‎Ahhh... CHOO!!" ‎ ‎A lady with long blonde curls cascading down her shoulders to her waist sneezed the moment she stepped out of her room. Dressed in a beautiful yellow sundress, Rose froze at the sight before her door. The roses she loved so much had been replaced with bright sunflowers, the very flowers she was dangerously allergic to. ‎ ‎"Hey... what's going on here?" Rose asked sharply, stopping a female servant who was just about to head downstairs. "Why were my flowers changed? You know I'm allergic to sunflowers." ‎ ‎The servant immediately lowered her head nervously. ‎ ‎"Miss Ava wanted everything replaced with her favorite flowers early this morning," she explained hurriedly. "She said she loved the view from this side of the mansion more, so... she'll be moving into your room soon." ‎ ‎Before Rose could even respond, the servant quickly rushed downstairs, clearly too afraid to remain there any longer. ‎ ‎Rose stood frozen. ‎ ‎"What?!" she whispered in disbelief. "The flowers were changed just because she asked? And she's taking my room too?" ‎ ‎Another sneeze attacked her almost immediately. ‎ ‎"Ahh....CHOO!!" ‎ ‎Her nose was already beginning to itch badly from the strong scent of the sunflowers surrounding the hallway. ‎ ‎Fine... I'm not even angry about the room anymore, Rose thought bitterly. Ava has been taking everything from me ever since she returned anyway but then did mother forget that I'm allergic to sunflowers? Did she forget how dangerous it is for me? ‎ ‎Pain flashed across her beautiful face as she quickly descended the stairs before another sneezing fit could start. ‎ ‎Ava Hart. ‎ ‎The original daughter of the powerful Hart family who had gone missing for ten years before finally returning home a few days ago. ‎ ‎And ever since her return, everything had changed. ‎ ‎Rose had suddenly become invisible. ‎ ‎The woman she had called "Mother" for years no longer looked at her with warmth anymore. Mr. Hart barely acknowledged her existence. Even the servants who once respected and adored her now treated her like an unwanted stranger. ‎ ‎It was as though Rose had only been borrowing someone else's place all these years. She was just a temporary replacement, a stand-in daughter and now that the "real" daughter had returned, Rose no longer had any value. ‎ ‎The moment she reached the last staircase, her steps slowly came to a halt as her eyes landed on the dining table. ‎ ‎Ava sat comfortably in the center, smiling brightly between Mr. and Mrs. Hart like the perfect family portrait. Her blonde curls and delicate features looked so similar to Rose's that it almost hurt to stare at her. ‎ ‎Mrs. Hart was gently placing more food onto Ava's plate while Mr. Hart smiled proudly at her, his expression filled with affection. ‎ ‎The family looked happy and complete like Rose had never existed and what hurt even more was the fact that nobody had called her down for breakfast. ‎ ‎That had never happened before as the family always waited for her no matter how late she woke up, but now they were already eating without her as though she didn't belong there anymore. ‎ ‎Rose's chest tightened painfully. ‎ ‎Then her eyes shifted toward the young man seated not too far from Ava. ‎ ‎Williams Rivers. ‎ ‎Tall, handsome, dressed neatly in a dark office suit with silky black hair falling slightly over his forehead. A warm smile rested on his face as he carefully cut a piece of steak into smaller portions before feeding Ava himself. ‎ ‎Rose felt her breathing stop for a second. ‎ ‎Her fiancé. ‎ ‎The man she had loved for three years. ‎ ‎The same man who now looked at Ava with a softness he no longer reserved for her. ‎ ‎No... he wasn't stolen, Rose corrected herself bitterly. ‎ ‎He chose to leave. ‎ ‎The moment the legitimate daughter returned, Rose became worthless to him. ‎ ‎And as if that betrayal wasn't painful enough already, Rose had discovered the previous night that Ava and Williams had spent Ava's heat cycle together. ‎ ‎That revelation had shattered whatever remained of her heart. ‎ ‎Rose had cried herself to sleep, foolishly hoping Williams would call her afterward. Maybe he would apologize. Maybe he would explain that everything had been a misunderstanding. ‎ ‎But there had been nothing. ‎ ‎No calls. ‎ ‎No texts. ‎ ‎Nothing at all. ‎ ‎And now he sat there happily eating breakfast with another woman as if Rose had never mattered. ‎ ‎"That bastard..." Rose cursed quietly under her breath, desperately blinking back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. ‎ ‎She had been standing there silently for almost ten minutes now. ‎ ‎Nobody noticed her. ‎ ‎Or perhaps they did notice and simply chose to ignore her existence. ‎ ‎At that moment, Ava suddenly laughed softly at something Williams whispered to her, and Mrs. Hart smiled lovingly while brushing Ava's hair away from her face. ‎ ‎That small action nearly broke Rose completely. ‎ ‎No. ‎ ‎I can't stay here anymore. ‎ ‎Rose slowly turned around before anyone could notice the tears gathering in her eyes. She hurried back upstairs, covering her nose with her hand as she passed through the rows of sunflowers again. ‎ ‎"Ahh....CHOO!!" ‎ ‎The moment she entered her room, she slammed the door shut behind her and locked it immediately. ‎ ‎Then her strength finally gave out. ‎ ‎Rose collapsed onto the floor beside her bed, wrapping her arms tightly around herself as the tears she had been holding back poured endlessly down her cheeks. ‎ ‎"Why...?" she whispered brokenly, her shoulders trembling violently from silent sobs. "Just why?" ‎ ‎Her chest hurt so badly she could barely breathe. ‎ ‎Do I really have to leave for Empire Academy? ‎ ‎Do I really have to leave this family behind? ‎ ‎Fresh tears rolled down her face. ‎ ‎"I'm their daughter too..." she cried softly. "I've been their daughter for over ten years. I represented the Hart family everywhere. I loved them with everything I had..." ‎ ‎Her voice cracked painfully. ‎ ‎"But now I'm nothing." ‎ ‎Rose lowered her head, her golden curls falling around her trembling figure as another wave of heartbreak consumed her entirely. ‎ ‎"A stand-in..." she whispered weakly. "That's all I ever was to them."

And perhaps the cruelest part of it all... ‎ ‎Was that they had been waiting for Ava's return this entire time. ‎ ‎Rose continued crying. The more she thought about everything, the more tears rolled down her cheeks. Her chest ached painfully, and her vision blurred from crying too much. ‎ ‎Soon, she slowly rose to her feet and walked toward her computer desk. The computer had remained untouched for three whole days, something that had never happened before. Rose practically lived on her computer. ‎ ‎She had originally intended to search for the admission criteria for Empire Academy when her eyes suddenly landed on something unexpected. ‎ ‎A video file. ‎ ‎Rose had CCTV cameras installed in her room, all connected directly to her computer. She valued her privacy and liked keeping track of her surroundings, especially since she hated people touching her things. ‎ ‎The moment she clicked on the video, her expression froze. ‎ ‎Ava appeared on the screen. ‎ ‎The girl was sneaking quietly into her room in the middle of the night. Rose watched with widened eyes as Ava carefully approached her bed before pulling something out of her pocket. ‎ ‎Rose's heart skipped. ‎ ‎"She drugged me..." Rose whispered in disbelief. ‎ ‎That night, Rose had already been drunk and heartbroken after discovering Ava sleeping with her fiancé. Yet Ava had still drugged her further. ‎ ‎"What the hell is that bitch trying to do?!" Rose cursed under her breath as anger slowly replaced the sadness in her eyes. ‎ ‎Her trembling fingers moved away from the video only for another notification to catch her attention. ‎ ‎A Gmail. ‎ ‎It was from the Central Hub. ‎ ‎Rose frowned immediately. The Central Hub was the official organization responsible for genetic marriage registrations and matching procedures. ‎ ‎"Huh?" Rose muttered in confusion. "Am I hallucinating now? Why would I receive a Gmail from them?" ‎ ‎Feeling uneasy, she quickly clicked on it. ‎ ‎The moment she read the contents of the message, her entire body went still. ‎ ‎A genetic marriage application had been submitted using her name. ‎ ‎"What?!" Rose screamed internally, her pupils shrinking in disbelief. ‎ ‎Her personal details had been filled out completely and officially submitted. ‎ ‎Immediately, her thoughts landed on Ava. ‎ ‎Rose quickly returned to the CCTV footage and continued watching. This time, she saw everything clearly. ‎ ‎Ava had sat in front of her computer and spent several minutes typing. ‎ ‎Realization crashed into Rose. ‎ ‎"So this was what you were up to..." Rose muttered darkly. "That's why you sneaked into my room and drugged me? Just so you could submit a marriage application in my name and get me out of the Hart family?" ‎Her breathing turned uneven from fury. ‎ ‎"How dare she..." ‎ ‎Without another second wasted, Rose grabbed her computer violently before storming out of the room. ‎ ‎She walked past the sunflowers that still irritated her eyes before making her way downstairs toward the dining hall. ‎ ‎The three happy family members were still having breakfast together. ‎ ‎By now, the shameless Williams had already left. ‎ ‎The moment Rose entered the dining room, the atmosphere instantly changed. ‎ ‎Her expression was cold. ‎ ‎Her eyes were red from crying. ‎ ‎And rage radiated from her entire body. ‎ ‎"Did you submit a marriage application using my name?" Rose asked sharply the moment she stopped in front of the table. ‎ ‎Everyone looked up at her. ‎ ‎Rose raised the computer slightly. ‎ ‎"Are you really that eager for me to leave this house?" she demanded angrily. "How dare you?!" ‎ ‎"And don't even think about denying it," she added immediately. "I have evidence. There's a video of you sneaking into my room and tampering with my computer." ‎ ‎"A video?" Mr. Hart frowned slightly. ‎ ‎Ava's expression changed for a split second before she quickly hid it. ‎ ‎"Sister..." Ava called softly with teary eyes as she immediately held onto Mrs. Hart's hand. "I was only looking out for you." ‎ ‎Rose almost laughed from disbelief. ‎ ‎Ava continued with her usual innocent expression. ‎ ‎"Williams and I are together now because he chose me," she said weakly. "He loves me. I just... I didn't want you to feel lonely after everything that happened." ‎ ‎She lowered her head pitifully. ‎ ‎"So I submitted the marriage application hoping you'd find someone perfect too. I only wanted you to be happy again." ‎ ‎Rose stared at her in complete disbelief. ‎ ‎"Does that even make sense to you?" Rose snapped furiously. "You submitted a marriage application in my name without my permission!" ‎ ‎Then she turned toward Mrs. Hart. ‎ ‎"Mother, can you hear what she's saying?" Rose asked bitterly. "How could she do something like this without even asking me first?" ‎ ‎"I'm sorry, sister..." Ava cried immediately before burying her face against Mrs. Hart's chest. "I really only wanted you to be happy..." ‎ ‎"Can you stop all this already, Rose?" Mrs. Hart finally spoke, slight irritation evident in her voice as she stroked Ava's hair comfortingly. ‎ ‎Rose slowly looked at her mother. ‎ ‎Mrs. Hart sighed. ‎ ‎"Can't your sister care about you?" she asked. "Why must you always react this way? Ava just returned to the Hart family, yet you can't even try to be accommodating." ‎ ‎"Accommodating?" Rose repeated with a scoff. ‎ ‎Her eyes reddened again. ‎ ‎"Nice?" she laughed bitterly. "She submitted a marriage application in my name and you expect me to smile about it? Did I ask her to? If I wanted a husband, I would've gone to find one myself!" ‎ ‎"Enough of this nonsense, Rose," Mrs. Hart replied coldly this time. "You should be getting married soon anyway, so just accept your sister's favor and stop making a big deal out of nothing." ‎ ‎Rose froze. ‎ ‎For a moment, she simply stared at her mother quietly. ‎ ‎Then she laughed softly. ‎ ‎A painful laugh. ‎ ‎"So that's what this is really about?" Rose asked. "You want me to get married and leave this family for good, right?" ‎ ‎Mrs. Hart said nothing. ‎ ‎Even Mr. Hart, who had remained silent the entire time, merely exchanged glances with his wife without speaking. ‎ ‎That silence hurt Rose more than anything else. ‎ ‎Slowly, she nodded to herself. ‎ ‎"I understand now." ‎ ‎Then suddenly, Rose looked directly at them. ‎ ‎"Just state the amount," she said calmly.

The words instantly sent shock across the dining room. ‎ ‎Mr. and Mrs. Hart both looked at her sharply. ‎ ‎"The amount I'm supposed to pay you back for raising me these past ten years," Rose clarified. ‎ ‎"Rose!" Mr. Hart shouted angrily as he finally rose to his feet. "How dare you speak so ungratefully!" ‎ ‎It was the very first time he had ever raised his voice at her. ‎ ‎But Rose merely smiled bitterly. ‎ ‎"You all want me gone anyway," she said quietly. "So fine. I'll leave." ‎ ‎Her eyes slowly moved across their faces. ‎ ‎"And now I'm suddenly ungrateful?" she asked softly. "Just name your price. You both know I'm not some lazy woman. I'll repay every single thing." ‎ ‎Right at that moment, another Gmail notification appeared on her computer screen. ‎ ‎The message came from the Central Hub once again. ‎ ‎Rose immediately clicked on it, secretly hoping the marriage application had been rejected. ‎ ‎But the moment she opened the message, her heart dropped. ‎ ‎The genetic match had been approved. ‎ ‎Rose clenched her fists tightly. ‎ ‎She wanted to explode in anger. ‎ ‎But after thinking about it carefully, she realized something. ‎ ‎Leaving the Hart family might actually be the best thing for her right now. ‎ ‎Besides, she could still meet this so-called match and explain everything face-to-face. Maybe they could cancel it together. ‎ ‎Taking a deep breath, Rose slowly placed the computer down on the dining table. ‎ ‎Then, without saying another word, she turned around and walked away. *** ‎A luxurious black car pulled up in front of the Central Hub. It was a car Rose had bought with her own money , money she earned after years of working for the Hart family as the CEO. ‎ ‎The moment the driver stopped the vehicle, Rose stepped out slowly, her heels clicking softly against the ground. ‎ ‎Her gaze lifted toward the massive building standing before her. ‎ ‎The Central Hub towered over the entire area, its structure so tall it almost seemed to scrape the sky itself. The silver-tinted windows reflected the sunlight beautifully while countless shifters moved in and out of the grand entrance. ‎ ‎Some had animal ears exposed proudly on top of their heads while others had tails swaying behind them casually. ‎ ‎Rose remained standing outside for a moment, staring at the building with mixed emotions. ‎ ‎"So this is the place..." she murmured underneath her breath. ‎ ‎A heavy sigh escaped her lips before she finally walked toward the entrance. ‎ ‎The moment she stepped inside, noise instantly flooded her ears. ‎ ‎Different shifters moved back and forth around the enormous lobby. Some sat at lounges drinking expensive beverages while others laughed loudly while playing games together. ‎ ‎Several workers hurried around carrying files and tablets. ‎ ‎Rose scanned the area silently, her expression calm yet guarded. ‎ ‎Just before she could take another step, a male staff member approached her with a polite smile on his face. ‎ ‎He was tall and burly, his broad shoulders stretching the fabric of his uniform slightly. A pair of wolf ears suddenly popped out from his black hair, twitching slightly as he stopped before her. ‎ ‎"Welcome to the Central Hub, Miss," the man greeted respectfully with a slight bow. ‎ ‎Then he smiled politely. ‎ ‎"You must be Rose Hart." ‎ ‎Rose's brows furrowed slightly. ‎ ‎"Yes," she replied cautiously. ‎ ‎"Your genetic match has already arrived," the worker explained immediately. "He specifically requested that you be led to him the moment you got here." ‎ ‎Rose blinked once. ‎ ‎He's already here? she thought inwardly before scoffing softly to herself. ‎ ‎"Of course he is," she muttered mentally. "Meanwhile I'm only here to explain this whole mess and end it." ‎ ‎Her eyes narrowed slightly. ‎ ‎"And how does this staff even recognize me?" ‎ ‎Then realization struck her. ‎ ‎"Oh right... my picture was submitted too. It's part of the marriage application process." ‎ ‎The thought of Ava immediately irritated her again. ‎ ‎"That bitch..." ‎ ‎"Miss?" the worker called politely, snapping her out of her thoughts. ‎ ‎Rose inhaled deeply before straightening herself. ‎ ‎"Lead me to him then, please," she said calmly. ‎ ‎The male worker nodded respectfully before turning around. ‎ ‎"This way, Miss Hart." ‎ ‎Rose followed behind him quietly as they walked down a long hallway lined with elegant lights and luxurious decorations. ‎ ‎The deeper they walked into the building, the quieter the surroundings became. ‎ ‎Soon, the worker finally stopped in front of a large wooden door. ‎ ‎The atmosphere around the area felt strangely different compared to the noisy lobby downstairs. ‎ ‎Rose frowned slightly. ‎ ‎"He's inside," the worker informed her with another slight bow. ‎ ‎But before Rose could say anything else, the man turned around and walked away immediately, leaving her standing there alone. ‎ ‎Rose stared after him in confusion. ‎ ‎"What's wrong with him?" she muttered under her breath. "Shouldn't he lead me inside?" ‎ ‎She scoffed softly to herself. ‎ ‎Taking a deep breath, Rose stepped closer to the door and knocked gently. ‎ ‎Knock. Knock. ‎ ‎No response. ‎ ‎She frowned but knocked again, slightly louder this time. ‎ ‎Still nothing. ‎ ‎"Is he sleeping or something?" she wondered inwardly. ‎ ‎With slight irritation growing inside her, Rose raised her hand to knock a third time.... ‎ ‎BANG! ‎ ‎The door suddenly swung open violently on its own, slamming hard against the wall. ‎ ‎The loud sound echoed throughout the hallway. ‎ ‎Rose nearly jumped out of her skin. ‎ ‎"What the hell?!" she cursed internally, her heart pounding wildly inside her chest. ‎ ‎For a brief second, cold shivers ran down her spine. ‎ ‎Before she could even process what had just happened, her feet unconsciously stepped inside the office. ‎ ‎And the very moment she entered..... ‎ ‎BANG! ‎ ‎The door slammed shut behind her with terrifying force. ‎ ‎Rose flinched immediately. ‎ ‎"What the actual fuck is this strong wind?!" she cursed silently while swallowing hard. ‎ ‎The room was dimly lit, making it difficult to fully see everything clearly. ‎ ‎Only faint light from a single bulb illuminated the room slightly. ‎ ‎Rose's eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. ‎ ‎Then she noticed him. ‎ ‎A chair sat near a large window, turned backward. ‎ ‎And someone was sitting on it. ‎ ‎A man. ‎ ‎Only his back was visible, but even from that angle alone, Rose could already tell he was dangerously attractive. ‎ ‎Long silver hair cascaded beautifully down his back in soft, lustrous curls. ‎ ‎Rose quickly cleared her throat and stepped forward cautiously, though she still maintained some distance from him. ‎ ‎"Hi," she began, trying to sound calm. "I'm Rose Hart." ‎ ‎Her fingers curled slightly by her side. ‎ ‎"I'm here concerning the marriage application that got approved today." ‎ ‎The moment her words fell, the man slowly stood up from the chair. ‎ ‎And just from seeing him from behind alone... ‎ ‎Rose's breath nearly hitched. ‎ ‎Even from the back alone, the muscles beneath his white shirt were clearly visible, stretching perfectly across his broad shoulders and toned back. ‎ ‎And fuck... ‎ ‎That narrow waist. ‎ ‎Rose's eyes remained slightly widened as curiosity burned inside her chest. She desperately wanted to see his face. ‎ ‎As though sensing her gaze on him, the man finally turned around slowly.