Chapter 1: Cast Out

The rain fell relentlessly, soaking the grand courtyard of the Morgan Estate.

Lightning flashed across the night sky, illuminating the young woman kneeling on the cold stone ground.

Aurora Morgan lowered her head, her clothes drenched and her long black hair clinging to her pale face. Her knees had long gone numb, but the pain in her heart was far greater than the pain in her body.

Around her stood every member of the Morgan family.

Their eyes held nothing but disgust.

Standing proudly beside them was Chloe Morgan, Aurora's adopted sister. Tears streamed down Chloe's delicate face as she clutched her bandaged wrist.

"Father... Mother... please don't blame Aurora anymore," Chloe sobbed. "Maybe she didn't mean to steal the confidential documents. Maybe she only wanted Grandpa's approval..."

Aurora's eyes widened.

"I didn't steal anything!"

Her voice was drowned out by the thunder.

Richard Morgan, the head of the family, strode forward and slapped her across the face.

Smack!

Aurora was thrown to the ground.

"You still dare lie?" he roared.

"The surveillance footage clearly showed you entering Grandpa's study."

"The documents disappeared."

"Your grandfather suffered a heart attack after discovering the theft."

"He died because of you!"

Aurora shook her head desperately.

"No... I went there because Grandpa asked me to meet him. By the time I arrived, he had already collapsed!"

No one believed her.

Isabella Morgan stepped forward, her eyes cold.

"I raised you for twenty-three years."

"I gave you everything."

"And this is how you repay us?"

Aurora looked at the woman she had called Mother all her life.

"Mom..."

"Don't call me that!"

Isabella's sharp voice echoed through the courtyard.

"I don't have a daughter as shameless as you."

Aurora's heart shattered.

She searched the crowd with trembling eyes until they landed on the one man she desperately hoped would believe her.

Damien Kingsley.

Her fiancé.

Dressed in a black tailored suit, Damien stood silently beneath an umbrella, his expression unreadable.

Their eyes met.

Aurora forced a weak smile.

"Damien... you know me."

"I would never betray my family."

"Please..."

"Believe me."

For a long moment, Damien remained silent.

Then he spoke in a calm, emotionless voice.

"The evidence is against you."

Aurora felt the world stop.

"You... don't believe me?"

Damien slowly removed the engagement ring from his finger.

"This engagement ends today."

His words pierced her heart more painfully than any blade.

A servant stepped forward and handed Aurora the ring she had once treasured.

It suddenly felt heavier than the entire world.

Chloe lowered her head to hide the smile forming on her lips.

Richard snatched the ring from Aurora's trembling hand and threw it into the muddy ground.

"You are no longer worthy of marrying into the Kingsley family."

"And from this moment..."

"You are no longer a member of the Morgan family either."

He pulled out the family register.

Without hesitation—

Rip!

The page bearing Aurora Morgan's name was torn in half.

Each tear sounded like the end of her life.

Richard pointed toward the estate gate.

"Leave."

"And never return."

Aurora slowly stood despite her shaking legs.

Her eyes swept across every familiar face.

Not one person pitied her.

Not one person defended her.

Finally...

She laughed.

It was a soft, broken laugh.

"I understand now."

"I spent twenty-three years treating all of you as my family."

"But not one of you ever treated me as yours."

She bent down, picked up the mud-covered engagement ring, and placed it gently into Damien's hand.

"My love for you..."

"It ends here."

She looked at every member of the Morgan family.

"The day will come when you regret this."

Richard sneered.

"You?"

"Regret abandoning a thief?"

"Impossible."

Aurora gave one last glance at the home she had loved since childhood.

Then she turned around.

Without looking back.

The heavy iron gates slowly closed behind her.

As they slammed shut, the sound echoed through the storm like the closing of one chapter... and the beginning of another.

Far away, beyond the dark clouds, a private jet waited on a lonely runway.

Its destination...

The other side of the world.

writing{variant\="document" id\="47281"}

# Chapter 1: Cast Out

The rain fell relentlessly, soaking the grand courtyard of the Morgan Estate.

Lightning flashed across the night sky, illuminating the young woman kneeling on the cold stone ground.

Aurora Morgan lowered her head, her clothes drenched and her long black hair clinging to her pale face. Her knees had long gone numb, but the pain in her heart was far greater than the pain in her body.

Around her stood every member of the Morgan family.

Their eyes held nothing but disgust.

Standing proudly beside them was Chloe Morgan, Aurora's adopted sister. Tears streamed down Chloe's delicate face as she clutched her bandaged wrist.

"Father... Mother... please don't blame Aurora anymore," Chloe sobbed. "Maybe she didn't mean to steal the confidential documents. Maybe she only wanted Grandpa's approval..."

Aurora's eyes widened.

"I didn't steal anything!"

Her voice was drowned out by the thunder.

Richard Morgan, the head of the family, strode forward and slapped her across the face.

**Smack!**

Aurora was thrown to the ground.

"You still dare lie?" he roared.

"The surveillance footage clearly showed you entering Grandpa's study."

"The documents disappeared."

"Your grandfather suffered a heart attack after discovering the theft."

"He died because of you!"

Aurora shook her head desperately.

"No... I went there because Grandpa asked me to meet him. By the time I arrived, he had already collapsed!"

No one believed her.

Isabella Morgan stepped forward, her eyes cold.

"I raised you for twenty-three years."

"I gave you everything."

"And this is how you repay us?"

Aurora looked at the woman she had called Mother all her life.

"Mom..."

"Don't call me that!"

Isabella's sharp voice echoed through the courtyard.

"I don't have a daughter as shameless as you."

Aurora's heart shattered.

She searched the crowd with trembling eyes until they landed on the one man she desperately hoped would believe her.

Damien Kingsley.

Her fiancé.

Dressed in a black tailored suit, Damien stood silently beneath an umbrella, his expression unreadable.

Their eyes met.

Aurora forced a weak smile.

"Damien... you know me."

"I would never betray my family."

"Please..."

"Believe me."

For a long moment, Damien remained silent.

Then he spoke in a calm, emotionless voice.

"The evidence is against you."

Aurora felt the world stop.

"You... don't believe me?"

Damien slowly removed the engagement ring from his finger.

"This engagement ends today."

His words pierced her heart more painfully than any blade.

A servant stepped forward and handed Aurora the ring she had once treasured.

It suddenly felt heavier than the entire world.

Chloe lowered her head to hide the smile forming on her lips.

Richard snatched the ring from Aurora's trembling hand and threw it into the muddy ground.

"You are no longer worthy of marrying into the Kingsley family."

"And from this moment..."

"You are no longer a member of the Morgan family either."

He pulled out the family register.

Without hesitation—

**Rip!**

The page bearing Aurora Morgan's name was torn in half.

Each tear sounded like the end of her life.

Richard pointed toward the estate gate.

"Leave."

"And never return."

Aurora slowly stood despite her shaking legs.

Her eyes swept across every familiar face.

Not one person pitied her.

Not one person defended her.

Finally...

She laughed.

It was a soft, broken laugh.

"I understand now."

"I spent twenty-three years treating all of you as my family."

"But not one of you ever treated me as yours."

She bent down, picked up the mud-covered engagement ring, and placed it gently into Damien's hand.

"My love for you..."

"It ends here."

She looked at every member of the Morgan family.

"The day will come when you regret this."

Richard sneered.

"You?"

"Regret abandoning a thief?"

"Impossible."

Aurora gave one last glance at the home she had loved since childhood.

Then she turned around.

Without looking back.

The heavy iron gates slowly closed behind her.

As they slammed shut, the sound echoed through the storm like the closing of one chapter... and the beginning of another.

Far away, beyond the dark clouds, a private jet waited on a lonely runway.

Its destination...

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