Chapter 1

For my brother’s upcoming wedding, I spent months designing and handcrafting an exclusive royal sapphire bridal jewelry set for his fiancée, a woman I barely knew.

Appraised by experts, the set was worth at least seventy-five thousand dollars.

Yet at the family rehearsal dinner, my mother pushed the velvet box right back into my hands in front of every single relative.

"Vivian, Chloe prefers international luxury brands. This set of yours... sure, it looks nice, but it's just something you made yourself. There's no brand name on it. She’d be embarrassed to wear it in front of her friends."

"How about this? Calculate how much the stones and labor cost, and just wire the cash directly to your brother. Let the young couple buy whatever they actually like."

Beside her, my future sister-in-law, Chloe, let out a sweet, mocking chuckle:

"Yeah, Vivian, you're definitely talented, but at the end of the day, it's just from a personal studio. It doesn't even come with a GIA certificate from a legacy boutique. My girls have sharp eyes. If they think I'm wearing costume jewelry, it’d be totally humiliating."

I smiled. Right in front of the entire room, I pulled out my phone and cleanly transferred seventy-five thousand dollars straight into my brother’s account.

Since my love and dedication meant nothing to them, we might as well talk numbers.

A clean transaction. From this moment on, family love had a strict price tag.

Staring at the deposit alert on his screen, my brother Leo lit up with raw excitement and shoved his phone in front of Chloe’s face.

"Did you see that? Seventy-five grand! I told you my sister takes care of me!"

Chloe laughed brightly, wrapping herself around his arm:

"I always knew Vivian was the most generous! Thank you so much!

Leo and I are hitting the Cartier flagship on Fifth Avenue first thing tomorrow to pick out the whole collection. We’ll consider it a gift from you!"

She emphasized the brand name with a heavy purr, her gaze flicking dismissively toward the sapphire set lying neglected in front of me.

That bridal set had taken three entire months of my life.

I had personally flown to Sri Lanka to hand-pick that unheated Royal Blue sapphire from hundreds of raw stones—deep, velvety, capturing the essence of midnight.

The pavé diamonds surrounding it were top-grade Belgian cuts from my studio, set meticulously to mirror the arc of the Milky Way.

The custom clasp was shaped like a delicate crescent moon, with "L&C" engraved discreetly on the back.

It was a masterpiece. A blessing. The most unique piece of love an older sister could ever give.

Yet in their shallow eyes, it couldn't compare to a factory-line branded trinket that could be easily stamped with a retail price.

Seeing the money clear, my mother, Martha, broke into a broad, satisfied grin and patted my hand affectionately:

"Now that’s the way. Family always supports family.

You've made a name for yourself as a designer now. Helping your little brother out is just your responsibility, isn't it?"

The relatives around the table chimed in instantly.

"Vivian really knows how to provide! Dropping seventy-five grand without blinking!"

"Leo is so blessed to have an older sister like her!"

"Martha really raised a golden goose. With a daughter this successful, she’s set for life!"

Surrounded by the loud, superficial praises, I felt an icy chill seep deep into my bones.

I picked up my wine glass, drained the rest of the cabernet in one swallow, and stood up.

"Leo, happy wedding. I have some urgent work waiting at the studio. I’m heading out."

Still hypnotized by the newly acquired fortune in his account, Leo merely waved a dismissive hand:

"Sure, go ahead. Drive safe."

Martha frowned immediately:

"Leaving already? The dinner isn't even over. You're getting more and more disrespectful, Vivian."

I didn't bother listening to her lecture. Grabbing my purse and the velvet box holding my rejected masterpiece, I walked out of that suffocating private dining room without looking back.

Stepping outside into the crisp, cool night air, I finally felt like I could breathe again.