Growing an Doomsday Empire Novel – “This is Summer. She’s the Moore family’s long-lost daughter,” Simon Moore said. Summer Hayes woke up from darkness, the suffocating haze of near-fatal blood loss still haunting her. She blinked, dazed, taking in her surroundings, realizing she was standing in the living room in Moore Manor. Right in front of her were her parents, Robert Moore and Evelyn Moore, dressed in fancy clothes.
Sophia Moore, the so-called heiress, was standing next to Evelyn, wearing a white designer dress and clinging to Evelyn’s arm. She shot Summer a nervous glance. It hit Summer that, somehow, she was back at the moment she first met her parents. Summer never thought those dramatic, rich family plot twists would ever happen to her until a week ago, when a sharp-suited young man showed up, introduced himself as Simon, CEO of Moore Holdings.
He told her that he was her elder brother and that she was the Moore family’s heiress, switched at birth twenty years ago, After checking out the DNA test results he brought, Summer spent a whole week mentally bracing herself before finally working up the nerve to come to Moore Manor and meet her parents. Summer had always known she was adopted. After her adoptive parents split up, her mom, Helen Hayes, raised her alone.
Deep down, she couldn’t help but wonder what her real parents were truly like. Summer was still reeling from the shock when Evelyn suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace, her voice trembling with emotion. “My sweetheart.” The luxurious scent of Evelyn’s perfume brought Summer back to her senses. She quietly slipped out of Evelyn’s arms, pushing down the surge of resentment in her heart. This was the very mother of her blood, the one who had, in the apocalypse, drugged her and handed her over to a ruthless gang. In the end, Summer died along with the gang’s leader, but when she opened her eyes this time, she was back here. “You must be Summer, right? Welcome home,” Sophia said, stepping forward with a nervous smile. Summer sneered inwardly.
In her previous life, Sophia had started the same way, acting all welcoming at first, then turning nasty once she was back home. After Summer came home, Sophia kept playing her little games. Sometimes she’d fake an injury, sometimes she’d cut up her own dresses and jewelry, and every single time, she’d blame it all on Summer. No matter what Summer said, the Moore family always believed Sophia. Their disappointment in Summer only got worse. “Is she the girl I was swapped with?” Summer asked, expressionless as she turned to Robert and Evelyn. “If I come back, does she have to move out?” Evelyn was stunned for a moment, then blurted out, “Of course not. Sophia isn’t leaving.” “Summer, you and Sophia are both our daughters,” Robert said, a hint of annoyance in his voice. “Do you really think the Moore family can’t handle having two girls?” Before Summer could respond, an angry voice shot down from the stairs.
“You should be the one leaving. How dare you talk to Sophia like that?” Summer turned to see a teenage boy, maybe eighteen or nineteen, strutting down the stairs in head-to-toe streetwear. That was her younger brother, Ethan Moore. Ethan marched down, glaring at Simon with a mix of confusion and accusation. “Why did you bring her back here?” “Ethan, stop,” Robert snapped, his voice low and stern. He turned to Summer, trying to smooth things over. “Summer, Ethan is just a kid. Don’t take it to heart.” “I’m not a kid anymore. Why should I have to accept this girl from nowhere as my sister?” Ethan shot back, his voice full of resentment.
Summer instinctively glanced down at her own clothes. After graduating, she helped Helen manage the family’s private lake and orchards, running across the hills frequently. She was certainly not as polished or brand-clad as Sophia. However, Summer really wasn’t interested in fighting with Ethan right now. She said, “You misunderstood. I never said she had to leave.