The Langley mansion's sitting room had never felt colder.

Robert paced back and forth, veins bulging in his neck, his face flushed with rage. His expensive suit looked like it might burst at the seams from the sheer tension in every step.

"I'm going to kill that damn trainer with my bare hands!" he roared. "And then I'll go after Catherine!"

Kate, his youngest daughter, didn't move a muscle. Her eyes stayed downcast, hands folded tightly in her lap. She knew that saying anything would only make things worse.

But Melinda, her mother, had the opposite reaction.

"Robert, please!" she cried, clearly shaken. "This isn't Catherine's fault. That man… he must've manipulated her. She wouldn't have done this on her own. It's not her fault!"

Robert spun toward his wife, his face twisted in fury.

"Not her fault?" he spat. "You know what isn't her fault? That you failed to raise your daughters right. That's on you, Melinda! Damn it! I wish I'd had sons. At least one. Just one who wasn't a complete disappointment like these two stupid little girls!"

Kate lifted her gaze, those words hitting her square in the chest. It hurt. But she hadn't cried in front of them for a long time. She just swallowed hard and looked back down, doing what she always did—trying to disappear.

Melinda stepped toward her husband and reached for his hand, but he shook her off with disdain. She didn't give up.

"Darling, please… don't get like this. Your heart won't take it. We can fix this. We just have to think, maybe talk to Grayson—"

"Talk to Grayson?" he cut in with a cold, bitter laugh. "That man is going to destroy us. Do you even realize what this means? The contracts with Maxwell Industries are hanging by a thread. The banks are already tightening the screws! And the debts just keep piling up!"

He suddenly turned and hurled a porcelain vase against the floor. It shattered, sending shards flying in all directions.

Melinda clutched her chest, gasping for breath, but said nothing else. Instead, she slowly turned toward Kate, her eyes burning with fury.

"This is your fault!" she hissed, pointing at her. "Always filling your sister's head with those stupid ideas about independence and chasing dreams. What did you tell her, huh? That she could be free? That she didn't have to do her duty for the family? This is all because of you!"

Kate looked up, stunned.

"I… I didn't say anything, Mom," she said, her voice cracking. "Catherine made her own choices. I had nothing to do with this."

"Liar!" Melinda snapped, refusing to listen. Refusing to understand. "Always with your nose in those books and your ridiculous scholarships. Always trying to be someone you'll never be. That's why Catherine got infected with your nonsense! Because of you, we're the laughingstock of high society! Because of you, we're going to lose everything! Because of you!"

Kate sat frozen on the couch, as her mother's words echoed over and over in her mind.

It hurt.

But the pain wasn't new.

It was the same pain she'd always carried.

Since she was a little girl, Kate had learned how to go unnoticed. Her mother never gave her any attention; all of Melinda's energy had always gone to Catherine, the perfect daughter.

Beautiful. Elegant. Obsessed with luxury. Just like Melinda herself.

And her father hadn't cared either. He'd made it painfully clear he wished he'd had sons instead.

At first, those words had hurt. But over time, she'd stopped expecting anything different. She had become invisible, silent, a shadow in her own family.

Because she wasn't like them.

And she never would be.

Suddenly, Robert spun toward her, his cold eyes locking on Kate.

"Listen carefully, because I won't say this twice," he snapped. "We're on the edge of disaster. Grayson can destroy us if he wants. We need to fix this, and you're going to be the one to do it."

"Me? What do you mean?"

"You're going to marry Grayson."

Kate shot to her feet, her face drained of color.

"No! That's not fair! I had nothing to do with this! I'm not going to sacrifice my life for a mistake I didn't make!"

Robert slammed his fist against the table. The crack made her flinch and stumble back in fear.

"Enough!" he roared. "I won't lose my status or my money because of some stupid little girl. If you don't do this, we'll sink. And it'll be your fault."

Kate swallowed hard, her body trembling. Still, she tried to speak.

"I have my own life, Dad… I'm studying. I have Ethan—"

"Ethan?" Melinda cut in, her voice dripping with disdain. "That pathetic boyfriend who can barely afford to take you out to dinner? Don't be ridiculous. He won't save you. And if you keep this attitude, I'll make sure he never does again."

Kate stared at her, stunned.

"What do you mean?"

Melinda folded her arms slowly, savoring the moment, savoring her power.

"You know perfectly well we have the resources to ruin his life. We could make sure no decent company ever hires him… or maybe he could have a little accident. Is that what you want for him? All because of your selfishness?"

Kate felt her world split in two. Her heartbeat was so loud it hurt. She turned to her father, desperate for a sign, some hint of compassion. Anything.

But Robert only looked at her with cold, calculating indifference.

"This isn't a negotiation, Kate," he hissed. "It's an order. Either you do this, or we all suffer the consequences. Including your precious Ethan. So let go of those stupid dreams."

Kate couldn't breathe. The walls closed in, the air grew heavy, and the only escape… was to swallow herself whole.