I faked my own death to slip away, spending three months at a secret facility working on a classified medical project. The day the project wrapped up, the entire city was tuned in to watch a lavish wedding broadcast live. On the screen, the meek little nanny’s daughter — the one everyone thought they could push around — was wearing a one-of-a-kind wedding gown I had designed with my own hands. On her head sat the heirloom crown my mother had left for me. She was nestled in the arms of my fiancé, blushing as she announced she was about to inherit the Astor family’s hundred-billion-dollar fortune. And my mother — who was supposed to be resting quietly at a care facility — had been smeared as a lunatic by these people. They had her locked in a basement, eating spoiled food. I stormed straight to the wedding venue and gave them all a show they’d never forget: a woman rising from the dead. The iron gates of the Astor family estate had a new passcode. I was dressed in a plain gray work uniform, cap pulled low, blending in with the temp workers hauling in floral arrangements for the wedding. Head down, I walked through the gates of the home where I had lived for twenty-two years. The courtyard was blanketed in Bulgarian white roses, flown in from overseas. My fiancé, Elias Vance, had once bought out an entire estate just to grow this very variety — all to win my favor. Now, these same roses had become Hannah Higgins’s stepping stones. “Move it, people! These flowers were specially flown in by Elias for Hannah. Damage a single petal and you won’t be able to pay it off for the rest of your lives!” A sharp voice cut through the air from the top of the steps. I looked up, tugging my cap lower. Standing there was Martha Higgins — the woman who used to be our family’s nanny. She was wearing a Chanel haute couture suit that had once belonged to my mother. Around her neck hung a strand of deep imperial green jade, the color rich and flawless. She was barking orders at the workers like she owned the place. That jade necklace had been my grandmother’s wedding gift to my mother. “Hey — you! Yes, you, the one in the cap! Take that planter to the side hall. Don’t block the main entrance!” Martha’s fingers, tipped in bright red nail polish, pointed straight at my face. I kept my head down, wrapped my arms around the heavy planter, and made my way to the side hall one step at a time. In the corner of the side hall, an old man with a full head of white hair was kneeling on the floor. It was Charles. Thirty years with the Astor family. The head butler who had watched me grow up. Right now, he was on his knees with a rag in his hands, slowly wiping mud and water off the marble floor. Hannah was wearing heels encrusted with tiny diamonds, and she was deliberately stepping across the spots Charles had just cleaned, leaving one muddy print after another. “Charles, you’re getting old. You can’t even clean a floor properly anymore.” Hannah’s voice was soft and sweet, but the cruelty underneath it was impossible to hide. ” Hannah…” Charles’s voice was hoarse, his hands trembling slightly. “I’ve already wiped this floor ten times. It’s you who keeps—” “How dare you talk back?!” Hannah snapped her foot up and drove the sharp heel of her shoe hard into Charles’s shoulder. Charles let out a muffled groan and crashed to the ground. “In this house, I make the rules now. I tell you to clean, you clean. Do you think you’re still some high-and-mighty head butler? Grace is dead — dropped dead in some lab. Mrs. Astor has lost her mind. This house belongs to us now!” My fingers tightened around the planter. My knuckles went white. The dirt pressing into my skin kept the pain sharp enough to hold me together. Grace is dead? Mrs. Astor has lost her mind? I had faked my death to take part in a top-secret government project. To cut off all outside contact, I had signed a classified agreement for three months of complete isolation. Before I left, I had entrusted everything at home to Elias. I thought he was my fiancé. I thought he was the one person I could trust completely. I never imagined he would betray me — and not just that. He had teamed up with this mother-daughter pair to swallow my family’s fortune and abuse the people I loved. “What are you staring at?” Hannah noticed me standing in the corner. Her eyes sharpened. “New hire? No manners at all. Get over here and lick up the mess this old man made on the floor.” She pointed at the muddy water on the ground, looking at me the way you’d look at a stray dog. I set down the planter. Slowly, I raised my head and took off my cap. The hallway was dim, and she hadn’t gotten a clear look at my face yet. I walked toward her, one step at a time, until I was standing right in front of her. I looked at that face — twisted with jealousy and greed — and let a cold smile curl at the corner of my mouth. “Hannah. Three months, and you’ve grown a lot bolder. Thicker-skinned, too.” My voice was quiet, but it rang out through the empty side hall like a crack of thunder. Hannah went rigid. Her eyes went wide, like she’d seen a ghost. “You… who are you? Your voice…” She stumbled back a step. Her heel twisted, and she dropped onto the sofa in a heap. I ignored her and bent down to help Charles up from the floor. “Grace…” He looked up at me, and the moment his eyes found my face, tears spilled down his weathered cheeks. His lips trembled violently. “You’re alive… you’re really alive…” “Charles. I’m back.” I patted his dust-covered shoulder. My eyes were cold as ice. “I’ll take it from here.”
“Someone! Security! Get this lunatic out of my house!” Hannah finally snapped back to reality and let out a shriek that could shatter glass. Several men in black suits came rushing in. I didn’t recognize a single face. Clearly new hires — brought in after Martha and Hannah took over. “Throw her out! Now!” Hannah jabbed a finger at me. Her hand was shaking. I gave the guards one slow, cold look, then reached into my pocket, pulled out a black keycard, and slapped it against the control panel on the wall. Beep — Highest clearance confirmed. Welcome home, Grace. The mechanical voice rang through the hall like a verdict. Every one of the guards froze. They exchanged glances. No one moved. “The Astor estate security system’s highest clearance,” I said. “Only my iris and this card can unlock it.” I watched the color drain from Hannah’s face as I walked toward her, one step at a time. “Did you really think swapping out a few guard dogs would make this estate yours?” “You — you’re supposed to be dead!” Hannah screamed, backing against the wall. “Elias told us you died in the explosion!” Something darkened behind my eyes. So it was Elias who made it up. To swallow the Astor family whole without any pushback, he’d told everyone I was dead. “Where’s my mother?” I grabbed Hannah by the throat and shoved her down onto the sofa. “Let — let go — you’re insane—” Hannah clawed at my hand, her manicured nails dragging deep scratches across my skin. “I’ll ask you one more time. Where is she?” The veins in my hand stood out as I pressed harder. “The — basement — ” Hannah’s eyes rolled back. She finally choked out the words. I shoved her away and ran. The basement had always been used for wine storage and odds and ends — damp and cold year-round. The moment I reached the top of the stairs, a sharp, sour stench hit me in the face. My stomach lurched. I forced the nausea down and pushed open the rusted iron door. In the dim light, a skeletal woman lay curled up on a shredded mattress in the corner. She was wearing a thin nightgown. Her hair was a tangled, brittle mess. She clutched a filthy cloth doll against her chest with both arms. “Mom…” The tears came before I could stop them. My legs gave out. I sank to my knees on the floor. Three months ago, my mother was still Mrs. Astor — elegant, composed, a powerhouse who commanded boardrooms without raising her voice. Now she was locked in this godforsaken place, wasting away like she’d been forgotten by the world. At the sound of my voice, the woman flinched. She pressed herself further into the corner, shaking. “Don’t hit me… I ate… I ate the food… don’t hurt my Grace… don’t hurt her…” She held the doll tighter and mumbled the words over and over, barely coherent. It felt like something was cutting through my chest. I couldn’t breathe. I moved toward her slowly and pulled her into my arms. “Mom. It’s me. It’s Grace. I’m here.” She went still. Her vacant eyes drifted to my face, gradually focusing. She lifted a thin, trembling hand and touched my cheek. “Grace? Is it really you? You’re not dead?” “I’m not dead, Mom. I’m okay.” I held her hand in both of mine. My tears fell onto her skin. That’s when I saw it. In the corner of the room — a dog bowl. Inside it, spoiled leftover food. A few flies crawled across the surface. A loud ringing filled my head, and an unprecedented murderous rage surged straight to my brain. Martha!Hannah! Elias! You absolute monsters. “Grace, run! They’re going to hurt you! That soup — there’s something in that soup!” My mother suddenly grabbed my arm with both hands, her nails digging in almost hard enough to break skin. “What soup?” I latched onto it immediately. “The herbal tonic Martha keeps giving me… after I drink it my head hurts… I see things that aren’t there… they keep saying I’ve gone crazy…” She rambled on, her eyes going distant and frightened again. I drew a slow breath and forced myself to think clearly. A neurotoxin. They actually used a scheme this vile — deliberately driving my mother to the brink of madness, framing her as mentally ill, just so they could waltz in and seize control of the Astor family. I slipped off my coat and draped it over my mother’s shoulders, helping her to her feet. “Mom, don’t be scared. I’m getting you out of here. Starting today, no one will ever hurt you again.” I guided her out of the basement. Charles was already waiting outside the door. “Grace,” Charles said, lowering his voice, “I’ve contacted the private medical team you arranged. The car is at the back entrance.” “Good. Charles, go with her. Get her settled in the safe house and run a full toxicology screening.” I pressed a card into his hand. “And you, Grace?” Charles looked at me, worry etched across his face. I turned back toward the main house, blazing with light, and let a cold, razor-edged smile cross my lips. “Me? I’m staying. I have a wedding to attend — one that was so thoughtfully prepared in my honor.”
Once my mother was safe, I changed back into the gray work uniform, pulled my cap low, and slipped silently back into the second floor of the main house. The master bedroom on the second floor — that used to be my room. Now, it was filled with sounds that turned my stomach. “Elias, does this wedding dress look good on me?” Hannah’s voice dripped with a sweetness that made me sick. Through the half-open door, I watched the scene inside, cold and still. Hannah was wearing my wedding dress — the one I’d spent six months designing by hand, a one-of-a-kind piece worth millions — and she was striking poses in front of the full-length mirror like she owned the place. Elias was sprawled on my leather sofa, a glass of red wine in his hand, gazing at her through half-lidded eyes. “Beautiful. My Hannah looks good in anything. A thousand times better than that cold, workaholic Grace.” He got up and walked over, wrapping his arms around Hannah’s waist from behind. My heart went completely numb. This was the man I had loved for five years. While I was working around the clock on a national project, he was in my bedroom, holding the nanny’s daughter in his arms, trampling everything I had built. “But Elias, the waist is a little tight. Grace is way too skinny — no curves at all. Why don’t we just cut it and let it out a bit?” Hannah pouted, tugging at the fitted waist of the dress with a frown. “Sure, whatever you want. As long as you’re happy, I’d tear this whole house down if you asked.” Elias nuzzled her nose with an indulgent smile. “Besides, after tomorrow, everything that belongs to the Astor family — including Astor Group — will be ours.” “That’s why you’re so smart, Elias. Using that drug to make the old woman lose her mind — otherwise, how would we have gotten her to sign the proxy share agreement so easily?” Hannah laughed, pleased with herself. “Shh, keep it down.” Elias pressed a hand over her mouth, a flash of cold cruelty crossing his eyes. “Not a word of this to anyone. Grace may be gone, but the old guard at Astor family is still watching. The equity transfer ceremony at tomorrow’s wedding cannot go wrong.” “What’s there to worry about? Grace is ash. The old woman is locked in the basement. The Astor family is an empty shell right now. Once you sign the transfer papers tomorrow, it all belongs to the Vance family.” Hannah leaned back into Elias’s arms, laughing freely. Standing in the hallway, I quietly pressed stop on the voice recorder in my pocket. The first gift was ready. I didn’t burst through that door. Right now, I had nothing — no leverage, no backing. Storming in would only tip them off. What I wanted was to watch them soar to the very peak of their triumph, drunk on victory — and then drag them straight down to hell, with no way back. I turned and walked toward the study at the end of the hall. That was where the Astor family’s true secrets were kept. And that was where I would find everything I needed to fight back. The study door had a fingerprint and passcode lock. I entered the code from memory and stepped inside. The room was a wreck — papers scattered everywhere, shelves rifled through. Hannah and her mother and Elias had clearly torn through this place more than once. But they didn’t know. The Astor family’s real secrets were never kept anywhere obvious. I crossed to the bookshelf, pulled out a thick copy of Das Kapital, and pressed hard on the panel at the back of the shelf. A soft click — and the shelf slid slowly aside, revealing a hidden safe. I entered the twelve-digit code that only my mother and I knew. The safe opened. Inside, lying perfectly still, were several documents — and a black seal engraved with the Astor family crest. The Astor Family Trust — Supreme Control Authorization. As long as this seal was in my hands, any transfer of equity or movement of funds within Astor Group required my approval. The so-called proxy agreement Martha had gotten her hands on? Nothing but a worthless piece of paper. I tucked the documents and the seal safely against my body, then reached into the hidden compartment of the safe and pulled out a small USB drive. This was the backup plan I’d left for myself before I faked my death. Inside were the access keys to every one of Astor Group’s hidden accounts — and a Trojan program capable of severing Astor Group’s entire financial network in one move. Elias. You want Astor Group so badly? Fine. I’ll give it to you. Let’s see if you can swallow it whole.
By the next morning, the Astor family estate was buzzing. Every politician, business mogul, and socialite worth knowing in the city had shown up. Camera crews had their equipment lined up along the estate gates, flashbulbs going off in waves. “Elias, CEO of Vance Group, set to marry the Astor family heiress in the wedding of the century!” “Astor Group on the brink of a major shakeup — new heiress makes her debut!” Headlines like these were already flooding every corner of the internet. I was dressed in a server’s uniform, moving through the glittering crowd with a tray of champagne flutes. “Martha, congratulations! Hannah is so lucky — marrying a man like Elias!” A cluster of wealthy socialites had gathered around Martha, tripping over themselves to flatter her. Martha was dressed in a crimson haute couture gown, the imperial green jade pendant at her throat catching the sunlight with every move she made. She was smiling so wide, the fine lines on her face had crinkled into full bloom. “Oh, please — our Hannah and Elias have been inseparable since they were children. That Grace is just a bookworm. Rigid as a plank of wood. What made her think she was ever good enough for a man like Elias?” Martha made no attempt to lower her voice. She clearly wanted to be heard. “Exactly,” someone nearby chimed in. “I heard Grace was unlucky from the start. Died in some lab explosion overseas. A family legacy like the Astors’ deserves to go to someone like Hannah — someone blessed.” The others murmured in agreement. I carried my tray over to Martha and dipped my head slightly. “Madam. Your champagne.” Martha didn’t even glance at me. She reached out and grabbed a glass without looking. “Move faster,” she hissed under her breath, her smile never wavering for the guests nearby. “If anything goes wrong today, I will end you.” Then she turned away, snapping back into her gracious hostess act as the next group of guests approached. I watched her go, a cold smile pulling at the corner of my mouth. Enjoy it, Martha. Savor every last second of this. At ten o’clock sharp, the ceremony began. An extravagant crystal stage had been erected on the estate’s lawn. Elias stood at the center of it, dressed in a white custom-fitted suit, looking every bit the part. As the first notes of the Wedding March rang out, Hannah appeared at the end of the aisle on Martha’s arm, moving slowly toward the altar. She was wearing the one-of-a-kind wedding gown — the one that had been altered beyond recognition — and my mother’s heirloom tiara rested on her head. Her face was radiant with the pride of someone who believed she had already won. “Today, I want to thank everyone for joining Hannah and me on this special occasion.” Elias took the microphone, his gaze warm and full as he looked at Hannah. “And today marks something else as well. Given Mrs. Astor’s declining health, the family cannot remain without clear leadership. By unanimous decision of the Astor board of directors, sixty percent of Astor Group’s shares will be officially transferred to Hannah — effective today.” The crowd erupted in applause. Hannah trembled with excitement from head to toe. She was finally going to become a billionaire heiress in her own right — everything she’d ever wanted. A lawyer in a black suit stepped onto the stage, carrying a thick stack of documents. “Hannah and Elias, please sign the transfer agreement.” Hannah snatched the pen before he’d even finished speaking. Her hand was shaking. The moment she signed, everything the Astors had built would belong to her. The tip of her pen hovered over the signature line— “Stop.” A voice cut through the air — clear, calm, and completely certain. It came through the estate’s hidden sound system, carrying into every corner of the grounds. The entire crowd went still. Hannah’s hand jerked violently. The pen dragged a sharp black line across the agreement. Elias’s expression darkened in an instant. He spun toward the direction of the broadcast room. “Who is that?!” Martha shrieked. “Who the hell is playing tricks?!” I slipped off the waitress uniform, revealing the sharp black blazer I had on underneath. From the back of the crowd, I walked toward the stage — one step at a time. The crowd parted for me automatically. When everyone finally saw my face, the room filled with sharp gasps. “G… Grace?! Isn’t she dead!” “Oh my God, it’s really the Astor heiress! What on earth is going on?” The guests erupted. I kept walking in my heels, each step steady and deliberate. I stopped in front of the stage and stared up at the two pale-faced figures standing on it. “Elias. Hannah.” My voice was ice. “Did you really think you could put your hands on anything belonging to the Astor family?”
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