Inside the Silver Bay Villa, a small dining table sat two teenagers across from each other.
Both wore the navy-and-white uniforms of St. Claire's Academy, one of Riverdale City's most prestigious high schools.
The girl had her long hair tied in a high ponytail, quietly eating her breakfast.
"Autumn, I need to tell you something," said her brother.
Autumn James didn't reply, calmly waiting for him to continue.
"Anna's health has been poor, and now that her father has passed, I want to bring her to live with us."
Ethan James spoke casually, more like issuing an announcement than asking permission.
To his surprise, Autumn didn't react. She simply nodded.
"Fine."
Ethan glanced at her, puzzled.
He continued, "Anna needs a south-facing room, plenty of sunlight. I—"
Before he could finish, Autumn cut him off.
"Sure. I'll get things ready and make space for your precious little sister."
Ethan's brows knit. A flash of anger rose in him.
"Autumn James, what nonsense are you saying?!"
Autumn gave him a cold, sharp look.
"Isn't this exactly what you wanted? Why pretend otherwise?"
Embarrassment and guilt washed over Ethan. He snapped, "Get out!"
Autumn ignored him, wiped her mouth, and stood up.
"Let's go, Uncle Warren."
The family driver didn't ask questions. Since Anna Hawthorne appeared in their lives, Ethan's attention had shifted. He indulged Anna while neglecting his real sister.
At Anna's request, Ethan even split the cars, claiming the backseat was "too crowded."
So although Autumn and Ethan were siblings at the same school, they rarely rode together.
Most students didn't even know Autumn was Ethan's sister. Instead, they assumed the delicate Anna Hawthorne—who he coddled endlessly—was his real sister.
That had been Autumn's fate in her past life. On campus, Ethan had defended Anna at every turn, publicly claiming the James family had only one daughter: Anna Hawthorne.
Autumn? Merely an adopted child.
And that was how she had died: betrayed, abandoned, stabbed in an abandoned warehouse.
Now, reborn, she had a different mindset.
Stomach problems? Not her concern anymore.Short on money? Too bad.Prideful brother? Public humiliation suits her just fine.
She thought reclaiming her life would be smooth sailing.
But who would have guessed… her previously unimportant fiancé suddenly appeared?
Everyone wanted her to give him to Anna.
Autumn smirked. Instead, she set her sights on a tall, handsome, stoic tutor who had captured her attention.
When the day came to head home with him, she saw her angry fiancé—now calling her "little aunt" in frustration—blocking her path.
Before she could escape, he pulled her close, pressing her against the wall with possessive intensity:
"Where do you think you're going, darling?"
The school day had just begun. Morning traffic was thick, and the students passing by noticed two expensive cars.
Everyone knew the white Range Rover—it belonged to Ethan James, the school heartthrob, whose father was a major investor in St. Claire's. His car had special permission to drive inside.
But the sleek black Mercedes? That was new.
Students whispered.
"Wait… Autumn James is Ethan's sister?""She's been so low-profile! I never knew she was rich.""Are you kidding? Ethan drives in every day but wouldn't let his own sister? Instead, he brings… Anna Hawthorne?""I'm in Autumn's class. She doesn't act like a wealthy girl at all!"
Anna Hawthorne's face went pale.
If this continued, everyone would soon discover Autumn James' true identity.