The heavy thud of her bag hitting the pavement echoed in the vast, empty hallway of the Zhou mansion. Xia stood frozen for a moment, staring at the scattered contents of her belongings—everything she had painstakingly collected over the years now tossed out without care. The maid, her expression unbothered, barely looked at her as she brushed past.
"It's not like you're their daughter anyway," one of her adoptive brothers sneered from the top of the staircase, his words sharp like a knife.
Xia's eyes flickered with cold fire. Zhou Kai, her youngest brother, had always looked at her like she was something beneath him—something to be controlled. The love she had so desperately sought, given without hesitation, had never been returned. She tried to make them love her. She tried to be the perfect daughter, the obedient sister, the one who exceeded expectations. But no matter how much she excelled, they always saw her as less.
And now, it had all come crashing down. A DNA test had proved what she had always suspected—she wasn't their daughter, not by blood. The truth hit harder than anything they had done to her before. The years of love she had given, of sacrifices and endless attempts to prove herself, had meant nothing.
She turned away from the scene, her heart cold but steady. This was it. This was the last straw. She wasn't going to beg them anymore. Not for their love. Not for their approval.
As she walked out the front door, her mind swirled with one singular thought: revenge? No. The Zhou family had fostered her, raised her as their own, and for that, she owed them something—a part of her would always be grateful. But now, her ties to them were officially cut. The game had changed.
In the quiet of the night, she heard the faint sound of footsteps behind her. She didn't need to turn around to know that Liang Zhou, her other adoptive brother, was following her. Unlike Zhen, Liang never spoke much, but his presence was always unsettling—like the calm before a storm.
"Are you really leaving?" he asked, his voice soft, almost as if he were trying to understand, trying to justify her decision. But there was no softness in his eyes—just the distant, unreadable gaze of someone who had never cared enough to look beyond their own facade.
Xia didn't answer. She couldn't waste the time. She had already made her choice.
"Here, take it," he said, handing her a credit card. "Least anyone should say we treated you badly."
Xia burst out laughing. Of course, their reputation... How had she even thought these people could care for her? But no matter—she didn't need them.
"Worry not," she said, shaking her head, and left without taking the card.
Xia pulled out her phone—deceptively cheap-looking on the outside, but inside, it was a masterpiece of her own making. The screen flickered to life, and a single message was typed out in an instant.
"Arrange a house. Make sure it's secure."
She paused, tapping her fingers against the screen. "I have left the Zhou family."
With a swipe, the message was sent. Within seconds, her assistant replied.
"Really??!! Mighty X, I've already prepared everything. Your house is ready, and your security is set."
Xia felt a flicker of warmth at the name. "Mighty X." It was what her assistant had started calling her when he realized just how powerful she truly was. It wasn't just because of her skills or talents, but because she had a presence—a power that commanded attention even in the quietest of rooms.
The wind carried the last words of her brothers as they shouted from the mansion, but Xia didn't flinch. She had been thrown out, but she didn't need them.
She had always known she was different—more than just the orphan they had claimed her to be. The world had no idea who they had just let go.
Her phone buzzed again, a series of images popping up on the screen. The house. The layout. Everything she could ever need. Her new life was already in motion, and the Zhou family would never know what hit them.
And then, as if on cue, a new message appeared. "Shall I deal with them, Madame?"
She didn't hesitate. "No. I've already burned that bridge.