Chapter 1

That year, when I was at my absolute lowest, I pretended to be my sister to care for her blind fiancé, all for half a million dollars to save my family.

The day he regained his sight, I disappeared without a trace.

We met again at a business interview.

I was just an unknown intern reporter.

He had reclaimed his identity as Liam Sterling, the powerful young scion of the Sterling Group.

He was being interviewed: “We hear that during your illness, you were incredibly fortunate to have Ms. Serena, your fiancée, by your side through thick and thin. Are wedding bells ringing soon for you two?”

His lips curved ever so slightly. He raised his hand, revealing a ring. “Yes. She and I… we’re getting engaged.”

But his gaze, almost imperceptibly, drifted past his glasses, landing on me in the corner.

Before the interview began, the room buzzed with chatter.

“The young master we’re interviewing today, he’s the actual head of the entire Sterling Group.”

“I heard five years ago he went blind and was even kicked out of the family. If his fiancée hadn’t stayed by him, he probably wouldn’t be alive today.”

“Shh, keep your voice down—”

I sat there, forcing a faint smile.

My nails, though, dug deep into my palms.

Suddenly, Mike, my senior colleague, turned to me.

“Anya, could you get me some water? My throat’s dry.”

As I walked to the water cooler near the door, the main entrance suddenly swung open.

A familiar silhouette crashed into my vision, and my mind went utterly blank.

In three years, Liam Sterling had changed almost completely.

His once slightly slender, boyish frame had grown tall and imposing, and the lines of his face were sharper, more defined.

Those eyes, once misty and unfocused, now held an icy stillness.

“Excuse me.”

He spoke flatly, his gaze sweeping over me through his glasses, like I was a stranger.

No pause whatsoever.

He walked onto the stage, surrounded by several bodyguards.

As he passed, he left behind a cool, woody scent.

I stood frozen, taking a few seconds to process.

The two years I spent by his side were Liam Sterling’s most desperate.

He had been cast out of the Sterling family, his eyes blinded in a car accident. Of course, he didn’t know what I looked like.

…Maybe that was for the best.

By the time I returned with the water glass, the interview had already begun.

Liam Sterling sat on stage, fingers intertwined, resting against his chin, observing the room with composed confidence.

He was answering business questions.

Suddenly, the side door near the stage opened.

Serena walked in, smiling as she complained to Liam Sterling.

“Sorry, Liam.”

“Something came up on set, so I’m a little late.”

She held up the hem of her opulent champagne-colored dress and took a seat beside Liam Sterling.

The entire room fell silent for a moment, then the atmosphere immediately grew warm and buzzing with implied romance.

Mike, holding his water glass, glanced at me, as if he’d discovered something new.

“Anya, don’t tell me, but you and Serena, you actually look quite alike.”

I pursed my lips, managing a forced smile. “She’s a celebrity. You’re being too kind, Mike.”

Of course we looked alike.

Because she and I, we were sisters.