I have a notoriously expensive destiny. Rumor has it, I was born carrying wealth. I grew up in the foster system and was subsequently identified as the long-lost daughter of two different billionaire families. When the fake daughter of the first family cried poverty, I smiled and walked away with a mansion and a massive portfolio of stock. When the fake daughter of the second family played the victim, I smiled and took an unlimited black card and a dowry worth billions. Both times, I walked away completely unscathed, casually sending both fake daughters to federal prison on my way out. It wasn’t until I took my third DNA test that I realized I was actually the true biological daughter of the wealthiest family in the country. On my very first day back at the estate, a girl in a white dress threw herself on the floor in front of me, clutching a portable oxygen tank. “Sister… my constitution is so weak, I probably only have a few years left. Mom and Dad have spent so much money on my medical bills all these years.” “I feel so incredibly guilty. If you find me an eyesore, I’ll stop my medication and die right now.” My biological mother suffered an immediate breakdown, throwing her arms around the girl, sobbing uncontrollably. My older brother smashed his teacup against the wall and pointed a furious finger at me: “She’s had severe asthma since she was a child, and you’re pressuring her on your very first day here?!” Even my supposed fiancé chimed in, his face icy: “I’ve certainly seen the Sterling family’s upbringing today. If she sheds a single tear, there’s absolutely no reason for the Vance and Sterling families to merge.” My expression didn’t change. I walked over, crouched down, and gently wiped a tear from her cheek. Then I whispered softly: “Don’t be scared, little sister. I won’t kick you out.” “After all—” You are the lowest-level fake daughter I’ve ever encountered. … “Sister… what… what are you talking about…” Chloe Sterling’s already pale face lost all remaining color, right down to her lips. Her slender fingers gripped the fabric of her white dress tightly. A ragged, wheezing sound, like a broken bellows, rattled from her throat. “I just… I just feel like I owe you… why are you threatening me like this…” She swayed unsteadily twice, then collapsed backward like a marionette with its strings cut. My biological mother, Eleanor, let out a piercing scream and lunged to catch her, pulling her tightly into her arms. “Chloe! Chloe, take deep breaths! Where’s her inhaler?! Get her medication!” The grand foyer of the Sterling estate instantly devolved into absolute chaos. Maids scrambled everywhere, bringing water, searching for medication. Eleanor knelt on the priceless Persian rug, tears raining down onto Chloe’s face as she shook uncontrollably. My older brother, Arthur Sterling, his face a mask of cold fury, barked orders at the butler to call their private physician. And me? I just stood perfectly still. Watching this room full of impeccably dressed, elite socialites flip upside down over a blatantly faked asthma attack. It was actually a very familiar scene. When I was sixteen, and was claimed by the first billionaire family—the Vanderbilts—their fake daughter, Mia Vanderbilt, put on the exact same show. She cried about being poor, played the ultimate victim, and dramatically offered to leave with nothing. I didn’t waste my breath. I just smiled, called my lawyer, and instantly liquidated the mansion and the shares registered in her name. When I was eighteen, and claimed by the second billionaire family—the Harrisons—their fake daughter, Olivia Harrison, slit her wrists in front of me to play the victim, sobbing that she didn’t deserve anything the Harrison family had given her. I kept smiling, emptied the limitless black card from her safe, and took the multi-billion dollar dowry the Harrisons had prepared. Now, I’m twenty. After my third DNA test, I’ve returned to the Sterling family, the wealthiest dynasty in the country. And Chloe Sterling? She doesn’t even have the guts to cry poverty or slit her wrists. She’s relying entirely on a few staged, ragged breaths to emotionally blackmail everyone and establish herself as the absolute victim of this house. It was just… so incredibly unoriginal. “Serena.” Arthur’s low voice cut through my thoughts. He walked over, stopping exactly three paces away, staring at me with a gaze so rational it bordered on sociopathic. “The family doctor will be here any second. If anything happens to Chloe, you cannot bear the consequences.” He pushed his rimless glasses up the bridge of his nose. His tone was perfectly calm, but every word was a calculated blade. “I understand that you’ve lived a hard life on the outside for twenty years, and you harbor resentment.” “But Chloe’s illness is real. And her desire to give your rightful place back to you is also real.” “Using such malicious words to trigger a dying patient is a glaring lack of upbringing. I don’t blame you for it.” “But the Sterling family does not tolerate this kind of bottomless cruelty.” What an incredibly rational, restrained older brother. No hysterics, no screaming obscenities. He used the most dignified, eloquent phrasing to nail me to the cross as a malicious, uneducated savage. Julian Vance, standing off to the side, also spoke up. The heir to the Vance family, one of the most powerful old-money dynasties on the East Coast. My supposed fiancé. He looked down at me as if he were inspecting a piece of unrecyclable trash. “Miss Sterling.” He addressed me with freezing formality. “To welcome you home, Chloe stayed up all night personally arranging the flowers. It nearly triggered an asthma attack.” “And this is how you treat her the moment you arrive.” “I originally held a shred of hope for this arranged marriage.” “But looking at you now, you can’t even compare to a single strand of Chloe’s hair.” “If you don’t apologize to Chloe immediately.” Julian’s tone was flat, but carried an undeniable, crushing pressure. “The Vance family will unilaterally announce the cancellation of this engagement tomorrow morning.” I looked at his self-important, arrogant face, and found it genuinely amusing. Break off the engagement? My second adoptive father, the patriarch of the Harrison family, just helped me turn down a marriage proposal from European royalty last month. What the hell was the Vance family supposed to be? But I didn’t argue. I simply pulled a wet wipe from my bag and meticulously, slowly wiped the fingers that had just touched Chloe’s cheek. “Mr. Vance.” I raised my eyes, meeting his gaze with absolute calm. “Since it breaks your heart so much, go ahead and put an ad in the paper tomorrow to break off the engagement.” I tossed the used wipe accurately into a distant trash can. “And just a friendly reminder.” “Chloe’s respiratory rate just now was exactly twenty-four breaths per minute, with absolutely zero signs of cyanosis.” “If that’s an asthma attack…” I looked at Chloe, who had suddenly gone completely rigid in Eleanor’s arms. “Then I highly suggest the Sterling family hire a new doctor. Because he apparently can’t even diagnose the most basic, amateur case of faking it.” Chapter 2 The air in the living room instantly solidified. Chloe’s chest, which had been rising and falling in rapid, dramatic gasps, uncontrollably paused for a fraction of a second. But she quickly recovered, erupting into a violent, racking cough, tears streaming down her face. “Sister… I’m not faking…” She slumped weakly against Eleanor, her voice as fragile as spun glass. “If you don’t believe me, you can look at my medical records… I really didn’t…” Eleanor’s heart was shattering into a million pieces. She looked up, and those eyes—which looked seventy percent like mine—were filled with undisguised, profound disappointment. “Serena, what kind of toxic, defensive habits did you pick up out there in the real world?” She didn’t yell. She just sighed, her tone radiating bone-deep exhaustion. “Chloe grew up surrounded by medicine and IV drips. You have absolutely no idea how much she’s suffered.” “Not only do you lack even a shred of sisterly affection, but you actually use the most vicious, twisted logic to judge her.” “Do you really need to see her die right in front of you to feel like things are fair?” I stood under the dazzling crystal chandelier. Listening to my biological mother deliver her moral judgment. To be completely honest, my heart didn’t even skip a beat. In the Vanderbilt and Harrison families, I had experienced the absolute zenith of unconditional favoritism. My Vanderbilt uncle, terrified I would be slighted, transferred fifty-one percent of the conglomerate’s shares into my name on the spot. My older brother in the Harrison family, worried I might get bored, bought me a private island just to build me a custom amusement park. Compared to that, the Sterling family’s cheap, pathetic emotional blackmail felt like children playing house. “You’re right, Mother.” I nodded, my tone entirely sincere. “I truly do not possess any sisterly affection.” “After all, I grew up an orphan. I never learned how to play happy families with the person who stole my place for twenty years.” “If you find me to be such an eyesore, you can just call me an Uber to take me back. I’m not picky about the make or model.” Arthur’s face went completely black. He had probably never met someone like me—someone completely impervious to both threats and guilt trips. In their minds, I was supposed to desperately try to please them, swallow my pride, or throw a jealous, screaming tantrum over Chloe. Not stand here like a detached spectator, watching them perform their little circus act. “Serena, you don’t need to constantly use your background to stab at our parents.” Arthur walked over to the sofa and sat down, elegantly crossing his legs. “Since you’ve returned to the Sterling family, you will abide by the Sterling family’s rules.” He pulled a thick, bound document from under the coffee table and pushed it across the glass surface. “This is the trust agreement for the Sterling family’s assets.” “To prove that you didn’t return just to scheme for the family fortune, and to give Chloe peace of mind so she can recover…” “You will sign this agreement waiving your inheritance rights.” “As long as you know your place and behave, the Sterling family will ensure you are financially provided for for the rest of your life. I can even find a way to salvage your engagement with the Vance family.” He used the most rational, composed tone to articulate the logic of a common thief. As if demanding I surrender everything that rightfully belonged to me was some grand, benevolent charity. Julian stood to the side, a mocking smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Miss Sterling, I suggest you quit while you’re ahead.” “Without the backing of the Sterling family, you wouldn’t even have the right to stand in the same room as me.” I looked at the beautifully bound agreement on the table. And I couldn’t help it. I laughed out loud. My first adoptive father from the Vanderbilt family literally faked a terminal illness and stayed in bed for half a month just to force me to inherit the estate. My second adoptive father from the Harrison family intentionally left his limitless black card at the front desk of my favorite restaurant just to make sure I took it. And now, my biological older brother was using a waiver of inheritance to test my limits. “Sister, please don’t be mad at Arthur…” Chloe, supported by Eleanor, sat down on the sofa, her eyes red and puffy as she looked at me. “These things rightfully belong to you. I won’t take a single cent.” “Arthur is just afraid that money will drive a wedge between us sisters…” She started coughing violently again as she spoke. I picked up the Montblanc fountain pen on the table. Without even glancing at the contents of the agreement, I flipped to the very last page and signed “Serena” with a swift, fluid stroke. No hesitation. Flawless execution. Arthur froze for a second. He clearly hadn’t expected me to be so cooperative. Julian frowned, a flicker of genuine curiosity breaking through his arrogance. “Signed.” I tossed the pen casually back onto the table. The heavy metal clattered sharply against the glass. “However, Mr. Sterling.” I looked at Arthur, a faint smile playing on my lips. “Since I’ve officially waived my right to the Sterling inheritance…” “If the Sterling family ever goes bankrupt in the future, please, make sure you don’t come begging me for money.” Chapter 3 Early the next morning. The atmosphere in the Sterling estate was remarkably harmonious. Because today was the triennial Global Financial Summit, the day the absolute titans of the financial world made their public appearances. As the wealthiest family in the country, the Sterlings were naturally on the VIP guest list. Eleanor was up bright and early, having a team of stylists dress Chloe until she looked like an ethereal fairy descended from the heavens. She wore a custom-made, midnight-blue starry-sky gown. It complemented her pale complexion perfectly, adding a touch of delicate, fragile elegance. “Our Chloe looks absolutely breathtaking today.” Eleanor carefully fastened a diamond necklace around Chloe’s neck, her eyes brimming with pride. “When we get to the summit, stick close to your brother. Don’t exhaust yourself.” Chloe nodded obediently, but her gaze subtly drifted toward me standing at the top of the stairs. I was wearing a simple, black silk blouse and high-waisted, wide-leg trousers. No styling. Completely bare-faced. “Sister.” Chloe gathered her skirt and walked over to me, her voice soft and gentle. “Are you going to wear that today?” She furrowed her brow slightly, looking as if she were deeply concerned for me. “There will be a lot of media at the summit. If you dress so… casually, people will laugh at the Sterling family.” Eleanor turned around at the sound of her voice. Seeing my outfit, her warm, gentle expression instantly iced over. “Serena, do you understand any basic etiquette at all?” She marched over, lowering her voice, using a tone that implied she was scolding me for my own good. “Wearing that to an event like this? Are you trying to announce to the entire world that you were raised in the slums?” “Go change.” She pointed to a shopping bag resting on the sofa. “Inside is a dress Chloe wore last year. It’s an older season, but the fabric is excellent. It will suit you.” I followed her finger. It was a gaudy, hot-pink, puffy tulle dress. The sizing was absurdly small. If I forced myself into it, not only would I not be able to breathe, but I would look like a ridiculous clown. “No thank you.” I withdrew my gaze, my tone flat. “I’m perfectly fine in this.” “You—!” Eleanor choked on her anger. She turned to Arthur, who had just stepped out of his study. “Arthur, look at her! She’s impossibly stubborn!” Arthur buttoned the final button of his suit jacket, casting a cold, indifferent glance in my direction. “Let it go, Mother.” He adjusted his cuffs, his tone dripping with condescending tolerance. “She just got back. It’s perfectly normal that she doesn’t understand the etiquette of our circle.” “When we arrive, just have her stay behind the assistants. Keep her out of the media’s cameras.” “If anyone asks…” He paused, seemingly searching for the right words. “Just say she’s the child of a distant relative from your side of the family. Brought her along to see the world.” A distant relative. What a flawless cover-up. They didn’t have to admit to the embarrassment of having me as their true daughter, while simultaneously protecting Chloe’s dignity as the sole, undisputed heiress of the Sterling family. “Arthur, you think of everything.” Chloe breathed a sigh of relief and took my hand. “Sister, please don’t overthink this. Arthur is just trying to protect you.” “Once you’ve adapted to life in the Sterling family, we’ll slowly introduce you to everyone.” As she spoke, her eyes suddenly locked onto my wrist. I was wearing an absolutely flawless, imperial violet jadeite bangle. It was an 18th-birthday gift from the matriarch of the Harrison family. There was only one like it in the entire world. It was virtually priceless. “Sister, this bangle…” Chloe’s eyes flickered. She had clearly recognized that the piece was extraordinary, but she refused to believe I could possibly own something like it. “It’s so pretty. Which mall did you buy this replica from?” She asked with a sweet smile. There was no obvious mockery in her tone, just pure, unadulterated curiosity. Eleanor glanced at it and dismissed it instantly. “The color is too unnatural. It’s probably a low-grade, acid-washed, resin-filled fake. Wearing that long-term is toxic.” She frowned and issued an order. “Take it off. Everyone attending the summit today is elite. If you wear a cheap fake, you’ll be laughed out of the building.” I looked quietly at Eleanor. Watching my own biological mother dismiss the thing I treasured most as toxic garbage without a second thought. “Mom, Sister probably just thinks it looks pretty.” Chloe timed her intervention perfectly to play the peacemaker. “How about this, Sister.” She unclasped a classic Cartier bracelet from her own wrist. “I’ll trade you this bracelet for your bangle, okay?” “If you wear this, absolutely no one will laugh at you.” She smiled, looking so purely innocent and benevolent. Like a princess offering a crumb of bread to a starving beggar. I looked at the Cartier bracelet she was offering, and then down at the violet jadeite on my wrist. “Sure.” I obediently slid the bangle off and handed it to her. “But remember, you were the one who asked to trade.” Watching the flash of triumph in Chloe’s eyes, I added softly: “I just hope your destiny is heavy enough.” “Heavy enough to bear the weight of this bangle.” Chapter 4 The Manhattan International Financial Center. The triennial Global Business Summit was being held here in all its glory. A red carpet stretched from the entrance all the way into the main hall, illuminated by a blinding storm of camera flashes. Arthur and Eleanor led Chloe, walking at the very front of the procession. They waved to the media with perfect smiles, looking for all the world like the most flawless, perfect family. While I was grouped with the Sterling family’s assistants, entering the venue through a side door meant for staff. “Miss Serena, please wait here.” A Sterling assistant led me to the darkest, most remote corner of the banquet hall. It was right next to the restrooms and the catering prep area. Not even the glow of the crystal chandeliers reached this far. “Mr. Sterling instructed that you refrain from walking around to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.” The assistant delivered the message with robotic efficiency, turned on his heel, and walked away without even offering me a glass of water. I hopped onto a high barstool. From here, I had a perfect vantage point of the entire core of the banquet hall. Chloe, in her starry-sky gown, was surrounded by a flock of socialites, basking in their attention like the moon surrounded by stars. The violet jadeite bangle on her wrist refracted a dizzying, hypnotic light under the chandeliers. “Chloe, that bangle is absolutely stunning!” The daughter of a major bank CEO gasped. “That translucency, that color… is that auction-grade?” Chloe smiled shyly, gently stroking the jade. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just a simple gift.” She didn’t specify who the gift was from, but her vague, ambiguous answer only further cemented the rumors that she was endlessly spoiled by the Sterling family. Julian approached her, a champagne flute in his hand, and naturally wrapped an arm around her waist. The surrounding socialites immediately let out a chorus of envious giggles. The sight of the golden couple, looking like a match made in heaven, stung the eyes of several other heiresses who had been hoping to latch onto the Vance family. “Who’s that sitting in the corner over there? Why is she dressed so shabbily?” Finally, someone noticed me sitting in the shadows. Chloe turned her head, her gaze meeting mine across the massive banquet hall. A flash of panic crossed her eyes, but it was quickly buried beneath a perfect, practiced smile. “Oh, she’s just a distant relative from my mother’s side.” She explained softly to the crowd. “She just came in from the countryside. She hasn’t seen much of the world, so my mom brought her along to broaden her horizons.” “Oh, so just a poor relative looking for a handout.” The socialites instantly lost interest, their tones dripping with disdain. “Chloe, you’re just too nice. Bringing someone like that to a summit like this? Aren’t you worried she’ll drag down your reputation?” Just then, the grand double doors of the banquet hall were pushed open from the outside. The bustling, noisy room fell dead silent in an instant. The host’s excited voice echoed through the microphone, reaching every corner of the room. “Honored guests, please put your hands together to welcome the CEO of the Vanderbilt Conglomerate, Mr. Alexander Vanderbilt!” “And, the patriarch of the Harrison Group, Mr. Dominic Harrison!” The entire room inhaled a collective gasp of shock. These two men were the true, undisputed apex predators of the global financial pyramid. Alexander Vanderbilt, the cold-blooded corporate emperor who single-handedly controlled the European markets. And Dominic Harrison, the ruthless titan who dominated the East Coast with absolute authority. They were ghosts. They rarely ever showed their faces in public. For both of them to appear at this summit simultaneously was unheard of. Arthur’s eyes instantly lit up with a feverish intensity. The Sterling family might be the wealthiest in the country, but in the face of ancient, deeply entrenched dynasties with absolute, terrifying power like these two… the Sterlings were nothing. If they could secure an alliance with either of these men, the Sterling family’s status would undergo a seismic, world-altering shift. “Chloe, stay close.” Arthur adjusted his tie, leading Eleanor and Chloe, desperately trying to push his way to the front of the core circle to offer a toast. Julian, holding his wine glass, followed closely behind. Everyone was shoving forward, desperate to get even a second of face time with the two titans. Except for me. I remained seated in my dark corner. Idly spinning an empty wine glass by the stem. Alexander Vanderbilt wore an immaculately tailored bespoke suit. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes were deep, calculating, and freezing cold. Dominic Harrison wore a dark gray trench coat, an aura of casual, unpredictable violence clinging to him. They were surrounded by a swarm of the highest-ranking elites, but they didn’t so much as blink at them. “Mr. Vanderbilt. Mr. Harrison.” Arthur finally managed to shove his way to the front. He raised his glass, flashing his most distinguished, professional smile. “I am Arthur Sterling, CEO of the Sterling Group. It is an absolute honor to finally meet you both.” Alexander stopped walking. He shot Arthur a brief, indifferent glance. And offered absolutely zero response. Dominic didn’t even look at him. His gaze completely bypassed the crowd, scanning the massive banquet hall as if he were searching for something specific. Arthur’s smile froze. His hand, holding the glass in mid-air, looked incredibly awkward. Seeing this, Chloe quickly took a step forward, her voice soft and melodic: “Hello, gentlemen. I am Chloe Sterling.” She deliberately angled her wrist, showing off the violet jadeite bangle, hoping to catch the attention of the titans. However. The exact second Dominic’s eyes swept over her wrist, he froze. His previously detached, bored expression instantly crystallized into absolute, glacial zero. He didn’t acknowledge Chloe’s greeting. Instead, he reached out a long, elegant hand and violently shoved Arthur and Julian out of his path. In a silence so absolute it was deafening. The two men standing at the absolute pinnacle of global power walked straight through the parted sea of elites. Step by step. Heading directly toward the darkest, most remote corner of the banquet hall. Heading straight toward me—the girl the Sterling family had just dismissed as a “poor relative from the countryside.” Every single eye in the room followed Alexander and Dominic, converging on my dimly lit corner. Arthur stopped breathing. Julian’s hand, holding his wine glass, froze in mid-air. Chloe’s gentle, practiced smile looked as if it had been flash-frozen onto her face. The banquet hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I remained seated on my high barstool. Resting my chin on one hand, my fingertips lazily tapping the rim of the empty glass. Dominic stopped right in front of me. His face, which had been radiating lethal hostility just seconds ago, suddenly melted into a look of absolute, helpless exasperation. “My precious queen, what on earth are you doing sitting over here?”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “573993”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel
Leave a Reply