He gave me $15,000 a month for living expenses. Because I knew how to manage money, I turned that $15,000 into $50,000. His only rule was: never let my half-sister find out I exist. 1 The first time I met my sister was on Freshman Orientation day. I was a junior; she was a freshman. My dad personally dropped her off at the university gates in a stretch Rolls-Royce. The moment it pulled up, it blinded half the student body. The gleaming black, streamlined body looked like a magnificent jewel under the sun. But more dazzling than the Rolls-Royce was my dad’s refined, scholarly look, my sister’s stunning, pampered arrogance, and Mrs. Sterling’s head-to-toe diamond-encrusted aura. “That’s Summer Sterling! She’s gorgeous!” “Well, it pays to be rich. Her dad heavily favors her. He had to donate a whole new science center just to get her admitted.” “Why would she even need to try? Her starting line is a finish line most people couldn’t reach in ten lifetimes.” …… “Chloe, what are you zoning out for? Aren’t you supposed to welcome her?” the student next to me nudged my arm. I snapped back to reality, gathered my composure, took the freshman roster, and walked toward the family of three with a polite smile. My dad saw me early on. He gave me a faint, sweeping glance, his eyes resting on me for barely a fraction of a second before moving away, as if we were strangers. Then, looking at me again, his eyelid twitched violently. Heh. Was he scared I was going to walk up and call him Dad? “Hi, Summer. I’m Chloe Davies. We’re in the same major. I’m a junior, and I’ll be your orientation guide today.” I stood in front of Summer Sterling and extended my right hand. She looked at me, her expression haughty and entirely scrutinizing. After a few seconds, she barely tapped my hand with her fingertips, as if doing me a massive favor. I raised an eyebrow slightly and flashed a sweet smile at my dad and Mrs. Sterling. “Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling. I’ll take you to the dorms first so we can drop off the luggage.” Throughout the entire process, whether it was Summer or her parents, they acted as mere spectators. Unpacking luggage, making the bed, and handling paperwork were strictly tasks for the hired help. Aside from playing tour guide, I occasionally lent the staff a hand. My three other roommates awkwardly huddled in the corner of the room at first, intimidated by the Sterling family’s grand display, before finally just slipping out of the dorm. Once everything was settled, Summer tilted her chin up at me, bossy as ever. “Hey, you! What’s-your-name. AirDrop me your contact info. From now on, if I need anything, you run errands for me.” I was taken aback by the “Hey,” and even more shocked by her casually demanding I run her errands. I couldn’t help but shoot my dad a glance: This is how the Sterlings raise their kids? Simultaneously, I pulled up my phone’s contact QR code, handed it to Summer, and smiled. “Summer, my name is ‘Chloe Davies,’ not ‘Hey.’ You can call me Chloe. If there’s something you don’t understand, you can ask me. But you do your own chores. Nobody here is your errand runner.” She scoffed, rolling her eyes at me, and muttered, “You don’t know what’s good for you. You’re just two years ahead, what’s the big deal?” “Nothing much,” I said, suppressing my temper. “Just a perfect SAT score, a full-ride merit scholarship without needing to donate a lab, and I’m the current Student Body President. That’s all.” Summer glared at me, about to explode, when my dad suddenly barked, “Summer!” The voice of a man used to giving orders. Imposing and absolute. 2 I am an illegitimate child. My dad’s last name is Sterling. My last name is Davies. I took my mom’s name. My mom wasn’t a mistress. She was screwed over by my dad. Back then, my mom was pregnant with me, and their families were already discussing wedding details. But then, a wealthy heiress took a second look at my dad. My dad, a gambler at heart, decisively abandoned my mom and went after the heiress. He was handsome, a smooth talker, and knew how to play the game. Among the heiress’s many suitors, he came out on top. From then on, my dad leaped across social classes. With Mrs. Sterling’s backing, in just ten short years, a guy with a mediocre teaching degree transformed into the CEO of Apex Pharmaceuticals. As for my mom, she became a high school literature teacher. Back then, being “unmarried, pregnant, and abandoned” subjected her to endless judgment. It was hard to find a suitable man to marry. Eventually, after the sheer exhaustion of raising me all by herself, she didn’t even want to get married anymore. My dad didn’t seek us out until I was a sophomore in high school. He said he wanted to compensate us, offering $15,000 a month. My mom didn’t refuse. She told him to deposit it directly into my account. 3 That night, my dad called me. “I’m sorry about what happened today,” he said. “Summer has been spoiled rotten by her mother. Don’t take it to heart.” “When did you become Student Body President?” he asked. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have celebrated with you.” “Do you have enough money? If not, just tell Dad.” He also added, “Summer has never liked studying. Since you’re in the same major, guide her a bit if you get the chance.” …… What was I supposed to say? Was this a trap? What was the 100% correct answer? Only he knew if he actually wanted me to keep my distance or truly guide her. So, I replied, “Within my limits, if we happen to cross paths, I’ll do my best.” He hung up, satisfied. I opened my texts. The Sterling princess had already bombarded me with messages since the evening: “Think you’re so great ’cause of your SAT scores? Think being Student Body President makes you special? Bullshit! If I throw a hundred grand at the school, they’ll kick your ass out of that seat!” “Are you out of your fucking mind? Making me look bad in front of my parents, getting me scolded…” She didn’t finish that thought. I guessed her parents tore into her. “If you don’t roll over here right now and beg for my forgiveness, I might consider letting this go.” “Chloe Davies, don’t test me! I already gave you a chance! Think about what major you’re in. With one word, I can make sure you never find a job in this industry for the rest of your life!” So arrogant and domineering. No wonder none of the other guides wanted to take her when we saw her name on the list, despite knowing she was the heiress to a pharma empire. I rubbed my temples. I actually felt a little sorry for my dad, having a daughter like this. “Miss Sterling, read a history book in your spare time. Learn how to act like a decent human, so you don’t end up ruining yourself,” I replied. “Bitch! I’ll teach you how the real world works!” she texted back, practically foaming at the mouth. 4 I called Harper, a girl from Summer’s high school who was a year ahead of her. When the freshman assignments came out, she had strongly advised us to drop Summer like a hot potato. “Harper, how much do you know about Summer? Can you give me the rundown?” “Chloe, don’t tell me she’s already bullying you?” she asked cautiously, and before I could answer, she spilled everything like a broken dam. “I told you guys, whoever gets near her is cursed! She is pure evil!” “Back at our prep school, everyone knew her. We never had a ‘school bully’ before she arrived. After she came, everyone learned exactly what the word meant!” “She’s a monster. She was always top three in her class—except for the SATs. People did her homework. People let her cheat on tests. If they got an answer wrong or the work was too tedious, she’d have them beaten.” “Once, she got caught cheating by a proctor and was publicly disciplined. Guess what? The next day, that teacher was beaten so badly with a baseball bat that he ended up in the hospital.” “The guys who did it were street thugs. When the cops caught them, they claimed they just didn’t like the teacher’s face. They never breathed a word about Summer.” “Throughout high school, whoever she liked had to break up with their girlfriend. Otherwise, the guy would be fine, but the girl’s life would become a living hell.” “Throwing backpacks out of windows, putting dead rats or snakes in desks, pouring food on people, forcing them to jump into the pool in winter—those were the light punishments.” “Junior year, she liked a guy in our class. He had a girlfriend, and they refused to break up. Later, one night after late study hall, the girl was walking home and got dragged into a construction site…” Harper started to choke up, needing a long moment before continuing. “The girl was hospitalized for a long time. Afterward, she was admitted to a psychiatric ward… She was my best friend. Her grades were better than mine, she was Ivy League material… She didn’t even get to take her final exams…” “I’ll hate Summer Sterling for the rest of my life! She relies on her family’s money and thinks she can get away with anything!” …… I hung up the phone, my fingers still pressing deeply into my forehead. 5 Half a month later, Freshman Orientation week ended. The Student Government departments released their lists of new applicants, and I received a synced copy. Glancing through it, I actually saw Summer’s name. Her department of choice was the “Academic Affairs Committee.” The main duties of this department were: hosting academic lectures and seminars, gathering cutting-edge industry information, organizing major competitions, and evaluating scholarship grants. I didn’t believe for a second she was interested in any of this, let alone serving her fellow students. I tapped my finger against the spreadsheet a few times. I didn’t delete her name, nor did I make any phone calls to inform anyone. Three days later, the departments finalized their preliminary screening lists, and Summer’s name was still there. So, this is her showing me “how the real world works”? I was surprised, though. Whether during the prep meetings or move-in day, Summer hadn’t exactly left a glowing impression. Was my department really planning to take on this ticking time bomb? Emma, the VP of our department, lived on my floor, just three doors down. I went straight to her room. “I knew you’d come,” Emma said, not looking surprised at all. Summer’s application was sitting on top of a stack. She handed it to me. “Her pitch is too attractive! I discussed it with the board, and bringing her in has more pros than cons. So what if she’s a spoiled brat? We just tolerate it.” I skimmed the application. It was written in pristine corporate jargon, clearly drafted by a secretary at her dad’s company. The main points were: Leveraging her family’s resources to: A. Invite top industry authorities or pharma executives for academic lectures at least twice a semester; B. Share cutting-edge industry research and development data collected by their enterprise; C. Sponsor an additional $50,000 in scholarships and $50,000 for student council activity funds annually; D. Provide no fewer than 10 prime internship positions at Apex Pharma every semester… Absolute financial firepower. I looked at Emma. Her eyes were practically sparkling with ambition. I understood. If she pulled this off, it would be a massive resume booster for her. “Think carefully before you decide. Don’t stand under a crumbling wall,” I advised. “As a rule, I don’t interfere with internal department hiring.” Then, I snapped a photo of Summer’s application and sent it to my dad. Half an hour later, he replied: “It’s rare she’s showing ambition. Let her get some experience.” Exactly what I expected. Sending the photo was just a courtesy notice. Let her have her stage. Let’s see how big of a disaster she can create. 6 In the subsequent interview rounds, Summer didn’t even show up. Yet, she entirely bypassed the entry-level roles and was directly appointed “Co-VP of Academic Affairs.” In her actual classes—despite skipping orientation and barely attending lectures—she also snagged the title of “Class Academic Representative.” She posted a brag on Instagram: “Keep your chin up, or the crown slips.” The attached photo was from a past birthday gala, where she wore a backless evening gown, one hand adjusting a diamond-encrusted tiara. She photoshopped two smaller crowns next to it, labeling one “Student Council VP” and the other “Class Representative.” She made sure to tag me. What was I supposed to say? Someone who had to “buy” her way in, effortlessly getting what others worked years for, purely based on family resources. I didn’t even want to say “Congratulations.” Unsatisfied, Summer DM’d me the photo directly. — “Fifty grand. I want your position. Are you stepping down, or do I have to make you?” This was the funniest joke I’d ever heard. Did she really think a university’s Student Body President title was something you could just buy and sell? — “Miss Sterling, I told you earlier, read a history book. Even in feudal societies, you couldn’t always buy official titles.” Besides, my term was up eventually, and it wasn’t up to me who took over. — “I’ll add the hundred grand I mentioned last time.” The chat showed “typing…” for a long time. Two minutes later, a short message popped up: “Fine! $150,000 it is! You resign tomorrow and nominate me.” I stared at my phone and laughed out loud. “Miss Sterling, wash up and go to sleep. You can have anything you want in your dreams. This is a university, not your dad’s company.” Summer lost her mind and called me immediately. “Chloe Davies, are you fucking playing me?! It’s just a Student President title, you think I actually care?! Let me tell you, if I wanted to, I could own this whole school!” Her voice was shrill and piercing. I pulled the phone away from my ear. “Are you joking? You think money is omnipotent?” I laughed. “You think you can just change the university’s name? Go home and ask your dad if that’s actually possible.” “Why wouldn’t it be?” she screeched. “Money is omnipotent!” “You ants think good grades will make you successful! Success? When you graduate, you’ll still just be working for rich people like me!” “Chloe, you’ve provoked me time and time again. Mark my words, I’ll make you regret being born! You better start picking out your coffin!” …… Her voice was so loud my roommates heard every word. They looked at me with worried eyes. I glanced down at the audio recording I had just finished saving, backed it up to three different cloud drives, and comforted my roommates: “Don’t worry. We live in a society with laws. She won’t dare do anything crazy.” 7 Summer didn’t dare do anything crazy herself, but she had money. She could hire others to do it for her. One evening, after night classes, my three roommates and I returned to our dorm. The moment we opened the door— Rustle. Something roughly the size of two fists darted across the room. The roommate holding the door froze, her face turning pale. “Did you guys see that? I think it was a rat…” “I saw it,” I said, my voice much calmer than hers. We had never had rats in our dorm. I pulled her aside, reached into the room, flicked on the overhead light, and slowly stepped inside. “Rats aren’t scary,” I said slowly. “Let’s grab some bins and make some noise. See if we can scare it out.” Before I could finish my sentence— “Ribbit—CROAK—” Everyone froze. The decibel level of that sound rivaled a car horn. It sounded like a bellowing calf mixed with a vibrating drum, coming squarely from behind my roommate’s lower bunk! “What is that? Do we call 911 or Animal Control?” someone asked. “Neither,” I said, licking my lips. “That’s an American Bullfrog. Someone just delivered us a midnight snack.” Our entire dorm was full of foodies. Upon hearing it was food, the previous terror evaporated instantly. Four girls—one with a broom, three with plastic bins—started poking, prodding, and happily hunting the bullfrog around the room. “Well, it’s still early before curfew. We have time for a late-night snack! I haven’t had deep-fried frog legs in forever.” “Same! We can take it to that Cajun seafood place down the street. If we order a couple pounds of crawfish and ask them to toss this guy in the fryer, I bet the owner won’t even charge extra.” “Hey, who sent us the frog anyway? Why didn’t they send two?” …… Twenty minutes later, the four of us walked out of the dorm, carrying a shoebox containing our prize. The poor frog croaked miserably inside the cardboard. We had zero sympathy. We chatted and laughed the whole way. When we passed the Dorm Manager’s office, I even made sure to wave hello. Mrs. Higgins, the manager, stared at the croaking shoebox for an extra second but didn’t ask what it was. 8 We got to the seafood restaurant quickly. The owner enthusiastically agreed to prep and fry the frog for us. I stood by and took pictures, especially after it was prepped, the pale meat sitting on the metal tray. Someone on the other end of my phone was desperately waiting to see me terrified and furious. I wasn’t in a rush. Even when she sent a picture of a massive bullfrog with its mouth wide open, looking like a monster, asking if I had been eaten alive, I didn’t reply. Until— A steaming basket of Cajun-fried frog legs was brought to the table. I grabbed one with my fork and dipped it in hot sauce. I arranged the plate aesthetically and took one last photo. Then I sent the entire series—catching it, prepping it, frying it, and eating it—to Summer: “Sorry, we ate it… Hey, send more next time, one wasn’t enough to go around.” Summer replied with a string of raging fire emojis: “Chloe Davies, you just wait!” I replied with a simple “K,” and put my phone away. Knowing Summer was likely blowing a gasket on the other end made the meal taste exceptionally delicious. 9 I casually brought Summer up with the Dean to gauge the department’s stance on her. I asked casually, he answered casually. “Ah, she’s just here to get a diploma. As long as it doesn’t get too ugly, we just let her graduate in peace.” “I hear she causes a lot of trouble?” “If we can make it go away, it’s not trouble.” 10 The weekend arrived. My roommates were out shopping or on dates. I’ve been single my whole life and had little interest in typical weekend outings, so I spent the day at the library. Around dusk, I left the library, grabbed a bowl of noodles at the dining hall, and headed back to the dorm. Coincidentally, As I turned the corner onto our floor, I saw my roommate Mia. She was holding a takeout bag in one hand and unlocking the door with the other. “Mia,” I called out. “Yeah—” She turned to answer, but her face contorted in absolute horror. She stumbled backward, dropping her food onto the floor with a splat. Immediately, a hysterical scream echoed down the entire hallway. I rushed over. Resting on the doorframe was a massive rat snake, as thick as a baby’s wrist, mottled yellow and green, its body trailing down toward the floor. It extended its neck, flicking its tongue, its small, beady black eyes locked onto me. “Snake!” “Snake!” Other students in the hall started screaming and backing away. I wasn’t particularly afraid of snakes. Growing up in the countryside, I was bullied so much that I had to develop skin of steel just to survive. I became the toughest kid in the village; catching snakes and toads was second nature. This type of snake was non-venomous, often called a house snake back home. I swayed my body slightly to the left. The snake’s head tracked me, its little eyes focused solely on my movement. With a lightning-fast smack, my right hand pinned its head against the frame. My left hand gripped its neck, and my right hand slid down to grab its tail. I lifted it up, holding the tail and neck securely together. The crowd gasped collectively. The looks they gave me were practically overflowing with hero-worship. I glanced into our dorm room. My gut told me there were more inside, so I slammed the door shut and yelled over my shoulder: “Call Campus Security and Animal Control.” Then, right in front of everyone, holding the massive snake, I marched straight toward Summer’s dorm room.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “435851”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Years after I graduated college, a novel I wrote about second chances and a broken romance unexpectedly went viral. The male lead was based on him. At my book’s press conference, he sat in the front row as the primary investor. His girlfriend smiled brightly at the cameras. “We’re getting engaged soon. I hope certain people don’t read too much into a fictional story and embarrass themselves.” A reporter stubbornly pressed on, “Mr. Thorne, since you clearly dislike the author, why did you buy the rights to her book?” Sebastian Thorne didn’t even glance in my direction. He answered coolly, “The plot is clumsy and cheap. I bought it so I’d never have to see it again.” 1 “Did you hear? The male and female leads never actually got back together in real life. She dumped him.” “Why?” “Because he was broke, obviously.” “Then when Sebastian Thorne became a billionaire heir, she crawled back begging for a second chance, and he shut her down.” “Wow, and she still had the nerve to write a book about it?” The AC in the press conference hall was blasting, set to a freezing 64 degrees. The murmurs and insults from the readers echoed through the room. I kept my head down, meticulously signing my pen name on the title pages. I wrote this novel the year I graduated. I never expected it to blow up. The harder the readers shipped the fictional couple back then, the more viciously they attacked me now that my history with Sebastian had been dug up. But I couldn’t afford to be upset. Even if I had to smile while being cursed at, I had to finish this event. Because this was the investor’s demand. Sebastian was currently sitting in the front row. He looked calm and authoritative, watching the girl beside him field questions from the press. “We’re getting engaged soon. I hope certain people don’t read too much into a fictional story and embarrass themselves.” The girl’s smile was sickeningly sweet. “If someone ruined a man’s life and then expected to just waltz back into it… well, that would just be shameless, wouldn’t it?” I knew this woman. Valerie Kensington. We were classmates in college. Her family and the Thorne family were old money, deeply connected. Back when I was dating Sebastian, she proactively befriended me, acting like my ultimate best friend. After graduation, she acted like I didn’t exist. The microphone was passed to Sebastian. “Mr. Thorne, rumor has it that you and the author share a very intense history. How exactly did you two break up back then?” Sebastian didn’t even look at me. “I suggest you ask the author.” His freezing tone only fueled the rumors. Confirming the narrative that I was a gold-digger who threw him away. A wave of laughter rippled through the crowd. “Someone mentioned your first choice wasn’t business, but becoming a research scientist.” “Could you tell us why you ultimately chose to return and inherit the family empire?” Sebastian’s gaze finally cut through the crowd, landing squarely on me. He stared at me expressionless for a long moment. Then, he looked away. “I was young. I didn’t know what I really wanted.” “Facts have proven that people belong in the circles they are familiar with.” “As for the rest… I just rolled with the punches.” After finishing, he asked flatly, “Miss Sterling, wouldn’t you agree?” Facing the cameras, my mind went completely blank. Just as I opened my mouth to say something, Sebastian lowered his eyes and started chatting with the executive next to him, clearly unbothered by whatever my answer might be. The massive screen in the hall cut back to a clip of his earlier interview. “What was your reason for buying the rights to this book?” Sebastian’s voice was ice. “The plot is clumsy and cheap. I bought it so I’d never have to see it again.” 2 Honestly, I only found out today that Sebastian was my investor. Hardly any of my actual fans showed up to the press conference. Instead, I was hit with an industry blacklist. My book was being pulled from all online platforms, and the physical copies were halting production. “Maya, I’m afraid the movie adaptation is dead in the water.” After the event, my editor, Oliver, pulled me aside. I stood by the exit, a little dazed. His eyes landed on my ear, hesitating for a moment. He asked, “Your… ear?” I touched the hearing aid hidden beneath my hair, feeling a flush of embarrassment. “Yeah… The doctor said there’s a new surgical implant available. I wanted to try it.” Over the last few years, my hearing had steadily deteriorated. If I didn’t stare directly at someone’s lips, I essentially couldn’t understand a word they were saying. The surgery cost $100,000. If I lost my royalties, there was no way I could afford it. Oliver sighed. “I’m so sorry. I can’t help you.” I knew it was hard for him too. We were just a small publishing house trying to survive. No one expected us to be targeted by apex capital. The manuscript I wrote years ago had been dug up and hyped into a frenzy, pushing me directly into the crosshairs. “It’s okay. I’ll figure something else out.” He patted my shoulder. Before he could finish his sentence, someone violently bumped into me. I stumbled forward, and my hearing aid flew out of my ear and hit the floor. “Oh man, I’m so sorry…” A delivery guy scrambled into the elevator and disappeared. I crouched down and realized the delicate device was cracked in half. The noisy ambient sounds of the venue were instantly muffled, turning into a thick, underwater hum. Until a shadow cast over me, blocking the overhead lights. A pair of polished black dress shoes stopped right in front of me. I looked up. Sebastian, looking impeccable in his tailored suit. Through the cold, metallic frames of his glasses, he looked down at me with absolutely zero warmth. His hand was resting against a towering stack of delivery boxes that had almost tipped over. His brows were furrowed in deep irritation. “Are you deaf?” I read his lips perfectly. I also saw the terrified delivery worker pushing the cart next to him, apologizing profusely. Apparently, I had crouched right in the middle of the hallway, blocking his path, and I hadn’t heard his warnings. Sebastian had caught the heavy boxes just before they crushed me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause trouble.” I frantically stuffed the broken pieces of my hearing aid into my purse, stood up, and apologized to the worker. Sebastian pulled his hand back, and the boxes slammed onto the floor right next to my feet. “This is my building. I don’t want any accidents happening on the premises. That is all.” With that, he turned and walked away without a single backward glance. 3 I was busy all day and hadn’t eaten a thing. I got a text from my best friend, so I gave her a quick rundown of the situation. “Valerie and Sebastian are actually together?” She immediately blew up my phone. “Does he even know what kind of monster she is?! If she hadn’t abandoned you back then, would you even be in this state?!” I paused, typing back: “Running away from danger is human instinct. I can’t… blame anyone else for that.” The June weather was incredibly unpredictable. A torrential downpour started without warning. Across the street, a massive LED billboard flashed an advertisement for a luxury real estate project co-funded by the Thorne and Kensington families. Business was booming. I remembered reading a financial analysis online once. Alliances between elite families were impenetrable fortresses. In the years since graduation, I occasionally heard updates about Sebastian from old classmates. Everyone used to think he was just a brilliant kid from a poor family. His grades were flawless, and he had even won first place at the National Physics Olympiad. When we broke up, he was actively negotiating a full-ride fellowship at MIT. But after our split, his grades mysteriously plummeted. He lost his spot. When he finally resurfaced, it was as the newly revealed heir to the Thorne empire, stepping into the media spotlight. He was a completely different person. Ruthless, cutthroat, and terrifyingly efficient. I knew exactly who was responsible for those changes. And because of that, I had absolutely no right to say a word to defend myself or clear the air about our past. Raindrops blew under my umbrella. My face and clothes were soaked. I touched my ear, hailed a cab by the curb, and went to find someone to fix my hearing aid. The muffled thunder sounded like it was wrapped in cotton, vibrating uselessly against my eardrums. 4 Oliver was a genuinely good guy. He refused to let my hard work go down the drain. He spent days calling in favors until he finally connected with a small, independent film studio. They were willing to risk offending Sebastian to produce my script. Oliver set up a dinner meeting. If we sealed the deal, I’d get my advance next week. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on my side. The night of the dinner, Oliver got stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Leaving me alone at a table full of strangers. And to make matters exponentially worse, Valerie was there. My hearing aid hadn’t been fixed yet. So for the entire night, I had to hyper-focus on everyone’s lips just to decipher what they were saying. Valerie crossed her legs, swirling her wine. “Gentlemen, no need to be polite with Miss Sterling. For the right price, she’ll do absolutely anything.” One of the sleazy producers immediately chimed in, “Life is so stressful. Doesn’t Miss Sterling want to make things a little easier for herself?” The table erupted in predatory laughter. I kept my head down, gripped my wine glass, took a small sip, and remained completely silent. Oliver had begged for this meeting. His wife just had a baby, and he was under a mountain of pressure. I couldn’t let his efforts go to waste. I just had to wait for him to arrive. But I underestimated how far they were willing to go. The comments grew increasingly vulgar. “If you come back to my hotel tonight, I’ll—” A tall figure suddenly stepped between me and the producer, completely blocking my view. “You want her to do what at your hotel?” I looked up and saw Sebastian glaring down at the man, spitting out the words like shards of ice. Under the harsh overhead lights, his sharp features looked terrifyingly lethal. Why was he here? Valerie’s smug smile vanished. She bolted upright. “Sebastian, what are you doing here?” The sleazy producer instantly turned pale, losing his voice entirely. “Mr… Mr. Thorne…” Sebastian grabbed my wrist and dragged me away. Before I could even process what was happening, I was being pulled out of the restaurant. Valerie panicked, screaming, “Sebastian… don’t be reckless!” Her voice was quickly left behind. He didn’t stop until he practically threw me into the passenger seat of his Maybach. “How much?” The freezing words slammed into my ears. Sebastian gripped the steering wheel, the veins on the back of his hand bulging, radiating pure fury. I stared at him blankly. “What?” He let out a dark, furious laugh, reached into his jacket, pulled out a black Amex card, and threw it into my lap. “Tens of thousands? Hundreds of thousands? Millions? Swipe whatever you want. There’s no need for you to go wagging your tail and begging for scraps from those disgusting old men.” It felt like a needle had been driven into my heart. I wanted to explain. But how could I? I was desperate for money. The brutal reality of the last few years had ground my pride into dust. There is nothing more terrifying in this world than poverty. “Didn’t you want money?” Sebastian ground his teeth. “Or do you think my money is too dirty for you?” I picked up the card, clutching it tightly, and offered a weak, pathetic response: “Let me borrow $100,000. I’ll pay you back.” I knew the limit on this card was infinitely higher than $100,000. It probably had no limit at all. Sebastian’s face hardened. “Really? Remember you said that.” “Every single month from now on, I better see a deposit in my account. If I don’t, you’ll be hearing from my lawyers.” “So, you better not try disappearing on me again.” I clenched my jaw. “I’m not that kind of person.” “You aren’t?” Sebastian leaned in close, trapping me. “Maya Sterling, when it comes to me, you have a documented criminal record.” I choked on my words. I tried to open the car door, but Sebastian blocked me. He braced his hand against the window, his other hand gripping my jaw, forcing my head up. Forcing me to look him in the eye. “Now, let’s talk about the price.” I froze. “What price?” “Did you think I was just going to let you use me out of the goodness of my heart?” His freezing fingertips traced my cheekbone like a merciless blade. “Maya, you made your bed. Don’t expect any mercy from me now.” “So, strictly business—” The end of his sentence blurred into a fuzzy hum in my ears. “Sign the marriage contract, and I’ll give it to you.” 5 The car glided silently through the city streets. Sebastian didn’t let me out. Because ten minutes ago, I had blurted out a desperate lie: “I’m getting married.” Sebastian’s expression turned apocalyptic. He stared out the window at the gloomy sky, refusing to say a word. After a long, suffocating silence, he asked: “To who?” I didn’t catch it clearly. I looked at his lips. “Hmm? What?” Sebastian raised his eyes. “I asked you, who are you marrying?” I opened my mouth, but for a long time, I couldn’t produce a single name. Having navigated the cutthroat corporate world, Sebastian’s intuition was lethal. He asked calmly, “Time, location, do your college friends know?” I couldn’t answer a single one of those questions. Sebastian’s eyelids twitched. “Maya, to avoid me, you don’t even bother drafting a believable lie anymore?” “It’s none of your business.” “Sign this.” He suddenly tossed a document into my lap. The bold letters on the A4 paper read: Pre-Nuptial Agreement. My heart seized as I read the clauses. Did he… not care at all? Almost every single clause was overwhelmingly in my favor. “I’m sorry. I can’t agree to this.” “Give me a reason.” I pushed the contract back toward him. “You and Valerie—” Before I finished my sentence, I saw a profound, searching look cross Sebastian’s face. “You actually care?” “After disappearing without a trace for years, never sending a single text, never asking about me once… you care?” “So why should it matter to you who I get engaged to, or what I think?” Honestly, I wanted to scream that I did ask about him… But explaining it now would just be useless noise. Sebastian said, “Marrying Valerie was a corporate alliance arranged by the family. I have absolutely no personal relationship with her.” “Maya, think this through.” His gaze was piercing. “Marry me, and you’ll get everything you want.” “Fame, the movie adaptation, and—” “Money.” In that moment, I finally understood why Sebastian had blacklisted me in the first place. Desperation makes a person easier to control. He had always been a master hunter. He just wanted to force me out of hiding. “But what do you get out of this?” “You.” Sebastian’s tone was completely detached. “Don’t imagine our future is going to be some fairy tale.” “All the agonizing pain I’ve endured, I’m going to return it to you, piece by piece.” Actually, I had no reason to refuse. I desperately needed the money. I was willing to do it. 6 Sebastian and I got our marriage license. The very day we signed the papers, he went straight back to the office. Before he left, he handed me an address. “I expect to see you at home tonight.” His voice was ice-cold. Devoid of any emotion. I thought about it and decided to make an appointment with the hearing aid clinic. At the very least, I needed to be able to understand him clearly when we spoke. “Miss Sterling, I’m so sorry, but your old unit is beyond repair. I highly suggest purchasing our newest model.” Hearing aids are obscenely expensive. It wasn’t something I could just casually buy. Over the years, paying for my mom’s medical bills had completely drained my accounts. I stared at the price sheet, letting out a deep sigh in my heart. I pulled out Sebastian’s black card. The sales rep’s eyes lit up. “Ma’am, you could absolutely upgrade to our premium—” “No need. Just this one is fine.” I cut her off, watching her swipe the card through the machine and hand it back to me with a beaming smile. I felt sick to my stomach. Sebastian would get the transaction alert, right? Dropping a massive amount of money on the very first day of our marriage… I didn’t even want to know what he thought of me. The truth was, he didn’t say a single word to me for the rest of the day. The new hearing aid would take a while to arrive. I went back to my tiny apartment, packed my basic toiletries, and took an Uber to the address he gave me. It was a sprawling mansion in an ultra-wealthy neighborhood. There wasn’t a soul in sight. There was a small golden retriever playing in the yard. When it saw me, it happily wagged its tail. I crouched down and patted its head. “Hi there, are you Casper?” He barked happily twice and offered me his paw. Yep, definitely Casper. Sebastian hadn’t changed at all. Still terrible at naming things. The mansion was spotless, but entirely devoid of warmth or life. I hugged Casper, sitting rigidly on the edge of the massive sofa. I pulled out my phone and mindlessly clicked onto Valerie’s Instagram page. She had blocked me ages ago, but for some inexplicable reason, her profile was public today. She had posted a story just minutes ago. It was a photo of a corporate boardroom. In her frame, Sebastian sat at the head of the table, wearing his glasses, looking deadly serious as he listened to a presentation. In front of every executive at the table was a standard bottle of sparkling water. But right next to Sebastian’s seat—where she was sitting—was a cup of hot milk tea, looking completely out of place in the sterile corporate environment. The caption read: “Today’s special privilege. ✨” I locked my phone in dead silence. I tied my hair up and dragged my suitcase into the guest bedroom. I stayed busy until evening. I thought about sending Sebastian a text to ask if he was coming home for dinner. I typed half the message, then deleted it. I wanted to take a shower, only to find that the water was completely shut off in all the guest bathrooms. I waited like that until midnight. I lay on the sofa, exhausted to the bone. Casper, who was sleeping on my stomach, suddenly perked up. I realized someone had come home. I sat up groggily, locking eyes with Sebastian as he pushed the front door open. The moment he saw me, his eyes darkened. There was a suffocatingly awkward pause. Only Casper happily trotted over, rubbing against Sebastian’s legs. I opened my mouth, my voice raspy. “You’re back?” Sebastian subtly took in my messy hair, loosened his tie, and gave a faint “Mhm.” Then he crouched down to pet the dog. I tightened my grip on my ring finger, feeling the cold metal of my wedding band. It felt so absurd. Years ago, I used to dream endlessly about what our married life would be like. Years later, we were finally living together, but in the most bizarre, twisted way imaginable. I licked my dry lips. “Then I’ll… go to sleep.” “Hold on.” Sebastian’s voice stopped me in my tracks. “You’re sleeping in the guest room?” I understood his implication. “No, I’ll move my things to the master bedroom right now.” 7 As Sebastian walked past me, I caught the faint scent of expensive liquor. And on the collar of his crisp white shirt, there was a bright crimson lipstick stain. But I didn’t have the right to ask about it. The sound of running water echoed from the master bathroom. Apparently, the shower in his room worked perfectly fine. I hesitated for a long time. When the water finally stopped, I grabbed my towel and walked over. The door opened. Sebastian emerged from the steam. He only had a towel wrapped low around his waist. Water droplets trailed down his sculpted abs and disappeared into the plush white terrycloth. He held the door open. “Do you need something?” I said, “The water isn’t working anywhere else in the house.” “Yeah, I know.” His blunt reply choked me. Sebastian continued, “The pipes are broken. The plumbers can’t come until Monday.” We stood there in a silent standoff. He was waiting for me to yield. I nodded. “Then… can I borrow—” “Do whatever you want.” Sebastian dropped the icy words, brushed past my shoulder, and walked straight into his study. Leaving behind the lingering, cool scent of mint body wash. My best friend texted me: “Did you buy the hearing aid?” “Yeah, I used Sebastian’s money.” Even though I planned to pay him back, his money had undeniably saved my life. After my shower, I thought about it, sliced up a plate of fruit, and brought it to his study to thank him. Sebastian was on a business call. When he saw me, he merely threw a fleeting, dismissive glance my way. It completely wiped the carefully rehearsed speech from my brain. “Speak. What is it?” He ended his call quickly, raising his eyes to stare at my damp, flushed face. “I was worried you might be thirsty, so I brought you some fruit.” Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you think a glass of water would be more efficient?” I stammered, “I’ll go get you some—” A sudden, forceful yank threw me completely off balance. I tumbled backward, landing squarely on his lap. The scent of mint engulfed me. “What exactly is your goal here? Do you really need to try this hard to please me?” His eyes were impossibly dark. “You hid from me for years. You took the money, and that’s still not enough? Now you’re trying to seduce me?” I suddenly realized that because of the humidity from the shower, my silk nightgown had become somewhat translucent. The atmosphere shifted entirely into something dangerous… “I wasn’t—” I tried to explain. Sebastian stood up, lifting me effortlessly, and set me down on the edge of his mahogany desk, trapping me in his arms. “You weren’t?” I was speechless. My hands balled into tight fists. Just as my eyes started to dart away in panic, Sebastian crashed his lips down onto mine. An aggressively dominant, punishing kiss immediately scrambled all my senses. My body went weak. I desperately gripped his collar, gasping for air. Maybe muscle memory was just too powerful. For a brief second, I actually kissed him back. Stacks of documents cascaded off the desk. A glass paperweight shattered on the floor. He pulled back slightly, panting heavily. He yanked open a drawer and pulled something out. “Sebastian… wait.” He paused. He looked at me with those devastatingly intense eyes, a flicker of his old, indulgent patience breaking through the coldness. “What is it?” “I have something to say.” “Say it.” “Today, I spent a lot of money.” “And? It was five grand. You really want to split hairs with me right now?” I swallowed hard. “I just wanted to come in here… to say thank you.” Sebastian stared at me silently for a few seconds. The fleeting warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by his usual, detached cynicism. “So, to thank me, you decided to sleep with me?” “No.” “Then why?” Sebastian’s gaze was piercing, refusing to let me escape. “Maya, tell me. Look at the state of you right now. Hooking up with me like this… what exactly is your endgame?” I didn’t say a word. If I said “because I love you,” the financial transaction hanging over our heads would make it sound incredibly cheap and fake. Sebastian didn’t give me a chance to answer anyway. He picked me up and carried me all the way from the study to the bedroom. Even when I cried, he didn’t stop. Finally, Sebastian whispered into the dark: “It doesn’t matter, Maya. I don’t mind living like this…” The next morning, Sebastian left on a business trip. He didn’t leave a single message behind.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “435850”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The popular girl partied all day, juggling several guys, yet she was always ranked number one. I, on the other hand, was the eternal runner-up. Everyone adored her, but I remained cold and indifferent toward her. What she didn’t know was that I could hear her inner voice. [What’s the point of studying so hard? I’m the main character. Getting into Harvard is my pre-written plotline. You’re just destined to fail your finals and become my loyal little sidekick.] Is that so? I will always believe that 100% hard work makes you invincible. 1 During the long break, I was hunched over my desk, furiously doing practice problems. Meanwhile, Bella Crawford’s desk in front of me was surrounded by people. The girls chattered excitedly: “Omg, Bella, your new necklace is gorgeous. Preston gave it to you, right? I’m so jealous. You have top grades, you’re so pretty, and you have a boyfriend who adores you.” Bella giggled coyly, “If you guys really like it, I’ll gift you all something similar next time. One for everyone~” The crowd cheered, disrupting my train of thought. Frustrated, I tossed my pen down. The clatter of the pen caught their attention and sparked dissatisfaction. Someone muttered, “Still studying during break? So try-hard, yet she’s still the eternal runner-up.” I looked up. Before I could say anything, Bella stepped in to play the peacemaker. “Maya, they didn’t mean it. Don’t take it to heart. You’ll definitely catch up to me on the next test.” I slept at 1 AM and woke up at 5 AM every day, burning the midnight oil with endless practice tests, yet I could never beat Bella. Her words deflated my momentum. “Mhm,” I replied flatly. Perhaps my reaction wasn’t enthusiastic enough. I clearly saw a flash of disdain and pity in her eyes. But it was fleeting. She had already turned back around, accepting the girls’ flattery once more. “Bella, you’re just too humble. No matter how hard she tries, she’ll always be beneath you.” “Right? Look at her acting all superior just because she studies.” “What’s the point of good grades if you have no social skills?” Amidst the crowd’s gossiping, I suddenly heard another, mocking voice. [Yeah, what’s the point of studying so hard? I’m the main character. Getting into Harvard is my pre-written plotline. You’re just destined to fail your college placements and become my loyal little sidekick.] That was undeniably Bella’s voice. 2 I stared intensely at the back of the girl sitting in front of me, but she clearly hadn’t opened her mouth. Was I getting so jealous of being the runner-up that I was hallucinating? I forced myself to adjust my mindset and dove back into my sea of practice questions. No matter what, hard work is never wrong. At dinnertime, Bella came over to invite me to the cafeteria again. She invited me every single day, showing me an unusual amount of warmth, which made everyone else exceptionally jealous. After all, she was the school’s “It Girl.” Even the trust fund slacker who always hung around her had warned me not to push my luck and waste Bella’s goodwill. I declined as usual. Aside from the fact that Bella always rolled with an entourage and ordered a ridiculous, wasteful spread of food… With the final state exams approaching, I had compressed my time to the absolute limit. If I wasn’t hungry, I’d just skip dinner and stay in the classroom. Unexpectedly, she showed some concern: “Don’t work yourself to death. Studying isn’t just about brute force, it’s about talent too. You need to learn to be flexible~” She winked at me, turned, and walked away. Right after she turned around, I heard that voice again. [Just wait until you fail your finals, then you’ll realize how incredibly benevolent my concern for you is right now. When the time comes, you’ll be thanking me like a dog just for tossing you a job.] This wasn’t an illusion. It wasn’t an auditory hallucination. It was definitively a voice coming from Bella! I froze in my seat, my fingernails unconsciously digging into my palms. No wonder she never studied yet effortlessly scored first place. No wonder everyone was involuntarily drawn to her. So, in this world, true fairness really didn’t exist. 3 Evening study hall ended, and the sky was pitch black. Outside the classroom, Preston Vance, the trust fund slacker, was waiting for Bella to finish class. “Hurry up, babe. I booked a VIP booth at the club for your birthday tonight. I’ve got a surprise.” Bella replied sweetly, “I know, I know.” As she walked past me, she shot me a breezy glance. That sarcastic voice chimed in again: [Hilarious, still reading. Tonight your mom is going to end up hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning. Starting tomorrow, your proud head will be lowered forever. When that happens, you’ll be endlessly grateful when I toss a few pennies your way.] I snapped my head up and glared at her, my eyes terrifying. She quickly looked away and sauntered off toward Preston as if nothing happened. I didn’t even grab my backpack. I sprinted out of the classroom, shoving past Preston. Curses echoed behind me, but I didn’t care. A walk that usually took fifteen minutes took me barely seven as I ran all the way home. Inside, my exhausted mother was hunched over, preparing a late-night snack for me. Seeing me standing at the door panting, she teased gently: “What’s the rush, sweetie? You’re home early today. I just finished making you some food.” I walked straight into the kitchen and checked the stove. Sure enough, the gas valve hadn’t been shut off properly. I violently twisted the valve shut, my eyes red as I yelled, “The gas wasn’t turned off! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!” I rarely spoke to my mother like that. She froze, confused. “Huh? I usually remember. I must have been out of it today. Good thing my girl is so careful.” I looked at my mother. Barely forty, yet her hair was already greying. She was wearing a grease-stained apron. A wave of terrifying grief and relief washed over me. I threw my arms around her, swallowing the lump in my throat, and whispered, “Mom, please don’t ever forget again.” 4 That night, I looked at the photos Bella posted on Instagram. In the photos, she was in a lavish VIP booth, holding a massive bouquet of roses, laughing coyly, looking like the picture of pure innocence. The caption: [Thanks to a certain someone for the birthday surprise~] My mother had been straddling the line between life and death, while she was out partying, completely burden-free. She clearly knew the plot beforehand. She could have saved a life! Bella was just afraid that changing the plot would affect her future path as the “Main Character.” A path paved with human lives, yet she accepted it so calmly. Beneath that innocent exterior lay an incredibly venomous soul. I refused to believe that someone with such blatant disregard for human life could have a bright future. I refused to believe that my eighteen years of grueling hard work couldn’t beat some so-called “Main Character Halo.” I refused to believe that my efforts existed only to serve as her foil. I refuse. I refuse to believe that this is how the world works! A pre-written plot? Then I’ll be the one to break it. I’ll show you that human will can defy destiny, and that 100% hard work is truly invincible. The next day, as soon as I arrived at the classroom, Bella approached me with red rims around her eyes, looking like she was about to cry. “Maya, I heard your mom was hospitalized for a gas leak yesterday. It must be so serious.” I sneered and said, “Huh? Your mom had a gas leak? Is it serious? Is she dead? Do you need me to recommend a good cemetery?” Bella’s face flushed red with anger. She gritted her teeth. “I’m talking about your mom!” I pushed my chair back a step. “Why are you cursing people?” Unable to hold back, she yelled, “I said your mom had a gas leak!” I scoffed. “You were crying so hard, I thought it was your mom. Don’t worry, my mom is perfectly healthy, my mom is doing great, and my mom is going to live a long, long life!” 5 Seeing me arguing with Bella, our classmates crowded around, ready to blindly accuse me. I immediately plopped down on the floor and wailed loudly, “Everyone, look at this! Bella has such a toxic mouth, cursing my family first thing in the morning. My mom is a single mother, what did she ever do to you? Why would you curse her to die in a gas leak? Are you this cruel because you don’t have a mom of your own? Waaaah!” Perhaps because I usually maintained a cold, quiet persona, my sudden outburst left the classmates staring at each other, utterly speechless. Bella stood there, stunned, muttering, “But her mom should have already died from the gas leak…” The room was dead silent, making her murmur exceptionally loud. The classmates looked horrified. “Why is she actually cursing people’s families?” “I couldn’t tell she was that kind of person normally.” “Bella, hurry up and apologize to Maya.” Eventually, the commotion brought Mr. Davis, the Dean of Students. In the office, I cried my eyes out. “Mr. Davis, you know my family situation isn’t good. My mom raised me all by herself. For her to come up and curse my mom like that… what kind of behavior is this?!” Mr. Davis looked at me with sympathy. He often privately encouraged me to “study hard and change my destiny.” He turned to Bella sternly. “You’re supposed to be our top student, and you pull a stunt like this? Apologize to Maya right now! And write a thousand-word reflection essay!” Bella looked like she was waking from a dream. “It shouldn’t be like this… the plot isn’t supposed to go like this…” How was it supposed to go? My mom dying to pave your way? Me giving up my future to become your bag-carrying lackey? Hearing her mutter this, the Dean scolded her even more harshly. Finally, looking utterly aggrieved, Bella reluctantly apologized to me. You feel wronged just by this? Then you better brace yourself for what’s coming. 6 The moment I stepped out of the office, I saw Preston glaring at me as if he wanted to murder me. Bella threw herself into his arms, sobbing loudly, acting as if she had suffered the greatest injustice in the world. Preston rushed over, grabbed me by the collar, and spat, “You vicious bitch, apologize to Bella right now!” I slapped his hand away and said coldly, “What am I apologizing for? It’s perfectly fine for her to curse someone’s parents?” “Bella would never do that! She definitely didn’t mean it!” I looked at Preston, amused, and enunciated every word clearly: “Preston, be careful you don’t drop dead tomorrow.” Then I shrugged my shoulders. “Oops, I didn’t mean it either~” Bella cried even louder. Before leaving, I looked back at the two of them and offered my sincere blessing: “You two really are a match made in heaven.” For the next few days, Bella continued to play the innocent victim, asking about my well-being daily. When I ignored her, she’d tear up to garner sympathy. “Maya, I really lost my mind that day. Are you still refusing to forgive me?” The classmates around us chimed in, “Yeah, Maya. Bella is being so sincere, do you really have to hold a grudge?” The inner voice I heard wasn’t sincere at all. What she was actually saying was: [Why did this damn Maya suddenly deviate from the plot? She’s so hard to deal with now, and I still need her brain to help me with my investments later in the story!] I swept a cold gaze over my classmates. More or less, all of them had accepted gifts from Bella. Bella had excellent grades, plus the heir to the Vance Corporation acting as her lapdog. Even at seventeen or eighteen, many had already learned to suck up to the powerful, hoping Bella would become a valuable connection for them in the future. I chuckled lightly. “I guess it’s true what they say: take someone’s money, and your mouth belongs to them. What a pathetic bunch of future leaders.” 7 I didn’t expect my words to have such an impact. The next day, as soon as I entered the classroom, I saw a girl returning a gift to Bella. The girl looked down and said, “Bella, thank you for the gift, but I don’t think I can accept it.” Before Bella could respond, she scurried back to her seat. While some classmates woke up, naturally there were those who continued to act like lapdogs, pinning their hopes on others. They only hated me more. But I didn’t care. During break, the girl who returned the gift quietly came over to ask me about a calculus problem. Bella’s “talent” could only be used on exams. The plot would always arrange for her to write down the correct answer. But her brain knew absolutely nothing about the actual problem-solving process. So whenever classmates asked her questions, she always found excuses to deflect. I patiently explained the steps to the girl. Before leaving, she looked at me with admiration. “Maya, you’re really amazing. Let’s work hard together!” I felt genuinely moved. This was the atmosphere our class was supposed to have. Not everyone crowding around Bella, praising her latest designer jewelry. I sighed inwardly and dove back into the sea of test papers. Lately, I had more important things to focus on. I needed to negotiate with the science teachers about joining the Academic Decathlon team. Previously, I hadn’t taken official competition prep courses. Many students aiming for that route had prepared early. Someone from a poor background like me couldn’t afford it. So I had focused entirely on the standard college admissions exams, fearing that if I failed to secure an early-admissions spot through the competitions, it would tank my regular test scores. But now, since relying solely on the regular exams carried “plot” risks, I decided to play both sides! 8 The moment I joined the advanced prep class, Bella followed right behind me. She was ranked first; joining the honors track was a breeze for her. The second she stepped into the room, I heard her resentful inner voice again: [Why is she suddenly doing the academic competitions? I have to spend so many of my Reward Points to get the answers for these questions. I could have just cruised straight into Harvard. This side character is so annoying.] I curled my lips into a smile. Ah, so you have Reward Points? Let’s see what you do when those points run dry. Resources are meant to be utilized. Whenever I got stuck on a complex problem, I went straight to Bella. “Bella, how do you solve this? You’re number one, you definitely know how to do it, right~” Hearing her internally agonize as she spent Reward Points to unlock the answers was deeply satisfying. Except, every time she explained a problem, there was always someone else there freeloading off the answer. Our school’s physics prodigy, Liam Gallagher. Every time he heard Bella give the answer, he looked at her with admiration. Bella rejoiced internally: [Well, coming to the competition class makes it easier to conquer the Second Male Lead anyway. It’s a win.] Oh, I forgot. This was Bella’s other side-piece. Except this side-piece was a massive nerd. Every time, he chased after Bella asking her to break down her thought process. Hilarious. What thought process did she have? Eventually, Bella could only awkwardly deflect: “You don’t even know how to do something this simple? You should just read the textbook more.” 9 Well, perfect. Once Liam realized Bella wouldn’t explain things to him, he turned to me for help. In just a few sentences, I could point him in the exact right direction. So, he stopped leeching off Bella and started leeching off me. Watching this, Bella looked like she was ready to grind her teeth to dust. Although I had zero interest in guys, seeing her miserable made me very happy. Perhaps realizing that defeating me through studying was impossible, Bella shifted her focus elsewhere. Preston and his lackeys caused trouble for me multiple times. He threatened me: “If you dare make Bella unhappy again, I’ll have the school expel you.” The Vance family was incredibly powerful. His dad had donated two buildings to the school, so this wasn’t an empty threat. Too bad it didn’t work on me. I acted completely arrogant. “Outside of this school, there are plenty of academies fighting to recruit me. I’m tied directly to this school’s Ivy League acceptance rates. They need to put my face on the Wall of Honor to advertise their elite education. Do you really think they’d be willing to expel me?” Probably having never heard someone speak so boldly to him, Preston froze. I smirked. “A useless trust fund baby like you, who only knows how to squander family money, could never understand the joy of academic excellence. “So go ahead, guard your inherited assets and secretly pat yourself on the back. Because soon enough, you’ll realize that being born with everything is worthless compared to earning it yourself!” Before I left, I waved a recording pen at him, laughing freely.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “435849”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When the wealthiest man in the city came to the orphanage to find his biological daughter, he was looking for a specific birthmark on the back of the neck. I calmly pulled my collar high, hiding mine, and timidly pointed at the prettiest girl in the room. “Sir, are you looking for a birthmark shaped like a plum blossom? Then you’re probably looking for her.” She was taken home. For the first time in two lifetimes, I smiled a genuine smile. “Sister, without me to take the fall, let’s see if you can survive.” 1 I was reborn on the exact day my billionaire biological father came to the orphanage to claim his child. Mia, the girl I had grown up with, was practically vibrating with excitement. She kept nagging me to check the birthmark on the back of her neck. “It’s definitely there, right? I’m the only one with a plum blossom birthmark. “I can’t believe I’m the daughter of a billionaire! “Listen, if you lick my shoes right now and beg, maybe I’ll take you with me. You could be my maid.” Mia looked down at me, her arrogance and triumph impossible to hide. I stood there, acting meek and terrified, not daring to speak. But deep down, a dark, satisfying thrill was spreading through my chest. My silence seemed to agitate Mia even more. “Tch, useless. Even when I hand you an opportunity, you’re too stupid to take it.” I timed it perfectly, opening my mouth with a weak, pleading tone. “Mia, please don’t forget me when you’re rich. “You’re going to be a billionaire’s daughter now. If anything bad ever happens, could you… could you help me out?” Before I could even finish, Mia scoffed and turned away to pack her things. Before leaving the room, she shot me a final, disdainful glare. “I’m the daughter of a billionaire. You think you have the right to associate with me?” The moment she left, I finally laughed out loud. She had bullied me constantly, but that wasn’t unforgivable. Resources at the orphanage were scarce; you had to fight to survive. But what she absolutely shouldn’t have done—what she deserved to die for—was offering me up as a sacrificial lamb in our past life. Yes, I had lived this life before. In my past life, the billionaire arrived at the exact same time. Both Mia and I had the plum blossom birthmark. That was when I learned the truth: we were actually fraternal twins. We just didn’t look very much alike. When we went back to the estate, the life of a billionaire heiress wasn’t the fairy tale we imagined. The only reason he bothered to find us was because his beloved fake daughter needed a healthy kidney. To save herself, Mia faked an illness, forcing them to harvest my kidney instead for the fake daughter. But she didn’t stop there. She teamed up with the fake daughter to sell me to human traffickers deep in the Appalachian mountains. When I was finally killed, I died with my eyes wide open, utterly unresigned. God finally opened His eyes and gave me a chance to do it all over again. I looked at the billionaire kneeling in front of me, asking his questions. I timidly pointed toward Mia, who was eagerly walking out of her room. “Sir, are you looking for a birthmark shaped like a plum blossom? Then you’re probably looking for her.” Mia’s recognition was a success. She smiled, and so did I. Sister, without me to take the fall for you, let’s see if you can survive. 2 Mia clutched the hem of her dress. She didn’t even need to force the tears; they flowed naturally. The family of three held each other tightly, weeping uncontrollably. “My sweet girl, you’ve suffered so much.” The billionaire was so overjoyed at finding his beloved daughter that he immediately wrote a $100,000 check to the orphanage. The news of Mia returning to high society became legendary among the orphans. For a while, checking for birthmarks became a massive trend. “Hey, look! I have an oval birthmark right here. “Maybe one day my dad will fly a helicopter in and take me home to a life of luxury.” I just smiled. Back then, I used to be just as naive. I used to cross off the days on the calendar, waiting for my happy ending. Until two months later, when shocking news broke from the billionaire’s estate. Mia had fallen gravely ill and died en route to receiving specialized medical treatment abroad. The billionaire’s wife was supposedly so overcome with grief that she was hospitalized. A week after the news broke, I deliberately wore a spaghetti-strap tank top and loitered around the main hall where everyone gathered. “Man, it’s such a shame about Mia. She was always so healthy when she lived here.” I was telling the truth. Mia had been as healthy as an ox. “Wait, Chloe? Stay still.” The orphanage director grabbed my arm, her eyes widening. “Why do you have a plum blossom birthmark on the back of your neck too?! “Let me think… let me think. “You and Mia were found together in the same basket. Could you be…?! Oh my god, I need to call them right now!” I looked at the director with wide, clueless eyes, but a flicker of a smile danced in my heart. Even if it was just for the chance of another $100,000 donation, there was no way she would let this opportunity slip by. 3 The truth was confirmed. Everyone now knew Mia and I were twins. The billionaire family came to pick me up. “My sweet daughter, it’s all our fault we didn’t recognize you last time.” I was flanked by my billionaire parents. The woman practically soaked my shirt with her tears. I tentatively called her “Mom.” Then, I asked softly, “Mia was only home for two months. What exactly did she die from? “She used to be… so healthy.” My new mom glanced at me, then lowered her head to wipe her tears. “It was a sudden illness. We didn’t expect it either.” Oh. A sudden illness. Did you mean a sudden surgery to harvest her kidney for your fake daughter? If my guess was right, there must have been a complication during the surgery, leading to Mia’s death. Yes. The fake daughter, Audrey, had been diagnosed with kidney failure. A blood test revealed she wasn’t biologically related to the family. But the couple couldn’t bear to lose the daughter they had raised. Finding a matching kidney on the donor list was nearly impossible. So, they frantically launched a search for their biological child—solely to save Audrey. “We feel so guilty about what happened to your sister. From now on, just stay home. We will make it up to you.” I was pulled into her embrace, and she patted my back gently. “Mhm. Mia passed away from an illness. It has nothing to do with you.” The moment I said that, my mom’s body stiffened for a microsecond. I smiled coldly to myself. In my past life, Mia and I were brought back together. The couple originally wanted Mia’s kidney. But Mia refused, and instead schemed to push me onto the operating table. Things were working out perfectly now. Mia was dead, which meant one-third of my revenge from my past life was already complete. “Dad, Mom, where’s my other sister? “Did she go back to find her biological parents?” They exchanged a look, seemingly unsure of how to answer. I shrugged, looking slightly disappointed. “That’s a shame. I guess I’m just used to the noise and company at the orphanage. It would have been nice if she were here, so I’d have a sister to spend time with.” “Chloe, do you really mean that?” Her voice pitched up slightly. “We were worried you wouldn’t accept her, since you’re our real flesh and blood.” I smiled. I knew them too well. If I didn’t accept Audrey, I would end up exactly like Mia. In this life, rather than waiting passively, I decided to take the initiative. By playing the role of the understanding, generous daughter, I could keep the fake heiress right under my nose. 4 The fake heiress returned that afternoon. She walked in wearing designer heels, draped in luxury brands from head to toe. But her complexion was noticeably pale. “Audrey, come meet your sister.” I politely called her “Sister,” acting timid as I hid slightly behind my parents. Audrey smiled, but a chilling glint flashed in her eyes. “Welcome home, Chloe.” She casually pulled a platinum debit card from her designer bag. “There’s $50,000 on this. Consider it a welcoming gift from your big sister.” I looked at my mom, schooling my features into a mask of pure shock. Seeing my reaction, Audrey’s smile widened. “It’s just one month of my allowance. Take it.” Audrey, wearing her heels, was slightly taller than me. Her eyes were full of triumph and disdain. I carefully took the card, my eyes turning red. “Dad, Mom, I don’t dare spend this. “I’ve never seen this much money in my entire life.” Guilt already weighed heavily on them. Hearing my words, they fell silent. “Are you serious?” Audrey exaggeratedly covered her mouth. “Are there really people who can’t even scrape together $50,000?” Her words made me tear up. I hunched my shoulders and shrank back. The next second, my dad shot Audrey a sharp look of displeasure. “Audrey, your sister grew up in an orphanage. Of course she hasn’t had the privileges you have. “Chloe, come here. Dad will give you this one.” An exclusive, limitless black card was pressed into my hand. Audrey gripped her designer bag so tightly it deformed. Heh. Can’t even handle this? Don’t worry, we’re just getting started. 5 I was placed in the bedroom right next to my parents. To show how much they valued me, they personally took me out to pick the furniture and decor. “Mom! I want to go too!” Audrey pouted and whined. My mom looked at me, then at Audrey, and finally shook her head. “Audrey, if you like something, just order it online. “Have them deliver it straight to the house.” Before the door closed, I saw Audrey’s beautiful face twist into something hideous. But she didn’t hear my mom sigh after we left the room. “Audrey’s health is still fragile. Going out shopping with us would be too exhausting for her.” “You’re right,” my dad agreed. “That girl never knows how to take care of herself.” I listened silently, not saying a word. I knew from my past life that they loved Audrey more than anything. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have turned a blind eye to how she bullied me back then. My parents spent money without blinking, but by the time we got home, I was exhausted. I was just about to drink a glass of milk and go to sleep when Audrey cornered me in the kitchen. “Sister?” I smiled at her, neither subservient nor arrogant. Audrey looked at me, then at the glass of milk in my hand, and scoffed. “Did you have the habit of drinking milk at the orphanage too? “Things sure are different now that you’re in a mansion. You think you’re royalty. “Do you even know how much that carton of milk costs? It’s probably worth half your miserable life.” Instead of getting angry, I laughed. So, in my past life, when she sold me to traffickers deep in the mountains, she only asked for $500? Looking at it that way, I guess I really wasn’t worthy of this milk. But wait. This is my house. I took a huge gulp and dramatically savored the taste. “It really is delicious. So rich and sweet. “I bet you drink this all the time, right? But I wonder… if you hadn’t been switched at birth, would you even be able to afford a single drop of this?” Audrey’s face contorted with rage. “You little bitch! I knew your whole act in front of Mom and Dad was fake! An orphanage rat could never turn into anything good!” I dropped the smile. “You’re right. The orphanage didn’t raise anything good. “So, you better watch your back from now on.” Everything she stole from me in my past life, I was going to take back. 6 After a week at the estate, I told them I wanted to go to school. It was my senior year, I needed to prepare for my SATs, and I had much bigger plans to execute. My dad arranged for me to attend an elite private academy. The day before school started, he gave me a very serious talk. “Chloe, the kids there come from very wealthy, powerful families. Even though I’m a billionaire, you still need to get along with your classmates, understand? “You might not realize it yet, but all our families are connected through business.” I gave him a look of naive understanding. “I know, Dad.” When I got to school, I headed straight for the classroom I remembered. Even my assigned seat was exactly the same as in my past life. The only difference was that the ringleader who bullied me wasn’t here yet. Audrey had wanted to come to school with me, but my parents refused. I guessed her body still hadn’t fully recovered from the transplant, and they couldn’t bear to let her exert herself. As soon as the bell rang, a girl crossed her arms and sauntered over to my desk. “Well, well, if it isn’t Audrey’s new sister. “Life at the orphanage must have been tough, huh? How’s the mansion treating you? This kind of luxury isn’t for everyone. Just look at your short-lived sister…” Before she could finish, I tapped the shoulder of the boy sitting in front of me. “Mason, right? She’s had a massive crush on you forever. She’s the one who’s been leaving breakfast on your desk every morning.” The girl speaking was Harper. She had been secretly obsessed with the guy sitting in front of me for a long time. In my past life, she was Audrey’s biggest lackey. Audrey had learned all of Harper’s secrets and used them to mock her at home. Harper’s words died in her throat. Her face flushed a violent crimson. The boy frowned, glancing up and down at Harper with clear disdain. “Sorry, but I have absolutely no feelings for you.” Harper burst into tears and ran out of the classroom, completely forgetting she was supposed to be bullying me. 7 Everyone in the class exchanged bewildered looks, enjoying the drama. “Hey, how did you know about that?” I opened my mouth, pretending to hesitate. “M-my sister told me… at home…” A wave of shock rippled through the classroom. I followed Harper out into the hallway. She was leaning against the railing, sobbing uncontrollably. “Harper, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that in front of everyone.” “Get away from me! You already said it, stop acting like you care!” I took a half-step back, looking appropriately scolded. “It’s just that I always heard her talking about all the sweet things you did for him, but he was completely oblivious. I got anxious and just blurted it out.” Harper kept cursing at me. But mid-rant, she suddenly froze. “The things I did? What things did I do? How do you know?” “Audrey talks about it all the time at the dinner table.” Harper’s jaw slowly clenched tight. She even grabbed my wrist. “Tell me exactly what she said! Every single word! What else did she say?! Tell me everything, and I’ll forgive you for what happened today!” I blinked. Well, Harper practically forced me to say it. When I finished recounting everything Audrey had “said,” Harper was shaking with rage. “She really said that? She said I was a pathetic loser? She said I had no self-respect?!” I pressed my lips together. I couldn’t possibly repeat those words a second time. “Harper, please don’t tell anyone I told you. If my parents find out, they’ll yell at me.” Harper looked at me. “Seeing you act so spineless pisses me off! “Did Audrey bully you? You’re the real heiress, what are you afraid of? “Useless! Just follow my lead from now on!” I smiled. Sowing discord: mission accomplished! Harper was Audrey’s number one lapdog at school, and Harper’s family business was booming. Turning an enemy into an ally had massive benefits. In just one week, Harper introduced me to her entire social circle. “The more friends you have, the easier life is, got it? “Let’s see how that little bitch Audrey tries to bully you now.” I wanted to laugh. Harper was actually a very straightforward, blunt person. Thanks to her, almost all of Audrey’s former lackeys had been successfully bought off by me. 8 When I got home that day, the atmosphere in the house was incredibly oppressive. My dad sat in the living room with a dark scowl. The moment I walked in, the interrogation began. “Chloe, how are you getting along with your classmates? “Did you get into a fight with anyone?!” I blinked, then lowered my head, intentionally stammering and hesitating. I made sure to subtly glance up at Audrey every few seconds. “Several companies suddenly canceled their contracts with us! They’re all the families of your classmates! “Chloe, I told you when you started school to build good relationships! Do you have any idea how much money you just lost the company?!” My dad chewed me out without even asking for my side of the story. From an angle he couldn’t see, Audrey raised an eyebrow at me, then immediately put on her “good girl” act. “Dad, please let it go. Chloe just got back, she doesn’t understand these things. “She grew up in an orphanage, how could she possibly understand corporate politics? “Besides, those people are all snobs. I’ll go back to school tomorrow and explain things to them. I’ll handle it.” My dad frowned at me, but his gaze softened significantly when he looked at Audrey. “Chloe, you really need to learn from your sister! “I don’t expect you to instantly become a perfect socialite, but you can’t be dragging our family down! So many canceled contracts all at once—we’re going to be in the financial news, do you understand?! Our stock is already fluctuating!” My eyes welled with tears and I whispered, “I understand, Dad.” Audrey mouthed a silent “You deserve it” at me. I didn’t argue back. I just hoped she’d keep that same energy tomorrow. 9 The next morning, my dad personally drove us to the academy gates. “Audrey, make sure you talk to your classmates. “Having so many partnerships canceled at once is really bad for our family’s reputation.” Audrey nodded firmly. “Don’t worry, Dad. I’ve got this!” I had to pinch my own thigh to keep from laughing out loud. If he was relying on Audrey, he definitely shouldn’t be worrying. He should be panicking. Audrey marched into the classroom exactly like I remembered from my past life—spine straight, chin high, even letting out a delicate cough to announce her presence. Everyone looked up, but not a single person acknowledged her. Instead, they waved enthusiastically at me. “Chloe, over here! I brought you snacks today!” Audrey frowned, opening her mouth to speak, but the bell rang. For the entire period, Audrey kept looking left and right, trying to strike up a conversation. But sadly, not a single person gave her the time of day. As soon as class ended, Audrey couldn’t hold back anymore. She marched straight over to her old clique. “Long time no see, guys! Did you miss me? “Let’s do dinner at my house tonight! I’ll have the chef set up a barbecue on the terrace!” She was met with dead silence. Audrey’s face darkened, looking incredibly embarrassed. “Harper, what’s going on?” “Tch. We’re not worthy of rubbing elbows with a billionaire’s daughter. And I definitely wouldn’t dare eat your barbecue. What if your chef thinks I’m poor and pathetic? What if he doesn’t like my ‘obsessive personality’? I’ll pass.” Audrey stiffened. “Wh-what are you talking about?” “Stop acting!” Harper actively stepped away from Audrey. “I can’t believe I actually thought we were best friends. You make me sick!” “Harper…” Tears welled up in Audrey’s eyes. Here comes her classic routine. “We haven’t seen each other in so long, why are you talking to me like this? “I even had someone bring back that French perfume you wanted…” Before she could finish, the group that had been crowded around her instantly scattered. Realizing she had just made a fool of herself, Audrey stood frozen, looking utterly bewildered. I helpfully chimed in: “Don’t forget the mission Dad gave you. “But from the looks of it, it seems like you’re the one who offended everyone~”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “435848”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When my parents finally found me, I played dumb. Three parts innocent, seven parts naive—I looked exactly like the real missing heiress. That’s right. I was a counterfeit. Because I looked more like them than their actual biological daughter, they mistook me for her. In my past life, I told them the truth. In return, my limbs were severed, and I died a miserable, agonizing death in a foreign land. This time, I decided to play the fool. I became the true heiress of the Sterling corporate empire. 1 When the Sterling family pulled up to the orphanage in their luxury car, a crowd immediately gathered. They held a DNA report in their hands, pointed at a picture of me in an album, and told the director: “That’s her. Our daughter, Harper.” Shocked, the director immediately sent someone to my high school to fetch me. At that moment, I was huddled in an alleyway outside the school, clutching my textbooks to my chest while being kicked and punched. Seeing someone approach, the group of rainbow-haired punks scattered without a trace. I stood up, looked at Griffin—who had easily tracked me down just like he did in my past life—dusted off my jeans, and followed him back. When Mrs. Sterling saw my battered state, taking in the bloody scratches on my face, she burst into tears. “Harper, do you remember Mommy? It’s all my fault. I didn’t watch you closely enough and let you get lost when you were five.” I looked at her with feigned confusion, purposefully letting the faint scar on my forehead show through my messy bangs. Seeing the scar, Mrs. Sterling grew so emotional she lunged forward and grabbed my hands. “Harper! Do you remember how you got that scar on your head?” I touched my forehead, pretending to search my memories. “I think… when I was really little, I was playing hide-and-seek with my brother… and I tripped on the stairs…” Then I clutched my head, acting as if the memory was causing me excruciating pain, making Mr. and Mrs. Sterling’s hearts ache. Mrs. Sterling pulled me into a tight embrace, gently patting my back. “Shh, sweet girl. Don’t think about it anymore. Mommy knows—you are our daughter!” Just like that, I followed them home and became the heiress of the Sterling Group. 2 My real name was Joy. It was the name given to me by the orphanage. When I was five, my grandmother had clutched a few crumpled dollar bills and gone out to buy me a birthday cake. It rained on her way back. The dirt road was slick, and she slipped, falling into a deep, muddy ditch by the road. She never got back up. My grandmother died, and I became an orphan. I arrived at the gates of the Sunbeam Orphanage, pretending to be a lost child. That same day, the true Sterling heiress, Bliss, also arrived at the orphanage. Because we looked so remarkably alike and were the exact same age, we were constantly mistaken for twins. In our past life, the private investigator accidentally mixed up our toothbrushes. So, when Mrs. Sterling mistakenly identified me, I corrected the error, allowing them to find the real Bliss. Bliss had put on a show of sisterly affection, begging me to go with her to the Sterling estate and continue being her “sister.” As a result, I even secretly returned the $100,000 “thank you” check Mrs. Sterling had given me back to Bliss. I thought she was grateful that I hadn’t stolen her identity. I didn’t realize it was merely the beginning of her pushing me into the abyss. First, she spilled hot tea on herself and framed me for it. Later, she pushed Mrs. Sterling down a flight of stairs, planted the blame on me since I was standing nearby, and successfully got me kicked out of the Sterling house. On the eve of my SATs, she tricked me into coming out under the guise of “talking things out,” got me blackout drunk, and tossed me to a group of local street thugs. When I woke up, I wanted to die from the shame, but she held the video of my assault over my head, threatening to release it if I breathed a word. With the SATs the next morning, I had no choice but to swallow my trauma. On the day the test scores were released, I discovered I was pregnant. On my way to an underground clinic, I drank a bottle of water she had tampered with. I collapsed. The last thing I saw before my eyes closed was her cold, mocking stare. She said, “If you want to blame someone, blame your own miserable fate!” When I woke up, I was locked inside a cage. In a dark, damp warehouse, dozens of rusting iron cages held dozens of women with swollen bellies. I instantly understood what nightmare awaited me. I refused to accept my fate. I tried to escape three times. The final time, they chopped off my hands and feet, leaving me to bleed out in agonizing pain. But the wheel of fate turned, and I was reborn! Since God gave me a second chance, I was going to seize it and return every ounce of humiliation she subjected me to! I woke up at age sixteen. I spent a year meticulously recreating a scar on my forehead identical to Bliss’s. Since I looked more like a Sterling than she did, I would simply take her place and become the corporate heiress. 3 The day I stepped back into the Sterling mansion, I was treated like royalty. Mrs. Sterling immediately enrolled me in an elite prep school in Beverly Hills, donating an entire library wing to ensure the school took “special care” of me, especially regarding my grades. However, when my initial placement test scores came back, Mrs. Sterling realized she had severely underestimated me. In my past life, once Bliss was brought home, she cared about nothing but designer clothes, luxury shoes, and Birkin bags, causing her grades to plummet. I, on the other hand, fully utilized the elite tutors the Sterlings provided, eventually securing a spot in a top-tier Ivy League university. It was just a pity that in my past life, I didn’t get to finish my education. Delighted by my perfect grades, Mrs. Sterling eagerly asked what else I wanted to learn. Since my posture was lacking, I hired a ballet instructor to correct it. I didn’t know how to play an instrument, so I hired a master harpist. I also wanted to secure a foothold in the Sterling Group, so I frequently sought out Mr. Sterling to discuss business management and corporate strategy. I was naturally brilliant and progressed at lightning speed. The way Mr. and Mrs. Sterling looked at me grew increasingly full of pride and absolute adoration. A month later, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling invited the upper crust of Beverly Hills to my official welcome banquet. The crowd expected a rough, uncultured orphan. Instead, I descended the stairs in a stunning white fringed gown, mesmerizing the entire room. At the banquet, I spotted Emmett Vance standing next to my brother, Carter. He looked exceptionally dashing. Emmett was the sole heir of the Vance family, an old-money dynasty from New York. In my past life, the moment Bliss laid eyes on Emmett, she was entirely captivated and swore she would marry no one else. Mrs. Sterling had laughed, teasing her for thinking about marriage before she was even an adult. Heh. What you begged for and couldn’t have in the last life, I will claim in this one. “Carter!” My voice was clear and bright. As expected, both men turned their heads to look at me simultaneously. 4 “Who is this? Is he a classmate of yours?” I asked curiously. Carter was about to shake his head when I saw Emmett subtly tap Carter’s shoe with his toe. Carter immediately nodded. “Yeah! A college buddy, Emmett.” I smiled sweetly and extended my hand. “Hi there! I’m Harper!” Emmett hesitated for a split second before shaking my hand. And just like that, Emmett and I were officially acquainted. A lie often requires a hundred more lies to cover it up. Since Emmett claimed to be Carter’s classmate, he found himself flying to Beverly Hills constantly because I sought my brother out for “advice” almost every week. Carter was studying finance. Since Mr. Sterling was often too busy to mentor me, I naturally had to consult my big brother. “Emmett, look! I brought you your favorite cold-brew tea.” In my past life, Bliss was utterly obsessed with marrying Emmett. She spent an exorbitant amount of time discovering his preferences, learning he exclusively drank a specific, custom-blended cold-brew tea. Rumor had it, it was the exact recipe his mother used to make for him when he was little. Sadly, his mother had passed away years ago. The day Bliss finally perfected the recipe, I had the misfortune of witnessing the entire process. I smiled and handed him the tea I had prepared myself. Emmett drank it happily, his eyes sparkling as he looked at me. “Harper’s craftsmanship is the best. Man, when you get married one day, I won’t be able to drink tea this good anymore!” Emmett teased me between sips. I didn’t say anything; I just smiled. Carter, however, chimed in from the side: “What’s the big deal? Just marry my sister, and you can drink it until you’re old and gray, right into your grave—ow! What did you hit me for?!” Emmett flicked Carter hard on the forehead, his face turning serious. “Harper is still young. Don’t joke around about her like that.” Carter rubbed his head, muttering, “She’s not that young, she’s almost eighteen…” I kept my head down, realizing that Emmett’s feelings for me hadn’t quite reached the level of love yet. 5 With the Sterling family’s backing and resources, I performed even better than in my past life and was accepted into Harvard’s finance program. On move-in day in Massachusetts, Emmett was the one who picked me up. I peeked behind him, a little confused. “Where’s my brother?” Emmett gritted his teeth. “He drank too much last night. He’s still passed out!” Carter had a famously high alcohol tolerance. There was no way he got drunk that easily. My phone chimed. I opened it to find a “You got this!” meme sent by Carter. I instantly understood. My little maneuvers hadn’t escaped my brother’s notice; he was playing wingman. College life was vibrant and exciting—something I never got to experience in my past life. I continuously applied the knowledge I learned, gradually taking over a portion of the Sterling Group’s East Coast branch operations. I balanced my studies and corporate work with ease. The only thing I couldn’t completely manage was Emmett. Perhaps afraid of blowing his cover, he rarely visited me on campus. But whenever I was at the branch office handling business, I always seemed to catch sight of him. We saw each other almost once a week. A year passed like this. Just as I thought our relationship was naturally blossoming into romance, he brought a girl to my birthday party. He introduced her to me: “Penny, this is my little sister, Harper.” I pressed my lips together, suppressing the sudden, sharp twist in my chest. “Emmett, who is she?” Emmett replied, “Penelope. We grew up together.” “Oh, so you’re childhood sweethearts…” I forced a smile, projecting what I thought was an aura of gentle, gracious elegance to welcome Penelope, completely missing the flicker of something strange in Emmett’s eyes. 6 I started intentionally avoiding Emmett. But oddly enough, we ran into each other even more than before. He kept calling me his “little sister” like always, and even brought a few more so-called “childhood friends” to introduce to me. On the day of the first snow, I agreed to go to a concert with a senior who had been relentlessly pursuing me. After the concert, with my tacit permission, he affectionately reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear. Just as he leaned in to kiss me, he was violently shoved aside by Emmett, who had been following us. The romantic atmosphere shattered. Furious, the senior blurted out, “Are you crazy?!” But when he got a clear look at Emmett’s face, he panicked. “V-Vance? What are you doing here?” Emmett’s brow was heavily furrowed. He stared at the senior and spat out every word: “Get the hell out of here.” The senior looked at me, looked at Emmett, seemed to suddenly realize something, turned around, and bolted. I glared at Emmett, visibly angry, demanding a reasonable explanation. Instead, he took my hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it. I froze in place. He looked at me with a perfectly feigned expression of distress. “Oh no, the back of your hand accidentally touched my lips. What should we do? I guess I have no choice but to take responsibility for you!” 7 Two years later, Emmett and I were engaged. He had dropped his “college buddy” disguise the night of the first snow. I deployed award-winning acting skills—first acting shocked, then angry, and finally making him and my brother pay a hefty, metaphorical price before letting them off the hook. At our engagement party, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling were surrounded by the Beverly Hills elite. “Mr. Sterling, you are truly blessed! Not only is your daughter incredibly brilliant, but she also landed the heir to the Vance family!” The Sterling family was always considered “third-tier” among the ultra-wealthy circle. After today, with the Vance family backing them, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling could walk completely unopposed in high society. Half a year ago, when I told them I was getting engaged to Emmett, Mrs. Sterling smiled so hard she gained a few new laugh lines. Mr. Sterling was even more direct—he immediately transferred 5% of the corporate shares to me and promised another 5% the day we officially tied the knot. I accepted with a smile, becoming a bona fide shareholder of the Sterling Group. The engagement of the sole heir of the New York Vance dynasty trended heavily online. The internet was flooded with photos of Emmett and me. And as the leading lady of this spectacle, I naturally caught the attention of someone lurking in the shadows. One day, an issue arose at corporate headquarters requiring all shareholders to be present. Halfway through the board meeting, we were interrupted by an employee bursting through the doors. The employee’s hesitant gaze fell on me before they spoke: “Mr. Sterling, there’s a girl causing a scene in the lobby. She claims she is your real daughter, and says if you don’t come down, she’s going to slit her wrists right there!” 8 The meeting was suspended, and a group of us headed down to the lobby. There stood a girl who looked 70% to 80% identical to me, holding a fruit knife to her wrist. She was screaming hysterically: “Bring your CEO down here right now! I am his real daughter! The one you have up there is a counterfeit!” Two security guards stood by, trying to talk her down, having already sent someone to notify the board. She pointed the blade at the guards and roared, “I told you to get him half an hour ago! Where is he?!” Someone from the crowd yelled, “If you keep this up, we’re calling the cops!” Bliss laughed at that. “Call them! It’ll be perfect to have the cops drag that fake imposter out of the building!” Her absolute certainty caused the whispering crowd to hesitate. “The CEO is here!” A sharp-eyed employee shouted, cutting through the gossip. Bliss obviously heard it too and looked our way. The moment she laid eyes on me, the hatred in her eyes exploded. Gripping the knife, she charged straight at me: “Joy, you bitch, go to hell!” Joy and Bliss—the names the orphanage had given us. The knife was sharp, glinting coldly. I stood frozen in place, acting as if I was paralyzed by fear. Seeing this, Mr. Sterling immediately yanked me behind him to protect me. Mid-charge, someone in the crowd stuck out a foot and tripped her. Bliss crashed to the floor, taking a long time to scramble back up. She looked up at Mr. Sterling—who was fiercely guarding me—her eyes brimming with tears: “Dad, it’s me, Bliss! Don’t you remember me?” Saying that, she swept her bangs aside, revealing the scar on her forehead. Mr. Sterling looked disgusted. “Don’t think faking a scar makes you my daughter!” But standing right next to him, I clearly saw his hand tremble the moment he saw that mark. Of course it did. They were biological father and daughter, after all. Blood is a mysterious thing; Mr. Sterling was undoubtedly harboring suspicions now. I decided to go with the flow. I pointed to the media reporters who were already rushing over, attracted by the commotion. “Dad, let’s take her home first. The press is here. Having a scene in front of corporate headquarters is a PR nightmare.” 9 In the Sterling living room sat Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, myself, and Bliss. Carter had rushed back the moment he got the news. When he saw me and Bliss sitting there, he froze in his tracks. “Th-Mom, did you actually give birth to twins?” After arriving at the house, Bliss had stormed into my room, washed up, and changed into a set of my clothes before coming downstairs. Freshly cleaned up, sitting quietly next to me, we looked exactly like identical twins. Hearing Carter’s words, the hostility in her eyes flared instantly: “Carter! Are you blind? I’m your real sister!” “What twins? She’s a shameless, lying bitch!” “A low-life mutt with no identity who dared to steal my life and usurp my place as the Sterling heiress!” “Mom, Dad, throw this bitch out on the street!” The older Sterling generations were highly educated, refined people. Mr. and Mrs. Sterling were over fifty, and no one had ever spoken such vulgarities in their presence. Mr. Sterling slammed his hand on the table, enraged. “Shut your mouth!” Bliss jumped, shrinking her neck back like a frightened quail. “Your mother only gave birth to one girl. There are no twins.” Mr. Sterling sighed heavily and looked at me. “Harper, what do you think?” I put on a highly conflicted expression. “Since Bliss insists she is the real Harper, why don’t we… just do another DNA test?” The moment I said that, Bliss clapped her hands in agreement. But Mr. Sterling sharply replied, “Absolutely not!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “435847”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Three years into our marriage, Liam became obsessed with a college student. Their love was passionate and fiery. I, meanwhile, continued to play the role of the gentle, understanding socialite wife, even thoughtfully covering for him in front of both our parents. That is, until he went to a private club to find his disobedient little girl and saw me sitting on a male model’s lap, kissing him passionately. The usually aloof, dignified man saw red and smashed the club to pieces. 1 The little canary Liam was keeping on the side hadn’t been very well-behaved lately. She actually went behind Liam’s back and snuck over to the main estate, trying to get his grandfather to acknowledge her status. The old man was furious. I played along with Liam to defuse the situation, managing to get her out of there in one piece. The young girl followed behind us, her eyes red. The moment we stepped outside the carved iron gates of the estate, she immediately reached out and grabbed Liam’s sleeve: “Liam, I’m not with you for the money!” She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. She looked so delicate and pitiable; it was no wonder Liam was completely infatuated with her. Obviously, the attitude of his grandfather and parents made her realize how massive the gap was between her and the Thorne family, which was why she was so desperate to explain herself the second she got out. Liam frowned slightly, but ultimately couldn’t bring himself to scold her. He reached out and ruffled her hair, his tone a mix of helplessness and indulgence: “Alright, stop crying. I know.” With that, he looked at me, standing off to the side, looking a bit awkward: “She’s probably scared from what just happened. I’ll take her home first. You…” I had come here in his car, so if he was taking his new flame home, I naturally couldn’t go with them. But if I asked the estate driver to take me, the old man would definitely find out. I gave him a slight smile and proactively offered, “I’ll just call an Uber.” Liam was clearly very satisfied with my understanding nature. He nodded, wrapped an arm around the girl, and walked away without looking back. He didn’t even remember that the area around the main estate was some of the most expensive real estate in the city, exclusively residential. You couldn’t even get an Uber around here. 2 Liam didn’t come home until the following evening. He still had a few faded hickeys on his neck. They were intentionally placed right where his collar couldn’t hide them, like a bold declaration of ownership. Such childish little tricks; only a naive girl without an ounce of subtlety would do something like that. I lowered my eyes, pretending not to notice, and smiled as I took the coat he had just taken off, playing the role of the virtuous, perfect wife to the hilt. I even magnanimously showed concern for his mistress: “How is she?” He tugged at his collar, his tone light: “Just throwing a childish tantrum. A little coaxing and she was fine.” Seems like she was coaxed back to her senses. I hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to tell him what I had been considering for a long time: “Have you ever thought about giving her a proper title?” Liam’s tall frame froze in place. It took him a few seconds to process what I said. He asked, confused, “What do you mean?” “What I mean is, Liam, let’s get a divorce.” I was tired of playing the good wife. I didn’t want to do it anymore. 3 Clearly, Liam had never expected me to bring up divorce. He pinched the bridge of his nose, that handsome face I had swooned over for years now filled with irritation: “Chloe, you should know very well that divorce isn’t that simple for us.” I could hear that he was trying to suppress his frustration, keeping his voice as level as possible. In the past, this attitude meant he didn’t want to continue the conversation, and I should drop it. But this time, I was dead set on getting a divorce. My marriage to Liam was a corporate alliance. A divorce wasn’t just about the two of us; it involved both of our families. Getting a divorce really wouldn’t be easy. I bit my lower lip and continued, “It might be a little complicated, but…” “Enough!” He violently cut me off, reaching out and pulling me into his arms: “I know I’ve neglected you lately, and I’ll make it up to you, but don’t ever mention divorce again.” “Chloe, it feels like it’s been a long time since we…” With that, he lowered his head, his slightly parted lips moving closer to mine. I quickly slapped my hand over his mouth, making up an excuse: “It’s my time of the month! It’s not a good time!” Screw that! Who wants your sloppy seconds! Disgusting! 4 Since the divorce talk fell apart, I quickly packed my bags and moved out of the house. Liam, thinking I was just throwing a jealous fit, called me constantly. When I didn’t answer, he bombarded me with texts. Honestly, I was just worried he’d try to sleep with me again. As for jealousy… I’ll admit, when we first got married, any rumor about him made me physically ill. But as time went on, I slowly got used to it. My deep love for him was worn away by his constant betrayals. Still, I didn’t mind letting him misunderstand. I could use this opportunity to max out his credit cards, considering it my compensation for his infidelity. 5 A week after running away from home. My best friend, Sarah, and I walked into the most exclusive, high-end private club in the city. Naturally, Liam was footing the bill. As soon as we walked in, we ran into the little canary, wearing a server’s uniform and carrying a fruit platter: “You…” Never mind, I couldn’t even remember her name. I cleared my throat and asked, “What are you doing here?” The little canary pressed her lips together tightly, glaring at me with those pretty, big eyes, looking absolutely furious. Sarah hooked her arm through mine, looking her up and down: “Is this the little toy Liam keeps on the side?” “What, is Liam not giving her an allowance? Why is she working here?” The tray in the little canary’s hands trembled slightly. She looked like a cat with its back arched: “Liam and I are together because we love each other! It’s not for his money!” She directed her anger at me, continuing her outburst: “Liam says he only loves me! He’s only with you for the family business!” I waved my hand dismissively. “Got it, got it. Well, I wish you both happiness.” 6 I ignored her and led Sarah into our private room. Sarah laughed until she was breathless: “Where did Liam find this precious gem? Actually talking about ‘love’ with a married man in Liam’s social class.” “Does she actually think she can successfully replace you like that? She’d be better off taking whatever money she can get while she’s still young.” I smirked. “That’s why she’s young.” In old-money families like ours, legacy is more important than wealth. That’s why marriage is taken so seriously. If a marriage partner needs to have exceptional qualifications and a very high social standing, then it has to be a corporate alliance. Liam wasn’t stupid enough to give up everything he had for her, which is why he wouldn’t agree to the divorce. Sarah continued, “I heard that girl has been throwing tantrums with Liam the last couple of days.” “Apparently, because you moved out, you took up a lot of Liam’s attention, and the little girl wasn’t happy about it.” Our social circle is small; if someone wants to find something out, they will. I rolled my eyes at her. “You’re such a gossip.” 7 I have to say, spending my cheating husband’s money to hire male models is incredibly satisfying. Especially when the models are gorgeous, sweet-talking, and have amazing bodies. It would have been even better if my husband hadn’t caught me. When Liam kicked the door open, I was straddling a male model I had been seeing for the last couple of days, my arms wrapped around his neck, passionately kissing his face. I had on heavy, glamorous makeup, big, sexy waves, and a tight outfit that showed off my figure. Hearing the noise, I instinctively looked toward the door. Before the sultry look in my eyes could fade, I saw Liam’s face, dark as a thundercloud. I gave the male model one last peck on the lips before slowly climbing off him. Liam’s face was black as pitch, and he glared at the male model with a murderous intensity, looking like he wanted to hack him to pieces. I smoothed my hair, breaking the silence first: “Why are you here?” He ground his teeth, speaking in a low, slow drawl: “Chloe, how dare you?” “Why wouldn’t I dare? You play your games, I play mine.” The more I spoke, the guiltier I felt. “Let’s be fair, you have a mistress, and I never threw a fit about it.” I wasn’t guilty about being caught with a male model; I was just guilty because I was cheating on him using his money. 8 “Mr. Thorne, why are you over here? I was looking for you in the VIP lounge.” “I brought Mia here for you. I’m so sorry, I had no idea she was your girl.” I leaned sideways to look out the door. A chubby man was walking over, leading the little canary. Oh, so her name is Mia. Liam stood rooted to the spot, not even glancing in their direction. Mia, on the other hand, threw herself into his arms like a baby bird returning to the nest, crying: “Hubby, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have thrown a tantrum, and I definitely shouldn’t have snuck out to work without telling you.” Me: “…” After her dramatic entrance, she followed Liam’s gaze and saw me. She pouted, shrinking back into Liam’s embrace, and acted like a spoiled child, whispering again, “Hubby.” A mistress calling my husband “hubby” right in front of me, the legal wife. That’s basically an open declaration of war, right? I didn’t really care. It was just a little nauseating. But I felt bad for the chubby man who had just walked up. Even though I didn’t know him, he seemed to recognize me. He looked at me, then at the clearly ravished male model next to me, then at the furious Liam and the little mistress in his arms. In just one minute, his facial expressions went through a dozen different changes. In families with corporate alliances, it’s normal for spouses to have their own side pieces. As long as they aren’t too blatant about it, they’ll usually turn a blind eye to maintain the facade for the sake of the business. A direct, face-to-face confrontation like ours was extremely rare. 9 Liam patted Mia’s back, suppressing his temper to coax her: “Be good, let the driver take you home first. I have some business to handle here.” Mia softly replied with an “Oh,” and slowly pulled away from Liam’s embrace. She looked me up and down, then casually remarked, “Are you talking about Miss Bennett’s business?” “When I first started working here a few days ago, I ran into Miss Bennett and her friend. I heard they hired the five most expensive guys.” “I was afraid you guys would fight, so I didn’t dare tell you.” I clicked my tongue. The little girl wasn’t as innocent as she looked. Liam’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. He shifted his gaze to Mia, his eyes filled with the impatient fury he was trying to suppress: “I told you to go home. Did you not understand me?” Probably never having been spoken to like that by him before, Mia pouted and glared at him, tears welling in her eyes, acting like she was upset and waiting for him to coax her. However, Liam wasn’t in the mood to play her childish little games right now. For the first time, he lost his temper with his precious canary: “Get lost!” 10 Mia ran away crying. Liam stormed over to the couch I had just been sitting on with the male model and threw himself onto it: “Manager Chen, please bring… all the guys my wife ordered.” He ground his teeth, ultimately unable to say the words ‘male models’. The man addressed as Manager Chen wiped the sweat from his brow, bowing and nodding in agreement. As soon as he left, Liam smashed a crystal glass on the table: “Chloe, you’ve really outdone yourself!” He took off his suit jacket and threw it at me, the large garment covering my head. I could faintly smell the perfume Mia had left on it. I pulled it down, intending to throw it back at him. But he frowned, scanning me up and down before his gaze settled on my long, bare legs exposed by my miniskirt: “Put it on!” “And don’t you ever leave the house dressed like this again!” 11 He sure is bossy! I never noticed he was this possessive before. I calmly folded the jacket and looked him straight in the eye: “Liam, let’s just get a divorce. I’m truly sick of this.” Liam, who had been holding back this whole time, completely exploded after I said that. His eyes bloodshot, he kicked the table in front of him: “Haven’t I told you never to mention that word again?” I sighed, trying to communicate with him calmly: “You don’t even love me, why are you forcing this? This way, all three of us are miserable.” Liam froze for a moment, pointing at the male model who had been standing quietly to the side, his voice hoarse as if it had been scrubbed with sandpaper: “Miserable? You seem pretty happy messing around with this cheap trash!” The male model raised an eyebrow and shot back, “You tell me if she was happy. Just think about how happy you are when you’re messing around with your own cheap trash.” I silently gave him a thumbs-up. What a hero. 12 By the time Manager Chen brought in a line of male models, Liam had already smashed the private room to pieces. The flesh on the fat man’s face jiggled as he cautiously glanced at the hero standing in the ruins: “Mr. Thorne, what is…” Liam threw his cigarette on the floor, crushed it with his foot, and said flatly, “Calculate the damages and send the bill to our finance department.” With that, a cold sneer played on his lips as he surveyed the dozen or so handsome male models: “I didn’t realize you had such a big appetite.” “My fault, I guess I didn’t satisfy you!” I glared at him angrily: “Liam, are you sick? You’re humiliating them!” As soon as I yelled that, the sound of loud, sharp slaps echoed behind me. Liam’s sneer deepened: “Looks like they’re perfectly happy being humiliated by me.” I turned around stiffly. The guys Manager Chen brought in were slapping each other, but the hero who had talked back to Liam was still standing to the side, looking defiant. Truly the one I was most satisfied with so far. 13 Liam had no interest in watching them perform. He grabbed my arm, trying to drag me away, but was stopped by the hero who had been watching the spectacle. Liam narrowed his eyes: “Know your place. You’re just a cheap toy for people’s amusement. Get out of my way!” I frowned, annoyed: “Liam, do you have to be so nasty?” Liam, surprised that I was defending someone else, tightened his grip: “You’d better shut up and come home with me right now.” “Otherwise, I can’t guarantee what I might do!” The hero’s handsome face also darkened, looking like a storm was brewing. I was afraid they were going to start a fight, so I quickly shook my head at him. After all, I was still Liam’s legal wife, and given Liam’s social standing, dealing with a simple male model would be child’s play. I didn’t want to cause him any trouble. 14 Outside the club, Liam hailed a cab, shoved me into the backseat, and got in right behind me. The ride was silent. When we got home, he immediately locked the bedroom door, then pulled out his phone and made a call to someone: “Bring some guys and smash ‘The Oasis’ for me.” “And there’s a guy in there named…” He looked at me, and I quickly shook my head. It wasn’t that I wouldn’t tell him, I genuinely didn’t know his name. I was just there to spend money, why would I care what his name was? “Go find Manager Chen, he knows who it is. After you smash the place, find that kid and break his hands.” 15 Liam has a bad temper; I knew that. But he usually has incredible self-control, so I rarely saw him enraged. I certainly never expected him to be so ruthless. “He’s innocent, Liam, you can’t do this!” He leaned forward, pinning me down, his beautiful eyes filled with jagged, bloodshot veins: “He dared to set his sights on you, so he’s not innocent.” “Chloe, be good. Don’t let me hear you beg for him again.” “Otherwise, it might not just be his hands next time.” In the end, I had implicated an innocent person.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “435846”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My husband looks like he just went through a terrible breakup. After coming home, he sat on the sofa, staring at his phone in dead silence, his face clouded with gloom. I know his girlfriend is an absolute drama queen. Odds are, she just dumped him again. How wonderful, I couldn’t help but curl my lips into a smile. Thank goodness my boyfriend isn’t like that. 1 On the way to my prenatal checkup, Declan’s phone rang. The girl on the other end whined, demanding he come over right now. Declan glanced at me, sounding conflicted. “I’m busy right now. Can I come over a bit later?” “But my stomach hurts! I’m giving you half an hour to get here!” Declan frowned, turning to me as if struggling to find the right words. I lowered my eyes and said calmly, “Go ahead. I’ll be fine on my own.” He froze for a second, then hurriedly pulled the car over to the curb. “Be careful then. Call me if you need anything.” The black Maybach sped off. I didn’t bother watching it go, just raised my hand to hail a cab. We both knew “call me if you need anything” was just an empty courtesy. When Declan was with Blair, calling him until his phone exploded wouldn’t make a difference. Besides, it wasn’t my first time going to a prenatal checkup alone. I hailed a cab to the clinic with practiced ease. While the doctor was reviewing my ultrasound, Blair called me. “Hello?” The sound of running water echoed through the speaker. Blair’s voice dripped with undisguised provocation. “Audrey, guess what Declan is doing right now?” I remained expressionless. “Taking a shower, I assume. Waiting to finish up so he can mess around with you. What, am I part of your little roleplay now?” Blair clearly didn’t expect the legal wife to be so calm instead of sobbing hysterically. She was thrown off for a second. After a brief silence, she gritted her teeth. “You’re going to a prenatal checkup today, right? And yet, all it took was one phone call from me to drag him away.” “Audrey, don’t you think it’s pathetic for a woman to be completely unable to keep her husband’s heart?” I scoffed. “Why would I want to keep his heart? Keeping his money is enough.” “You might have his heart, but the money he spends on you is marital property. Blair, I’d advise you to play smart. If I ever get pissed off and decide to sue you, you’ll have to spit out every single dime.” She was so furious she couldn’t speak. Finally, choking on her rage, she viciously hung up. The doctor, who had been unabashedly eavesdropping, gave me an awkward smile. “Pregnant women shouldn’t get angry. You’ve got a great mindset.” I waved it off. “His little mistress tries to piss me off every single day, hoping I’ll just drop dead. I’ve built up an immunity.” “Then why are you having his baby?” I said nonchalantly, “He’s rich.” The doctor zipped her lips. I was joking, of course. This baby had nothing to do with money. When I got pregnant, I didn’t know about Blair. Back then, I naively thought a child could save my shattered marriage with Declan. It was only later I realized that a shattered mirror can’t be put back together, and spilled water can’t be gathered. Forget one kid; even if I gave birth to a whole infantry platoon, Declan wouldn’t change his mind. But that was fine. I had already found my next chapter anyway. A knock came at the door. I turned around and smiled at the man standing there, covered in sweat. Wearing a slightly wrinkled white tee and jeans, he had clearly rushed out of the house. But his face was so strikingly handsome that even his messy clothes gave off a sort of effortless, high-fashion vibe. His eyes were bright. Panting, he smiled, “I’m late.” 2 I reached out and patted his t-shirt. “You make a six-hundred-dollar shirt look like it cost six bucks. What a waste.” Nolan grabbed my hand. “I was in a rush! I ran out the door the second you texted me.” He looked down. “Oh man, I put my socks on inside out.” I couldn’t help but smile. The doctor was stunned, looking from me to Nolan and back again. I felt a little embarrassed. “Oh, this is my boyfriend.” The doctor’s mouth twitched. Nolan immediately leaned in. “Doctor, is everything okay with her checkup today?” The doctor cleared her throat and refocused. “She has slight anemia. You’ll need to pay attention to your iron levels in the later stages…” Nolan listened intently, pulling out his phone’s notepad app to jot down every detail. Whenever the doctor used medical jargon, he’d ask her to slow down and explain. By the end of it, the doctor had a complicated look on her face. “Your boyfriend is really good to you.” I nodded. “Yeah. Much better than my deadbeat husband.” On the way to drop me off at home, Nolan couldn’t help but ask: “When are you finally going to divorce him?” “Last time my parents tried to set me up on a blind date, I told them I had a girlfriend, but they didn’t believe me. They keep insisting I bring you home.” I turned to look at him. The tips of Nolan’s ears were slightly red. I just noticed how incredibly long his eyelashes were, his eyes a pure, brilliant black in the light. For no reason at all, he reminded me of the golden retriever next door, waiting for me to throw a tennis ball. I deflected, “We’ll see. I’ll get it done as soon as possible.” My meeting Nolan was quite dramatic. I had stumbled upon a thriller novel on a flight and thought it was an absolute masterpiece. I went on to read everything the author had published. The more I read, the more I was captivated by his sharp prose and wildly unpredictable plots. It just so happened that the author, who went by the pen name “Legless Bird,” was doing a book signing in the city. I went to check it out. I had assumed the author was a middle-aged man; his writing was just too mature. I never expected him to be a young man in his early twenties, and surprisingly gorgeous. With a face like that, he could have easily made it in Hollywood. That was Nolan Reed. At the signing, I casually asked, “The killer in No Spring didn’t actually murder for his mother, did he?” Nolan’s head snapped up. “You caught that?!” He excitedly started discussing the plot with me until his assistant coughed from behind him. “Nolan, there’s a huge line waiting.” Only then did Nolan reluctantly hand my book back. “Alright, thank you.” He winked at me, a sly smile flashing in his clear eyes. I opened the book. Right beneath his signature was a string of numbers. It was his phone number. … Everything after that progressed naturally. At first, we just discussed his plots. Eventually, we realized we shared a lot of the same interests. On the day he confessed his feelings to me, I hesitated before telling him about my situation. By then, Declan and I had already fallen apart. He had Blair, and we were essentially living as strangers. But I was already carrying his child. Nolan froze for a long time. He said he needed to go back and think. Three days later, just when I assumed he was going to give up, he called. “I don’t want to be the other man.” “But over the last three days, I realized… I can’t let you go.” So Declan had Blair. And I had Nolan. 3 When I got home, I found Declan sitting on the sofa, looking incredibly grim. He looked exactly like someone who just went through a terrible breakup. I instantly realized he and Blair must have gotten into another fight. Nine times out of ten, it was her classic “break up and block” routine. She had used this move a million times. Blair was Declan’s first love. She got together with him when she was 17, and they dated for five solid years. Back then, Declan wanted to marry her. He even bought the ring. But Declan’s mother fiercely opposed it. She threatened to cut him off and forced them to break up, pushing me onto him instead. I was a student sponsored by Mrs. Pierce. From the time I was 10 until I turned 18, she consistently funded my education and living expenses. Even when I went off to college, she looked after me. I was an orphan. During the holidays when I had nowhere to go, she would bring me to the Pierce estate. During my freshman year, I secured a full scholarship and started my own small business, no longer needing her financial support. But we stayed close, and I visited her every holiday with gifts. From a small convenience store funded by a student loan to eventually owning a third of the retail space in the college town, I spent two years building my business. I made over a million dollars. It was probably around that time that Mrs. Pierce saw my business acumen. Mr. Pierce had passed away in a car accident years ago, and Mrs. Pierce’s health was failing. She was constantly in and out of the hospital, deeply worried about the future of the Pierce Corporation. Declan was a classic trust-fund kid with zero business sense. Since Blair was an art major, Mrs. Pierce felt she couldn’t help the family business. She sat me down for a long talk, begging me to marry Declan and help manage the Pierce empire. I sat in silence for a long time before finally agreeing. She sponsored me for nine years; I would protect Declan and his company for nine years. After nine years, if we had a good relationship, we’d stay together. If he still didn’t love me, we’d divorce. I was 20 then. I am 29 now. … On the sofa, Declan had his black dress shirt rolled up to the elbows, his custom Italian leather shoes pristine. I frowned. “Why didn’t you take your shoes off again?” Declan snapped impatiently, “Why did you have to provoke her today?!” I finally understood. He was interrogating me over the few words I had fired back at Blair. I sneered. “Declan, did you slam your head in a door?” “She called me! The mistress got so arrogant she came to harass the wife, and instead of yelling at the instigator, you’re here yelling at me?!” “You know how she is!” Declan sounded a bit defensive, his voice dropping. “She grew up spoiled, her temper is a little explosive. What’s the big deal if you just let her have her way?” I kept a straight face. “Sorry, I’m an orphan. I never had parents to teach me how to coddle spoiled little princesses.” “If you want to be her obedient lapdog, go right ahead. I have zero interest in playing along.” Declan’s face darkened. “Do you have to speak so viciously?” I felt like saying one more word to him would spike my blood pressure and hurt the baby, so I simply slammed the bedroom door shut. Lying on the bed, I looked at my growing belly and sighed. Honestly, after finding out about Blair, I hadn’t wanted to keep this baby. But Mrs. Pierce had cried and begged me not to abort. She even shakily got out of her hospital bed to get on her knees. Without Mrs. Pierce’s sponsorship, I would probably still be stuck in a rural town, already a mother of several kids, working a dead-end factory job. She changed the entire trajectory of my life. I couldn’t say no to her. This baby was my final compromise, the ultimate repayment for her years of grace. I told her that after the baby was born, I would divorce Declan. In the living room, Declan was back on the phone, his voice soft and coaxing as he tried to pacify Blair. I covered my face with a pillow. I didn’t want to hear it. Blair was an absolute drama queen. I had heard of her infamous reputation long before she even got back with Declan. Probably spoiled rotten since childhood, she threw tantrums over everything and threatened to break up with Declan every other day. Every single time, Declan would bow his head and beg her to stay. That was another reason Mrs. Pierce refused to let them be together. The time they actually broke up was the 27th time Blair had threatened it. Declan was probably finally exhausted. Combined with his mother’s extreme ultimatums, for the first time, he didn’t beg. And just like that, they went their separate ways. Truthfully, when Declan and I first got married, I had hoped we could build a good life together. He was very handsome. Unlike Nolan’s clean, youthful vibe, Declan had a sharp, rugged attractiveness, with a hint of a bad boy edge. From the outside, you would never guess he was a hopeless romantic. For the first two years, Declan resented me, feeling I was forced onto him by his mother. But humans aren’t made of stone. Over a thousand days and nights together, his attitude toward me finally softened. At our best, I genuinely thought he had forgotten about Blair. We would hold hands in the evening to buy groceries and cook dinner together. He would book my favorite restaurant for Valentine’s Day and give me hand-picked gifts. When I woke up terrified from a nightmare, he would pull me into his arms, pat my back to soothe me, and we’d fall back asleep holding each other. There was a period I could truly call happy. I thought we were going to walk down that path forever. Until a year ago, when his attitude abruptly changed. He grew increasingly impatient with me. At first, I thought it was just the seven-year itch. When I got pregnant, I was even a little joyful, thinking the baby might mend our relationship. It was only later I found out it wasn’t the seven-year itch at all. Blair had returned. That was when I realized, from beginning to end, Declan had never let her go. Outside the door, Declan finally finished his call and pushed into the room. “She’s really mad this time. Can you just apologize to her first?” 4 For a split second, I wanted to grab the lamp on the nightstand and crack Declan’s skull open to see exactly what kind of trash was rattling around in his brain. Remembering the doctor’s advice about pregnant women staying calm, I took a deep breath, my jaw aching from clenching my teeth. “Get the hell out!” Declan frowned, his voice turning cold. “Audrey, you’re crossing the line.” “I’ll cross your damn face!” I sat up violently. “Declan, when there’s a problem at the company, you run to me. When Blair throws a tantrum, you run to me. For a grown man to live this pathetically, it’s honestly embarrassing.” I sneered, “What’s the point of you even breathing? You might as well just drop dead.” Dark currents swirled in Declan’s eyes, the veins in his forearms bulging. For a second, I thought he was going to lunge over and hit me. After a long moment, he said coldly: “Audrey, don’t regret this.” He slammed the door and stormed out. This wasn’t the first time. When Blair went abroad years ago, her father had been sent to prison for illegal fundraising. The Kensington family fell from grace. Now, Declan was the only lifeline she could cling to. But Declan was already married to me, so she was stuck playing the secret mistress. She wanted to force me to step down, so she provoked me constantly. I never humored her. Every time, I pissed her off so much she practically choked. When Declan failed to pacify her, he’d come looking for me to apologize. He knew that, out of respect for his mother, I rarely denied his requests. But over the years, I single-handedly dragged the Pierce Corporation back from the brink of bankruptcy to its current booming, ever-expanding state. It was safe to say that without me, the Pierce family would have been ruined long ago. I didn’t owe them anything anymore. … When I arrived at the office the next day, the atmosphere felt off. People walking by kept stealing glances at me, looking like they wanted to say something but didn’t. When I reached my office door, I found all my belongings thrown out, scattered haphazardly across the floor. My absolute favorite coffee mug was shattered into pieces. My face went cold. “What is the meaning of this?” Someone I completely didn’t expect pushed out of my office. Blair casually glanced at the items on the floor and scoffed. “Helping you move out. I figured it would be tough for you with that big belly, so I kindly did it for you.” I froze. “Why are you here?” Blair leaned against the doorframe, smirking. “Didn’t you know? Oh, Declan is terrible, how could he forget to tell you?” “Audrey, Declan fired you. You’re no longer the General Manager of Pierce Corp. You can pack up and get out.” Her light, airy voice struck my ears like a thunderclap. I blurted out, “Fired me?” “Then who is the new GM?” A completely absurd possibility crossed my mind, but it was so ridiculous I refused to believe it. Blair seemed to thoroughly enjoy my current expression. She walked over and flipped the nameplate on my desk. “I just casually mentioned it, and he insisted on firing you. It honestly makes me feel a little guilty.” With a mocking smile playing on her lips, she stepped up to me and whispered: “Audrey, did you really think you could keep his money?” “Let me tell you, you’re not walking away with a single cent.” This was beyond ridiculous. I turned to look at the other employees. They all looked deeply uncomfortable, but no one said a word. Right then, Declan walked over. I rushed up to him. “Declan, what is the meaning of this?!” “How can you just fire me like that?!” Declan said flatly, “I’m doing this for your own good.” “You’re heavily pregnant and everything is difficult for you. Having Blair come in to help out will let you focus on resting at home.” I stared in disbelief. “Her?!” “You’re making her the GM? She’s an art major! You’re going to destroy Pierce Corp!” “The city officials are waiting on me for the Southside development project! What happens to the project if you fire me?!” Declan crossed his arms and sneered. “Audrey, you think way too highly of yourself.” “Do you think the company stops spinning without you? Before you got here, Pierce Corp was doing just fine.” I suddenly understood. This was Declan’s retaliation for my refusing to apologize to Blair yesterday. Or maybe they had planned this all along, just waiting for the chance to tear me down. “Declan,” I said, trying to swallow my rage. “Doing this will ruin the company. You can’t be this irresponsible.” “Ruin the company?” Declan looked me up and down. “I think you just can’t bear to lose your power.” “Audrey, ever since you joined the company, everyone only knows ‘Manager Audrey’. Does anyone even remember that I’m the Chairman?!” “I think you just want to change the company name to yours!” I stared at Declan blankly. So that was it. He felt I had usurped him. But was this what I wanted? Mrs. Pierce brought me into the company specifically to protect and guide Declan. But all these years, Declan only cared about drinking, racing supercars, and partying with his trust-fund buddies. Since when did he ever care about managing the business? Even when I talked until my throat was raw, desperately begging him to learn corporate management, he just impatiently brushed me off: “If I’m doing the studying, what do I need you for?” “Didn’t my mom bring you into the company exactly so you could do the work for me?!” Left with no choice, I had to carry Pierce Corp on my own shoulders. In those years, the company was hemorrhaging money, supply chains were collapsing, and major clients were jumping ship. I was the one who stood outside clients’ doors, swallowing my pride and begging them to come back, one by one. When a client’s mother fell ill, I stayed by her hospital bed day and night for nearly a month, finally moving him enough to renew the contract. I lost 12 pounds that month. When I finally left the hospital, my clothes hung off me like a skeleton. I went out to business dinners, dealing with greasy, difficult, creepy clients. No one helped me. Sometimes when I looked back, even I couldn’t believe how I survived those years alone. It was a fact that without me, the current Pierce Corp wouldn’t exist. And now, after wringing me dry, Declan was kicking me to the curb. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud, taking a step back. “Declan, does your mother know you’re doing this?” His expression shifted slightly, then he flared up in anger. “This is my family’s business! This is my company! I don’t need to report to anyone!” Blair leaned against Declan, a smug half-smile on her face. “Audrey, who do you think you are?!” A flash of contempt crossed her eyes. “You’re just a glorified wage slave. Pack up your trash and get out!” I looked at the man in front of me, standing frozen in place. After a long moment, I smiled. “Fine, Declan.” “You win.” “I’m leaving.” 5 After leaving the company, I received countless phone calls. They were all from upper management. They explained that Declan had called an early morning meeting. They had voiced their objections, but Declan had shot them all down. I turned off my phone and wandered aimlessly down the street. As I walked, my stomach suddenly cramped. The pain quickly radiated through every bone in my body. I suddenly felt a rush of heat between my legs. I looked down. At some point, my skirt had become soaked in blood. … Before being wheeled into the operating room, the doctor told me they might not be able to save the baby. I forced myself to call Declan. Not because I harbored any hope for him, but because I had made a promise to his mother about this child. He had a right to know. “Declan, I’m at the hospital.” The pain was so intense I was almost numb. I fought to keep my voice steady, though it still trembled. “The doctor said we might lose the baby. I’m just letting you know.” Declan just sneered. “Audrey, since when did you learn to play the hysterical, suicidal wife card?” “Did you think threatening me with the baby would make me let you back in?” I silently hung up the phone. Slowly, I raised my hand and rested it on my lower abdomen. Honestly, when I first learned Blair had returned, I stopped looking forward to this baby. Sometimes, the thought even flashed through my mind that this child was a mark of shame. A constant reminder that my husband had always loved another woman. But as the days passed and I felt the baby growing inside me day by day, that magical connection of shared blood grew stronger. I had decided that if Declan didn’t want this child, I would take them away with me. This was my baby, who had kept me company for so long. I closed my eyes, and a single tear slipped down my cheek. … The first thing I saw when I woke up was Nolan’s face. He was wearing a black hoodie, looking just like a college student. He rushed over, his face etched with anxiety. “How are you? Does it hurt? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?” The nurse glanced at him. “The anesthesia hasn’t worn off yet. The pain won’t start until tonight.” I was startled. Weakly, I asked: “How did you get here?” His eyes were completely red. “My aunt is a doctor here. She saw you when we came in last time, and she just called me.” Nolan and the doctor carefully wheeled me into a recovery room. Technically, a miscarriage didn’t require a long hospital stay, but he was too worried and insisted I stay overnight for observation before going home. When I was discharged the next day, Nolan insisted I go to his house. “That guy—” he frowned. “That guy treats you horribly. He definitely won’t take care of you. You just had a miscarriage, how can you manage with no one to look after you?” I thought about it and agreed. To be honest, I rarely allowed myself to be vulnerable in this life. My survival mode kicked in much earlier and harsher than most people’s, and I had carried myself through it all. For some reason, when you’re alone, you can grit your teeth and keep moving forward. But the moment someone actually cares for you, you suddenly become fragile. I really didn’t want to go back to that massive house where I’d be all alone.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “435845”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When my billionaire parents chose the fake heiress once again and refused to visit me in the hospital, I finally gave up. “System,” I whispered, “let the cancer cells spread. I’m ready to leave this body.” As my soul drifted away, I heard them talking. “If Serena hadn’t warned us, I wouldn’t have known our biological daughter was faking an illness just for attention! How low can she get?” “Let’s not contact her for a few months. She needs to learn her lesson. Maybe then she’ll finally start behaving.” Behaving? Too bad I’m already dead. 1 The hospital walls were too white. So white they made my eyes ache. I sat by the window where a sliver of sunlight managed to peek through, yet I couldn’t shake the freezing chill that wrapped around my bones. “Miss Sterling, please lie down. It’s time for your IV.” My private nurse pushed the door open, her voice soft and careful. It was strange. I was the biological daughter of the richest man in the city. I was in a premier VIP suite. So why was there such deep pity in her eyes when she looked at me? “Nurse Thompson, did you tell my parents the biopsy results?” Her hand faltered for a second, nearly missing the vein. She offered me a weak, forced smile. “Don’t worry. Even though the tumor is malignant, we caught it early. With surgery and two rounds of chemo, you’ll recover.” “Don’t be afraid.” I nodded, then repeated my question, more urgent this time. “But… did you notify my parents?” Nurse Thompson opened her mouth, then closed it, looking like the words were stuck in her throat. I understood. There was no way she hadn’t told them. It was just that they chose not to come. Before leaving, she tried to cheer me up. “Don’t lose heart. The cancer hasn’t metastasized yet. Your condition is very treatable.” I forced a smile but said nothing. The cancer hadn’t spread yet, but when I transmigrated into this body, I came with a “System” mission. If I couldn’t win over my parents’ love, my only ending was death. I leaned greedily toward the patch of sunlight. This cancer was the System’s countdown timer. If things continued like this—I was truly running out of time. 2 The original owner of this body was the true heiress of the Sterling family. She had been switched at birth due to a hospital error and grew up in a middle-class family. It wasn’t until she turned 18, just a year ago, that she was finally found. At first, I thought this System mission would be easy. What parents wouldn’t love their own child? But after coming home, I realized how cruel reality could be. There was another “Miss Sterling” in the house, born on the exact same day as me. The fake heiress: Serena. Initially, my parents were wonderful. They cried while holding me, calling me their “precious girl” in every breath. Within three months, I had successfully won them over. I was the apple of their eye. I even charmed the grandparents and extended family. Of course, I also managed to dodge Serena’s constant, petty traps. Until one day, she pulled me close with a sisterly grin to show me around. “Maya, look. This is Dad’s private wine cellar.” “Every bottle here is priceless. You have to be extremely careful.” I never touched that room. But a month later, my parents went to Serena’s parent-teacher conference. When they returned, Serena looked at me, smiled, and threw herself into the custom wine rack. The entire unit toppled. With a deafening crash, it shattered at my feet. Glass shards pierced my soles, drawing blood. The wine soaked my clothes, stinging my open wounds with a blinding pain. But a second later, Serena was the one screaming. “Dad! Mom!” “Serena! What happened?” My parents, arriving a few steps late, were stunned by the wreckage. I stood in the middle of the glass, frozen. Serena pointed at me, sobbing. “Maya was jealous because you went to my conference today.” “She pushed me. I hit the rack, and it just… it all fell…” I found out later that the wine on that wall was worth as much as a luxury villa. 3 That was the fifth month after I returned home. My father slapped me, hard. He did it because Serena had dropped to her knees in the middle of the wreckage right in front of them. She looked up with tear-filled eyes. “Maya, Mom and Dad still love you most. They just went to my school for an hour.” “I don’t want to fight with you. If you hate what happened in the past, hate me, but please don’t blame Mom and Dad. We’re all victims here.” “If you really can’t stand me, I’ll leave!” I watched her one-woman show in shock. Before I could even open my mouth to defend myself, the slap landed. Then came my father’s roar. “Maya! Is this how your foster parents raised you?” “You act so sweet to Serena in front of us, but you’re a monster behind our backs. You’ve deeply disappointed me.” I tried to explain, but no one listened. Because Serena’s knees were shredded by the glass. My father scooped her up and rushed her to the hospital. I was left to limp out of the glass in my slippers, one agonizing step at a time. I treated my own wounds in my room, gritting my teeth against the pain. When Serena returned, both her knees were wrapped in thick bandages. My parents flanked her, supporting her every move while treating me with nothing but cold glares. “Maya, go to your room and reflect on what you’ve done.” “Serena might not be our biological daughter, but we raised her for 18 years. Do you think that bond just disappears?” “Don’t think we don’t love you. It’s because we love you that we can’t let you become this twisted! We have to correct you!” I tried to speak, but the pain in my feet made me gasp for air. “Maya, stop the act.” “You were wearing slippers earlier. We both saw it.” I knew words were useless, so I retreated to my bedroom. But because of the pain, I couldn’t help but limp. In their eyes, even my pain was just another act of defiance. 4 Serena was willing to hurt herself just to turn them against me. Gradually, in their eyes, I became a person who would do anything to get what I wanted. The three of them were always together, leaving me alone at home. Their excuse? “It’s to build your character and teach you tolerance.” That was when the System’s punishments began. The data showed that my parents’ hearts were tilting further and further toward Serena. Desperate to save my failing health, I tried to fight back once. I got into a physical altercation with a girl at school who was insulting me. We both ended up bruised; I had a split lip. My parents rushed to the school. That was one of the few times I felt their love. “Maya, what happened? Does it hurt?” “Sweetie, she’s so much bigger than you. Why would you fight her?” My mother stroked my hair, her eyes full of heartbreak. My father stood in front of me, berating the principal for the lack of supervision. “Mom, I’m okay.” With red eyes, I let her pull me into her arms. See? They still love me. But then, Serena arrived. In front of everyone, she looked at me with a look of pure, feigned disbelief. “Maya… did you lie and pick a fight just to get Mom and Dad’s attention?” With just one sentence, their faces changed. They didn’t defend me anymore. They just turned and walked away. I touched my stinging lip. It was the other girl who had started it, calling me the “unwanted daughter.” To prove my innocence, I convinced the girl I fought to testify for me. I even asked my teacher to come home with us. “Mr. Sterling, we cleared it up. It really wasn’t Maya’s fault.” But my parents only looked at me with utter exhaustion. “Maya Sterling, have you really stooped to this level just to maintain a lie?” Their tone was ice-cold. In my mind, the System’s alarm bells began to shriek. 5 From that point on, my health plummeted. But I stopped fighting. No matter how badly I was hurt, Serena could erase it all with a single, casual comment, and I would end up as the villain again. I lay in bed and whispered to the System. “System, when can I go back to my own world?” The System’s voice was low, sounding almost empathetic to my struggle. “Finish the mission, or die.” I was silent for a long time. I had thought about it… If I die, I die. But I really wanted to go home. Lately, afraid I would “hurt” their precious foster daughter, my parents kept me on house arrest. At first, they visited me every day. But the look in their eyes was always a mess of complicated emotions, always ending with the same question: “Maya, do you admit you were wrong?” I shook my head stubbornly. Wrong about what? After asking enough times, they lost their patience. When I finally collapsed at home and was rushed to the hospital, they were away on vacation. They didn’t even bother to check on me. Instead, they sent a text: “Maya, come home when you’re ready to admit your mistakes.” “We won’t enable this behavior anymore.” I laughed. From start to finish, what was my crime? Oh, I knew. My crime was that I wasn’t good enough to earn their favoritism. Did they love me? I guess the only way to find out was to die. 6 I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. The nurse told me not to lose hope; early-stage stomach cancer was very treatable. But I just stared at the ceiling, watching my life’s countdown. I lived alone in that massive VIP suite. It was so quiet I could hear my own heartbeat. My only companion was the System I had grown to both love and hate. “Maya, do you think they’re really not coming?” I leaned against the headboard, my eyes vacant. “Probably.” “They don’t even believe I’m sick. They wouldn’t even believe the doctor.” The System sighed. I just smiled. Good. It’s better to give up early. After a moment of silence, the System tried one last time. “Call them.” “Otherwise, even if you have the surgery, the cancer will metastasize rapidly.” I bit my lip and dialed the number. But—Serena was the one who picked up. Compared to my hollow, weak voice, she sounded incredibly vibrant. “Maya? What is it?” “Are you looking for Dad? Hang on, he’s out surfing.” The System: “What? His daughter is dying and he’s surfing?” “That’s impossible.” I listened silently to the sound of the waves on the other end. Daughter? In their hearts, they only ever had one daughter: Serena. 7 I waited ten full minutes before my father finally got on the line. But before I could even say “Dad,” his stern voice boomed through the speaker. “Maya, have you finally realized you were wrong?” I let out a bitter, silent laugh. I guess the “jealous brat” label would only be washed away once I was in the ground. “Maya, enough of the drama. Admit you were wrong and come home.” “You’re going too far now, actually making the hospital staff call your mother. Do you have any idea how close she came to a panic attack? If Serena hadn’t seen through your little game, we would have been worried sick!” I opened my mouth, but the words were choked in my throat. Seeing my silence, his tone softened slightly. “Maya, as long as you come home and apologize, you’re still our daughter.” Our daughter… I whispered, “Dad, what if I’m actually sick?” There was a long pause on the other end. Then I heard Serena’s voice in the background: “Sigh. Dad, Maya just won’t change, will she?” “EXACTLY!” My father’s rage exploded. “Maya Sterling! Who taught you to be such a pathological liar?!” The line went dead. This time, even the System was silent. The sun moved to the west, and the light vanished from my room. Why? Was the love and guilt they showed me six months ago all an act? Maybe because I was too quiet, the System whispered a warning: “A negative mood isn’t conducive to recovery.” I grinned. Recovery? What was left to recover? “Just go home and apologize. Keep your head down for now. You have to survive to win.” And then what? Continue to play games with Serena? Apologize for things I didn’t do? Listen to their “lessons” for the rest of my life? I’d rather die. I lay back on the bed, a single thought flashing through my mind. “System, let the cancer spread.” “I forfeit the mission.” The System became deathly serious. “Are you sure?” “If you forfeit, you will be forced to remain in this world as a ghost for ten years as a penalty.” I agreed. I really wanted to see how they would react once I was gone. 8 With the System’s power, the cancer cells flooded every organ in my body overnight. When I woke up the next morning, I was so weak I couldn’t even lift my hand. “Maya, it’s not too late to regret this.” I closed my eyes. A silent refusal. When Nurse Thompson came for her rounds, she was so shocked she dropped the IV bag. “Doctor! Code blue!” She ran out, followed by a chaotic blur of footsteps. A team of doctors swarmed the room, checking my vitals. I was hooked up to a dozen different tubes. “How? Yesterday there was no metastasis. How could this happen in a single night?” Nurse Thompson gripped my hand, her eyes blood-red. Honestly, I didn’t understand why she was so good to me. As a stranger, she had given me far more than my own parents ever had. The doctor shone a light into my pupils. “The will to live is non-existent.” “Notify the family immediately.” I struggled to open my eyes and saw Nurse Thompson pull the doctor aside. Even though my consciousness was fading, I could still hear them. “Dr. Young, the family refused to come…” “Refused?!” The doctor’s voice rose, then dropped into a low, urgent tone. “Give me their number.” “The patient could go at any second. They must be informed.” I fought to stay awake. Maybe… just maybe I could last until they arrived. I wanted to see their faces when they saw me. Regret? Or total indifference? 9 I waited and waited, slipping in and out of consciousness. In my dreams, I could hear the frantic voices of doctors and nurses. When I finally opened my eyes, the first thing I did was look at the chair beside my bed. It was empty. “How many days?” In this vast world, only the System remained by my side. “Three days.” A single tear rolled down my cheek. Three days, and they still hadn’t come. I tried to wipe the tear, but I couldn’t move my arm. I think I’m done. The monitors beside the bed began a sharp, rhythmic beeping. The hospital’s final alarm. I saw a group of doctors rush in to start resuscitation. I watched them frantically compress my chest. They were still trying to save me. But it was too late. I felt myself float upward. With the final long beep, I was completely detached from my body. Two minutes later, the lead doctor looked defeated. “Patient: Maya Sterling. Time of death: April 28, 2023, at 9:03 AM.” I saw Nurse Thompson turn away to wipe her eyes. The System teased me: “See? You weren’t a total failure.” “At least someone cried for you.” I felt a pang of sadness. I tried to wipe her tears, but my hand was only a breeze that ruffled her hair. 10 By the time I found my parents, they were just returning from their vacation. I could feel it; even the System was in a foul mood. “Maya, I’m sorry.” I sat casually on the steps of the Sterling mansion, dusting off my invisible skirt. “This family is trash.” “I’m sorry I threw you into this pit.” I just smiled and said nothing. I had cursed this System a thousand times in my head before. But I realized we were bound together. Over time, she had developed something resembling human emotion. In the living room, Serena was showing off her new designer dresses. My parents sat patiently, watching her model the last one, their eyes full of warmth and smiles. Until—the hospital called again. “Hello? When is this going to end?” “How much did Maya pay you? I’ll double it. You’re doctors, for God’s sake. How can you lie like this?!” I couldn’t hear the doctor’s side, but my father started laughing. “You really don’t even have a script for these lies anymore, do you?” “Tell Maya: if she isn’t home in three days, she’s never allowed back…” The line clicked. My father was fuming. “He hung up on me!” “What did they say? What is Maya up to now?” My father slammed his phone onto the table. “Her lies are getting more and more unhinged. She just had someone call me and say she died of cancer.” My mother’s brow furrowed. “Maya… it has been a few days since we heard from her.” “I’ll give her a call.” But as my mother reached for her phone, Serena cut in. “But didn’t Maya call a couple of days ago and say it was early stage?” “How could it suddenly…” The couple exchanged a look, and a wave of shared annoyance crossed their faces. “Serena is right.” “What kind of cancer spreads that fast?” “If Serena hadn’t warned us, I wouldn’t have known our biological daughter was faking an illness just for attention! How low can she get?” “Let’s not contact her for a few months. She needs to learn her lesson. Maybe then she’ll finally start behaving.” Behaving? But I’m already dead. Serena hid a smirk, then reached out to tug on my mother’s arm. “Mom, Maya just wants your attention.” “Maybe you should call her anyway.” My father slammed the table. “NO CALLS!” I sat on the steps, propping my chin on my hands and sighing. If they wait any longer, there won’t even be a body to find.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “435844”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After breaking up with my secretly wealthy ex-boyfriend, I quickly got together with his adoptive father. Not long after, I found myself sitting at their family dinner table. Right across from me was my ex and his new flavor of the month. Smiling sweetly, I picked up a piece of green bell pepper and dropped it right into Logan’s bowl. Everyone knew it was the one vegetable he absolutely despised. I looked at his new girl and casually mentioned that since she called Sebastian her step-dad, she ought to start calling me step-mom. I even made her an offer. Fifty grand if she called me Mom once. Half a million if she said it ten times. Hearing this, Logan slammed his hands on the table and shot up from his chair. He furiously demanded to know who the hell I thought I was, screaming that since his dad had not said a word, I had no right to order his girlfriend around. I simply shifted my gaze to the man sitting beside me. Sebastian was slowly chewing his food, not even bothering to lift his eyes. I gave a thoughtful nod, reached into my purse, and tossed a crumpled medical bill onto the table. The moment Logan’s new girlfriend saw that paper, all the color drained from her face. She grabbed Logan’s sleeve, her voice trembling with tears, and begged him to just call me Mom. I was twenty-two, and Logan was eighteen. I had been forced to drink until I blacked out. When I woke up, my head was splitting, and I was completely naked. Logan was sitting on the edge of the bed smoking a cigarette, his jacket draped over his shoulders. He did not even bother to look back at me. “You were the one begging for it last night.” My brain was a hazy mess. I had zero recollection of what happened, but the guilt crushed me. I immediately apologized. “I am so sorry. What do you want? Anything I can do to make this right, I will do it.” Logan thought about it for a second. He told me to become his girlfriend to compensate for taking his virginity. I nodded and agreed. My shifts at the campus bar were not enough to cover both my living expenses and Logan’s tuition and allowance, so I picked up a second job working the day shift as a cashier at a convenience store. I was working two jobs, running myself into the ground. To be closer to his dorm, I rented a cramped, overpriced room in a rundown apartment building near his university. On my one rare day off, I took Logan out on a date. By the time we got back to my apartment, it was already ten at night. My roommate, Sierra, was just heading out for her night shift. She rolled her eyes the second she saw me. “Was that your boyfriend downstairs? Looks like a broke loser, just like you.” “Unlike me. I just met a trust-fund kid a couple of days ago. He tipped me a thousand bucks without blinking.” When I ignored her, she scoffed. “Forget it. Trying to talk sense into your thick skull is a waste of time. Those rich guys and corporate billionaires are incredibly easy to please. Keep your mouth sweet, act a little submissive, and stroke their egos. That is how you get paid.” “If one of them actually takes an interest in you, even if you are just his side piece, you are still set for life.” I ignored her. Most of my paychecks went straight into Logan’s bank account. Whenever we had our weekend dates, he would press his lips against mine and whisper sweet promises. “Do not worry, Ivy. Once I graduate, we will get married, and it will be my turn to take care of you.” His long fingers would roam over my body, the air in the room turning heavy and hot, but we never went all the way again. I always assumed it was because our first time was so traumatic. I thought I had forced myself on him, leaving him with emotional baggage. I buttoned up my coat and walked him back to his dorm. Just as I turned to leave, I heard his frat brother laugh and ask who I was. Logan’s voice drifted out, casual and annoyed. “Her? Just some desperate stalker who will not leave me alone. She is so annoying.” Lately, Sierra had been acting incredibly anxious. When I walked into the apartment, I caught her aggressively taping up a shipping box containing the heavy gold bracelet her sugar daddy had bought her a few days ago. “Gold prices are tanking right now. Why not wait a few weeks? You could get a lot more for it,” I asked, setting down my cheap takeout box. “I will sell my stuff whenever I damn well please. Mind your own business.” Her eyes darted to my dinner, and a nasty smirk crossed her face. “You should spend more time worrying about your little boy toy. I heard his frat is throwing a massive party at the club downtown tonight. Do you have a night shift? With a pretty face like his, if you do not keep him on a tight leash, some rich girl is going to snatch him right up.” Seeing me freeze, Sierra paused. “…Wait, do not tell me he did not even invite you?” Logan and I had been together for three years. He usually played the role of the sweet, obedient boyfriend, but I constantly worried about him. Ironically, we had met at a bar, so I knew exactly what happened at those parties. I called my manager, faked a sick leave, and rushed to the club. Standing outside the VIP room, I leaned in to peek through the glass. Before I could, the heavy door swung open. Logan’s frat brother stumbled out, completely wasted, squinting at me in the dim light. “Oh, you are… Logan’s stalker, right? Looking for him?” I ignored the insult, trying to look past him into the booth. “Do not bother looking. Logan is not here. He does not even live in the dorms. Why would he waste his time slumming it at a frat mixer?” “He does not live in the dorms?” That was impossible. “You really are clueless, aren’t you?” The guy looked me up and down with obvious disgust. “Everyone on campus knows Logan’s family is loaded. You are out here flipping burgers and scrubbing floors, thinking you can bag a billionaire heir? Keep dreaming, sweetheart.” My heart plummeted into my stomach. An hour later, I was standing outside the gates of the most exclusive luxury high-rise in the city, getting aggressively blocked by a security guard. “I said no entry. I see girls like you showing up in the middle of the night all the time. If you go in there and cause a scene, I am the one who gets fired!” While we were arguing, the roar of an engine cut through the night. A sleek, limited-edition sports car pulled up ten feet away. Logan hopped out of the driver’s seat, laughing and dapping up his wealthy friends before they drove off. Still smiling, Logan turned around and locked eyes with me. His grin vanished instantly. “Ivy… I thought you had a shift tonight?” “This is my friend’s place. I was just visiting,” Logan lied, his voice tight. “Stop lying.” I took a step forward, my anger boiling over. “That jacket you are wearing? The watch on your wrist? I have never seen them before. You are rich. You can afford to live in a place like this. So why the hell have you been bleeding me dry for three thousand bucks a month? Why did you play the pathetic, broke victim for three years?” For three years, I gave up any semblance of a normal life. I lived in a roach-infested shoebox. I ran between two exhausting jobs and survived on four hours of sleep. I gave up all my weekends just to take him on dates, and I paid for every single movie ticket and dinner. If the food was not expensive enough, he would throw a tantrum. My eyes burned, and tears of pure frustration spilled over. Logan lunged forward, wrapping his arms around me. The harder I pushed, the tighter he held on. “Ivy, I am so sorry. I was just terrified you would freak out if you knew the truth. I was planning to reveal everything on your birthday. It was supposed to be a massive surprise.” He was still lying to my face, and I genuinely could not comprehend what he gained from this twisted game. But the crushing heartbreak suddenly gave way to razor-sharp clarity. He wanted to put on a show? Fine. I would play along. I wanted to see exactly how far Logan was willing to take this. So, as he spouted his hollow excuses, I slowly nodded. And Logan actually bought it. He faked a relieved smile and kissed the corner of my mouth. “Ivy, I knew you loved me too much to stay mad.” That night, I slept in Logan’s sprawling, multi-million-dollar penthouse. When we walked through the lobby the next morning, the same security guard practically bowed to me. “Have a wonderful day, Miss.” The following day, Logan handed me a platinum card with two million dollars loaded onto it. For the first time in my life, I walked straight into a luxury designer boutique. “Box this up.” The sales associate completely ignored me, continuing to fold scarves. I slammed the platinum card onto the glass display. “I said, box it up.” The associate’s demeanor flipped instantly, flashing me a brilliant, obsequious smile. I returned to my crappy apartment carrying a mountain of designer shopping bags. Sierra nearly choked on her water. “Where the hell did you get the money for that? Did you finally bag a sugar daddy?” I threw myself onto the cheap sofa and opened a real estate app to browse luxury apartments. “My boyfriend.” “You dumped the broke college kid?” “Nope.” Sierra shrieked. “He is a trust-fund baby?! Are you kidding me? How did you get that lucky?” I let out a dark, self-deprecating laugh. “Yeah. So lucky.” I walked into my room, packed my bags, and moved out of that miserable apartment forever. The night before my twenty-fifth birthday, I got a call. Logan was wasted and demanded I come pick him up. It was pouring rain outside. My umbrella was useless against the wind, and by the time I reached the upscale restaurant, my clothes were soaked through. I stood outside the private dining room, raising my hand to knock, when a burst of obnoxious laughter echoed through the wood. “I officially won the bet, right? I dated that bartender for three whole years! I played the broke college kid, drained her bank account, and the stupid bitch was still totally obsessed with me! I told you guys, women are all gold-diggers. Give them enough money, and you can make them do whatever you want.” It was Logan. My hand froze mid-air as a chorus of mocking voices joined in. “Logan is the absolute king! Rich or poor, he gets the job done. Fair is fair, the keys to the Porsche will be at your house tomorrow.” “You gotta admit though, that bartender’s body is insane. When I dragged him to your bed that first night, I copped a feel. Her waist and ass are top-tier. You got lucky, bro.” “Whoa, chill. I never actually slept with her. That one-night stand was completely staged just to trap her into dating me. You know how strict my family is. If I accidentally knocked up some trashy nobody, I would be cut off.” “Smart move, man. Escorts like her are just for practice anyway. When it is time to settle down, you have to marry someone from our tax bracket.” My fists clenched so hard my nails dug into my palms. I kicked the door open with a deafening crash. The room went dead silent. Logan, his face flushed with alcohol, stared at me in shock. “What are you doing here?” I plastered a sickeningly sweet smile on my face. “I heard you had too much to drink. I came to take you home.” I dragged Logan’s drunk weight back to the penthouse and dumped him on the bed. He passed out immediately. Grabbing a cold beer from the fridge, I sat alone on the balcony. The things they said were vile, but surprisingly, I felt absolutely nothing. Because I never actually loved Logan. Our entire relationship was built on the crushing guilt I felt over taking his ‘virginity’. Since he faked the whole thing, the debt was wiped clean. I owed him nothing. In fact, he owed me three years of my youth. I pulled a crumpled piece of paper from my pocket. It was a private phone number I had secretly copied from Logan’s phone—the number of his legal guardian. The phone rang three times before a deep, irritated voice answered. “Who is this?” He sounded like a man who was very unhappy about being woken up in the middle of the night. “Mr. Sebastian Vance, I am Logan’s girlfriend. I am pregnant. I need to meet with you tomorrow. Does that work for you?” I lied through my teeth without missing a beat. “Why the hell should I believe you?” I let out a soft laugh and switched to a video call, panning the camera over Logan’s passed-out face in the moonlight. “If you refuse, I cannot guarantee your golden boy will wake up in one piece. I am sure his heroic late parents would not want anything bad to happen to their only son, right?” Sebastian Vance was a notoriously ruthless corporate titan. Anyone who dared threaten him usually had a team of private security kicking their door down within thirty minutes. I swallowed hard, trying to hide my terror. The line was dead silent for a long time. Finally, the man sighed. “Fine. Meet me at the Jade Garden tomorrow.” When Logan finally woke up, I was calmly setting out a massive breakfast spread on the dining table. He leaned against the doorframe, a nasty sneer on his face. “You heard everything last night, did you not? Why are you still here? Who are you putting on this pathetic housewife act for?” “Do not think I am going to pity you. The bet is over. I am done playing house with you.” I completely ignored him, sitting down to eat my eggs. Logan laughed maliciously. He pulled out a chair across from me and kicked his feet up on the table. “Playing deaf? Fine. I will make sure you get the message.” He pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and instantly switched to a sickeningly sweet voice. “Baby, I am sending you my address right now. Come over, I have a massive surprise waiting for you. Love you.” Hanging up, he immediately ordered a bouquet of 999 premium roses on a delivery app. He cranked the volume on his video game to the max, glaring at me every few seconds to see if I was crying yet. I acted like he did not exist, calmly stood up, and started washing the dishes. The second I finished, the doorbell rang. Before Logan could even stand up, I beat him to the door and yanked it open. Sierra was standing on the doorstep, dripping in head-to-toe designer labels. The moment she saw me, her perfectly manicured eyebrow arched. “Well, well. If it isn’t Ivy, the girl who bagged a billionaire. What are you doing in my boyfriend’s apartment?” Logan shoved me out of the way, pulling Sierra inside. “I got black-out drunk a few years ago and accidentally touched this club waitress. She has been stalking me ever since. You know her?” Sierra let out a mocking laugh. “We do not know each other. I just saw her serving drinks at a dive bar across town.” “I knew it.” Logan pulled out the massive bouquet of roses he had ordered. “There is no way a high-class girl like you would associate with trash like her.” The two of them treated me like invisible air, aggressively flirting back and forth before collapsing onto the sofa, practically making out. I stood a few feet away, entirely unfazed, casually pulling out my phone. I snapped a crystal-clear photo of them swapping spit, then slipped the phone back into my pocket. “Ivy, I already have a fiancé. Sierra’s family runs a massive international conglomerate. She just moved back from Europe. We belong to the same social class, so just give up.” “Keep the money I gave you. Consider it a tip for your services. We are done.” “No,” I said flatly. “Unless you wire me another five million, I am not leaving.” Before Logan could even react, Sierra leaped off the couch and slapped me hard across the face. My cheek burned instantly. I glared at her, but she violently shoved me backward. I tripped and fell hard onto the floor. “Ivy, stop being a greedy, delusional bitch!” She grabbed the massive bouquet and started hurling the heavy roses at me, snapping the stems against my skin. “A useless, pathetic loser like you deserves absolutely nothing!” “Five million? In your dreams. Do you even know who Logan’s guardian is? Sebastian Vance. Say one wrong word to the press, and he will have you erased before dinner.” Slam! The heavy oak door was violently shut in my face. Sitting on the floor of the hallway, rubbing my stinging cheek, I suddenly started laughing. Logan faked being poor to scam me out of my money, only to get scammed by a fake heiress pretending to be rich. Karma really was a bitch. My phone buzzed in my pocket. “Hello, Miss Ivy? This is Mr. Vance’s driver. I am pulling up to the lobby now. You can come down.” It was my first time sitting in a customized Maybach. When I arrived at the Jade Garden, Sebastian had already ordered. The table was covered in the most aggressively spicy, heavy dishes imaginable. Two glasses of expensive liquor sat in the center. Sebastian pushed one of the glasses toward me. “Drink.” I did not move. He chuckled, picking up his own glass and taking a slow sip. “Drink it, Miss Ivy. I had my team run a sweep. You have absolutely zero medical records at any OBGYN in the state, and no pharmacy records of buying pregnancy tests.” “I think it is safe to assume you are not pregnant.” Sebastian was thirty-four. A relatively young age in the cutthroat corporate world, yet he held absolute, terrifying control over the entire Vance empire. A few hours was more than enough time for him to strip my entire life bare. Everything I knew about Sebastian came from two sources. First, networking with high-end escorts at the luxury clubs I visited after Logan gave me the black card. Second, vague complaints Logan used to make when he was drunk. Sebastian was an illegitimate child, utterly despised by his aristocratic family. He spent his childhood being viciously bullied by his half-siblings. When he was sixteen, they pushed him into a freezing, rushing river and walked away, leaving him to drown. Logan’s mother, Officer Morgan, was walking by with her husband. Logan’s father dove into the freezing rapids and managed to shove Sebastian to the riverbank, but the current dragged him under. He never resurfaced. Logan was three years old. Two years later, Officer Morgan was killed in the line of duty. Logan’s greedy relatives swarmed like vultures to steal her pension, completely abandoning Logan. By then, an eighteen-year-old Sebastian had brutally seized power within the Vance family. He crushed all opposition, legally adopted Logan, and became his sole guardian. Did Sebastian actually love Logan? Absolutely not. Everything Sebastian did was driven by a heavy, suffocating guilt toward the people who died to save him. He provided Logan with unlimited wealth and protection. He had more than repaid his debt. I picked up the glass of liquor and threw it back like a shot. The alcohol burned my throat. “Logan told me he is marrying a European heiress named Sierra. Why did you not stop him?” I asked. “He is an adult. We share no blood, and legally, he is not my responsibility anymore. I do not care who he marries.” Sebastian smiled lazily. “But instead of talking in circles, why do you not get to the point?” I took a deep breath. “If Logan keeps acting like a degenerate psychopath, he is going to destroy Officer Morgan’s legacy. You do not step in because he constantly weaponizes his parents’ death to guilt-trip you.” “But I have zero emotional baggage with him. On top of that, he scammed me out of three years of my life. Nobody knows exactly how to break him better than I do.” “I read the financial reports. The Vance board of directors is pressuring you to get married to stabilize the stock. Let us sign a contract. A fake marriage.” Sebastian raised a sharp eyebrow. “You have guts, I will give you that. Coming into my territory and actively plotting revenge against my ward.” He stood up. The sheer physical presence of the man made me instinctively shrink back, a cold shiver running down my spine. I was gambling with my life. If I won, I would get everything I wanted. If I lost, the absolute worst-case scenario was going back to scrubbing floors. I had already hit rock bottom. I had nothing to lose. His deep, freezing voice dropped from above me. “But I have to admit, I am extremely curious to see exactly how you plan to discipline my deadbeat son.” “Come home for dinner tonight, Mrs. Vance.” I won. Sebastian moved with terrifying efficiency. An hour later, holding a freshly stamped marriage certificate, I was sitting in his car heading toward his sprawling private estate. On the way, his phone rang. He casually tapped the speakerphone button. “Hey Dad, I am bringing my new fiancée home for dinner tonight. Figured it was time you met her.” “Fine.” Sebastian’s dark eyes slid over to me. “Perfect timing. I just got my marriage certificate. There is someone I want you to meet as well.” Before Logan could ask a single question, Sebastian hung up. The estate was obscenely massive. A butler in a tailored suit respectfully took my cheap duffel bag and carried it up to the master suite. Sebastian led me down a different hall and opened the double doors to a walk-in closet the size of my old apartment. Racks of pristine, haute couture dresses lined the walls. “Pick one.” I pulled out a soft pink silk gown. The fabric felt like water. In twenty-five years, I had never touched anything so expensive. “Do you have a secret girlfriend? Do not worry, once the contract expires, I will sign the divorce papers immediately. I won’t ruin your actual relationship.” “I do not have one.” “Then who are these for?” I turned around. Sebastian was leaning against the doorframe, his face blank. “There is no other woman. I just had my assistant buy a wardrobe based on your measurements this afternoon. If my staff could not handle a basic task like that, I would fire them.” He paused, then added defensively, “If I actually had a girlfriend, why the hell would I fake a marriage with you?” I snorted, covering my mouth to hide a laugh. For a guy who looked like a literal mafia boss, his personality was surprisingly petty. I picked a sleek, understated black dress and applied the absurdly expensive makeup he had provided. Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror, I actually gasped. Money really was magic. The exhausted, overworked barista was gone. Staring back at me was a polished, dangerous socialite. “Are you ready? Logan is pulling up to the gates.” “Coming.” I walked out of the closet. Sebastian’s gaze dropped from his Rolex to me. He froze completely still. “Is it… too much?” I asked, feeling suddenly self-conscious. “It looks good.” He quickly averted his eyes, clearing his throat. “Let’s go down. They are waiting.” “Dad! Where have you been? My fiancée has been waiting out here. You are being totally disrespectful to her—” Logan was lounging on the imported Italian leather sofa, his arm draped possessively around Sierra. Sierra was picking nervously at her nails, looking absolutely terrified to be in Sebastian’s house. Seeing Sebastian and I walking down the grand staircase, fingers tightly laced together, Logan’s voice died in his throat. He shot to his feet. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I lifted my chin. Sebastian remained completely silent. I knew the rules. From this second forward, Sebastian was not going to fight my battles for me. “Why shouldn’t I be here?” I held out my free hand. The butler immediately stepped forward, placing the red marriage booklet onto my palm. I flipped it open, shoving the stamped photo right into Logan’s face. “I am Sebastian’s legally wedded wife. That makes me your stepmother. Watch your tone when you speak to your elders, Logan.” “Bullshit! Where did you get a fake ID printed so fast? Dad, say something!” Logan looked panicked, desperately searching Sebastian’s face for a denial. Sebastian ignored him completely and walked straight to the dining table. Because we had guests, the private chef had prepared a massive feast. My eyes immediately locked onto a sizzling plate of spicy green bell peppers. Technically, this dish should never have been served, since Logan threw a fit whenever he smelled them. I threw a quick glance at Sebastian. He was hiding a smirk behind his water glass. The man was petty as hell.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “435843”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I decided to stop by my fiancée’s corporate headquarters to pick her up and surprise her for her birthday. As I stepped out of the elevator, a young man I’d never met blocked my way. He was her new personal assistant. With a flat expression, he told me that meeting the CEO required an appointment scheduled forty-eight hours in advance. He even took the homemade birthday cake I was carrying, calling it an “unidentified high-calorie food item” that broke office policy. I couldn’t believe it. I took out my phone and called my fiancée’s private number. The call connected, but the voice that answered belonged to the assistant standing right in front of me. He said, his tone full of contempt, that a man who spent all day revolving around a woman was a pathetic simp and deeply unmanly. Later, I confronted my fiancée. She dismissed it completely, saying her assistant was just being professional and enforcing boundaries. She told me not to be so sensitive. In that moment, I knew I had nothing left to say to her. I quietly took out my phone and texted my mother, telling her to cancel the $500 million joint venture with the Sullivan family immediately. My reasoning was simple: I wanted to learn how to keep strict professional boundaries, too. After all, for some people, investing real emotion and money in a woman is clearly just bad for business. 1 It was Victoria Sullivan’s birthday. Carrying a cake I had spent hours baking myself, I drove to her company to pick her up, hoping to give her a sweet surprise. I never expected what happened next. The second I stepped into the elevator, someone literally shoved me back out into the lobby. Victoria’s new executive assistant, Liam Pierce, stood there in a sharp suit. Using an incredibly cold, corporate tone, he looked at me and said, “Apologies. This is the private executive elevator. Unauthorized personnel are strictly forbidden from riding it.” His voice echoed through the lobby. Employees and clients immediately turned to stare at me. Feeling my face heat up, I opened my mouth to explain who I was. He did not even let me speak. Flipping open his leather portfolio, he continued, “Mr. Sterling, I am well aware you are Ms. Sullivan’s fiancé. However, you are not on the CEO’s itinerary for today.” “Anyone wishing to see the CEO must submit a request to my office forty-eight hours in advance for approval and scheduling.” “This is the new company policy. I expect you to respect our operational protocols.” I stood there, completely frozen in disbelief. Not wanting to cause a humiliating scene in front of a lobby full of people, I pulled out my phone, planning to just call Victoria directly. Before I could dial, Liam’s voice cut through the air again, dripping with irritation. “Furthermore, the birthday cake you are holding qualifies as an unidentified high-calorie foreign food item. It is strictly prohibited from entering the executive workspace.” “Per protocol, you must surrender it to the front desk for a security screening. You will receive a claim ticket to retrieve it when you leave.” I was absolutely dumbfounded by the sheer audacity of this guy. Before my brain could even process what was happening, he snapped at the young receptionist behind the desk. “Security breach at the front desk. I am docking your monthly bonus by fifty dollars. Pay attention to your job. Do not just let random loiterers wander into the building.” I finally hit my breaking point. I stepped forward, my voice hard. “Mr. Pierce, do you not think you are crossing a line? I am Victoria’s fiancé. Are you seriously telling me I cannot visit my own fiancée at her office?” The poor receptionist looked like she was about to cry. “Exactly, Liam! Everyone in the company knows Mr. Sterling. I obviously cannot deny him entry.” Liam’s face hardened into a stone wall. He did not yield an inch. “Rules exist for a reason. No one gets special treatment. I am confident that by strictly enforcing company policy, the CEO will entirely support my decision. Have a good day.” With that, he pulled out a black VIP keycard and swiped it against the scanner with a deeply arrogant flourish. Beep. The heavy metal doors of the executive elevator began to slide shut. Right before the doors closed completely, he lifted his chin, locking eyes with me. There was no attempt to hide the smug superiority in his gaze. It was a silent, arrogant declaration. He won. And he successfully ignited a massive fire of rage in my chest. I immediately dialed Victoria’s private, personal cell phone. I needed to ask her exactly what the hell was going on, and who she thought she hired. The phone rang endlessly, but nobody answered. Furious, I was about to turn around and leave the building when the call suddenly connected. But before the word “Victoria” could even leave my mouth, a familiar, icy male voice echoed through the speaker. “Apologies, the CEO is currently unavailable. If you have an urgent matter, I can relay a message on your behalf.” At this point, my temper completely snapped. My voice was lethal. “Mr. Pierce, please inform Victoria that her fiancé is currently blocked from seeing her. Tell her to come down to the lobby and personally sign me in.” I expected him to panic, or at least get defensive. Instead, the line went dead silent for a second. Then, he replied in a flat, robotic tone. “Understood. I have recorded your demand.” “By the way, if I may be so bold…” “Mr. Sterling, do you genuinely have nothing productive to do with your life? Constantly hovering around a woman like a lovesick teenager… it is honestly pathetic.” I stared at the screen as the call disconnected. I stood in the lobby for a full minute, completely stunned. Eventually, I just started laughing. I had nothing to do? I was a lovesick teenager? I was hovering? It was beyond absurd. I graduated with my Ph.D. at twenty-six. Every elite bio-research institute in the country was in a bidding war to hire me. My daily schedule was ten times more packed than Victoria’s. And he had the audacity to call me unemployed? And calling me a simp was even more hilarious. At my eighteenth birthday gala, Victoria took one look at me and fell head over heels. From that night on, she spent years aggressively pursuing me. She followed me from New York to London. She chased me for three solid years before I finally agreed to be her boyfriend. The second I graduated college, she pressured both our families into finalizing an engagement, terrified I would change my mind and run. Saying I was obsessed with her was a massive joke. It was the exact opposite. But at the end of the day, Liam was just a glorified assistant. I was confident that once I told Victoria what happened, she would fire him immediately. But I had zero desire to stand in this toxic building any longer. Whatever. I was done. Just as I turned toward the revolving doors, my phone rang. It was Victoria. When she realized I was stuck in the lobby, she immediately started apologizing. “Baby, I am so sorry! I was stuck on a massive conference call. I had no idea you were here. I will send Liam down to escort you right now.” “Please do not be mad at me. I already booked a table at your favorite French restaurant for tonight. Give me a chance to make it up to you?” I let out a long, exhausted exhale. Remembering it was her birthday, I swallowed my irritation and stopped walking. I waited for several more minutes. With a soft chime, the executive elevator doors finally opened. I shot a freezing glare at Liam as he elegantly stepped out. He still wore that pristine, corporate smile. There was absolutely zero apology or regret on his face. “Mr. Sterling, the CEO has granted special authorization for me to escort you up.” I ignored him completely, walking straight past him into the elevator. But before I could step inside, Liam stepped into my path, physically blocking me again. “Mr. Sterling, per company policy, non-employees entering the executive floor must sign in and be escorted at all times. Here is your temporary visitor QR code.” “Please scan to register.” In that exact moment, I genuinely wanted to turn around, walk to my car, and never look back. But my desire to march into Victoria’s office, throw this in her face, and demand an immediate explanation was stronger. I clenched my jaw, fighting back the urge to punch him. I scanned the code. I registered. And I let Liam “escort” me down the hall to the CEO’s office. We finally reached her door. It was closed. Liam knocked softly. As I waited, my eyes casually drifted over to the massive, custom-built desk reserved for the executive assistant. My brain suddenly short-circuited. Sitting right next to his monitor was a deep purple, artisanal ceramic mug. It looked incredibly familiar. Aside from the color, it was an exact replica of the mug sitting on my desk at the research institute. It was a gift Victoria had painstakingly picked out for me during a business trip to Amsterdam last month. When she gave it to me, she made a massive deal out of it. She bragged that it was designed by an obscure European artisan, unavailable anywhere in the States, guaranteeing nobody else would ever have one like it. Liam noticed me staring at it. He casually commented, “The CEO has exquisite taste, doesn’t she? When I accompanied her to Amsterdam last month to help pick out your souvenir, she noticed how much I admired it. So, she bought one for me as well.” “She told me this color matched my aesthetic. Oh, by the way, I remember you really loved the blue one she got you. You even posted it on your Instagram story.” I did not say a single word. My stomach violently plummeted. Victoria never bought casual gifts for other men. I was the only exception. And she knew damn well how much I absolutely despised wearing or owning the exact same thing as someone else. While my mind was spinning, Liam pushed the heavy oak doors open. The moment she saw me, Victoria immediately muted her microphone and gave me a brilliant smile. “Hey baby! My call wraps up in ten minutes. Just hang out on the sofa for a bit.” Liam’s face remained completely passive. He walked smoothly over to the executive desk. With practiced familiarity, he picked up Victoria’s water glass and refilled it with warm water. Using the brief pause in her meeting, he flashed a flawless smile, rapidly debriefed her on two urgent matters, and turned to leave. Right before stepping out the door, he casually added, “Boss, you left your stomach medication in my car last night. I transferred it to the glovebox of your Bentley. Do not forget to take it on time.” The delivery was smooth, elegant, and perfectly professional. It was as if I did not even exist in the room. As if he had not spent the last twenty minutes aggressively humiliating me in the lobby. He was acting like absolutely nothing happened. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to remain calm. I sat on the designer leather sofa, waiting for Victoria to finish her call. But the longer I sat there, the more a sick, creeping suspicion began wrapping around my brain. It was about Liam. Honestly, I met him on his very first day on the job. At the time, Victoria explicitly instructed him that, as her personal assistant, one of his duties was to ensure my requests were handled promptly. Liam had smiled politely and agreed. And for a while, he seemed to do his job perfectly. Even though we rarely interacted face-to-face, he was always involved. Whenever Victoria and I had a date, Liam would text me a curated list of restaurant options, confirm my choice, and handle the reservations. For holidays and anniversaries, he would draft a spreadsheet of luxury gift options for Victoria, sending it to me so I could pick out what I wanted her to buy me. It looked like flawless, hyper-competent service. But slowly, I started feeling like something was deeply wrong. Whenever I called Victoria, Liam was always the one answering, immediately telling me she was tied up in meetings. Whenever I texted her, she would leave me on read for hours, later apologizing and saying she was too swamped to check her phone. Even when she was on business trips in cities where I happened to be attending conferences, whenever I tried to take her out to dinner, Liam would immediately block me, claiming she had back-to-back networking dinners. It happened so often that it started to feel intentional. It felt like Liam was systematically building a wall, isolating Victoria from me. As a result, unless Victoria had a rare night off and came home to our apartment, actually getting in touch with her had become nearly impossible. But whenever I voiced my frustration to Victoria, she always acted like I was being paranoid. “The company is in a massive expansion phase. I am drowning in work. I literally do not have the mental bandwidth to micromanage these tiny details.” “Stop overthinking it, baby. Once this quarter wraps up, I promise I will take you on an amazing vacation.” I believed her. I had tested Victoria for three entire years before dating her. I implicitly trusted her character. Her obsession with me was undeniable, and I never once believed she would cheat. I just assumed she was a workaholic. And since my own research schedule was brutal, I let it go. I thought Liam was just doing his job as a personal assistant, managing her chaotic life. But after everything that just happened, my intuition was screaming at me with absolute clarity. Liam viewed me as a threat. To spare me from waiting any longer, Victoria hurriedly wrapped up her conference call and rushed over to coddle me. “I am so sorry! It is so rare for you to actually pick me up from work, and I made you wait.” Before I could even open my mouth to explain what happened downstairs, or demand to know why Liam had a matching Amsterdam mug, Victoria threw her arms around my neck, pulling me tight against her and kissing my forehead. She was just leaning in to kiss my lips when Liam suddenly walked back into the office. Startled, I immediately pulled away from Victoria’s embrace. “Apologies, Boss. I thought your meeting was still ongoing. I just wanted to slice the cake Mr. Sterling brought and serve it.” Liam apologized verbally, but there was not a single trace of embarrassment on his face. Victoria did not even scold him for failing to knock. Instead, a bright smile spread across her face. “You brought me a cake? Let me try a piece, I am starving.” I opened my mouth to tell her I baked it from scratch. But when I looked down at the slice on the plate, I immediately realized something was wrong. “This is not the cake I brought. My cake was filled with blueberries. This one is plain vanilla.” I shot a dark, questioning look at Liam. He smiled politely, his voice calm and perfectly steady. “Mr. Sterling, the cake you brought was excessively high in sugar. It is not suitable for the CEO’s dietary plan. Since today is her birthday, I took the liberty of pre-ordering a keto-friendly, low-sugar alternative from her favorite bakery.” Victoria did not seem to care at all. She took a massive bite. “Wow, this is actually really good. You are always so thoughtful, Liam.” She completely failed to notice that my face had turned into a thunderstorm. I shoved the plate Liam offered me away, my voice dropping into a lethal, quiet register. “Where is the cake I brought? Who gave you the authority to throw away my property without my permission?” “How do you know the cake I baked was not low-sugar?” “Is this the ultimate power trip of a ‘Gold-Star Executive Assistant’? You think you have the authority to dictate what the CEO’s fiancé is allowed to feed her?” Liam’s perpetually composed mask finally cracked. A flash of genuine panic crossed his eyes. His voice trembled as he immediately started apologizing. “I am so sorry. I am so sorry, Mr. Sterling. Your cake is still in the breakroom, untouched.” “I was merely prioritizing the CEO’s health, given her recent focus on fitness.” Liam played the role of the terrified, hyper-professional subordinate perfectly. He looked absolutely nothing like the arrogant tyrant who had barred me from the elevator twenty minutes ago. I was genuinely stunned by his acting skills. As soon as his apology hung in the air, Victoria frowned. “Let it go. It is just a slice of cake. Liam was just looking out for my health. Since he already apologized, stop blowing this out of proportion. We can take the cake you brought back to the apartment and eat it later.” “Liam, do not let this happen again. Leave us alone and shut the door behind you.” Liam gave a shallow, perfectly executed bow and turned to leave. Still playing the flawless corporate servant. But right before he turned his head, both Victoria and I clearly saw the corners of his eyes turning bright red, as if he was holding back tears. Victoria let out a heavy sigh, wrapping her arms around me again to soothe my temper. “Come on, Liam was just prioritizing my health. Do not let a minor misunderstanding ruin your mood.” “Minor misunderstanding?” I stared at Victoria in total disbelief. Remembering the aggressive humiliation I endured in the lobby, I completely lost my filter, dumping every single detail of Liam’s psychotic power trip directly onto her. As I spoke, Victoria’s frown deepened, but she remained completely silent. When I finally finished, the room was dead quiet. I fully expected her to storm out there and fire Liam on the spot. Instead, she let out a long, exhausted sigh. “He is just a young guy who takes his job a little too seriously. He enforces strict professional boundaries. Stop being so petty.” I was so stunned I physically shoved Victoria away from me. Three years ago, she fired an assistant on the spot and paid him severance just because he misspelled my first name on a document. Now, I was explicitly telling her that her new assistant had maliciously and intentionally humiliated me in public. And her response was to casually brush it off as him being “professional.” I let out a dark, bitter laugh. “What about the mug on his desk? You know exactly how much I despise receiving matching gifts.” “Victoria, you used to have absolute, flawless boundaries when it came to other men.” Victoria rubbed her temples. Looking completely exhausted but endlessly patient, she looked at me and said, “Yes, he is a bit rigid with the rules. But you just said it yourself. He was strictly enforcing company policy. Do you expect me to punish my employee just because he refused to break the rules and give you special VIP treatment?” “As for the gift. You always seemed so happy with the presents Liam picked out for you. That is why I let him choose your souvenir this time. While we were shopping, I noticed he really liked the design. The mug was only a few thousand dollars. It is basically pocket change. Is casually buying an employee a cheap souvenir really a federal crime?” Hearing her actively defend Liam, I felt a wave of absolute disgust wash over me. I could not stop the bitter questions spilling from my mouth. “Fine. He was just strictly enforcing corporate policy.” “Then let me ask you this. He is just an assistant. Why does he have unrestricted VIP access to your private elevator?” “Why does he have the authority to confiscate a homemade birthday cake brought by the CEO’s fiancé and replace it with a store-bought one?” “Why does he have the authorization to screen your private calls, intercept your personal texts, block your fiancé from seeing you, and openly mock me for being a pathetic simp? Are those tasks included in his official job description?” “Do you really think this is about the money? You bought him the exact same mug you bought me. What is the subtext there? Are you implying he holds the same weight in your life as I do?” “If you told people he was your assistant, they would believe you. If you didn’t, they would assume he was the one engaged to you.” Victoria’s face darkened, but I did not see the shock or outrage I expected. Instead, she grabbed my arm, falling right back into her usual routine of placating me like a child. “He has to escort high-profile clients up to this floor all the time. Giving him a VIP card just makes logistical sense.” “As my personal assistant, when I am swamped, having him screen my calls and answer texts is completely standard practice. It is just a ceramic mug. Are you seriously going to launch a full-scale inquisition over a cup?” “Honestly? All I see is an assistant who executes his duties flawlessly and pays extreme attention to detail. I had no idea you harbored this much irrational hostility toward him…” Hearing Victoria refuse to acknowledge a single issue, all the fight completely drained out of me. No matter how I phrased it. He was the one actively destroying boundaries, and she was the one passively enabling it. Yet somehow, I was the petty, jealous, irrational villain in this story. “Baby, are you just feeling hyper-sensitive lately? Stop throwing a tantrum. Once this quarter is over, I will take you on a nice, long vacation to relax. Okay? Just smile for me.” Victoria wrapped her arms around me again, using that sickly sweet, pacifying tone. It was obvious she did not care about this situation at all. I had absolutely nothing left to say. I pushed her off me, stood up, and walked toward the door. Victoria sighed heavily but followed me out. As I walked past Liam’s desk, I remembered something and stopped dead in my tracks. Taking a deep breath, I looked down at him. My voice was ice cold. “Give me my cake back.” Liam froze. He clearly did not expect me to actually demand it back. His eyes involuntarily darted toward the stairwell door. I followed his gaze, taking a few long strides and pushing the heavy fire door open. There it was. The cake I had spent my entire day baking with love. Treated like literal garbage. The box had not even been opened. It was shoved into the top of the industrial trash can. I slowly turned around, staring dead into Victoria’s eyes. “Victoria. Behold your completely unbiased, hyper-professional assistant.” Without waiting for her to formulate another pathetic excuse, I turned my back on her, walked straight to the elevator bank, and pressed the button for the standard employee elevator. Behind me, I heard Liam’s frantic, whispered apologies. “I am so sorry, Boss. I assumed you would not be able to eat both cakes, so I temporarily set it aside. I had no idea the cleaning staff would throw it away.” “I swear I had no malicious intent. I think Mr. Sterling just completely misunderstands me.” I did not even bother turning around. I just threw a freezing response over my shoulder. “You know damn well whether the janitor threw it away, or if you threw it away yourself. Let me give you a piece of advice. You need to relearn how to show basic, human respect to your boss’s fiancé. If you pull a stunt like this again, the only person who is going to end up humiliated is your boss.” Victoria grabbed my arm, aggressively suppressing her own temper, still trying to defuse the situation. “Liam already explained it was a misunderstanding! Stop obsessing over a stupid cake and embarrassing everyone!” “Today is my birthday. Can you please just give me some respect and stop causing a scene?” I violently ripped my arm out of her grip and sneered. “Do you even need me here? I am pretty sure your gold-star assistant already has your entire night perfectly planned out.” With that, I stepped into the elevator. Right before the metal doors slid shut. Victoria’s face looked absolutely livid. Meanwhile, Liam stood right next to her, maintaining that flawless, robotic corporate smile, staring directly at me. He was still playing the role of the perfect assistant. Once I got back to my car, I sat in the driver’s seat for a long time, completely unable to calm down. The more I thought about it, the more furious I became. I pulled out my phone and quickly typed a text to my mother. [Mom, pull our funding from the five-hundred-million-dollar joint venture with the Sullivans. Terminate it. I figured some things out today. It is better to maintain strict professional boundaries.]

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “435842”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel