By March, the rain hadn’t stopped for days, and the pear blossoms in the Bell family courtyard were scattered all over the ground.

Inside the living room, the air felt unusually tense.

Today was the first breakfast since the Bell family's real daughter, Sophia Hayes, had returned to her rightful place.

Moira Bell sat at the table, feeling like invisible eyes were mocking her. She wanted to snap, but thinking of her place in the family, she forced herself to keep her composure.

Leaning slightly toward her older brother Nolan Bell, she lowered her voice and asked, “Big brother, when are we eating?”

Nolan glanced at her—he’d doted on her since she was a kid. Even though she put on a strong face, he could still see the redness in her eyes.

Sighing, he gently squeezed her hand and told the maid with a frown, “Go upstairs, check if she's ready.”

He still couldn’t bring himself to call Sophia “little sister,” so he just referred to her vaguely.

Then he turned back to Moira, who looked all anxious and unsure, and quietly reassured her, “Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.”

Touched, Moira gave him a small smile, her heart gaining a bit of confidence. Yeah, even if she wasn’t the biological daughter, she still had people who truly cared about her.

After a while, footsteps echoed down the stairs.

It wasn’t like Sophia was intentionally late. She’d never been a morning person, and didn’t expect the Bells to be so strict about starting meals only when everyone was at the table.

The teenager was already stunning—tall and elegant enough to take your breath away at first glance.

Unlike Moira, who clearly dressed to impress even for breakfast, full makeup and all, Sophia came down bare-faced, yet looked fresh and quietly beautiful.

Moira was boiling with jealousy but kept the picture of calm. “Morning, sis.”

Sophia gave her a cool glance, let out a faint “Morning,” and sat down. The room fell into an awkward silence.

Moira’s eyes began to tear up.

Nolan’s face darkened. “Moira greeted you. Was that attitude really necessary?”

Sophia looked confused. “So I have to bow and curtsy now for it to count as good manners?”

She could feel the tension—Moira didn’t like her.

Actually, it wasn’t just dislike. There was clear hostility.

Nolan was fuming, but Moira quickly stepped in to smooth things over, “It’s okay, maybe she’s just not familiar with how we do things here…”

Subtle jab at Sophia being just a bumpkin from the countryside without a clue.

Sophia didn’t even bother responding. She was new here, and while she wasn’t afraid of drama, she wasn’t about to start one either.

Mr. and Mrs. Bell tried to lighten the mood, and finally, they started eating.

During the meal, Mr. Bell brought it up. “Sophia, I know you’re back home now, but we’ve had a lot going on lately… Changing your last name might take a bit more time.”

Sophia understood right away. Changing a name wasn’t complicated—it just wasn’t a priority.

Yeah, sure, she was their real daughter by blood, but they raised Moira all these years. Feelings mattered.

If they changed Sophia’s name now, it’d make Moira look like an outsider.

Besides, Sophia wasn’t even that into the ‘Bell’ surname anyway.

“I’m fine with whatever.”

Hearing that, Mr. Bell finally relaxed a little. His tone softened, a hint of guilt in his voice. “Alright then. Eat more, Sophia.”

“Thanks, Dad,” she said, but neatly avoided the section of the plate where Mr. Bell had dished food for her.

She had a thing about cleanliness.Watching them act all buddy-buddy, Moira Bell could barely keep her cool. She bit her chopsticks and suddenly started choking up.

Sophia Hayes instantly knew—here comes the drama.

Nolan Bell dropped his utensils in a flash, worry all over his face. “Moira, what’s wrong?”

“I just feel so sorry for my sister,” Moira turned toward her, tears falling like rain. “If I hadn’t been mistaken for her, she wouldn’t have had to suffer in the countryside all these years. Maybe I should just move out, so I don’t get in the way.”

“Who said you’re in the way?” Nolan frowned, clearly upset.

But Moira kept crying.

Realizing something was up, Nolan turned sharply to glare at Sophia, voice firm with a tinge of anger. “No matter what anyone says, you’re my sister. You’ll always be the Bell family’s young lady.”

“If anyone wants you gone, they’ll have to go through me first.”

Sophia chuckled. Her big brother? Might not be that bright.

The others around the table – their expressions shifted too, no longer easy to read. Their glances danced between the two girls, as if something just clicked.

Mr. Bell, who had previously seemed guilty toward Sophia, now spoke coldly. “Nolan’s right. Moira, you’ll always be our daughter.”

Sophia looked at them—and couldn’t help but think they were putting on quite the performance.

She couldn’t figure it out. If they didn’t care for her, why go through the trouble of bringing her back?

Anyway, the chaotic breakfast finally wrapped up.

Afterward, Nolan drove both girls to the Grant estate.

Originally, the Bells had agreed to a marriage between Moira and Zachary Grant, the second son of the Grant family. But things changed with Sophia’s return, and the engagement got reassigned. Mrs. Grant pitied Sophia for her tough life and decided she’d be the right match for Zachary instead.

Today’s visit was basically a formal introduction.

While they waited in the courtyard for Nolan to pull the car around, Moira suddenly stepped closer. Her tone was light, but her words carried a punch: “Sis, if Zachary doesn’t warm up to you later, don’t take it personally, okay? After all, we grew up together. Now that the fiancée is someone else, he’s bound to feel weird.”

Every word painted Sophia as the outsider.

If Sophia had a worse temper, they might be fighting already.

But honestly, she couldn’t care less about the engagement. If it weren’t for Mrs. Grant insisting she take the spot, she would’ve passed without hesitation.

“It’s fine,” Sophia smiled a little. She didn’t want trouble, but if Moira kept poking, she wasn’t going to just sit there and take it. “Feelings can grow over time. No need to worry on my behalf.”

Moira’s face went pale, teeth clenched in frustration.

Of course she didn’t want the engagement called off. Being Zachary Grant’s fiancée had turned her into the envy of half the city.

But now… not only did Mrs. Grant dislike her, but a ton of people were probably mocking her behind her back.

Worse yet, she hadn’t expected Sophia to be so hard to rattle.

She opened her mouth again, hoping to push Sophia into saying something rash and unlikable. After all, this family only had room for one young lady—and that was her, Moira Bell.

But before she could speak, Nolan’s car rolled up.

The window came down, and Nolan’s eyes flicked between them, catching the tension. “What happened?”

Moira opened her mouth to speak, but Sophia beat her to it. “Nothing much,” Sophia said with an easy smile. “Moira was just telling me all sorts of things about the Grant family—it was a lovely chat, really.” Then she looked at her, all sweet and innocent. “Right?”