The pool shimmered under the moonlight, its surface fractured into countless shards of silver, like secrets scattered across the water. Vivian shouldn’t have been in the backyard of this villa. It was Aiden’s private domain—explicitly forbidden to her by family decree. Yet here she stood, in a flimsy nightgown, bare feet on cold tiles, her heartbeat faster than the ripples disturbing the pool. She only meant to ask one thing: Why had he stood there at dinner, in front of everyone, and declared she was engaged to someone else? But before the words could leave her lips, her foot slipped. She plunged into the water with a splash. In an instant, a hand cut through the surface, seizing her wrist and yanking her up. It was Aiden. He wore a shirt, yet without hesitation dove in after her. The soaked fabric clung to his chest, but his eyes burned hot. “Do you want to die?” he gritted out, voice rough. “Or do you *want* the whole family to know you sneaked to me in the middle of the night?” She didn’t answer. Instead, trembling, she wound her arms around his neck—not to save herself, but to claim him. When their lips met, the water still rippled, and somewhere in the distance, a surveillance camera quietly turned away. After that night, whispers tightened like a noose. Then her locker was broken open. The small metal box she never let go of—silver, engraved with two letters: A-I-D-E-N—was exposed to daylight. When pressed, it buzzed faintly, vibrating just like his breath against her ear that night. “What is this?” the cheer captain sneered, holding it up for all the girls to see. “A little sister’s dirty toy? With ‘brother’ carved right on it?” Rumors exploded. The principal summoned her parents, demanding answers. Her mother slapped her. Her father stayed silent, stone-faced. And Aiden? At the family council, he was forced to choose: “Him or the inheritance?” He stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, back turned to them all, voice sharp as ice. “I walk away.” That same night, Vivian received an anonymous message: 【You know what’s most terrifying?—The one you love never planned to take you with him.】 The doorbell rang. She opened it. Aiden stood in the rain, drenched, cradling an old wooden box. “When you were six, you said you wanted stars,” he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “So I tore apart the observatory telescope. Now you say you want *me*. All I can give you is this—my father’s criminal records, my mother’s love letters, and… the recording of me altering his will.” “Run,” he pinned her against the wall, forehead resting on hers. “Before they realize we’re already gone.” Outside, headlights flickered on, creeping closer. Inside, the vibrator hummed to life—silent, insistent—like fate’s final mockery. In the next second… who would burst through the door? Rebellious heir Aiden and spirited Vivian become step-siblings. From rivalry to a passionate entanglement, they navigate forbidden love amid family trauma, societal pressure, and school bullying.