Chapter 1 A Slap at the Funeral

"Elara West! Your grandfather loved you so much when he was alive — where were you when he was seriously ill? How did the West family raise such an ungrateful daughter!"

Elara stood expressionless in front of her grandfather's tombstone, Aiden West, her father Gordon West's angry words ringing in her ears.

She wore a black dress, completely still, her eyes fixed on the kind smile in the old man's photo on the tombstone, her gaze hollow and empty.

Elara's mother, Wendy Smith, walked over too, launching straight into accusations: "You're not our biological daughter, but we never treated you badly all these years. You even abandoned the grandfather who loved you most — the West family truly wasted their time raising you!"

Their voices were loud enough to draw stares from the surrounding guests, and whispers spread through the crowd:

"That's the fake heiress the West family raised for eighteen years? I heard the real heiress showed up three years ago, and she refused to leave because she looked down on her birth parents for being poor. Shameless."

"The West family treated her so well, and she still ran off when the grandfather was dying. How heartless can you get."

"Exactly. Kids born into poverty are selfish and cold. No matter how well the West family raised her, she can't shake where she came from."

Every word found its way into Elara's ears. Beyond the hurt, all she felt was exhaustion and numbness.

She had spent eighteen years with the West family. She knew better than anyone how two-faced they were — polished and respectable on the outside, rotten underneath.

Except for the one person who had ever shown her real warmth — her grandfather. Thinking of him sent a sharp ache through her chest.

Wendy saw she wasn't moving and was about to lay into her again when a hand gently touched her arm. "Mom, don't get upset."

Jasmine West stepped out from behind Wendy. She was dressed for a funeral, but her makeup was flawless, her whole manner radiating an air of superiority.

The moment Wendy saw her biological daughter, her face broke into a warm smile. "Jasmine, why did you come out? It's windy — don't catch a cold."

Gordon chimed in with concern. "You're not feeling well. Go rest inside. We've got things handled here."

Jasmine smiled sweetly. "Dad, Mom, I'm fine. I'm the West family's heiress. It's my responsibility to help you host the guests."

Wendy looked at her with pride. "You're always so thoughtful. Nothing like some people, walking around with that sour face like we owe her something."

Jasmine smiled, then turned to Elara, her voice soft. "Elara, don't take what Mom and Dad said too hard. I understand you're not blood-related to us, so it's only natural you weren't here when Grandpa passed. We don't blame you..."

"Now that's what a real heiress looks like," a guest muttered nearby. "Nothing like that fake one, standing there putting on a show."

Jasmine loved hearing that. She couldn't hold back a smile, shooting Elara a smug look.

Elara hadn't glanced at her once. Her eyes stayed fixed on the photo on the tombstone.

Gordon's anger finally boiled over at her indifference. "What are you still doing here?! You're not welcome in this family! Get out!"

He stormed over to Elara and grabbed her arm, yanking her toward the exit.

She didn't move.

Gordon frowned and pulled harder.

Elara still didn't budge.

Just as he opened his mouth to yell, Elara gave her arm a casual flick. Gordon stumbled sideways and nearly hit the ground.

The guests went silent, every head turning toward Elara.

This girl, who looked so slight and fragile — where did that strength come from?

Gordon caught himself, his face flushed with embarrassment and fury. "You—"

"Don't touch me." Elara cut him off, her voice cold and flat. "I'll leave when I'm done saying my prayer for Grandpa."

Gordon's lips moved, but with so many people watching, he couldn't bring himself to refuse. He stood there glaring at her.

Elara turned back to the tombstone.

She raised her right hand and slowly made the sign of the cross over her chest, then closed her eyes.

Three years ago, when Jasmine had shown up at the West family with a DNA test, Gordon and Wendy's attitude toward her had shifted overnight. The way they looked at her was full of disgust and contempt.

Only Aiden had kept that same warm smile, standing by her without wavering.

Elara had been ready to leave, but Aiden was diagnosed with late-stage cancer right around that time. She couldn't bring herself to go, so she stayed, determined to use everything she knew to save him.

No one knew that she was actually the youngest researcher at the Nexus Institute of Medicine, specializing in targeted cancer drug development.

Just two weeks ago, a research project targeting Aiden's specific cancer cells had reached a breakthrough. She had pulled four all-nighters in the lab and finally produced the last critical compound.

When she rushed back to West Manor with the treatment, she was told her grandfather was already gone.

Elara opened her eyes and looked at the photo on the tombstone. Her lips curved slightly, and her voice came out barely above a whisper. "Grandpa, you broke your promise. You said you'd wait for me to come back and treat you. How could you leave first."

"Are you done yet?" Wendy's impatient voice cut through. "You've said your prayer. Time to go. Stop standing around where you're not wanted."

Elara turned around and looked at her, expression flat. "I'll go. But I'm taking Grandpa's things with me."

Wendy blinked, then let out a dismissive snort. "That gloomy old box? It's already been thrown out at the waste disposal center."

Jasmine stepped forward, her smile sharp with malice. "Elara, after you left, Grandpa treated it like it was priceless. The moment he passed, I had it thrown away. All those cheap little vials inside — the smell was nauseating. Who was going to pay if they stained the West family's carpet?"

A flash of cold fury crossed Elara's eyes. That box didn't just hold the compounds she had prepared — it also contained a classified medical monitoring device she had left for Aiden. She stepped forward and grabbed Jasmine by the jaw, her grip tight enough to make Jasmine's expression change instantly.

"That wasn't just medicine. It was the treatment that could have saved Grandpa's life." Elara's voice was ice-cold. "You threw it away to make sure the doctors couldn't use what I left behind — didn't you."