Ch. My sister’s punishment, my billionaire prize 3 My sister’s punishment, my billionaire prize 3

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Seeing that I hadn’t responded, Ethan grew irritated: 

“What are you, mute now? Hello?” 

“It’s just taking Amber’s punishment, not dying. What’s there to think about?” 

“You haven’t done anything for Mom in years, and now you won’t even listen to her?” Ethan was about to grab me when a housekeeper burst into the kitchen: 

“Miss Amber is threatening to jump from her window!” 

My mother’s face went chalk-white. She dropped everything and ran out. 

Ethan still maintained some composure, but his expression was dark: 

“If anything happens to Amber, I swear to God, it’s on you!” 

He seized my wrist and dragged me along. 

By the time we reached Amber’s room, my wrist was red and bruised from his grip. 

I was about to rub it when I spotted a familiar face-Drake Sullivan, my childhood sweetheart and fiancé. 

The Sullivan and Parker families had been friends for generations. Our engagement had been arranged since we were kids. 

Drake and I had grown up together. 

During those terrible years in Vermont, Drake was the only one who regularly visited and took care of me. Without him, I might not have survived. 

He always told me: 

“You’re the most important person in my life, Vi. No one compares to you.” 

“Your parents dumping you in this place, your brother not even visiting-they’ll regret treating you like this one day!” 

“Don’t be sad, Violet. When you marry me, I’ll make you the happiest princess in the world!” 

By then, I’d already developed a deep fear that Amber would eventually steal everyone I loved. I clung to Drake like a lifeline: 

“Promise me you’ll never even meet Amber!” 

Drake had stroked my hair affectionately: 

“I promise. You’re the only one I see.” 

“This Amber girl couldn’t compare to your little finger!” 

I’d finally smiled then. 

I thought at least one person would always choose me. 

But all that vanished after I returned to the Parker house. 

Drake met Amber. 

Within six months, Amber had successfully stolen the person.I treasured most. 

Drake even brought up postponing our engagement: 

“Amber’s become pretty dependent on me. If I marry you now, I’m worried she won’t handle it well.” My memories were interrupted by my mother’s desperate cries: 

“Amber, come down! Let’s talk about this! What are you doing by the window? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” 

Amber was sitting on the second-floor windowsill. Her feet hadn’t even crossed the railing, but her eyes were swollen like walnuts: 

“Didn’t you hear what the Blackwoods said? They want to push me down a staircase just like what happened to Olivia!” 

“If I go to their mansion, they’ll torture me to death! I’d rather die here at home-at least it won’t be as painful.” 

Ethan was so angry he slapped me across the face: 

“This is all your fault! If you’d just agreed to take Amber’s punishment, would she be thinking about killing herself?” 

“She’s your sister! How can you be so cruel? Do you want her to die?” 

That slap held nothing back. A red handprint instantly appeared on my cheek. My mother just glared at me hatefully, her eyes full of disappointment: 

“If anything happens to Amber, I won’t want to live either.” 

“Violet, if you still refuse to take Amber’s punishment at the Blackwood estate, then don’t call yourself 

a Parker anymore, and don’t consider me your mother!” 

If Ethan’s words were angry shouts, my mother’s were naked threats. 

Anger, fear, despair, grief… countless emotions mixed inside me. I couldn’t stop my body from trembling, feeling like my heart was being stomped on. 

That’s when Drake stepped forward. 

Drake gently touched the red mark on my face, his eyes so tender I almost believed we were back in Vermont, away from all this. 

But his next words shattered my last illusion. 

“Violet, I’m begging you.” 

you agree to take Amber’s place, I’ll marry you immediately!” 

That’s when I learned that in moments of extreme pain, you can’t even cry. 

Looking around at my family and the man I loved, not a single person stood on my side. I suddenly smiled softly: 

“Fine.” 

“I’ll take Amber’s punishment at the Blackwood mansion in five days.” 

Perhaps my smile looked too pitiful, because Drake frowned and instinctively reached for my hand. But before he could touch me, I brushed him away. 

Though the movement was gentle, it seemed to burn his skin. He winced: 

“Violet…” 

I didn’t look at him. Instead, I calmly gazed around the room: 

“But you all need to agree to one condition.” 

Ethan immediately became annoyed: 

“It’s just helping your sister with one small favor, and you’re making demands? When did you become so calculating?” 

I tugged at the corner of my mouth in a half-smile: 

“Don’t worry, it’s a small request. You’ll definitely agree.” 

Ethan started to protest, but my mother stopped him. 

Despite her poor health, the entire Parker family fortune had come from her parents. Even the children had taken her last name instead of my father’s. So sometimes, what she said carried more weight than my father’s words. 

My mother looked at me-her daughter who had become a stranger-with a flicker of bitterness: “As long as you agree to go for Amber, whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.” 

So all these years, the family connection I’d desperately sought was nothing but a joke. 

I didn’t say anything more, just quietly left the room. 

Amber had been successfully “rescued” from her suicide threat. 

The room filled with sobs and comforting words. Even my normally stern father, after seeing off the dinner guests, rushed to Amber’s bedroom, his face full of concern for his precious little girl. When he bumped into me at the corner, he didn’t even spare me a glance. 

I lost my balance and fell to the floor. Soon, my ankle began to swell. 

The night air made me hiss with pain. 

“Violet, are you okay?” 

Drake suddenly appeared in front of me, reaching out to help. 

As he leaned close, I smelled gardenia perfume on him. 

Amber’s signature scent. 

I used to love gardenias more than any other flower. 

That’s why Drake always went out of his way to find gardenia-themed gifts for me. 

But soon after I returned to the Parker house, Amber had managed to “accidentally” break them all. When I’d confronted her about it, Drake had stopped me: 

“Amber didn’t mean it. They were just little trinkets anyway. If you like them, I can get you something else.” 

But I never received anything from Drake again. 

Meanwhile, Amber had recently flaunted a bottle of gardenia perfume in front of me: 

“Poor Violet, you’re so worthless! Your family doesn’t want you, and now even your fiancé doesn’t want you!” 

My chest tightened. I stepped back and managed to stand on my own. 

Drake’s hand fell empty, his expression darkening: 

“Violet, I know you’re upset about taking Amber’s punishment. But I’ve already promised to marry you-what more do you want?” 

“Amber is your sister. What’s wrong with helping her? Why are you being so petty about this?” 

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