The True Heiress's Return

Yvette screamed and stumbled down the staircase, crashing into a few staff members on her way down. They all ended up in a heap on the marble steps in a rather funny scene. The Nelson family, waiting for the butler to bring them something in the study, heard the ruckus and came out to see what was going on. "Yvette, are you alright?" Mitchell rushed over, worry written all over his face as he looked at Yvette, who was sprawled out on the stairs and struggling to get up.

"I'm fine, Mitchell." Yvette shook her head slightly and bit her lip, trying to hold back the pained gasps that escaped her.

itchell could hardly hide his frustration. "Fine? Your knee is swollen!"

He shot a glance at Shakira, who was standing coolly akira, just like he always did when something went wrong with Yvette. This time, though, Shakira seemed completely unfazed by it all. at the side, and his concern quickly turned to anger. "Shakira, this is all your fault!" Without a second thought, he pinned the blame on on Shakira, Yvette explained softly, "It's not Shakira's fault. I just lost t my balance."This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

Rebecca, not convinced

too, shot shot back, "You're "You're usually so careful. You wouldn't just fall down the stairs. Stop trying to cover for her." Selena, the family matriarch, came out a

a bit late, supported I by a servant. She glanced at Yvette and instantly, her eyes were drawn to a beautiful box that had fallen into a corner. Her face went pale as she shouted, "The Spring Swallow Bowl!" snapped everyone bad back to reality. Mitchell rushed over to pick up the box, but when he opened it, pieces flew everywhere. Shock washed over everyone's faces. Mitchell stormed over to Shakira with the box. "Shakira, do you have any idea how big of a mess you've made?"

That excations Shakira glanced at the shards, the shards, expressionless. "Yve The butler and the staff feared they'd get in trouble and spoke med me, and now she broke something and still blamed me? You should really set up a booth for throwing around blame like that!"

Yvette fell and

up quickly.

"When we were heading upstairs, Ms. Yvette Nelson was apologizing to Ms. Shakira Nelson, begging for her forgiveness, and even offered her birthday gifts." we all heard it. Iit. Ms. Yvette Nelson just wanted Ms. Shakira Nelson to stay. But Ms. Shakira Nelson stepped aside, which made Ms. Yvette Nelson lose her balance." "If Ms. Shakira Nelson had just helped, Ms. Yvette Nelson wouldn't have fallen, and the Spring Swallow Bowl wouldn't have shattered..."

Yeah,

The Nelson family looked extremely displeased.

Mitchell exploded. "We have witnesses! What more do you need to say, Shakira? You know how hard Yvette worked to get that bowl back-yet you tried to mess it all up!

"All this trouble just because we're celebrating Yvette's birthday? Shakira, I thought you were just a little mean, but now I see it's downright cruel."

"Only fools would care about such a bowl." Shakira lifted her chin defiantly. "Besides, if an annoying fly can't even fly straight and tries to drag me down with her, that's not my problem."

175

G

The "fools" and "fly" both froze, too angry to react for a moment.

"You uncultured brat! That's a Victorian Enamel Spring Swallow Bowl, worth 100 million dollars-an antique you could never dream of owning!" Selena yelled, her fury boiling over. Rebecca's composed facade almost shattered. She turned to Shakira, disappointment etched across her face. "This is a priceless treasure that Yvette had begged the previous owner to get for nearly a month, hoping it would help Felix work smoothly with Lonely Bird. I thought you were just being difficult, but I see now you're rotten to the core."

"Why bother talking that to her, Mom? Does she even know who Lonely Bird is? She's just a mix of dumb and cruel. She deliberately made Yvette fall down the stairs to ruin the deal for Felix." Mitchell's voice was laced with fury.

He then glared at Shakira. "Didn't you say you would cut ties with us? So why come back and stir up trouble?"

"What's going on here?" Cody's voice sliced through the chaos as he stepped in with Finn and Yosef.

11

11

was confused. Ever since he brought back his biological daughter, Shakira, peace had been a rare visitor in home. He remembered a fortune teller who had assured him that if they brought Shakira back to the Nelson family only after she turned eighteen, everything would be fine, but now frustration gnawed at his mind. Mitchell seized the moment to report, "Shakira made Yvette fall down the stairs and even broke the Spring Swallow Bowl."

Rebecca recounted the entire situation, and disbelief settled over the trio's faces. Though they stayed silent, their piercing glares at Shakira clearly showed they thought she was the one in the wrong-just like always. From the moment Shakira returned to the Nelson family, no one cared about her, trusted her, or even treated her like family. She couldn't help but mock herself internally, 'Wha

did I go through in my past life for this? For these blind fools

who care for outsiders more than their own?'

Cody, wearing a serious expression-having failed to fulfill his duties as a father-now admonished her with an air of superiority. "Shakira, we admit we owe you, but that doesn't give you the right to keep acting out." Shakira scoffed, a sarcastic laugh escaping her lips. "You know you owe me, yet you've never made it right. You think bringing me back to the Nelson family is enough to make amends? Seriously? You really expect me to be grateful for that? What a joke!" Cody stared a at her, his his eyes wide in disbelief.

Finn stepped in with

in with the authority of a leader. "Enough, Shakira! Stop this nonsense and apologize to Dad and Yvette."

"Apologize for what? Your dad just said he had spoiled me and let me run wild, didn't he? I misbehave once, and suddenly you can't handle it?" Shakira snapped, each word dripping with venom.

The entire Nelson family stood dumbfounded-was Shakira seriously losing it?

Just then, Yvette stood up, her delicate knees swollen and bruised. Her eyes were slightly red as she pleaded with everyone. "Guys, Shakira isn't at fault. I am. If I hadn't tried to pull her back, I wouldn't have fallen or damaged the Spring Swallow Bowl. Please don't blame Shakira for my mistakes... Yvette's demeanor had shifted dramatically since she discovered two years ago that she wasn't a Nelson. Once the pampered princess of the Nelson family, she now acted with caution, terrified of being cast out.

Especially now, despite her injury and the destruction of the antique, she sought to shield Shakira from blame. Who could see this and not be moved? In this light, Shakira appeared even more like a troublemaker, dragging the whole family into chaos.

Finally, Yosef, the second brother who had stayed silent, spoke up. "This treasure was Yvette's hard-earned wish-worth a hundred million dollars. Felix won't hold it against Yvette for the money. Shakira, just apologize to Yvette, and we can move past tonight's events." 2/3 U