Four Daughters, One Outsider

The year my son Adrian Fuller was born, I started learning how to raise him properly. Knowing his reserved nature, I handpicked four adopted daughters to watch over and protect him. I poured a decade of heart, soul, and resources into their upbringing; each grew up to be ruthless and fully capable of handling anything on their own. Over the years, Adrian's life was indeed smooth-sailing under the tight protection of his four older sisters. That was until I got a desperate call for help from Adrian one day. "Dad, help me... Someone cornered me in the restroom to beat me up..." When I rushed to the school, I found Adrian huddled in the corner of the restroom, half his school uniform torn to shreds. Meanwhile, the four adopted daughters I had personally raised were standing just outside the door, surrounding a boy and watching the scene unfold with amusement. Only then did I realize that this boy, Elliot Hart, was the guy they were all hopelessly in love with. It all started with nothing more than a brief argument between him and Adrian. When they saw me arrive, they showed not a shred of remorse; instead, they looked impatient. Shania Whitmore, the eldest, stepped in front of Elliot. "Dad, he was the one who ran his mouth and pissed off Elliot. Since he doesn't know how to show respect, I just taught him some manners on your behalf." Vivian Whitmore, the third sister, spoke indifferently. "What are you doing here, Dad? We were just trying to give Adrian a little scare. Was it really necessary for him to go tattling to you?" Seeing the self-righteous look on their faces made my blood boil. They were all grown up, forgetting who raised them. Starting today, I was done with all of them. Chapter 1 "You said you were just giving him a little scare?" I stared into my third adopted daughter, Vivian Whitmore's eyes, my voice unvarying. Vivian frowned. She stepped forward and spoke as though she had every right to. "Dad, you've spoiled Adrian Fuller since he was little. Facing some setbacks will be good for him. We're watching from the sidelines, so nothing bad will really happen." I looked at Adrian, who was huddled in the corner. Adrian was shaking all over, his nails digging into the cracks of the floor tiles. The collar of his school uniform was torn, and his strong shoulders were covered in glaring bruises. Even during the years when I was fighting tooth and nail just to survive, I never let Adrian suffer like this. "Will nothing bad really happen?" I chuckled softly and walked toward Vivian. "When he really gets beaten to death, would that be considered an accident?" The eldest, Shania Whitmore, reached out to shield Vivian. She adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses, her voice as calm and gentle as ever. "Dad, don't get so angry so quickly. Elliot Hart just accidentally spilled coffee on Adrian's limited edition sneakers and Adrian screamed, which was really uncivilized. As his older sisters, we have the responsibility to teach him what tolerance is. We just had a few classmates ‘prank' him, just to make him learn his lesson." Elliot stood behind Shania, clutching the hem of her clothes. His eyes were slightly red as he peeked out looking like he was holding back his aggrievance. "Sir, please don't blame the girls; it's all my fault. I couldn't afford to replace Adrian's custom-made shoes, so he has every right to be angry. If it would appease him, I'd even be willing to kneel and apologize." Juliette Whitmore, the second eldest, immediately took off her haute couture trench coat. She carefully draped it over Elliot's shoulders, instinctively wrapping her arm around his shoulders, where his slightly defined muscles were visible. "Elliot, you mustn't demean yourself like that." Juliette turned to look at me, a hint of reproach in her eyes. "Dad, did you hear that? Elliot is far more sensible than Adrian. It's just a pair of shoes, yet Adrian insisted on backing Elliot into a corner. Is this how you raised Adrian?" Nicole Whitmore,the fourth sibling, who had been leaning against the sink playing with a lighter, stopped what she was doing as well. Chapter 2 With a snap, she closed her metal lighter, smirking. "Dad, you can't blame us for playing favorites. Adrian has always thrown his weight around at school, emboldened by the family fortune. If we don't teach him a lesson today, plenty of people out in the real world will do it for you." These four adopted daughters who I had poured my heart and soul into raising for a decade… I had spent a fortune hiring top-tier mentors to school them in strategy, vision and the art of manipulation. I pulled them from the mire of the orphanage and bestowed upon them status and resources beyond the reach of ordinary people. However, they turned the very tactics I had taught them against my biological son and joined forces with outsiders to bully him. I walked past Shania and went straight to Adrian's side. Adrian bit his lower lip hard, tears silently flowing. "Dad..." His voice was hoarse; his hands clutched his tattered school uniform tightly, as if it were the last shred of dignity he had left. I took off my cashmere coat and wrapped it firmly around Adrian. "It's okay now." I stroked his ice-cold hair and pulled him into an embrace. Shania watched my actions, frowning deeper. "Dad, shielding him so blindly will only ruin Adrian." She walked over and tried to grab Adrian's arm. "Adrian, get up and apologize to Elliot and we won't pursue the matter further." I spun around and slapped Shania’s face. The sharp slap echoed through the restroom. Shania's gold-rimmed glasses slid off and hit the floor, cracking upon impact. Juliette and Vivian's expressions changed instantly. "Dad! What are you doing?" Juliette shielded Elliot behind her and rushed forward. "You actually hit Shania over something so trivial?" Shania raised a hand to stop Juliette. She turned her head; the slap mark was visible on her fair skin. Even so, she maintained her condescending composure. "Dad, if hitting me helps vent your anger, I won't fight back. But I stand by what I said: Adrian must learn to respect others. Until he does, the four of us will never acknowledge him as our brother." Elliot hid behind Juliette and tugged gently at her sleeve. "Juliette, Mr. Fuller is so scary. I'm scared." Nicole scoffed, toying with the lighter in her hand. "Dad, you've really disappointed us today. I thought you could distinguish right from wrong; I never expected you to be like ordinary parents who spoil their children rotten." I glanced icily at those four self-righteous faces, wondering, 'Had I raised them too well over the past decade? So well that they'd forgotten exactly what they were?' "Your disappointment means nothing to me." I helped Adrian to his feet and looked condescendingly at them. "Since you believe Adrian throws his weight around just because the family is wealthy, then none of the four of you will spend another penny of the Fullers' money." Vivian scoffed. She crossed her arms and cast a disdainful glance elsewhere. "Dad, are you threatening us with cutting off our cards again? We handle so many core projects at Fuller Group; do you really think the company can keep running without us?" Shania bent over to pick up her glasses. She leisurely wiped the dust from the lenses with a handkerchief before putting them back on. "Dad, we've spent ten years by your side. Even if we haven't achieved much, surely you can't say we haven't worked hard. Are you really going to go to such extremes over a good-for-nothing like Adrian?" I shielded Adrian as we walked toward the exit. Chapter 3 When I passed by Elliot, I stopped. Elliot subconsciously moved closer to Juliette's side, his eyes darting away. I looked at his handsome face and found it absurd. "Since you two are so fond of teaching people the rules..." I turned to Shania, my tone calm as if talking about the weather. "Come to the company office and hand over all the projects you're handling at 9am. Let's see how you manage without the Fullers." I ignored their grim expressions and led Adrian out of the bathroom. Nicole's disdainful voice was heard from the corridor behind us. "Shania, ignore him. He's just trying to scare us. In less than three days, he'll have to beg us to go back and handle the mess over there again." My leather shoes made a clear echo on the marble floor of the corridor. On the way home, Adrian huddled in the corner of his seat. He tightly grasped the edge of my coat, like an overly frightened bird. "Dad, I didn't bully him." Adrian's voice was barely more than a whisper. "Elliot was the one who asked to borrow that limited-edition watch. I told him I couldn't lend it to him because I was supposed to wear it for my coming-of-age ceremony. Then he deliberately spilled coffee on my shoes. I just told him to be careful, but the girls came over with people." I patted his back, feeling a growing chill in my chest. These were the four "weapons" I had carefully handpicked. At an orphanage in the South District ten years ago, I spotted them instantly — four girls covered in wounds but with eyes full of unyielding defiance. Shania was 12 back then. She would pick up a brick and fight a kid five years older than her over half a steamed bun. Juliette was only eight, yet in the dead of winter with temperatures plunging well below zero, she locked the dormitory warden who bullied her inside the ice cellar. I brought them back to the Fullers' estate. On their first day, I pointed to Adrian, who was fast asleep in his cradle, and told them, "From this day on, he is your only reason for living. Anyone who dares to harm a single hair on his head will pay with their life." Shania was the first to kneel before the cradle. "Dad, don't worry. We owe our lives to you. We will crush whoever dares to bully Adrian." Their oaths still echoed in my memory. Now, the girls were the very people crushing Adrian. The next morning, I immediately ordered the butler, Alfred Young, to cancel all the supplementary credit cards issued in their names. I also confiscated the eight supercars they parked in the garage. Alfred held the returned access card, looking somewhat conflicted. "Sir, the misses took Mr. Hart and moved into the lakeside villa in the East District late last night. They even called the staff to clear out Mr. Adrian's private music room so it could be converted into a gaming room for Mr. Hart." My hand paused, still gripping the coffee cup. That lakeside villa in the East District was the 18th birthday gift I had prepared for Adrian. He had personally selected every piece of furniture in it. The music room housed an antique cello that Adrian treasured above all else; it was the only keepsake left to him by his grandmother. "Get the car ready." I set down my coffee cup, my voice icy. "We're going to the lakeside villa." When the car pulled up outside the villa, the front gate was wide open. Moving company workers were hauling boxes out one by one. I walked into the living room and immediately saw Elliot lounging on the couch, eating cherries while wearing Adrian's favourite silk pajamas. Shania sat beside him, her head bent as she worked on a document for him. Hearing the sound of my leather shoes, Shania looked up. She showed not a shred of guilt when she saw me; instead, she displayed a gentle smile. Chapter 4 "Dad, what brings you here? Have you cooled off?" Shania put down the document and stood up to greet me. "We’ll let yesterday's incident slide. Elliot happens to need a quiet place to study, so we're staying here for a few days." Elliot hurriedly set down the fruit platter and stood up awkwardly. "Mr. Fuller, I'm sorry. Am I causing you trouble? I'll leave right now." He started to bolt for the door, but Juliette grabbed him. Juliette walked out of the kitchen carrying a glass of hot milk. She shot me an icy look and thrust the milk into Elliot's hands. "Elliot, sit down. This is the Fullers' house. As the Fullers' daughters, what's wrong with us bringing a friend home to stay?" She looked at me, her tone laced with dissatisfaction. "Dad, we didn't make a fuss when you cut off our cards and took away our cars this morning. How much longer are you going to keep this up?" I ignored her, my gaze sweeping across the empty first floor. The valuable paintings that used to hang in the living room were gone, replaced by several athletic portraits of Elliot. "What happened to the music room?" I asked, looking directly at Shania. Shania adjusted her glasses, her tone casual. "Elliot has a lot of gear and nowhere to put it. Adrian hardly comes here, and it was a waste to leave the room empty, so I had it cleared out." I strode toward the music room at the end of the hallway. The moment I pushed the door open, I felt the blood rush straight to my head. The expensive rug that used to cover the music room floor had been rolled up. The floor was now piled high with cheap trendy clothes Elliot had bought during sales. Adrian’s priceless antique cello had been tossed carelessly into a heap of junk in the corner, like it was a piece of trash. Two of its strings had snapped, and a deep, ugly scratch marred its body. "Who did this?" I turned around; my voice sounded unusually calm, despite the rage boiling inside me. Nicole walked down the stairs, yawning. She glanced at the cello on the floor and shrugged indifferently. "The movers bumped into it by accident. It’s just a beat-up old cello; is it really worth causing such a fuss?" Nicole walked over to the couch and sat down, crossing her legs. "Dad, Adrian usually plays so terribly anyway; it’s a good thing it’s broken. Worst case, I’ll just take out some money from my allowance next month and compensate him with a new one." "Buy him a new one?" I walked back into the living room and stood before Nicole. "That cello was an heirloom from Adrian’s grandmother; even your life wouldn't be enough to compensate." Vivian came downstairs holding a set of blueprints. She frowned at my remark. "Dad, could you stop making such a big deal out of everything? Why dwell on the possessions of the dead? Is a living human like Elliot really worth less than a worthless piece of wood?" Elliot tugged at Shania’s sleeve; his eyes reddened again as tears welled up. "Shania, it’s all my fault. I shouldn't have been tempted by the living conditions here; I should just move back to the dorms." Shania patted the back of his hand and turned to look at me. "Dad, if you’ve come here today just to pick a fight, you might as well leave. Our project in the West District is at a critical stage. We’re handling billions of dollars in turnover every day; we don’t have time to play along with this kind of family drama.” I looked at the self-righteous expressions on their faces. They genuinely believed that because they had control of Fuller Group’s projects, they had me completely under their thumb. They thought the Fullers’ empire would fall apart without them — the four so-called “elites”. I took out my phone and called Alfred. "Bring them in. Aside from the clothes Elliot is wearing, I want everything in this villa that belongs to them thrown out." Chapter 5 In less than five minutes, a dozen burly bodyguards dressed in black filed into the room. Without a word, they headed straight upstairs and began clearing out the room. Shania could no longer maintain her composed, gentle demeanor. She sprang to her feet and snapped, "I want to see who has the guts to touch anything!" The bodyguards did not even spare her a glance; they swiftly swept Juliette's watch box, Vivian's laptop bag, and Elliot's newly unwrapped streetwear items straight into trash bags. Shania stepped forward to intervene, but the lead bodyguard effortlessly brushed her aside with one hand, nearly causing her to fall. Juliette's face turned livid with rage as she pointed a finger right at my face. "Dad, have you lost your mind? Are you really going to kick your own daughters out on the street just to indulge Adrian's spoiled-brat tantrums?" "What 'daughter' are you?" I took the disinfecting wipe Alfred handed me and leisurely cleaned my fingers. "Acknowledging you as my daughters was a favor I did you. Since you clearly don't appreciate the courtesy, get lost and go back to where you belong." Elliot screamed in terror as he watched their luggage being tossed out the front gate like trash. "What are you doing? Those are limited-edition sneakers I just bought!" He lunged forward to grab them, but a bodyguard kicked the bag away, sending him sprawling face-first onto the ground. Nicole's flippant smile vanished. She glared at me, gritting her teeth. "Fine, you're ruthless. Just don't come begging us to come back. Dozens of suppliers of the West District development project deal exclusively with the four of us. Without our signatures, Fuller Group can just wait to be sued for breach of contract if next week's payment deadline is missed!" Vivian sneered as well. "Dad, you've probably lived a pampered life for too long; you've forgotten who's actually holding Fuller Group together these days. We can leave, but when the company's stock tanks tomorrow, don't come crying to us." The girls stood on the lawn outside the villa with Elliot, looking disheveled. As they walked away, they held their backs straight as if they were victors choosing to leave, rather than strays being kicked out in disgrace. Watching their retreating figures, I turned to order Alfred, "Find out what those four have been up to behind my back lately." The next morning, Adrian pushed open the door to my study, his eyes red. He clutched a notification slip tightly, large tears splashing onto the back of his hand. "Dad, my spot in the competition has been cancelled." I took the slip from him. It was the acceptance notice for the International Youth Business Competition. Adrian had spent six months pulling all-nighters and researching countless documents to create a business proposal that was nothing short of perfect for this contest. Now, his name on the notice had been crossed out in red ink and replaced with "Elliot Hart". Adrian choked back sobs as his voice trembled. "I went to the organizing committee to ask. They said Ms. Shania from Fuller Group personally intervened, demanding the spot be transferred to Elliot. Dad, that was my life's work... How could they do this?" How could they? Because to Shania, Adrian's hard work was worthless, while Elliot's tears were priceless. I took Adrian by the hand and had the driver take us straight to Fuller Group's headquarters. Although I had kicked the four of them out of the villa, they were still sitting brazenly in the company's executive meeting room. When I pushed open the meeting room doors, the four of them were huddled together, helping Elliot revise the very business proposal Adrian had created. "Elliot, you don't need to understand the data here; just read it out loud when the time comes." Shania gently pointed at the screen. Chapter 6 "Yes, the judges will give the scores based on Fuller Group's reputation anyway." Juliette chimed in. When I led Adrian in, the four of them stopped their discussion. Shania closed her notebook, picked up her coffee, and took a sip calmly. "Dad, have you finally thought it through? If it's about the West District project, ask Adrian to leave first. It's a trade secret." I walked up to Shania and placed the tampered notice on the table. "Return the spot to Adrian." Shania glanced at the notice and chuckled lightly. "I thought it was some big deal. Dad, Adrian is still young and has plenty of opportunities in the future. Elliot comes from a poor family, and this resume is crucial for his university application." She leaned back in her chair, looking at Adrian in a way that a senior does to a junior. "Adrian, you can't be too selfish. You already have enough. What's the harm in giving a little to Elliot?" Adrian trembled with anger, his nails digging into his palms. "That's mine! It took me half a year to make this proposal! You're the ones stealing it!" Vivian stood up icily. "Adrian, watch your words. What do you mean by stealing? Fuller Group is the sponsor of this competition. The spot was decided internally by Fuller Group. As senior executives of the group, we have the right to allocate resources to those in greater need." Nicole laughed exaggeratedly, pointing at Adrian. "Adrian, even if you entered the competition with this proposal, people would just think you got there because of your family. Elliot is different; he's a self-made success story; judges love that kind of narrative." Elliot hid behind Juliette and spoke timidly, "Adrian... I'm sorry. If you really want it, I'll give it back to you. At worst... At worst, I just won't go to college." As he spoke, his eyes reddened, and tears fell at just the right moment. Juliette worriedly pulled him into her arms and glared at Adrian. "Adrian, will you only be happy if you drive Elliot into a corner? If you take that spot back today, I'll immediately pull out of Fuller Group's every project!" The four of them stood like an impenetrable wall, trapping Adrian firmly in the center. In their twisted logic, Adrian defending the fruits of his own labor was "selfishness", while Elliot's brazen appropriation was "the right of the underdog". I looked at Shania's calm, gentle face. She was certain I would not dare move against them now because they were needed to keep the West District's project under control. "Alright." I looked at them and nodded. "You can have the spot." Adrian looked at me in disbelief. "Dad?" I did not look at Adrian; instead, I stared straight at Shania. "I hope you can stay securely in those positions." With that, I grabbed Adrian and walked away. A confident chuckle came from behind me. "Dad, we wouldn't have had this problem if you'd been this reasonable from the start." Back in the car, Adrian finally broke down and wept. I handed him a tissue and gazed out the window. "Adrian, remember the way they looked today. Tomorrow, they won't even have anywhere left to beg for mercy." Adrian refused to give up. I knew he had secretly contacted the competition committee chairman, hoping to secure a chance to resubmit his proposal. I did not stop him. Sometimes, people had to hit rock bottom a few times before they finally saw their enemies for who they really were. That afternoon, the opening ceremony for the competition's preliminary round was being held at the city center's grand auditorium. Chapter 7 When I received a call from Adrian's classmate, he was in great distress and sounded almost like he was crying. "Mr. Fuller, come quickly! Adrian was at the back entrance of the auditorium when Elliot deliberately bumped into him and tried to frame him for it. Now, Shania and the others have teamed up with the school's academic affairs office to hold a school-wide assembly and discipline Adrian!" The car ran through three red lights on the road. When I arrived at the auditorium, it was already packed with people. I walked to the back entrance and found that the passage had been blocked by several people wearing Fuller Group's security uniforms. "Sir, Ms. Shania has instructed that no one can disturb the event today." The security team leader lowered his head, but his arm blocking my way did not come down. I sneered. Amazing, they used the Fullers' bodyguards to stop me, the head of the Fullers. I did not force my way in. Instead, I turned and walked toward the equipment room on the second floor. I kicked open the door and stood on the control console on the second floor. Through the one-way glass, the entire auditorium was in full view. Adrian stood alone under the spotlight. His hair was a bit messy, with a clear scratch on the back of his hand. The girls were lined up in a row in the center of the first row of the stage. Elliot sat next to Shania, his right leg in an exaggerated cast as tears clung to the corners of his eyes. Shania held the microphone, her voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable air of authority. "Adrian, let me ask you one last time: were you the one who pushed Elliot down the stairs?" Adrian clenched his fists, his back rigidly straight. "I didn't. He saw me coming and deliberately rolled down the steps himself!" "Liar!" Juliette slammed her hands on the table and shot to her feet. "When we arrived, Elliot was in so much pain he was on the verge of passing out, yet you just stood there watching coldly! Adrian, how could you be so vicious?" Vivian adjusted her glasses, her tone as icy as if she were reading out a verdict. "Just because the surveillance camera happened to be broken, did you think no one could prove your wrongdoing? The four of us are witnesses. Today, in front of all the students and faculty alike, you must apologize to Elliot and publicly read a letter of admission admitting that you obtained your spot through improper means!" Nicole leaned back in her chair with a malicious smile. "If you refuse, Fuller Group will withdraw all donations to your school tomorrow. I imagine the principal knows how to deal with a student of such poor character, right?" The principal, sitting nearby, wiped away his cold sweat and nodded hurriedly. "Adrian... Just... Just apologize. Don't cause trouble for the school." Whispers rippled through the students below; their gazes toward Adrian were filled with scorn. "How shameless. Just because he's a rich kid, does it mean he can bully people however he wants?" "I heard he paid for that project proposal too. Elliot is the one with real talent." "Just apologize already! Don't drag the school down with you!" He was the target of everyone's wrath. Fueled by the girls' instigation, all manner of slander was being directed at him. Adrian scanned the sea of ​​malicious faces below. Finally, his gaze settled on Shania and the other three girls. Shania had once lifted him high above her head and sworn to protect him for a lifetime. Nicole had once crisscrossed half the city just to buy him a limited-edition figurine. Now, they were using the most ruthless tactics to force him to submit to a two-faced, fake-nice guy. Adrian's voice was quiet, yet unshakeably firm. "No, I will never admit to something I didn't do, not even if it kills me." Shania's expression darkened. "Fine. You’ve chosen the hard way." Chapter 8 She raised her hand, and several bodyguards immediately stepped onto the stage and placed their hands on Adrian's shoulders. "Since you can't learn to submit, then I, as your sister, will teach you." Shania coldly commanded, "Press him down and make him apologize to Elliot!" Adrian struggled desperately, but he was no match for the adult bodyguards. His knees were firmly pressed to the ground, and he was about to touch the cold floor. Just at this critical moment… Boom! A deafening roar suddenly came from above the dome of the grand auditorium, drowning out all the noise. The sound was so loud that even the ceiling lamps began to shake violently. Everyone looked up in terror. Then, the two closed alloy doors of the grand hall were kicked open from the outside. A huge current of wind swept up dust clouds, accompanied by the roar. More than a dozen black heavy helicopters were hovering on the playground outside the hall. On each aircraft, there was a totem symbolizing different top noble families — the Quintons, the Surreys, the Winters, and the Summers... Any one of them was a titan capable of shaking the entire business world with a mere stomp of their foot. Outside the main entrance, eight women wearing haute couture trench coats and exuding an intimidating aura strode into the auditorium. Jenny Quinton, the head of the Quintons, led the group. Her gaze, sharp as an unsheathed blade, instantly locked onto the bodyguard on the stage. Shania was momentarily stunned to see them, but a triumphant smile quickly spread across her face. She smoothed her suit and hurried forward to greet them. "Ms. Quinton, Ms. Surrey, what brings you here in person? Is it about the West District project?" Shania assumed these powerhouses had come for Fuller Group's resources that she controlled. After all, she had long styled herself as the de facto head of the Fullers. However, Jenny did not even spare her a glance. Jenny strode to the front of the stage and sent the bodyguard restraining Adrian flying with a swift kick. The bodyguard arced through the air before slamming heavily against the wall, instantly knocked unconscious. A deathly silence fell over the room. Shania's smile froze. "Ms. Quinton, what is the meaning of this? He's one of the Fullers' men." Jenny turned around slowly, her deep eyes swirling with a bloodthirsty intent to kill. She swept her gaze across the stunned crowd on stage and off before finally piercing through them to stare at the glass of the second-floor control booth. Jenny, along with the seven other titans standing behind her — Annabelle Surrey, Fiona Winter, Samantha Summer, and the rest, who possessed the kind of power that could single-handedly dominate the world. Amidst the entire school and the girls' incredulous stares, students and faculty alike dropped to one knee in perfect unison. Eight female voices rang across the auditorium, shattering every shred of pride Shania and her three companions possessed. "Welcome, Boss!" Those words exploded like a thunderclap in the auditorium's grave silence. The color drained completely from Shania's face as she mechanically turned her head, following the direction the eight powerhouses were kneeling toward. I pushed open the door to the second-floor control booth and descended the stairs. My handmade leather shoes struck the metal steps with a rhythmic, hollow clacking sound. With every step I took, Shania and her sisters grew a shade paler. Finally, I stopped in front of Jenny and looked condescendingly at them. "It's been ten years, yet you haven't forgotten the rules."