Kennet, late at night.
In the quiet of the night, a bright moon was veiled by thin clouds.
In a hospital room, a young woman's slender fingers clutched the corner of her blanket. Her lips were pale and her brows were tightly furrowed, her whole body trembling as if caught in a nightmare.
"It hurts..."
In her dream, a raging fire blazed within a dilapidated steel mill, surrounding her like a venomous snake.
And Jasper Shaw held her tight, refusing to let go even in death, ultimately perishing with her in the sea of flames.
"BEEP—"
"God of Study System binding complete. I am your system administrator, number 54088."
A slightly mechanical voice reached her as she drifted between sleep and consciousness.
Suddenly, a flash of white light made Chloe Sinclair's eyes sting, and she instinctively shielded them with her hand.
Immediately after, an excited male voice came from beside her. "She's awake! She's awake!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Chloe Sinclair's eyes snapped open.
The moment she saw Quentin Sinclair, her eyes burned, and scalding tears streamed down her face.
"Dad..."
Quentin Sinclair had been thrilled to see his daughter wake up, but when she looked at him with tear-filled eyes, his heart instantly softened.
Especially after hearing her call him "Dad," most of Mr. Sinclair's previous anger dissipated.
Over the next hour, Chloe Sinclair underwent a full physical examination. Only after it was confirmed that she was fine did her father let out a sigh of relief.
That hour was enough for Chloe Sinclair to calm down. She understood now that she had been reborn.
Reborn ten years in the past, back to a time before everything had happened.
Chloe Sinclair had hit her head, after all. Not long after waking, she felt dizzy and soon fell asleep again.
She stayed in the hospital for two days. On the day of her discharge, her father skipped work and personally drove to pick Chloe Sinclair up and take her home.
The nanny, who had been waiting by the door, spotted the familiar car pull up and hurried over enthusiastically.
"Miss, I made you some chicken soup today. Look at you, just a few days in the hospital and you've gotten so thin your chin is all pointy."
Her tone certainly sounded full of concern, so Mr. Sinclair added, "Chloe has indeed lost a lot of weight. She should eat up and regain her strength."
Chloe Sinclair nodded and said obediently, "Thank you, Mrs. Logan."
The moment she said this, a flash of shock appeared in her father's eyes.
Over the past few months, Chloe Sinclair's temper had grown progressively worse, and the person she treated with the most disdain at home was Mrs. Logan. If it weren't for Mrs. Logan's good nature and constant deference, she would have quit long ago.
Seeing the shock in her father's eyes, Chloe Sinclair sighed softly.
Three months ago, she had suddenly learned that she was the long-lost daughter of the Sinclair Family of Kennet.
Upon returning to the Sinclair Family, she met Nina Sinclair.
Nina Sinclair, wanting her to make more friends, introduced her to many scions of wealthy families.
At the time, Nina Sinclair had been so attentive and caring that Chloe believed she genuinely had her best interests at heart.
In her past life, she had never been exposed to such a glamorous world. Surrounded by Nina's friends, who were all either second-generation rich kids or from high-society families, she felt completely out of place and was secretly mocked by many.
Her insecurity, combined with the indulgence of her father and several brothers, caused her temper to become increasingly erratic over those few months. As a result, the entire upper class came to know the newly returned daughter of the Sinclair Family as uneducated, ill-mannered, classless, and utterly worthless.
'And Mrs. Logan and Nina Sinclair had certainly played a significant part in that.'
As they entered the living room, Nina Sinclair was just coming downstairs. Seeing Chloe Sinclair, an unnatural smile appeared on her face. "Little sister, you're out of the hospital? That's wonderful!"
"Mhm," Chloe Sinclair replied, looking at Nina Sinclair with a feigned expression of sadness. "Why didn't you come to see me at the hospital, big sister?"
As expected, Nina Sinclair's smile froze, and she didn't know how to respond.
'It's only been a few days. How did this little bitch suddenly become so polite?'
"Nina has a piano competition these few days and has been quite busy. I was the one who told her not to go to the hospital."
Mr. Sinclair, who was standing to the side, spoke calmly, his dark eyes fixed on Chloe Sinclair. If one listened closely, they could detect the caution in his tone.
"Oh, is that so? I was thinking my sister didn't come to the hospital because she felt guilty. I guess I was overthinking things."
Chloe Sinclair lowered her head, hiding her expression from everyone.
But all the color drained from Nina Sinclair's face, and her body tensed up. "Chloe, what... what nonsense are you spouting?"
"Shouldn't you apologize for pushing me down, big sister?"
she said, her voice filled with endless grievance.
Nina Sinclair, however, was trembling from head to toe.
'Before this, Chloe Sinclair had been like a timid little quail in front of her, never daring to talk back. How could a simple fall change her so much?'