom necklace but also swapped out the bride. Let's see what they'll say," I challenged.

My parents had planned to make a grand entrance toward the end of the wedding to surprise me. They wanted my wedding to be perfect. However, Luca and Sally seized the chance to move the wedding earlier so that she would get married to Aidan before my parents could interfere.

With a graceful and composed smile, Sally said, "If you liked it, you could have told me. How could you claim Grammie gave it to you? She's my Grammie, not yours."

Sally's friend, Tasha Smith, immediately stepped forward to defend her. "You're twisting the truth, Zadie. You're just a filthy tramp the Weatherbys took in upon discovering you in a heap of trash. Stop dreaming that you're the heiress. Know your place."

Seeing that I refused to back down, Grandma panted heavily in rage.

She tried to get the event going by urging, "Let's not waste any more time. Time is passing as we drag it out. Let's proceed to the next step. Bring out the wedding gifts prepared for the bride."

The staff pushed me aside rudely.

I watched helplessly as Luca was about to transfer my shares and properties to Sally. They were out of their minds! Mom and Dad had long prepared those assets for me.

"All of that is mine. If you dare transfer it, you'd better be ready for a lawsuit," I warned.

Luca's hand paused for a moment over the document, but he proceeded to sign his name resolutely once he got over his hesitance.

He declared, "Mom and Dad said this is for my sister, and my sister is Sally. Stop coveting what's not yours."

Grandma pointed a shaking finger at me and cursed, "You jinx! Don't even think about getting a single cent from the Weatherby family's fortune. It all belongs to Sally."

Sally chimed in haughtily, "As expected of a country bumpkin. She's short-sighted and wants everything for herself. Just ignore her, Luca."

I could have grown up cherished and adored in Jirvia. But for my family, I went far away to recuperate on my own so that they wouldn't need to worry. But all I got in return was cold betrayal.

The guests were quick to contribute their scornful remarks.

"Look at her biting the very hand that feeds her."

"In the end, it's all about the Weatherby family's money. She has lost her mind, wanting to claim it for herself."

Luca wore a pained expression as he said, "You disrupted Sally's wedding. But if you kneel and apologize, I'll give you a chance."

I sneered. "Have I done anything wrong? Why should I apologize to a fraud?"

Sally swayed delicately on her feet. Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears, making her look pitiful.

Luca's heart went out to her. He ordered his men to force me to my knees and apologize to his beloved sister.

Aidan looked at me with a regretful expression. My assistant, Dani Boyle, thought he was finally coming to his senses.

"Mr. Yorke, please vouch for Ms. Zadie," Dani urged.

But Aidan gently wiped Sally's tears instead. "We've been too soft on her. It is because of our kindness that she repeatedly challenged Sally without a care."

Back then, he had pursued me for five years before Dad finally agreed to our engagement. Yet, he turned around and fell for Sally in no time at all. For her, he was willing to risk the longstanding goodwill between our two families by replacing the bride.

I spat at his face. "Are you truly stupid, or are you just pretending to be stupid? Do you really not know who your fiancee is?"