Tonight in Aetheburg, the spotlight was all on one person.
The entire top floor of the Empire Tower's revolving restaurant had been booked out, while massive holographic lights projected "Happy Birthday Olivia" across the night sky.
9,999 drones danced overhead, forming stunning and intricate patterns under precise programming.
Every billboard across the city was looping a montage of Olivia Bell's life—from baby giggles to her elegant twenties—every frame screaming money, luxury, and love beyond reason.
"Did you hear? The Bells dropped five million on tonight's party!"
"Five mil? Just those drones lighting up the sky for ten minutes had to cost more than that! Olivia's their only daughter, practically a living porcelain doll. This setup's like some royal crowning ceremony!"
Online and offline, people everywhere were gawking at the girl whose life was straight out of a dream.
But across town, in an older and slightly worn apartment complex, the vibe couldn't be more different.
"Mom, seriously! Am I really your daughter? Kicking me out like this?"
Eleanor Carter stood with her hands on her hips, eyeing the overstuffed suitcase that was barely closing, and let out an exaggerated sigh.
Mary was crouched by the bed, struggling to squeeze in a jar of her homemade pickles into the suitcase's side pocket. Without even looking up, she snapped, "If you weren't my daughter, I'd have left you by the curb ages ago! You've been back for two weeks and already stirred a whole storm around here—Mrs. Bailey downstairs got a BP spike thanks to your parrot, Mr. Li next door nearly lost his orchids, and Mrs. Wang's grandson…"
"Okay okay! Pause!" Eleanor quickly raised her hand like she was surrendering, grinning cheekily as she leaned in, "Not entirely my fault, alright? Mrs. Bailey's heart was sensitive to begin with. Mr. Li's orchid looked super dry, I gave it a little hydration boost. And the chubby kid from across the hall? I just defended him when those older bullies were being mean!"
Mary finally looked up, flicking her on the forehead. "You always have an excuse! You're like chaos wrapped in a girl's body. I can cover for you at home, but once you're back on campus, you better keep it in check!"
Despite her tone, her hands kept moving. She pulled out some red cash bills and secretly slipped them into Eleanor's jacket.
Eleanor caught the movement, immediately wrapping her arms around her mom's arm, nuzzling her like a spoiled kitten. "Got it, you're the world's best mom! Hey, did you catch the news? That Olivia's birthday? It's like a full-on royal event. Geez. If only I had a life like that—just lying around counting cash all day. I'd take you around the world without breaking a sweat!"
Mary glanced at the TV, where a close-up of Olivia's perfectly made-up face was being shown.
The girl on screen looked poised, elegant.
For a moment, something flickered in her heart.
Was it just her, or did those eyes seem oddly familiar?
She chuckled to herself and shook off the absurd thought, teasing, "You're dreaming! Being a rich heiress isn't all glitz, you know. Might as well hope your mysterious husband turns out to be the jackpot."
Eleanor's smile froze for a second at the mention of that man.
Her grandpa and an old friend named Smith once made a pact in their youth—if fate allowed, their families would become in-laws.
Years passed, and the two families lost touch.
But Mr. Smith never gave up searching for his friend.
Six months ago, he finally tracked down the Carters.
By tradition, the marriage agreement should've fallen on Eleanor's cousin, Emily Carter.Back when Nancy Miller and Emily heard that the Smiths were just regular folks and that Alexander Smith wasn't exactly young anymore, they immediately looked down on the match and rejected it without hesitation.
But Eleanor didn't have the heart to disappoint Old Mr. Smith, nor did she want to let her grandfather's promise turn into an empty word.
Besides, she never had much of a fairy tale dream about marriage to begin with. So she stepped in for Emily and married this man she hadn't even met.
Because of all that, even though the marriage certificate had been sitting there for six months, her mom, Mary Johnson, had zero good feelings toward the son-in-law who "snatched" her daughter away before even showing his face.
"Alright, alright, stop dawdling, or you'll miss your ride."
Mary reached up to fix Eleanor's collar, nagging non-stop, "Don't stir up trouble at school, but don't let anyone push you around either. Eat proper meals, stop living on junk food. And for heaven's sake, turn down the AC at night, don't freeze yourself!"
"Okay okay! Mom, you're sounding like a broken record!"
Eleanor cut in, clearly exasperated, but the second she grabbed her suitcase, she spun around and planted a quick kiss on Mary's cheek.
"I'm off! Try not to miss me too much!"
Before Mary could even react, Eleanor was already dashing downstairs, wheeling her oversized suitcase behind her and jumping into the taxi that had been waiting outside.
Mary touched her cheek where she'd been kissed, watching the fading taillights of the cab. Between amusement and not knowing whether to laugh or cry, she let out a soft sigh full of motherly fondness.
On the ride to the university district, Eleanor had her earbuds in, bobbing her head to the beat. Then the car slammed the brakes out of nowhere, and she nearly smacked into the seat in front of her.
"What the heck, driver?"
The driver sounded flustered. "Ah, sorry, miss! Looks like I scratched that car next to us!"
Eleanor leaned over to check. Dang—it was a sleek, seriously fancy-looking car. She didn't know the brand, but everything about it screamed "I'm stupid expensive, don't touch me."
The driver of the luxury car was already out. A middle-aged guy in a crisp uniform checked the scratch, and his face took a nosedive. He barked at the taxi driver, full-blown indignant, "You blind or just reckless? Do you even know how much this car's worth? Selling your car wouldn't even pay for the headlight!"
The poor cab driver was so rattled he could barely string a sentence together.
That's when Eleanor's fiery temper kicked in.
She flung the door open, hopped out, crossed her arms, and stood protectively in front of her driver.
"Hey, uncle, chill. Why the personal attack? Accidents happen, especially in traffic like this. That's why we have insurance, right? No need to act like you own the road."
The man clearly didn't take her seriously and snorted. "You think this is just any accident? Do you have any idea who owns this car? If our boss is delayed, can you afford the consequences?"
"Oh wow!" Eleanor raised her brows and sauntered around the car, clicking her tongue. "Whose ride is this, huh? Must be made of diamonds or capable of flying, considering the attitude."
She said it loud enough for the passengers inside to hear.
In the backseat of the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Alexander was going through his emails on his laptop. The commotion outside made him frown.
He glanced up, peering through the tinted window—and that's when he spotted the girl circling his car, throwing shade.
White t-shirt, jeans, a high ponytail, and a clean face lit up by those bright, expressive eyes.
His gaze lingered for a moment, then dropped to his phone where his assistant had just sent over the latest profile on his wife, Eleanor.
The girl in the photo matched the one outside to a T. Fiery, loud, and impossible to miss.
