My rival Stella Vaughn was exposed as a fake heiress and vanished after the real daughter returned. Furious she’d escaped our rivalry, I stormed into her welcome ceremony at the Vaughn estate. “Thank you for clearing the house of… distractions,” the new daughter said sweetly. “Now our family is whole.” Just last month, Mrs. Vaughn called Stella a “gift from heaven.” Now her face twisted with disgust. “She was a stray occupying Clara’s place for a decade,” she snapped. “An orphan with nothing,” Mr. Vaughn added. “Marrying her off to a sixty-year-old is more than she deserves.” I stood at the ballroom entrance, fists clenched. Who did they think they were, touching her before I claimed my victory? So what if she was fake? I’m the sole daughter of the Sterling family. Anyone who lays a hand on her will have their house torn down. 1 A giant LED screen in the Vaughn estate’s gardens looped a photo of the picture-perfect family of three. The brighter their smiles, the darker my expression became. In the center of the hall, Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn were proudly introducing their real daughter to the guests. When he saw me striding in, a flicker of annoyance crossed Mr. Vaughn's face before he plastered on a synthetic smile. "Jane! What a surprise. Perfect timing. I'd like you to meet our real daughter, Clara." "Clara, darling, say hello to Jane Sterling." Clara immediately extended a delicate hand, her smile gentle and warm. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jane." I didn't even glance at her. My gaze, cold as ice, was fixed on her parents. "Where is Stella?" Mr. Vaughn slammed his champagne flute down on the table. "That ungrateful brat tried to stop Clara from coming home! She even pushed her down the stairs. We sent her away the moment we found out!" Mrs. Vaughn chimed in, playing the part of the deeply wronged mother. "Oh, Jane, you have no idea. That girl has a mean streak a mile wide! We were blind to it before, but now that we have our sweet Clara, we finally see what a good child is really like!" My fingers trembled with rage. Before I could speak, Clara’s eyes welled with tears. "Mom, Dad… does Jane not like me? Does she want me to leave so Stella can have her place back?" At her words, the Vaughns’ expressions sharpened. Mr. Vaughn took a step forward, his tone a clear warning. "Jane Sterling, we know you and Stella were close. But Clara is our priority now. You are welcome here if you behave, but if you're here to cause trouble, I suggest you leave." Clara shrank into her mother’s arms, her shoulders trembling, the picture of fragile innocence. I let out a cold laugh. "And what if I insist on finding Stella?" Mr. Vaughn's eyes bugged out, his voice thick with contempt. "Then I'll tell you this: we listened to Clara and we got rid of her! A low-life like that has no place in the Vaughn family!" A flash of triumph crossed Clara’s face. "Jane, you should just give up. My parents and I are a real family now." My mind roared. All I could see was Stella's teasing smirk from years ago. "You can be as jealous as you want, Jane, but my parents adore me. You'll never win!" A wave of pure fury consumed me. I grabbed the heavy crystal fruit bowl from the center of the table and slammed it down over Clara's head. She shrieked, a mess of tears and fruit salad. "Dad! Mom! Help me!" Mr. Vaughn raised his hand to strike me, but what was a pampered, overweight man against someone who'd been trained in combat since childhood? I caught his wrist, twisted, and sent him sprawling to the polished floor. He grimaced in pain. "Jane Sterling!" he roared from the ground. "Your family is nothing but new money trash! How dare you come into my home and assault my daughter? I'll ruin you!" Mrs. Vaughn, her face pale, fumbled for the security phone on the table and yelled into the receiver, "Butler! Get all the guards to the ballroom! Now! We have an intruder!" I crossed my arms, a smirk playing on my lips. I’d never told Stella about my family’s true status, and the Vaughns still thought we were just nouveau riche. They had no idea who they were dealing with. Seeing my arrogance, Mrs. Vaughn glared. "I thought you were here to celebrate with us, but you came to fight that little witch's battles! Fine! When the guards get here, I'll have them personally escort you to the police station!" As the estate security guards advanced, I let out another cold laugh and addressed their leader. "Surround them." The head of security paused, confused. I gave him a subtle hand signal, and understanding dawned on his face. "Yes, Miss Sterling!" Mr. Vaughn's face changed. I smiled sweetly. "Turns out acquiring this security firm last month was a good investment, wasn't it?" 2 At my command, the guards shut off the saccharine family video on the big screen and politely escorted the bewildered guests out of the ballroom. Soon, it was just me and the three Vaughns in the cavernous, silent hall. With her perfect party ruined, Clara was sobbing uncontrollably. Mrs. Vaughn turned on her husband, her voice a venomous hiss. "This is all your fault! You never cared who Stella was friends with, and look what happened! She brought this monster into our lives and ruined our Clara’s special day!" A vein throbbed in Mr. Vaughn's temple. "Don't you dare mention that little snake! After everything we did for her, all the love we gave her, she repays us like this! A thankless wolf we raised in our own home!" As they hurled accusations at each other, all I could think about was Stella. When the Vaughn business was on the verge of collapse, it was Stella who dragged me with her, begging every spoiled heir in our circle for a lifeline. She'd had wine thrown in her face, been cursed at, but she never gave up. She single-handedly secured the investment that pulled her family back from the brink of bankruptcy. Another time, Mr. Vaughn crashed his car while speeding and lay in a coma in the ICU for three days. Stella stayed by his bedside the entire time, never closing her eyes. They were swollen and red when he finally woke up. He’d clutched her hand and wept, saying he must have done something truly great in a past life to deserve a daughter like her. And now? Clara had been home for a few months, and all of that was forgotten. Just because Stella wasn't their blood, did that mean she didn't even deserve to be loved? I pointed a finger at them. "Tell me," I demanded, "who did you give her to?" Mr. Vaughn opened his mouth to answer, but another voice cut him off. "Jane! That's enough!" I looked up to see my distant cousin, Leo Sterling, striding into the room. My parents had maintained a low profile, even with extended family, so Leo had no idea of our true wealth either. He shot me a furious glare before rushing to Clara’s side, his voice soft and protective. "Clara, don't be afraid. I'm here now. I'll protect you." At the sight of him, Clara’s tears flowed faster. The Vaughns looked at him like he was their savior. "Leo! Thank goodness you're here! You're so much more sensible than your cousin. Look at the mess she's made!" Leo puffed out his chest, positioning himself in front of the Vaughns like a shield. "Jane, tell your men to stand down." I stood up and stretched my arms. I walked over to him and slapped him hard across the face. "Is that any way to speak to your older cousin? Leo, you were only officially brought into the family fold three years ago. Don't start thinking you run the place." He clutched his cheek, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You hit me?" I hit him again, harder this time. "Yeah, I did. Now get out of my way." He instinctively shuffled aside, exposing Clara behind him. I fixed him with a ferocious glare. "Do you have any idea that the person you're protecting got Stella thrown out of her home and married off to a sixty-year-old monster? Stella is in her twenties, Leo!" Leo’s gaze flickered, but he held his ground. "Jane, Clara isn't like that. Besides, everyone knows Stella is a spoiled brat. On Clara's first day home, Stella poured hot soup on her head and then denied it! A woman like that should be grateful anyone would marry her. Why are you defending her?" 3 I pointed back at the Vaughns, my voice rising. "Stella can be fierce, yes, but she's honorable! She would never stoop to backstabbing! When you were sick, who ran out in the middle of the night to get your medicine? When you wanted something, who moved heaven and earth to get it for you? Have you forgotten all of that?" A flicker of shame crossed their faces, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. "No matter what she did in the past," Mr. Vaughn said calmly, "it doesn't change the fact that she was jealous and hurt our Clara. As parents, we cannot stand by and watch our own flesh and blood suffer!" I was shaking with rage. "Guards!" I yelled. "Pin them to the floor!" I walked over and began to slap them, one by one, across their faces. "You venomous witch!" Mrs. Vaughn shrieked. "You're just like that little bastard Stella! Don't think we're afraid of you! You're just nouveau riche trash, and the Vaughns will not forget this!" After ten minutes, my hand was numb, and they still hadn't told me where Stella was. I needed another plan. I let out a cold laugh and dialed a number. A few minutes later, the roar of a helicopter echoed from outside. An elderly man with a head of white hair stepped out. The bruised and swollen Vaughns saw him and froze in terror. "Patriarch! What… what are you doing here?" I waved for the guards to release them. They scrambled over and clung to the old man's legs, wailing. "You have to help us, sir! This nouveau riche brat, Jane Sterling, she ruined Clara’s party and she attacked us!" Leo shot me a smug look. "It's true, sir. I can testify. My cousin has been completely unreasonable today." But the Patriarch's face was a mask of thunder. He slammed his cane on the ground. "You're the ones being unreasonable! Jane Sterling is the sole heir to one of the world's most powerful families! She's the one who called me here!" The words hit them like a bolt of lightning. The Vaughns and Leo were frozen in place. I sighed, my voice hoarse. "Patriarch Vaughn, since you're here, perhaps you can help me ask them. Where in the world is Stella?" The Patriarch’s face darkened. "Yes. Where is Stella? She was always a good, filial child. She was my favorite." Clara peeked out from behind her parents. She'd never met the Patriarch, but she could guess his authority. Her voice was tearful. "Grandpa, Stella was bullying me, so Mom and Dad sent her away." The old man exploded. "Nonsense! Stella would never bully anyone! And who are you to speak to me so casually?!" Clara’s eyes reddened as she fought back a sob. Mr. Vaughn rushed to explain. "Sir, Clara is our real daughter. Stella was the fake. We… we sent her…" He trailed off, suddenly unable to speak. The Patriarch’s chest heaved with fury as he slammed his cane down again. "Say it! What did you do to her?" Mr. Vaughn hesitated, but his wife grabbed his arm. "Don't say it! Stella deserves what she gets. If you tell them, she'll just come back and ruin Clara's life! The Patriarch is angry now, but he won't really do anything to us!" I had reached my limit. My eyes narrowed. "Patriarch Vaughn may not be able to hurt you, but I can." "I'll count to three. If you don't tell me, I have no problem bankrupting this entire branch of the Vaughn family right here, right now." "Three! Two! One…" The Patriarch turned his back, washing his hands of the matter. Before I could finish the countdown, Mr. Vaughn broke. He dropped to his knees, his eyes wide with terror. "Stop! I'll talk!" "Stella… she… I sent her to Mr. Blackwood! She left three days ago. By now… by now the damage is probably already done!" That perverted, sixty-something monster, Alistair Blackwood? The news hit me like a physical blow. All the color drained from my face.
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