The Return Of the Invincible Heiress

Avery narrowed her eyes, a cold smirk playing on her lips as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. The man taking pictures was Lucas Harper, and beside him stood Zoe Murray—her defeated rival. There was another man with them, someone Avery didn't recognize, but he had the same smug look on his face.

Avery stepped calmly to the side, positioning herself protectively in front of Claire.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice steady, without a hint of fear.

Zoe flashed a bright but fake smile. "Avery, we've known each other for years. Now that you've finally found your birth parents, I just had to come to congratulate you in person."

Avery's smile was faint, unreadable. She knew the gossip about her not being the Murphy family's real daughter had spread like wildfire, and all those who envied her or hated her were eagerly waiting to see her fall. Zoe, who had always seen her as competition, was no different—ready to strike now that Avery's shield of privilege had fallen.

But Avery kept quiet, letting them make their move first.

Wesley, unaware of their true intentions, greeted them warmly. "So, you're Avery's friends! We've prepared lunch. Why don't you come up and join us?"

"Dad, I'm not close with them," Avery interrupted, her smile unchanged. "They've just been bugging me, so don't feel like you have to entertain them."

Wesley's smile faded, and he turned to Zoe and the others with a cold glare. "If Avery doesn't want to see you, then I'd appreciate it if you left."

Avery added calmly, "Dad, Mom, please head upstairs first. I'll take care of this and join you soon."

Wesley's face grew serious. "No, you and your mother should go home first. I'll handle this."

Before Avery could say anything, Zoe cut in loudly, "Avery, how can you say that about us? Until last night, you were the pampered daughter of the Murphy family, the second richest in the city. You grew up in a mansion, rode in luxury cars, and had servants at your beck and call.

"Now you've been tossed out and reduced to living here like some stray. We came as your friends, bearing gifts, and you say we're not close?"

Avery didn't flinch; she had seen and heard worse before. But Wesley and Claire turned pale at Zoe's words, their eyes filled with guilt and sadness as they looked at Avery, clearly wanting to say something but too afraid to speak.

Zoe, relishing the moment, felt a twisted sense of satisfaction. She grabbed the fruit basket from her boyfriend and ripped off the wrapping paper with a sneer. "Mr. and Mrs. Carter, I bet you've never seen fruit like this before. These are imported blueberries, Avery's favorite. They go for over 60 dollars a pound.

"We got them just for her. Since she doesn't want us upstairs, you can take the basket. After all, she won't be able to afford luxuries like this anymore."

Zoe's original plan had been to film Avery's new home and post it online, but after seeing the run-down apartment building, she found it so repulsive she didn't even want to step inside.

Wesley and Claire's faces flushed with anger, ready to explode. Before they could react, Lucas chimed in with a nasty grin. "Avery, we had something special once, didn't we? Last night was unforgettable. Didn't you leave your clothes and underwear in my car?"

Lucas sneered. "I even promised to bring you back to the Carters, but you just vanished on me."

His mind flashed back to the previous night when he'd driven around in his sports car for hours, desperately searching for Avery. It wasn't until near dawn that he found out from the Murphy family's maid that she'd come home before midnight. The memory fueled his rage, and he vowed to make her life a living hell until she begged to come back to him.

Lucas's words were far more vicious than Zoe's taunts, and by now, a small crowd of elderly residents and children had gathered, whispering and pointing at Avery.

"Isn't that Wesley's daughter? The one who was kidnapped as a kid? She's so beautiful, but how could someone so young get mixed up with a man like that? It's just not right," one resident muttered.

Another chimed in, "I heard a wealthy family adopted her. She must be used to living in luxury. How's she ever going to adjust to the modest life of the Carters?"

Their remarks were like needles piercing Wesley and Claire's hearts, filling them with pain. Claire, trembling with rage, clenched her fists and glared at Lucas with tear-filled eyes.

"If you keep slandering my daughter, I... I won't stand for it," she stammered, her voice shaking with emotion.

Wesley silently rolled up his sleeves, ready to confront Lucas. But before he could act, Avery calmly stepped in front of him.

"Dad, Mom, please trust me. I can handle this. You both should go home first," she said, her tone composed and reassuring.

Wesley wanted to argue, to tell her she couldn't handle them on her own, but the determination in her eyes stopped him. There was a quiet strength in her gaze, a promise that she wasn't bluffing. He realized he needed to respect Avery's wishes.

Taking Claire's hand, he whispered, "Let's go upstairs and watch from there. If she needs us, we'll help chase them off."

Claire looked at Avery, then at the gathered onlookers, her eyes brimming with tears. After a moment, she nodded. "Okay."

Once they were safely upstairs, Avery stepped forward with grace, her smile serene and unbothered.

"Zoe, even if I'm living here now, I'm still smarter, more beautiful, and more elegant than you. No matter how hard you try, you'll never measure up to me."

Her words cut Zoe deep, right where it hurt most.

Zoe's face turned bright red, her voice sharp with frustration. "Avery, no matter how hard you try to act tough, you can't change the fact that you're not the rich girl you used to be!" she snapped.

"See this handsome guy next to me? That's Andrew, the real heir to the Murphy family and my boyfriend!" Zoe added, her tone smug and dripping with satisfaction. "Jealous? Angry? Wishing you could take everything away from me?" she taunted, her words laced with venom.

Andrew stood with his chin slightly lifted, looking at Avery with a mix of arrogance and curiosity. He'd heard all about her from his family and from Zoe, and none of it had been flattering. But now, seeing her in person, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful and composed she was. Avery had this effortless grace that made her stand out, even among the most glamorous celebrities.

It annoyed him, though, that she didn't seem to care. She hadn't even spared him a glance since they arrived.

Avery, unfazed, focused on Zoe. "Relax. I couldn't care less about this piece of trash you've picked up."

Andrew's eyes flared with anger at Avery's remark. "Avery Carter, what the hell do you mean by that?" he shot back.

"Are you really that clueless?" Avery replied coolly, pulling a bottle of pepper spray from her bag. "You and Zoe are a match made in heaven."

Before anyone could react, Avery aimed the spray directly at Zoe's face and pressed the nozzle, unleashing a fierce, stinging mist.

Zoe screamed in agony, clutching her face as she stumbled backward. "My eyes! They're burning! I can't see!" she cried out, her voice trembling with pain.

While Zoe staggered, Avery swiftly turned and sprayed Lucas as well. He barely had time to react before his eyes started burning and his nose became clogged. He gasped for air, struggling to breathe.

Andrew rushed over, shouting, "Avery, what the f*** did you do to Zoe?"

But before he could finish, Avery swung the spray can his way and fired again. Even though he was farther off, the mist reached him, and he was instantly overwhelmed by the burning sensation. Just like the others, Andrew was caught off guard. His eyes, nose, and mouth felt like they were on fire, and he doubled over, clutching his face and screaming in pain.

Calmly, Avery stowed the pepper spray back in her bag and picked up the phones Zoe and Lucas had dropped. She tossed them into a nearby abandoned fountain filled with years of stagnant, foul-smelling water. Even if they were waterproof, the phones were done for.

"Fk, Avery!" Andrew managed to shout through the pain, his vision still blurry. "The Murphy family took you in, raised you for years, and this is how you repay us? You have no f*ing manners!"

Avery's response was icy and cutting. "Do you even listen to yourself? Spying on people, spreading lies—that's what you call manners?"

Her gaze grew sharper, her voice slicing through the air. "You've got to be kidding me. I've never even held Lucas's hand, let alone anything else. Maybe you should get him some help before his delusions turn into something dangerous."

She raised her voice deliberately, ensuring everyone in the neighborhood could hear and that Lucas's lies would not tarnish the Carter family.

The elderly onlookers began murmuring among themselves.

"That young man is handsome, but how could he be so wicked to spread such lies about a young girl?" one elderly woman remarked.

"Look at the girl! She's dressed modestly and carries herself so innocently. She doesn't seem like the type to do such things," another onlooker added.

"Compared to her, the other girl's outfit is much tighter, and she's showing off her thighs and waist. Isn't she trying to attract attention?" someone whispered, pointing subtly at Zoe.

Zoe was seething with rage, wanting to lash out at the old folks for their outdated and narrow-minded views. But with her eyes burning and swollen shut, she couldn't even see, let alone retaliate.

Infuriated by the crowd's criticism of his girlfriend, Andrew shouted, "Avery, you're such a disgrace! It's no wonder my parents and everyone at home look down on you, saying you're uncultured, unsophisticated, and greedy—"

Before he could finish, a sudden splash of water hit him, drenching him from head to toe. The crowd erupted in laughter as he looked up furiously, only to see Avery's parents standing on the balcony—one holding an empty bucket, the other ready with another.

Not wanting to involve her family further, Avery quickly warned the trio, "The spray is toxic, so you should see a doctor immediately. If you delay, you could suffer serious consequences like vision loss or even blindness."

Andrew's face drained of color at her words. "Zoe! Lucas! Avery threw your phones into that fountain. Get them yourself! I'm going to get my eyes checked!" he shouted before sprinting toward his vehicle.

Avery calmly walked around, crushing the scattered blueberries underfoot, before heading into the building and slamming the door shut behind her.

As the Carters retreated and the troublemakers were subdued, the elderly crowd began to disperse, chatting among themselves as they left.

Across the street, two men watched from the shadows of a tree, having witnessed the entire confrontation.

Louis marveled, "That spray is something else. It's almost as strong as tear gas. I wonder where you can buy something like that."

"Mr. Graham, Miss Carter might be staying home for a while. Should we continue observing?" he asked.

Matthew paused briefly before responding, "I'll wait in the car. You stay here and keep an eye on things."

His directive left his secretary momentarily speechless.

Meanwhile, back at Building No. 6, Avery reached the top floor and saw her parents waiting at the door. The enticing aroma of food filled the air.

"Avery, come in and join us for dinner," Wesley called out, gesturing for her to enter.

After the earlier ordeal, Wesley felt a newfound bond with his daughter, the tension from their previous interactions melting away. He no longer felt the nervousness that once clouded their relationship.

Avery responded with a soft smile as she stepped into the house, but then she suddenly stopped in her tracks, surprise flickering across her face.