Chapter 2 The So-called Family

The next day, at City N Airport, Juliet sat on a public bench, while engrossed in a game on her phone. She looked like an ordinary schoolgirl in her T-shirt and jeans, her long hair tied back in a ponytail. Without the camouflage, her striking features were fully on display, drawing quite a few curious glances. "Juliet?" A middle-aged man in a suit rushed over, his expression dark. "Didn't I tell you to stay abroad? What are you doing back here? You can't be serious about—" "Shut up!" Juliet interrupted him, lowering her head again, her tone icy. "Wait until I finish this." "You—!" Bowen Black glared at her, his anger boiling over. "Look at you! After all these years studying abroad, you've turned into a mess?!" Victory! The game's victory sound chimed in, and Juliet slowly tucked her phone away, acting as if she hadn't heard a word he just said. "Just dealing with a few things, I'll stay home for a few days." "You know how Eileen is—" "I said I'm staying home for a few days. Do you not understand?" Juliet scoffed, grabbing her suitcase and heading for the exit. "I don't care what happens with Eileen. I'm going home, and you can pretend I don't exist." She didn't have to reunite with her so-called family. All she needed was a reasonable and perfect identity to remain in City N, nothing more. "Because of you, Eileen's been seeing a psychologist for years. She's finally stabilized, and you can't stay at our house!" At that, Juliet stopped, narrowing her eyes with a smile. "I'll give you some face and call you 'Dad,' but if you say one more word, I'll KILL Eileen. Got it?" Remembering Juliet's past actions, Bowen's lips trembled, and he couldn't find the words to respond. Juliet didn't care; she continued walking out. She had been kidnapped as a child, spent time as a child soldier in a war-torn country, and fought in underground boHughg rings. At ten, a coach at the boHughg arena saw her potential and took her in, leading her to become the chief instructor at the international mercenary training base in Zone 25. Four years ago, when she was fourteen, she uncovered the truth about her origins. Driven by a yearning for family, she eagerly returned home, only to find that two years after her kidnapping, her parents had found a girl who looked like her, raised her, and believed her to be their biological daughter. Years of affection had far surpassed any notion of blood ties. This family didn't need her; her parents didn't need her. As for Eileen… Juliet had tried that four years ago. No matter how delicate and innocent an angelic bitch might seem, it couldn't withstand the force of her kick. A black Porsche pulled up in one of City N's upscale neighborhoods. Juliet got out, walked to the back, grabbed her suitcase, and confidently headed toward a cream-colored villa. Bowen followed behind, suppressing his anger, and putting on a facade of concern. "Juliet, when you see Eileen, don't scare her. You don't know—after you hit her back then, she's had serious psychological issues and even suicidal tendencies…" "Stop! Don't talk to me about this." Juliet shot him a sideways glance. "If someone's scared, they should keep their head down. Don't you get that?" Eileen's depression and thoughts of suicide? She probably just wanted to keep her status as the Black family's daughter. The Black family's wealth was nothing compared to her salary at the training base. Who cared about being the Black family's daughter?! "YOU!" "What about me?" Juliet sneered. "If I hit her, she better just take it. Otherwise, if she makes a fuss, everyone in City N will know she's a fake! Don't forget, when Grandpa passed away, he made a will, and I'm the rightful heir to the Black family. She, Eileen, is nothing!" Just as she finished, a girl in a white dress with long hair hurried down the stairs. "Dad, you're back so early…" But when she saw Juliet sitting on the couch, Eileen froze, her eyes wide in disbelief. "Juliet?!" Her voice was laced with both fear and hatred. She stared at Juliet, her fingers trembling involuntarily. She remembered four years ago when Juliet returned with short hair, looking boyish yet surprisingly beautiful, her eyes shining fiercely. Four years later, Juliet was even more stunning, but her gaze was even more unsettling. Eileen glanced nervously at Bowen, tears brimming in her eyes. "Uh…" Bowen quickly said, "Eileen, Juliet's just staying for a couple of days, she'll leave soon. Don't mind it." As soon as he said that, Juliet casually added, "Oh? Sister, nice dental work you got there. Looks pretty real." Eileen shivered again. She looked down, hiding the waves of hatred in her eyes. Once, Juliet had smiled at her like that, calling her "Sister," only to kick her down the stairs and bang her head on the ground again and again. That had been the closest she ever got to death. "Juliet!" Seeing Bowen's rage building, Juliet shrugged. "Fine, I won't say anything. I'm still staying in that room upstairs; just clean it up before I get back." "You're leaving?" Bowen frowned deeply. Juliet replied lightly, "Just going out to get some air. Wouldn't want Sister to see me and worsen her condition." She emphasized "worsen her condition" with a mocking tone before standing up and walking out. Once outside, Juliet pulled out her phone, answered a call, and spoke lazily. "Spill it." "Leopard, you made it to City N?" Juliet's code name was Ghost Leopard, but only those very close to her called her Leopard. "What? You got a problem with that?" "No, it's just that I'm in City N too." The voice on the other end sounded excited. "I flew in from S City overnight, and you won't believe the crazy patient I saw…" Juliet wasn't interested in his chatter but responded anyway. "Go on." "So this guy got hit by a Dum-Dum bullet in peacetime, when they're banned worldwide! His bulletproof vest got torn apart, shrapnel pierced his lung and hit his spine, leaking spinal fluid. He was almost paralyzed. I spent eight hours in surgery just to save him…" "What did you say?!" "What's wrong?" The person on the other end sounded confused. "Just that a guy got hit by a Dum-Dum bullet…" Juliet's temples throbbed as she gritted her teeth. "Now guess where he probably got hit in peacetime, when Dum-Dum bullets are banned everywhere?" "Wait, what?" "I came to City N to find him! Is he still there with you?" "Uh… he already left…" Juliet's face darkened. "Send me the address. I'm on my way!"