Ch. My sister’s punishment, my billionaire prize 4 My sister’s punishment, my billionaire prize 4

04 

The frustration boiled up inside me, making my words sharp and bitter: 

“Being forced to be a scapegoat and sent to the Blackwoods for punishment-am I supposed to be grateful for that?” 

Hearing this, Drake raised his voice: 

Amber didn’t mean it! Besides, it’s just going to the Blackwood estate once. What’s the big deal?” “It’s not a big deal, why doesn’t Amber go herself?” 

Drake finally fell silent, though his expression darkened further: 

“If you’re going to be this unreasonable, we have nothing more to talk about!” 

In the end, I returned to my “room” alone. 

I call it a room, but honestly, it was worse than where the housekeepers stayed. 

Compared to Amber’s spacious, sunlit princess suite, we were literally in different worlds. 

Mine was a dark, damp basement with concrete walls on all sides and not a single window. The bathroom was so far away that whenever I needed to use it at night, I had to carry a flashlight and nervously walk down a long, unlit corridor. 

With my swollen ankle, I moved painfully slow. Only when I finally reached my small bed did I wipe away the tears that had been streaming down my face. 

In the dim light, I began packing my meager belongings. 

When I finished, I realized just how pathetically little I owned. 

A few clothes, some books, a family photo, and a necklace. 

The family photo was taken before Amber arrived-just Mom, Dad, Ethan and me. 

The background was a field of sunflowers in our garden. In the picture, tiny me was nestled in my mother’s arms, my hands wrapped tightly around her neck, looking completely attached to her. My father stood to the side with his usual serious expression. 

Ethan was smiling, his eyes crinkled, standing protectively in front of me like a knight. His right hand, in a corner no one could see, was gently holding the edge of my dress. 

This was the only thing I took when I was sent to Vermont. 

Using this photo, I’d constantly convinced myself: 

Mom, Dad, and Ethan still loved me. Someday, we’d be as happy as we were in this picture again. But now, that dream was completely shattered. 

I took the photo from its frame, tore it into pieces without hesitation, and threw it in the trash. As for the necklace- 

Drake had given it to me. 

It was just a cheap trinket from a country market in Vermont. The pearls had long lost their color, the chain worn to a dull gray, but I’d treasured it like a precious gem until now. 

Because when Drake gave it to me, he’d solemnly promised: 

“This is our promise to each other.” 

“Wait for me, Violet. I’ll make you the happiest bride in the world!” 

The necklace was probably so old and cheap that it was the only gift from Drake that Amber hadn’t managed to destroy. 

But now, I didn’t want it either. 

I put the necklace in my pocket. No matter how cheap it was, it was still Drake’s gift. Since I no longer wanted it, I should return it before I left. 

With these thoughts, I drifted into a restless sleep on my bed. 

When I woke up, I found myself staring at Ethan’s furious face. 

“You did this on purpose, didn’t you?” 

Last night, my leg had throbbed with pain all night. Even now, my head was pounding so badly I couldn’t focus on him. 

My silence clearly ignited Ethan’s rage. He grabbed me off the bed and dragged me all the way to the dining room. 

After throwing me roughly onto the floor, he shouted: 

“Look what you’ve done!” 

I glanced at the empty dining table, completely unable to understand what he was so angry about. Just then, Amber walked in wearing a beautiful princess dress, covering her mouth in mock surprise: “Violet, why didn’t you make us breakfast?”