For ten years, Hazel Whitmore stayed away—only to return home and be treated like the family’s biggest failure. Mocked for being broke and uneducated, she endures even harsher humiliation at Serena’s luxury wedding, where Serena publicly belittles her, pushes her toward men beneath her, and finally orders her out. But the moment Hazel is about to leave, the Ashford patriarch steps in and calls her “Dr. Whitmore.” The truth lands hard: Hazel is an MIT prodigy, a globally recognized scientist, and the key to saving the Ashfords’ billion-dollar venture.