Two years had passed.
A new city, a new beginning.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Nattalie Huang could breathe—just a little easier.
Here, no one knew her name. No one whispered behind her back about the cursed daughter of the Huangs.
Here, she could simply be herself.
Or at least, that was the plan.
She hadn't expected her entire family to tag along.
Now, sitting on the edge of the sofa with her arms crossed and one foot tapping impatiently, eighteen-year-old Nattalie glared at the people who had somehow managed to turn her independence into a family field trip.
"I know you all care about me," she began, exhaling sharply. "You don't want me living alone in a strange city, fine. But didn't you, Father, promise me freedom after graduation? Didn't you say I could live on my own—wherever I wanted?"
Her father, Nakulla Huang, exchanged a meaningful glance with his wife before sighing deeply.
"Your mother," he said carefully, "suddenly decided she needed a change of scenery, Xiao Lie. So… it's only practical for us to come along."
Nattalie let out a short, bitter laugh. "Practical?" she echoed, eyes flashing. "This isn't what I wanted!"
She muttered under her breath, frustration prickling her chest. "I wanted to be independent—to make my own choices. To study where I want, live how I want, without always relying on everyone else."
Her mother, Lilian, looked at her with that mix of affection and quiet authority only mothers could manage. "You've never been a burden to us, Lilie. Not once. And you never will be. So stop worrying."
Nattalie groaned softly, pressing her hand to her forehead. "That's not the point, Mom…"
Vincent, who had been leaning casually against the wall, finally spoke up with a knowing smirk.
"My advice? Just do what they want. It's the only way to avoid spending the rest of your life arguing with them."
Nattalie gave him a look. "Oh, please. And what are you doing here, Vincent? Shouldn't you be managing Father's company back in City S? Or are you here for the same reason—to supervise me?"
Vincent only smiled, calm as ever. "Actually, we just opened a new branch here. I'll be overseeing it for a while—remotely managing the old one from here."
Nattalie's eye twitched. "Right. So what you're saying is… you used business as an excuse to follow me."
Vincent chuckled but didn't deny it. "If that's how you want to see it."
She glared, unimpressed. "Even if I ran off to another country or some remote island, you'd still follow me, wouldn't you?"
He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Probably."
"Oh, great," she muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. "Just what every girl dreams of—an overprotective brother who acts like a lost puppy."
That made him laugh, which only irritated her more.
And then, her gaze shifted to the last person at the table.
"Well?" she asked, folding her arms again. "What about you, Norte? What's your grand reason for coming here?"
Norte Huang, the ever-serious eldest, looked at her with that sharp, unreadable expression of his.
"I just finished my master's degree—Cum Laude," he said plainly. "I wanted to celebrate."
Nattalie blinked. "Celebrate… here? Out of all the cities you could've chosen, you picked this one—the exact same place I wanted to start over?"
Norte nodded once, completely unfazed. "Yes. And I thought it would be nice to celebrate with you."
Nattalie stared at him, speechless.
Of course. Of course that was the reason.
She slumped back in her chair, muttering under her breath.
"So that's it, then. My grand plan for freedom… turned into a family reunion."
***