Chapter 2 Am I Really Your Daughter?

• "Finding my biological parents was like hitting the jackpot, you know? Not viewed anymore as the troublemaker, the outcast in the eyes of others. I convinced myself my parents didn't abandon me; they just lost me accidentally. They care for me, so they've come to bring me back home." Seraphina's voice stayed steady but with a trace of wavering if you listened closely.
• "Sadly, I was dead wrong. All your love went to Linara, and I feel like a pathetic outsider who wants what's rightfully hers."
• "Seeing you three so close and cozy makes me feel like I don't fit in, never really part of it. All I ever wanted was a bit of love, a touch of warmth and affection, just a little. Why the hesitation? Just because it might upset Linara? I'm your biological daughter, the baby you carried for nine months. Why treat me like this?"
• "Mom, am I really your daughter? Why give me hope just to dash it? Why put me through this? Why, why?!" she asked, tears flowing freely.
• Her gut-wrenching questions hung heavy in the quiet room, leaving everyone without words. Meanwhile, the emcee blinked back tears as he regarded the weak Seraphina with deep sympathy.
• Her weary appearance and slim figure provoked empathy from everyone who saw her. The pain in her eyes stirred a deep disgust within him toward the Whitewood Family.
• "I'd rather be an orphan than part of the Whitewood Family again." Her words were barely audible, yet they carried clearly to everyone present. Her words gently tugged at their hearts, leaving a trace of grief.
• Seraphina reflected bitterly, I used to crave their love so desperately, but now, after eight years of shattered hopes, all I feel is pain and sadness.
• "Seraphina, please don't make a scene. I'm begging you. Grandpa was really upset after your last outburst. Do you want to upset Mom and Dad again?" Linara's voice carried a soft tone mixed with concern and frustration.
• Her expression clouded with sorrow, she added, "I know you're upset with me and want Theron, but he loves me. We've grown up together; he's been my childhood sweetheart. I can give you everything but his love."
• Seeing through her crafty ways, Seraphina sneered. There you go again! Such a clever actress, always shifting blame, playing the victim, and accusing me of stealing Theron! How dare you paint me as shameless and wicked?
• Before she could retort, Theron shot her a disgusted look and asserted, "Listen, Seraphina! Even if I end up marrying someone else, I'd never pick a sneaky and nasty girl like you!"
• Suddenly, a cry escaped his lips, "Ah!" He bent forward in pain, clutching his legs tightly with his face pale.
• No one saw it coming when Seraphina swiftly reacted—a kick that took him down. She grabbed Theron's collar, lifted him, and threw him before everyone, crashing onto the head table. Glasses and plates shattered all over.
• Everything happened so fast that everyone was left stunned, unable to react. When the chaos settled, Theron lay unconscious from the pain. His parents were panicked.
• Seeing what Seraphina did, Theron's mother, Helena Starling, held back but glared fiercely at her. Yet her anger was palpable when she faced Chloe and asserted, "Is this the fine daughter you raised? If anything happens to my son, your Whitewood Family will pay!"
• Caught off guard, Chloe managed a forced smile and stammered, "Helena, please don't be mad. I..."
• Helena cut her off sharply, "Don't call me that. Our Silverbrook Family has nothing to do with your Whitewood Family!"
• Oberon seethed with rage. He charged onto the stage, aiming to slap Seraphina. Before his hand could connect, it was steadfastly blocked by Seraphina's tiny hands.
• Caught off guard by her disobedience, Oberon swiftly delivered a kick at Seraphina. However, she swiftly countered with a forceful blow that sent Oberon sprawling, crashing heavily at the stage's edge and leaving him incapacitated momentarily.
• Shocked, Chloe couldn't believe that the usually docile Seraphina would defy Oberon like this. She exclaimed, "Seraphina, how could you strike your father like that? You're crazy!"
• Seraphina casually replied with a faint smile, "Why should I listen to you now that I've disowned the Whitewood name and family ties? Who are you to me now?"
• "Seraphina!" Chloe's voice rang out angrily. Her eyes blazed with fury as she regarded Seraphina like a stranger.
• "I've said it before—I'm not Seraphina Whitewood anymore. I'm Seraphina Valewyn. An orphan without parents, abandoned and unwanted," Seraphina declared firmly.
• As she let go of her longing for family love, shedding her once soft and obedient demeanor to reveal an inner strength brimming with fierceness. Despite the scar on her face, she couldn't mask the confidence from within.
• At that instant, she reclaimed her identity as the fearless and brilliant Seraphina Valewyn. She was no longer the obedient Seraphina looking for morsels of love and warmth from her parents.
• Watching the new Seraphina before her, Linara's heart stirred.
• She was stunning, charming, and utterly unforgettable the first time I saw her. Back then, even in her humblest moments, how could anyone overshadow her? I tried so hard to dim her radiance, making myself fade in comparison. Now, the radiant Seraphina Valewyn has returned in full glory.
• After the earlier shock, Linara felt no worry as she reflected further.
• Seraphina's on the edge. Her body's giving out with eight years of poison slowly draining her. In this world, there's no blood daughter in the Whitewood Family. The Whitewood Family has just one daughter, and that's me, Linara Whitewood!