The Untouchable Heir’s Little Obsession

Elara's POV: On the third day after learning I was the adopted heiress, I did something that would shake Aster City high society to its core. I kidn*pped my supposed older brother, Soren Ashford. I had handcuffs, a basement, and black tape ready for him. Everyone said the Ashford heir was aloof and elegant, a man as untouchable as ice. Only I knew how close wanting him had driven me to madness. We weren't related by blood, and I was already crossing a line, so I might as well go all the way. The strange part was that he'd been missing for 48 hours, yet my family, who normally made a crisis out of nothing, hadn't called the police. Instead, they kept exchanging knowing looks right in front of me. 'Do they all know?' Marina Ashford, the biological daughter, came home in a downpour. She wore the same pale pink lace dress as I did, and her hair fell in the same soft waves. She hovered behind Mom, looking like a rabbit caught in the rain. But the look she gave me was icy. "So this is Elara? Does that mean your room will be mine now?" She wasn't subtle, but at least she got straight to the point. I took a bite of the honeydew the housekeeper had just cut. It was almost too sweet. "There are plenty of rooms, Marina. If you want the bed I've been sleeping in, I'll have the mattress and pillows packed up for you tomorrow." Marina's face stiffened. She lowered her head and dabbed at her eyes, and Mom immediately pulled her into an embrace. "Elara, is that any way to speak to your sister? Marina suffered enough while she was away from us. The least you can do is be considerate." 'Well, that settles where I stand. I've spent 20 years in Marina's place, and now I'm the villain of this family.' I lowered my head and drank my soup without a word. They probably thought I was sulking. In truth, I was terrified. The seat at the head of the dinner table was empty. It belonged to Soren, the man who actually ran the Ashford family. At that very moment, my dignified older brother was strapped to an iron bed in the basement of my West Ridge villa. I'd secured his hands and feet with nylon ties and handcuffs. "Where has Soren gone on business this time? He hasn't even called," Dad said, setting down his fork and glancing sideways at me. My fingers tightened around my own fork. My heart skipped a beat, but I kept my face calm. "Soren has a lot of projects at the company. Maybe he's inspecting a remote site without cell service." Marina bit her lip. "But I passed his study earlier. His passport and several spare phones are still in the drawer. Who travels without their documents?" The entire table went silent. Mom sighed. "That eldest son of ours is 30, and he still disappears without a word." My second older brother, Dorian Ashford, slowly cut his steak. His silver fork scraped against the porcelain plate. He lifted his eyes and gave me a smile that wasn't quite a smile. "Exactly. Soren is usually so careful. If something happened to him, I'd bet someone close to him took him away. Don't you agree, Elara?" I nearly choked on my beef. 'Is he saying someone close to Soren took him away?' Dorian's pointed stare sent a chill down my spine. I forced a sweet smile and pushed my bowl away. "Dad, Mom, I'm full. My stomach's a little upset, so I'm going upstairs to lie down." Behind me, Marina called softly, "Drink some warm water, Elara. With Soren away, you really mustn't get sick." I kept walking. 'f**k. I can't stay in this house another second. The sedative I gave the man in the basement is probably wearing off.'