Chapter 1 Airplane Accident

In the pitch-black room, little Bella Gray looked out at the flashing lightning in the sky, a wave of panic washing over her. She anxiously gazed outside.

"The weather is terrible today. Dad shouldn't have to go to work, right?" Bella murmured to herself.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps outside the door, followed by a series of loud knocks.

"Bella, open the door!"

Bella panicked and ran to the door, peering through the peephole. She recognized the voice as her father Lucas Gray's friend, Dwayne Larson.

She quickly opened the door, and Dwayne stood there, soaked from head to toe, clearly having run in the rain.

"Bella, we need to go. You have to leave here," Dwayne said, picking Bella up and preparing to leave.

She protested hoarsely, "Mr. Larson, why? Did something happen to my dad? What's wrong with him?"

Dwayne didn't answer; he just rushed out with her in his arms. But when they reached the top of the stairs, he froze.

Bella looked toward the stairwell, where a group of cold, menacing men in black stood.

"Bella, run!" Dwayne shouted, setting her down and blocking the stairway with his body.

The men in black charged forward, starting to beat Dwayne. Bella, terrified, ran back to her room and hid under the bed, trembling.

She lost track of time until she heard footsteps again, and then a hand reached under the bed and pulled her out.

Bella's first instinct was to bite that hand, but the boy simply frowned and looked at her quietly.

"My name is Sterling Windsor. I'm here to take you to see your father," he said calmly, then gestured for the men in black to take Bella away.

Under the black rain curtain, lightning lit up the night sky for a brief moment.

As Bella was ushered into the car, she looked back and saw worry and guilt etched on Dwayne's face.

Lucas was a private pilot hired by the Windsor family.

Bella's mother, Mira Morris, abandoned her when she was very young. Her father, Lucas, was a pilot, and after the plane crash on that stormy night, Bella became an orphan. Sterling's parents also died in the same air disaster.

"Follow me."

"From now on, you will live with me, and I will cover all your expenses as you grow up."

After attending the funeral with Bella, Sterling extended his hand to her.

Bella dazedly placed her hand in Sterling's palm, and from then on, she lived in the Windsor family's villa.

Everyone thought Sterling took Bella in because they shared the same tragic fate.

Initially, Bella thought so too.

But as she settled into the Windsor home, she gradually realized that Sterling's true motive for taking her in was revenge.

Rumors began to circulate from unknown sources,

claiming that Lucas had been drinking before the flight and had committed a series of violations, leading to the crash.

Bella didn't believe Lucas was that kind of person because he had always been a cautious, principled, and dedicated pilot.

However, Sterling clearly bought into the rumor and kept her close, constantly tormenting her.

"Get out of my study! Don't come in without my permission!"

Sterling grabbed Bella by her clothing like a kitten and threw her out of the room.

Bella wiped her tears and left the study; she brought Sterling coffee simply because he looked exhausted.

Her life was filled with caution, like Cinderella. Even the slightest mistake would make Sterling angry. His behavior left deep psychological scars on Bella.

Ten years passed.

Eighteen-year-old Bella rode an old bicycle in the cold winter, bidding farewell to her good friend Anna Powell.

The cold wind made Bella's face pale, and Anna felt sorry for her. She wanted to invite Bella to ride home with her family, but Bella declined.

Sterling had warned Bella not to expose their relationship; she didn't want to stir up trouble or face punishment again.

Watching Bella's thin figure, Anna could only sigh.

Bella was very beautiful, but her only flaw was her strong will.

Braving the cold wind, Bella finally rode her bicycle back to the Windsor villa.

After parking her bike, she slipped through the back door into the damp, dark storage room, which served as her bedroom.

However, just as Bella was about to put down her bag and rest for a moment, a hand grabbed her wrist— it was the servant, Zoe Smith.