Melody Summers sat up straight and looked ahead. She was surprised the Sutton Family still had the spare cash to attend an auction.

Melody remembered that around this time in her past life, the Sutton Family’s entire cash flow had gone to propping up the Lancaster Group. For that, Ethan Sutton had even called Melody a jinx.

The thing was, the Sutton Family had made that investment willingly, and Melody hadn’t seen a single cent of it. The Lancasters took the money, but Melody was the only one who had to endure the Suttons’ insults and complaints.

Next to Ethan Sutton was a long-haired girl in a dark purple dress. Ethan kept turning to the side, lowering his head to say something to her. For some reason, his posture seemed almost deferential.

Melody assumed the girl in the dark purple dress was Sylvia Lancaster. She smiled. ’They seem so in love,’ she thought. ’Look at the way Ethan is so carefully fawning over her, as if Sylvia is truly his Princess.’

But then, the girl in purple turned her head, and Melody saw her face clearly.

She froze. It wasn’t Sylvia Lancaster. It was a girl she had never seen before.

Melody couldn’t process it for a moment. She stared at them, stunned, not even registering that Zane Simmons, who was beside her, was speaking to her.

Zane Simmons noticed something was off with Melody. He followed her gaze and immediately understood.

He chuckled softly, leaning close to Melody’s ear. "Next to Ethan Sutton is Miss Walsh, Zara Walsh," he whispered. "You know the Walsh Family, right? They own several private hospitals and have shares in quite a few pharmaceutical companies. For the past few days, Ethan Sutton has been trying everything to get on this young lady’s good side. He’s trying to woo her."

Zane Simmons’s mother, Paige Walsh, was from the Walsh Family, so he knew Zara Walsh. An elder in the Walsh Family had once tried to set the two of them up, but Zane, startled by the idea, had quickly refused.

’Ethan Sutton is pursuing Zara Walsh?’ Melody thought in surprise. She had never even heard of Zara in her previous life. It seemed her rebirth had really thrown things into disarray.

Melody said in surprise, "But isn’t Ethan Sutton already engaged to Sylvia Lancaster?"

’What’s this all about, then? Have high-society circles always been this messy?’

Zane Simmons knew she would bring that up. He smiled with a hint of schadenfreude. "They’ve been engaged for half a year, but they never, ever mention marriage. Can’t you see the Sutton Family’s attitude? The key thing is that the Sutton Family is about to go under. They held onto a few projects they should have abandoned, and now they can’t pay back the hole they’ve dug with their loans."

’I can’t believe Ethan Sutton’s father has lost his nerve in his old age,’ Zane thought. ’He’s not as decisive as he was when he was younger. He doesn’t even have the courage to cut his losses.’

Zane shook his head and added, "The Sutton Group’s situation is no better than the Lancaster Family’s right now. Ethan can’t keep up his ’love as deep as the ocean’ act anymore. He’s left his fiancée at home while he’s busy sucking up to Miss Walsh every day."

Melody thought back. Around this time in her past life, Ethan Sutton had been busy proclaiming his love for Sylvia Lancaster to the whole world. She never expected that at the same point in this life, he’d be chasing after another girl.

Just as Melody was lost in thought, a voice came from above—

"Well, if it isn’t Mr. Shepherd. Long time no see."

In an instant, Melody felt the blood freeze in her veins. She knew that voice all too well. It was Flynn Adler!

In her past life, after the Lancasters had drugged her unconscious, they had handed her over to Flynn Adler.

Back then, Melody had woken from the darkness to find herself lying on a cold floor, her hands and feet bound. She struggled to lift her head and saw Flynn Adler and Sylvia Lancaster wrapped in an embrace. Both of them were looking at her as if she were garbage.

A cloth had been crudely stuffed into Melody’s mouth, preventing her from making a sound. All she could do was watch as Sylvia whined coquettishly to Flynn Adler, "Darling, this woman bullies me every day. She uses the fact that she’s my parents’ biological daughter to look down on me and always cause trouble for me. She even gets her group of shady friends to bully me. Darling, you have to get revenge for me!"

Flynn Adler smiled and gently patted Sylvia’s fair cheek. "Don’t worry, baby," he said with a nod. "I’ll have my men send her to my uncle’s bed right now. My uncle has his ways with women like her. I guarantee he’ll make her wish she were dead."

Hearing this, Melody felt a wave of fury surge through her. She was so angry she wanted to get up and take them both down with her, but her hands and feet were tied. She struggled for a long time but couldn’t move an inch.

Sylvia Lancaster watched Melody’s futile struggles and said with a triumphant smile, "Sister, don’t struggle. You should save your energy for the bed later. And remember, you owe me this. Who told you to come back to the Lancaster Family? It’s all your fault for insisting on competing with me. You brought all of this on yourself."

Flynn Adler added lazily, "You little bitch, remember to serve my uncle well later. If you please him, maybe he’ll let you live a few more days. But if you don’t know what’s good for you and dare to resist him, he’ll tear you apart and sell you piece by piece to Southeast Archanea!"

Then, with a lift of his hand, a group of his underlings came over, hoisted Melody up, loaded her into a truck, and drove away.

After a bumpy ride, the truck stopped. Melody was carried out, still blindfolded, and thrown into a room.

Before long, a man walked in. This man was the notorious leader of a criminal organization from the apocalyptic era. They robbed and murdered, trafficked women, sold people, illegally harvested human tissue and organs, hijacked state supplies, and colluded with foreign powers... There was no evil they wouldn’t do!

No one knew that Melody had a small blade hidden in her hair for self-defense.

Faced with the inevitable, Melody became terrifyingly calm. She feigned compliance, coaxing the man into untying the ropes around her hands.

The man saw that Melody had already been stripped naked. He figured a little girl, bare and waiting to be played with, wouldn’t have the strength to resist. Besides, he thought it wouldn’t be as fun if she was tied up like a dead pig, so he let his guard down and untied her hands.

The moment the man was off guard, Melody stealthily pulled the blade from her hair and slashed it across his throat!

Thick blood instantly sprayed from the man’s throat!

It all happened so suddenly. While the man was still in shock, Melody lunged forward and viciously stabbed him several more times in the same spot. Before long, the man stopped moving, having bled to death.

The commotion in the room alerted the goons waiting outside. As they burst through the door, Melody, knowing there was no escape, unhesitatingly slashed her own throat with the blade. Warm blood stained her vision red...

When she woke up again, she had been reborn to the time she was supposed to return to the Lancaster Family and be acknowledged by them.

「...」

Zane Simmons looked up at Flynn Adler and replied with a smile, "Mr. Adler, long time no see. Business seems to be booming lately."

Flynn Adler also smiled and exchanged pleasantries. "Same to you. We all have Mr. Shepherd to thank for our good fortune."

Then, Flynn Adler noticed the silent, head-bowed Melody Summers beside Zane Simmons. He sized up her attire and saw she was dressed very plainly. ’She’s probably not the daughter of some wealthy family,’ he thought.

So, he chuckled and teased Zane Simmons, "Is this your new girl? Mr. Shepherd, you sure are lucky with the ladies."

Hearing this, the smile on Zane Simmons’s face stiffened. He said sternly, "Don’t talk nonsense. This is Miss Summers, a friend of mine. I happened to run into her at the hotel and, being bored, I invited her to come check out the auction with me."

Flynn Adler’s suggestive, teasing smile vanished. He extended a hand to Melody. "My apologies, then. I didn’t realize you were an acquaintance of Mr. Shepherd’s. My name is Flynn Adler. And you are, Miss Summers?"

Melody had already composed herself. She looked up, her expression blank. Ignoring Flynn Adler’s outstretched hand, she replied coolly, "Don’t mention it. My name is Melody Summers."

Now it was Flynn Adler’s turn to be surprised. He blurted out, "You’re the Lancaster Family’s biological daughter?"

A while ago, his aunt, Mrs. Lawson, had entrusted him with investigating Melody Summers. He was even planning to help Mrs. Lawson kidnap Melody and force her into a consummated marriage with her mentally disabled younger son.

But to his surprise, Melody was an extreme homebody. She never set foot outside, just staying at home all the time.

The doors and windows of the Summers Villa were fortified, topped with an electric fence, and the area was constantly patrolled. The men Flynn Adler had sent never found an opportunity to make a move.

Melody said flatly, "I don’t understand what you mean, Mr. Adler. My surname is Summers. I have nothing to do with the Lancaster Family."

Flynn Adler gave Melody and Zane Simmons another thoughtful look, then shrugged and smiled. "Well, I won’t disturb you two then. Have fun."

After Flynn Adler left, Melody looked up and quietly asked Zane Simmons, "That Mr. Adler... does he have an uncle?"

Zane was taken aback. He shook his head. "Flynn Adler’s father, Kenneth Adler, is an only son. In fact, his family has only had one son for three generations; his grandfather was also an only son. Where would Flynn Adler get an uncle?"

Melody frowned. She remembered Flynn Adler telling Sylvia that he was going to send her to his uncle’s bed. How could he not have an uncle?

Zane thought for a moment and continued, "He does have a maternal uncle, though. He’s always been very close with his uncle’s family. But... why do you ask?"

Facing Zane’s suspicious gaze, Melody could only vaguely claim that she’d heard Robert Lancaster and Elaine Hughes mention it.

Just as Melody was puzzling over this, the auction began.

The first few items were antiques, paintings, and calligraphy. Melody didn’t know anything about them and wasn’t interested.

But many people in the audience were bidding. As the saying goes, "Antiques in times of peace, Gold in times of chaos." She was surprised that in such chaotic times, there were still so many wealthy people with the inclination to play around with antiques.

"The next item up for auction is an antique sapphire necklace."

Melody looked up and froze slightly. She recognized that necklace.

It was part of Elaine Hughes’s dowry.

Elaine Hughes had always treasured that necklace. Melody remembered that in her past life, Elaine had given it to Sylvia Lancaster.

After Sylvia got the necklace, she’d worn it and run over to show it off to Melody. "Mom said this necklace was passed down from her great-grandmother to her grandmother, and then from her grandmother to her. Now, Mom has passed it to me. Melody, you’re not mad, are you?"

Melody didn’t say anything. Beside them, Elaine Hughes explained awkwardly to Melody, "Melody, don’t mind it. Sylvia isn’t my biological daughter, after all. She already feels wronged, so Mom is just trying to find ways to compensate her."

Elaine then said to Melody with apparent sincerity, "Even though Mom gave the necklace to Sylvia, I will give you more of my love. Between you two sisters, one gets money, and the other gets love. It’s very fair. Melody, be a little more understanding. You can understand Mom’s difficult position, can’t you?"