Play The Victim

Upstairs, Miriam gently urged Miles to leave the room. Her voice drifted through the partially open oak door. "Do not stay here, Miles. I will chat with Serena in private for a moment. You should head downstairs. The guests are waiting."

Miles nodded and stepped out of the bedroom. Blair had already moved away from the door, descending the carpeted stairs with quiet, measured steps. When she reached the first-floor hallway, she found Nora pacing near the landing.

The maid looked anxious, her hands tightly gripping a folded stack of black-and-white fabric. Nora pitied the newly returned heiress, seeing her standing there empty-handed while Serena possessed a room full of expensive gowns. "Blair! I brought my daughter's spare maid outfit. It is clean. We should get you dressed before the dinner starts."

Blair accepted the clothes calmly. "Sorry to trouble you, Nora."

Before Blair could turn toward the washroom, heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs. Miles descended and immediately frowned sharply at the sight of the uniform in her hands.

"Do not tell me you are actually going to wear that," Miles barked. "Do you not feel embarrassed? Wearing a maid's clothes? People will take one look at you and think the wealthy Vance family went broke!"

Blair stared at him, holding the fabric against her chest.

The System's mechanical voice chimed in her mind. *[Host, Miles finds Serena's dramatic personality slightly distasteful. Despite this, he overwhelmingly favors her tears and intends to ignore you.]*

Blair absorbed the information quickly. In her past life, she endured this initial hostility in silence. It only spawned wider, unmanageable misunderstandings throughout the household. Letting the resentment fester ruined any chance of survival. She needed to act immediately.

"Figure it out yourself," Miles snapped. He scowled at her continued silence. "If you want to look stupid, go ahead."

He turned his back, ready to walk away and leave her to her misery.

Blair dropped the maid's outfit onto a nearby chair and reached out. Her pale fingers timidly grabbed the dark fabric of his sleeve. She softened her gaze, adopting a pitiful, vulnerable tone.

"Miles..." she whispered, making sure her voice trembled just enough to sound genuine. "I had no clothes. I thought I had to wear the maid's outfit. Miles, what should I do now?"

Her calculated vulnerability executed flawlessly. Miles froze in his tracks, staring down at her small hand gripping his sleeve, his harsh demeanor faltering.

Ten minutes later, the dynamic in the living room shifted. Miles stomped back into the room, flustered and awkward. His ears burned red as he threw a heavy designer shopping bag at her.

"Here," he muttered.

Blair opened the bag and pulled out a brand-new, elegant evening dress. She looked up and flashed him a bright, genuinely grateful smile. "Thank you, Miles."

Seeing her bright, unguarded smile, Miles's deep-seated frustration melted away. He rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat. "Just put it on. I will take you proper shopping later so you have your own things."

As he retreated toward the dining room, the System chimed again, delivering crucial context. *[Host, Miles actually swiped that dress from his rival's sister next door. Seeing your smile, his heart softened. He experienced a profound realization that you are his actual younger sister and you deserve love.]*

*[Ding. Fate modification progress has hit ten percent.]*

Blair released a sigh of profound relief. The notification thrilled her. It provided tangible proof that her strategy worked seamlessly. She would not be dying of cancer anytime soon. She took the dress and headed to the washroom to change, feeling a surge of quiet triumph.

Later that evening, the grand Vance dinner finally commenced.

The long mahogany dining table under the crystal chandelier highlighted a stark contrast between the two families. Serena sat securely at the head of the table. Conrad and Miriam flanked her on both sides, forming a protective barrier. Across from them sat the crude Haskins family.

Conrad maintained a polite smile, attempting to graciously welcome his biological daughter's foster family. "Please, make yourselves at home. You looked after Blair for over ten years. You are Serena's foster mother and brother, after all."

Cody Haskins immediately showcased his crass colors. He lounged carelessly in the antique dining chair, his posture terrible. His shirt hung wide open, exposing his chest as he chewed his food loudly.

"See?" Cody sneered, elbowing his mother, Rhonda. "I told you. If they treat Serena this well, they will not stiff us."

He dropped his fork and leaned forward, shamelessly demanding a favor from his host. "Since we are family now, you should buy me a car, Mr. Vance. You know how much my mom suffers going back and forth to the hospital. A nice, expensive car would ease her suffering."

Serena's face visibly darkened with absolute disgust. She clenched her linen napkin tightly under the table, unable to accept the crassness of her biological family. Her knuckles turned white.

Conrad smoothly stepped in. He smiled through the palpable tension, his tone even. "A car is what you deserve, Cody. We can certainly arrange that."

The System exposed the underlying truth to Blair. *[Host, Conrad is lying. The Vances intend to give the Haskins family a massive payout of cash and a car solely to make them disappear forever.]*

Blair paused, her fork hovering over her plate. She suddenly recalled her past life. Back then, she felt so humiliated by Cody's crass behavior. Driven by bitter resentment, she had furiously driven the Haskinses away herself. That single, emotional move backfired terribly. It gave the Vances the perfect excuse to brand her as cold-blooded and ungrateful to the very people who raised her.

Now, she understood the game perfectly. Happily eating her steamed crab and ignoring the uncomfortable tension in the room, Blair realized that letting the Haskinses attend the dinner was the most perfect, strategic move she could have made. They were destroying their own leverage.

Across the table, Serena nervously peeked at Blair, expecting her to cause a scene. Blair remained unbothered, chewing her food with quiet grace. Caught staring, Serena quickly looked away, her shoulders tensing.

Miriam immediately jumped in like an overly protective mother hen. She shot a sharp glance at Blair. "Blair, Serena is a bit shy. Do not take it personally."

In her past life, Blair would have snapped back, desperate to defend herself against the unfair accusation. She would have tried to compete with Serena's delicate act, begging for her mother's approval.

Not anymore. She had no interest in playing their rigged game.

"Oh," Blair said softly.

Her tone carried a detached, flat quality. She simply lowered her eyes back to her crab. The warm chandelier light spilled over her, highlighting her perfectly calm and somewhat distant demeanor. She looked serene and untouchable.

Miles sat a few seats down, silently watching the exchange. He observed Blair's aloof grace at the table. Then, he suddenly remembered how she had helplessly tugged his sleeve in the hallway just an hour ago. A jarring cognitive dissonance hit him hard. The girl looking so distant right now was the exact same girl who had asked for his help with wide, misty eyes.

He shifted his gaze to Miriam. He listened to his mother's aggressively defensive tone regarding Serena. He noted the clear bias in the way she spoke to Blair.

Miles frowned deeply. His fingers tapped a slow, uneven rhythm against the base of his water glass. He chewed the inside of his lip, his internal monologue running wild. *We are all supposed to be family now. Why do mom's words sound so weird?*