The Tower Reversed: Back to 18 (Venus) novel Chapter 15

**TITLE: One Step Changes Everything**
**By Ruby Parker**

**Chapter 15: You Don’t Deserve to Be My Sister**

“What kind of ridiculous joke is this?” Rayne’s voice was laced with incredulity, his eyes blazing with anger. He didn’t even spare a glance at the contract before grabbing it from the table, tearing it into shreds with a fierce determination, and hurling the pieces at Venus as if they were nothing more than confetti. “Stop testing my patience!”

“Now!” he barked, his voice rising in urgency.

“Right now!”

“Get out of here!” he commanded, his frustration boiling over.

Venus’s expression darkened, her resolve hardening. Without a moment’s hesitation, she unleashed a powerful left hook, her fist connecting squarely with Rayne’s jaw. The impact sent him stumbling back, his hand instinctively flying to his face as he winced in pain.

“Mr. Rayne, are you okay?” his assistant exclaimed, rushing forward, panic etched on his features. But before he could reach Rayne, Venus had already invaded his personal space, quickly rifling through his pocket. In a swift motion, she seized his phone and dialed the police with a determined finger.

“Hello, I’d like to report a break-in. Someone entered my house without permission and assaulted me. Yes, the address is Villa 44, Stormvale.”

“What are you all standing there for? Stop her!” Jamie shouted, his voice tinged with panic as he watched the scene unfold.

A few crew members lunged at her in a desperate attempt to intervene, but they were far too late.

With a flick of her wrist, Venus tossed the phone back to the assistant, her gaze locking onto Rayne, whose face was a mask of disbelief and indignation. A mocking smile crept onto her lips. “Go ahead, tough guy. Don’t you dare run.”

Rayne’s fury was palpable. “You brat! What the hell are you trying to accomplish?” he spat, his voice thick with venom.

The director, sensing the escalating tension, stepped in, attempting to mediate. “Come on, she’s your sister! There’s no need to make such a scene.”

“Sweetheart,” Jamie interjected, turning to Venus with a tone that dripped with condescension. “Apologize to your brother. You barged in, interrupted filming, and even hurt our lead actor. Even if Rayne is your brother, we could sue you. Sweetie, you might end up in jail, you know!”

He had heard whispers about Rayne’s adopted sister before. She had made a brief appearance on set once, causing quite a stir, but Jamie never expected her to be such a troublemaker.

Still, he knew he had to intimidate her a little to ensure the shoot could continue smoothly.

Venus barely suppressed a laugh at their naivety.

Did they truly believe she was some clueless girl unaware of the law?

“First of all,” she said with a calmness that belied the storm brewing inside her, “you trespassed on my property and filmed without my permission. That’s a serious invasion of privacy. Secondly, I hit him out of self-defense. His ugly face startled me. So maybe you all should apologize to me.”

Her tone sharpened, dripping with sarcasm. “Funny how you’ve got the nerve to play the victim here.”

Rayne’s expression darkened further, his mind racing.

What did that brat just say?

Ugly face? Was she serious?

Sure, he was decked out in horror makeup for the scene, but in reality, his looks were among the finest in the industry.

Fans adored him; as long as he maintained his charm, his popularity would never wane.

Even with the special effects makeup, he was a striking ghost.

The assistant bent down, gathering the torn pieces of the rental contract. After a quick glance, he froze, his eyes wide with realization. “Mr. Rayne, it really is her house. W-we misunderstood her.”

Jamie quickly pulled Rayne aside, urgency coloring his voice. “Rayne, the movie just started filming. If she calls the cops on us, it’s going to blow up online and ruin everything. Go talk to your sister. Make her cancel it, okay? Don’t make this ugly.”

Rayne clenched his jaw, the anger simmering just beneath the surface. “Mr. Wilcher, she knew I was shooting here. She rented this place early just to mess with me. Why should I be the one begging her?”

Every time that infuriating brat showed up, disaster followed.

“If she doesn’t drop the report,” Jamie warned in a low, urgent voice, “tomorrow’s headline will be ‘Rayne Burn Trespasses and Films Illegally—Police Called to Scene.’ Just swallow your pride and smooth it over.”

Rayne rubbed his sore jaw, where her punch had landed, the humiliation burning deep within him. He couldn’t let his pride get in the way; Jamie was right. He couldn’t afford to be on the front page for something so trivial.

He loathed it when people pried into his family’s privacy. Venus knew that all too well. Yet here she was, exposing her identity in front of everyone.

What is she trying to do?

Force me to acknowledge her in public?

Not a chance.

Rayne’s eyes turned icy as he snapped, “I only have two real sisters—Lumi and Bree.” His tone was sharp, cutting through the tension like a knife. “Who do you think you are? You don’t deserve to call yourself my sister!”

The crew exchanged uneasy whispers, confusion swirling around them. “Wait, so who’s telling the truth?”

“Of course, it’s Rayne! His family already announced a year ago that Venus was adopted.”

“Yeah, she’s just an adopted daughter. How dare she act like she’s the real daughter?”

The murmurs continued, a mix of disbelief and intrigue. “Wow, can you believe this? She’s lucky the Burns even took her in, and now she’s acting like she owns the place. She even treated Rayne like that! She should be thankful, not punching him! This wealthy family drama is wild.”

Venus heard every word, yet her expression remained unchanged. Instead, a faint smile played on her lips. “Mr. Rayne,” she said evenly, “remember what you just said. I’m not your sister.”

A year ago, her family had denied her identity. All four brothers had insisted she wasn’t worthy of being one of them.

They had publicly declared her an adopted sister—a charity case with no blood ties to their family.

But that was before everything changed. After joining the Hermetic Order and rising to fame as the Oracle Supreme, she had become someone the world revered. All four of her brothers were now in decline, their fortunes dwindling. The Burns had suddenly come crawling back, begging her to use her divine insight to turn around their failing fortunes.

That was when they began calling her family again, using guilt and bloodlines to bind her to them.

Now, Venus wanted them to say it again—in front of everyone, loud and clear—that she was not one of them.

Rayne had no clue about her motives. But his temper flared, and he snapped without hesitation. He spat, “Yeah, you were never my sister, and you’ll never be worthy of that!”