The red Beetle, like a lone boat, merged into the traffic of the late-night city.

Louise drove aimlessly.

She couldn't go home; that so-called "home" no longer had a place for her.

Her phone vibrated incessantly on the passenger seat, the screen flashing the word "Mom."

She glanced at it, her eyes empty.

It rang for a long time. She didn't pick up.

After the call automatically disconnected, a text message popped up.

[Louise! Get your ass back here immediately and apologize to Adam! Do you want to ruin your sister's happiness? You selfish, ungrateful wretch!]

Every word stabbed at her heart.

Louise tugged at the corner of her mouth, revealing a smile uglier than crying.

She picked up the phone, found the number, tapped it. Block.

Her movements were crisp and decisive.

Then "Dad."

Block.

"Anna."

Block.

Finally, the number she had pinned to the top for three years, "My Adam."

She long-pressed, but her finger hovered over the delete key, hesitating to press down.

She stopped the car by the riverside and rolled down the window.

The night breeze poured in, messing up her hair and blowing away the last trace of moisture from the corners of her eyes.

Where was she going to go?

She didn't know.

During her three years of confinement, she had almost severed all social ties.

Just as she felt a wave of bewilderment, her phone lit up again.

It was a number she hadn't contacted in a long time.

It was her best friend, Chloe.

[Lulu, are you asleep? I just got off the plane and brought you your favorite macarons.]

Looking at this message, the nerves Louise had held taut for hours finally, in this moment, found a moment of release.

With trembling hands, she typed back three words.

[I have nowhere to go.]

Less than five seconds later, Chloe called directly.

"Where are you?!"

The voice on the other end was filled with anxiety.

Louise gave an address.

"Stay right there! I'm coming immediately!"

Half an hour later, a fiery red Porsche 911 came to a steady halt next to the Beetle, accompanied by the screech of brakes.

Chloe rushed out of the car and yanked open Louise’s door.

When she saw Louise still wearing that ridiculous apron, her face unusually pale, her eyes instantly reddened.

"Damn it!"

Chloe slammed her fist hard against the car door.

"Did that bastard Adam bully you?"

Louise looked at her, shook her head, then nodded.

A thousand words eventually distilled into a single sentence.

"Chloe, I'm divorced."

Chloe’s apartment was located on the top floor of the city’s most bustling CBD.

Outside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows lay the glittering night view of the city.

Louise sat on the soft carpet, drinking the hot milk Chloe had handed her, and recounted everything that had happened that night in the calmest tone possible.

After listening, Chloe shook with rage and paced back and forth in the living room.

"A family of animals! Absolute animals!"

"That Adam is scum! Your parents are accomplices! And your sister is a top-tier manipulative fake!"

She cursed for a full ten minutes before calming down slightly.

She walked over to Louise, squatted down, and held her cold hands.

"Good riddance! You should have escaped that garbage dump ages ago!"

"Don't be afraid. From now on, you live here. I'll take care of you!"

Watching her best friend filled with righteous indignation for her sake, the last bit of coldness in Louise’s heart slowly melted into warmth.

She leaned on Chloe’s shoulder and whispered, "Thank you, Chloe."

"No need to be polite with me."

Chloe patted her back. "Go take a shower and get a good sleep. Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it tomorrow."

After showering and changing into Chloe’s silk pajamas, Louise felt as if she had come back to life.

She lay on the soft bed in the guest room, ready to turn off her phone and sleep.

Just then, a new email popped up without warning.

Sender: [Regal Global Law Firm]

Subject: [Notification regarding the execution of the will of your grandmother, Ms. Elena Windsor]

Louise’s breathing stopped instantly.

Grandmother?

The grandmother who, according to stories, had died of illness abroad in poverty after failed investments when Louise was very young?

Harboring a trace of confusion, she opened the email.

The content was in English, the wording rigorous and formulaic.

[Dear Ms. Louise Windsor:]

[We are honored to inform you that as the sole legal heir designated by Ms. Elena Windsor, you will inherit all personal assets under her name. This includes 75% equity in the Windsor Group, as well as manors, castles, islands, and art collections distributed globally...]

[According to the latest asset valuation, the total value of this inheritance is estimated at approximately...]

Louise’s gaze fixed tightly on the long string of "0"s at the bottom of the screen.

She counted them repeatedly.

In the end, her mind went blank, leaving only the sentence at the end of the email magnifying and spinning before her eyes.

[...preliminary estimate is approximately, one hundred billion, US dollars.]