In the elegantly furnished living room of the Tiin residence, sunlight streamed through the sheer white curtains, bathing the cream-colored sofas in a warm glow. The air smelled faintly of freshly brewed coffee and fried eggs. It was a home built on appearances—clean, minimal, and expensive. But the peace was quickly shattered.
"Where's the food?!" a voice shrieked from the staircase.
Evelyn Tiin, Liam's younger sister, came bounding down in fuzzy slippers, her silk pajamas wrinkled and her hair sticking up like an unkempt bird's nest.
Their mother, Cassandra Tiin, seated at the dining table with a cup of tea in hand, rolled her eyes. "You're hungry? Then maybe you should have dragged yourself out of bed and cooked something instead of acting like some pampered queen."
"But Mom!" Evelyn whined, throwing herself onto the couch. "That's not fair! I had a long night scrolling through job ads!"
"Oh please," Cassandra scoffed. "The only thing you've been scrolling is your social feed."
Their father, Richard Tiin, sat beside her in a charcoal suit, adjusting his silver watch as he prepared for work. His lips curled into a sneer.
"Don't encourage her, Cassandra. She's nearly twenty-three and hasn't held a job longer than a week. Always whining, never doing."
Evelyn sat up, crossing her arms dramatically. "This is all Liam's fault anyway. If he'd just gotten that Leyla girl to say yes, none of this would've happened! We'd be swimming in luxury by now."
That was the final straw.
Richard slammed his palm against the polished table. The clatter echoed.
"And what exactly have you done as a daughter?" he barked. "You leech off us day and night. Your brother is out there trying to save this family's face and fortune, and all you do is lounge around blaming others. If you're so concerned about Leyla, why don't you go help him catch her like some bounty?"
Evelyn huffed and flopped back onto the couch. "You're so dramatic. I was just saying!"
At that moment, the door upstairs creaked open. Liam Tiin stepped out, dressed in a crisp grey shirt and black trousers. He paused at the hallway mirror, ran a comb through his slick hair, then tossed it carelessly toward his sister.
"Here. Since you have nothing better to do, you might as well fix that rat's nest," he said dryly.
Evelyn caught the comb and immediately threw it back. "Ugh! Gross! I don't want your dirty stuff."
Liam chuckled humorlessly. "Doesn't matter. Leyla will be mine sooner or later. You just need to be patient. The good news is on the way."
Cassandra leaned forward with interest. "You really think she'll come around?"
"She will," Liam said with a confident smile. "She's just overwhelmed. I mean, who wouldn't be? I'm her best option."
Richard laughed darkly. "That girl should've considered herself lucky. And if she keeps acting like she's above us, well... accidents happen. Just like that coworker I fired yesterday."
Cassandra raised a brow. "You fired someone again?"
"He was starting to act too big," Richard muttered. "New watch, new clothes—probably thought he was better than me. I don't keep snakes in my circle."
Evelyn giggled. "That's the energy I love, Dad."
The Tiin household was drenched in self-interest, each one of them swimming in a cesspool of entitlement. Liam, however, looked out the window and narrowed his eyes. "I've got things to do."
In the peaceful, secluded corner of a quiet city park, Leyla sat on a wooden bench beneath the shade of an old willow tree. A notebook lay open on her lap, a pen resting between her fingers as her eyes stared blankly at the empty lines.
Her legs were crossed neatly, a pencil tucked behind her ear. She had been there since morning, her thoughts spiraling in every direction.
"So much needs to be done..." she murmured, tapping the pen against her lips. "But where do I start?"
Her eyes drifted to the word she had scribbled and circled multiple times—money.Money.
Leyla sighed, shutting her notebook halfway. "Even revenge needs funding. How frustrating."
She tilted her head back, letting the breeze touch her cheeks. Her mind wandered to the betrayal, to the blood she had metaphorically and literally shed for the Tiins. To the lies and humiliation. But anger wouldn't help her now—not yet.
She had to play smart.
"I need to start somewhere. A job, maybe. Something to build a foundation. Then I'll make them pay. Every single one of them."
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her.
Startled, Leyla turned, and without thinking, swung her bag hard.
"OW!"
Liam stumbled back, clutching his cheek. "Damn it, Leyla! That hurt!"
She scowled. "You again? What are you doing here?"
"I was just passing by and saw you sitting here alone. Thought I'd say hi," he said, forcing a charming smile.
Leyla raised a brow. "This part of the park is practically deserted. Try again."
He chuckled, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder. "Still so feisty. I missed that."
She started packing her notebook and pen into her bag. "Leave me alone, Liam. I'm not interested in talking, especially not about your little proposal stunt."
"You rejected me without even thinking about it," he said, stepping closer.
"I did think about it," she replied coldly. "I remembered the look in your eyes when she was glaring at me in the crowd. I remembered that your love was always divided. I'm not stupid."
Liam's jaw twitched. "That's all in the past."
"No," she said sharply. "That was the present. The real you. And I'm not the same Leyla who tolerated it."
She slung her bag over her shoulder and turned to leave.
Liam grabbed the strap of her bag to stop her.
"Leyla, wait—"
Before he could finish, a piercing scream echoed through the park.
Leyla's heart jumped.
She and Liam turned their heads sharply toward the sound.
Someone was in trouble.