Part 3From Rags to Riches: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, and Redemption

My heart sank. The word "parents" was foreign to me.

In countless dark moments, I had hoped they would appear in my life, but I was always disappointed.

Despite this, I still traveled overnight to the city where the orphanage was located.

Before me stood a well-dressed middle-aged couple. The man wore a suit and tie, while the woman was dressed in an expensive fur coat with perfect makeup.

The moment she saw me, the woman's eyes welled up with tears. She rushed forward and hugged me excitedly, "Daughter, we've finally found you!"

It felt surreal. The middle-aged man beside her took off his glasses and wiped his tears, "Emily, we've been looking for you for so long."

The woman's name was Sarah. She looked at me carefully, with a gaze I had never experienced before - gentle and filled with heartache.

The middle-aged man was called Robert. He looked at me with relief, "Your mom and I were quite young when we had you. We didn't have much money then, so we took you north to find work. But the train was so crowded, and in a moment of carelessness, you were stolen by a trafficker. Your mom nearly cried her eyes out. We reported it to the police, and after a long wait, the trafficker was finally caught. But he said the buyer had changed their mind at the last minute, so he just left you at the doorstep of an orphanage."

"But he had done this so many times that he couldn't remember which orphanage it was. By the time we found out, we were told that you had moved from the old orphanage. It's taken all these years for us to finally meet, father and daughter."

Robert's eyes were a bit red as he looked at me excitedly, "They named you Emily, right? Now you have a surname. Your name is Emily Yan."

"Emily Yan..." I murmured.

It all felt so unreal, as if I were in a dream. Sarah affectionately held my hand, "My dear child, you must have suffered a lot all these years. I heard from the director that you've been very strong and capable. Your dad and I have had some success in our business over the years, and we can give you a good life now. Come home with us."

The director nodded approvingly, so I went home with them. It was only then that I realized their "some success" was far more than just a little. Robert, my father, was the director of the city's largest venture capital group, with countless businesses under his name.

When the car pulled up to a high-end villa complex, I still couldn't believe it. This area was known for its exorbitant property prices, with many top celebrities choosing to buy luxury homes here.

In the past, this was something I couldn't even dream of.

As we entered, an elegant young woman came down the stairs. When she saw me, her eyes lit up, and she quickened her pace, rushing over to grab my hand.

"Mom, Dad, is this my sister?" she asked.

Her eyes were bright, and her features were similar to mine. She was fair and beautiful, and I immediately took a liking to her.

Sarah smiled and pulled me closer, "This is your sister, Lily. She's been looking for you with us all these years. When we went to pick you up, she kept talking about you."

I felt awkward due to the unfamiliarity, but Lily was excited. She pulled my hand and led me upstairs, "Come on, sis, let me show you your room. I decorated it myself."

As she opened the door, a grand crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, with a huge princess bed in the center.

Lily hadn't let go of my hand. She chattered away, "Sis, here's the walk-in closet. It's all filled with the latest seasonal fashion. I picked them out for you, but I'm not sure if they'll fit. Oh, and we've booked a designer to come and take your measurements in a few days. And look, this is my favorite bunny plushie. I've put it on your bedside table."

As I listened to her, I felt a lump in my throat for some reason. "Thank you, Lily."

Lily pursed her lips and frowned, "Sis, have you been through a lot of hardship?"

I didn't say anything. She looked at me with concern, "When I held your hand just now, I felt a lot of calluses."

"But don't worry, I'll protect you from now on. You won't have to suffer anymore," she said with a smile.