After scanning the living room, I walked into the first room–the study.


    Theputer wasn’t even password–protected.


    When I powered it up, the desktop delivered another devastating blow.


    Howe… there were so many children’s games?


    I’m the sole heir to Winston Group. River might not match my family’s wealth<b>, </b>but after marrying me, he’d thrown himself intopany work with everything he had. Hisputer was sacred to him–he’d never let anyone else touch it.


    But now, besides the usual importantpany files, this desktop was loaded with game icons.


    ncing through them, I could see they were all typical games–car racing, battle games, sports games.


    ssic little boy games.


    And right in the middle of all these games, I spotted a folder.


    Labeled “You Are My Whole World.”


    My hands shaking, I opened that folder to find thousands of photos–almost all candid shots.


    The woman in the photos had crescent–moon eyes when she smiled.


    There were shots of her cooking in an apron, watering nts on the balcony, sweeping and wiping tables in the living room.


    And some… some were bedroom shots <b>I </b>couldn’t bear to look at.


    Steadying myself, I copied the entire folder to my email, cleared all traces, shut down theputer, and settled on the living


    room couch to wait for River’s return.


    I have no idea how long I sat there.


    When night fell, I finally heard the door opening.


    Sure enough, River wasn’t alone.


    Behind him walked a woman.


    I recognized her immediately–the same woman from all those photos on River’sputer.


    They were both carrying grocery bags, looking exactly like a devoted married couple.


    The second River saw me, his smile froze.


    After a long pause, he approached me.


    “Maya… what are you doing here? Have you eaten? Are you hungry…” <fn8a08> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find[?]ovel</fn8a08>


    I stared directly at the woman still standing frozen by the door<b>, </b>cutting River off.


    “Who is she? Aren’t you going to introduce us<b>?</b><b>” </b>


    Hearing my words, River’s face shifted. He forced himself to make introductions.


    “Maya, don’t get the wrong idea. This is my foster sister–a girl my grandfather took in years ago.”


    I shot a look at River’s guilty expression.


    “Oh really? Funny how you’ve never


    mentioned


    her before.”


    River set his groceries on the floor, crouched down to meet my eye level, and grabbed my hands.


    “I swear, it’s just that she always lived with my grandfather out in the countryside, so you never met her.<b>” </b>


    “But you know my grandfather passedst year, and my parents couldn’t handle it, so they brought her to live closer to family. You know me–I’m hopeless at everything except work. My parents worry about me, so they have here by sometimes to help with cleaning and cooking.”


    “Please don’t read into this. She just came to cook dinner today. We ran into each other at themunity entrance and walked in together. Don’t overthink it.”


    I smoothly pulled my hands free and asked the question that was burning inside me.


    “What’s her name?”


    Maybe thinking I’d epted his so–called foster sister, River’s voice turned eager.


    “Vivian Reed. Samest name as mine.”


    “Maya, I need you to understand–even though we’re not blood–rted, I honestly only see her as a sister. There’s absolutely nothing else between us.”


    I was done listening to his bullshit.


    I pulled out the recement property deed from my purse and mmed it on the coffee table, cutting him off.


    “Then exin this!”


    “The house I bought YOU–why the hell is your ‘sister’s‘ name on MY property deed!”