The day Arthur Pierce, the man who raised me, hit number one on the Forbes list was the same day a girl in rags appeared on our doorstep. The moment he saw her, tears of pure joy streamed down Arthur’s face. It jarred a memory loose—something he’d told me years ago about a daughter who had vanished without a trace, a decade-long silence that had carved a hollow space in his heart. The girl, Chloe, looked me up and down with a wounded expression. “Dad, is that your love child?” A laugh escaped me before I could stop it. Seeing me standing there, so clearly at home, ignited a fire in her eyes. “What are you laughing at? I’m the real daughter of this house!” Arthur was, in fact, the legal guardian my parents had named in their will. The moment I turned eighteen and signed the final inheritance papers, his role would legally revert to what it had always been in practice: the steward of my family’s estate. A steward’s daughter calling me his illegitimate child? The irony was so thick I could have choked on it. 1 Arthur cut her off, his voice strained with embarrassment. “Chloe, darling, she’s not my daughter. She’s—” Chloe immediately switched gears, adopting the air of a long-lost princess. She gestured at me with a flick of her wrist. “Then she must be the maid. Hey, you. Take my bag.” She tossed a grimy canvas duffel onto the marble floor at my feet. With a sigh, Arthur picked it up himself, treating her outburst like a childish tantrum. “Chloe, this is Ava Sinclair, the daughter of my dearest friends. Her parents passed away, so she’s been staying with us.” He shot me an apologetic look, and I gave a slight nod to show it was fine. I’d been living with Arthur for eight years, ever since I was secretly flown back to the States after the accident that killed my parents. If it weren’t for him, I have no doubt I would have ended up dead at the hands of the relatives circling my family’s shares like vultures. He had just found his daughter; the last thing I wanted was to spoil this moment for him. But it was quickly becoming clear his daughter was going to be more difficult than I had anticipated. Chloe’s lip trembled, and fat tears began to roll down her cheeks. “Dad, look at her. She’s glowing. Does she look like someone who’s living on charity?” Her voice cracked. “I was kidnapped, sold to some backwoods family, treated worse than dirt. Why does she—an orphan—get to live like this?” Arthur’s face crumpled with pain. He pulled her into a tighter embrace. “My poor girl. You’ve suffered so much. We’ll call the police, have them all arrested.” But Chloe suddenly grew evasive, muttering only that she was too traumatized to remember the details. Arthur had no choice but to let it go, promising they would talk about it when she felt stronger. That evening, Arthur had our cook, Maria, prepare a feast to welcome Chloe home. Chloe sat in silence at the dining table, then her eyes welled up and she slammed her silverware down. The clatter echoed in the cavernous room. “After I was taken, all I ever got to eat was stale bread soaked in vegetable broth. But an outsider like her gets to eat like a queen.” Arthur stroked her hair, his voice gentle. “From now on, Chloe, you can have anything you want.” Her gaze sharpened, and she pointed at a dish of seared scallops I’d been enjoying. She flicked her fork in my direction, splattering sauce on my silk blouse, and turned to Arthur with a sob. “I think you mean she gets whatever she wants! You remember her favorite foods, but you completely forgot that almost everything on this table could send me into anaphylactic shock!” Before Arthur could respond, Chloe’s voice dropped to a mournful whisper. “Of course, it’s been ten years. I wasn’t the one by your side. If I hadn’t risked my life to escape, would you have even remembered you had a daughter?” Guilt washed over Arthur’s face. The performance was so transparent it turned my stomach. I dabbed at the stain on my blouse with a napkin and signaled to Maria. “Maria, I’m finished. Since Miss Pierce is allergic, perhaps you should clear these dishes.” A flicker of triumph crossed Chloe’s face, but then I continued, “And could you please book an appointment for Miss Pierce tomorrow? I’ll take her to an allergist myself.” I smiled sweetly at her. “If the tests come back negative, it means you were intentionally trying to provoke me. And you will offer me a formal, bowing apology.” Arthur’s head snapped up. He opened his mouth, then closed it, turning instead to his daughter. “Chloe, that’s enough.” Seeing that her father wasn’t taking her side, Chloe let out a wail and swept the plates and glasses off the table. They shattered on the floor. “You’re so biased! And you still say she’s not your secret daughter! If you two are so close, then there’s no reason for me to be here, getting in your way!” She snatched her wretched bag and stormed toward the door. Arthur scrambled after her, nearly tripping over his own feet. “I only have one daughter, Chloe! It’s you!” It took a long time, and the promise of an extravagant shopping spree, before he could coax her back inside. As I rose to go to my room, I paused beside Arthur. I spoke softly, for his ears only. “Arthur. On your account, she gets four chances. Only four.” 2 His body went rigid, and a sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead. He knew exactly what I meant. My patience had a limit. And after the fourth time, Arthur’s position as even a steward in this house would become untenable. But Chloe seemed determined to make everyone miserable. Just as I was getting ready for bed, a loud, insistent banging rattled my door. I opened it to find Chloe leaning against the frame, arms crossed, a smirk on her face. She jabbed a thumb down the hall. “I want that room, the one on the left. The staff said you’re the only one with the key.” I glanced in the direction she was pointing. Of the seventeen bedrooms in this mansion, she had to pick the one that had belonged to my parents. “Absolutely not. That was my parents’ room.” Her face hardened. “What damn parents? Let’s get something straight. Your parents are dead. My dad took you in out of pity.” Her voice dripped with venom. “Oh, I get it now. You and your parents are all just parasites. A whole family of leeches, sucking my father dry.” My voice dropped to a dangerously low temperature. “This is my house, not a stage for you to play princess. You’re back now, so you will follow my rules. And if I ever hear you speak about my parents again, you and your father will be out on the street together.” Before she could retort, I slammed the door in her face. Silence fell outside. For a moment, I thought that was the end of it. Then came a deafening crash. The wall beside my bed shuddered. I threw the door open. Chloe was standing in the hallway holding a hammer, the door to my parents’ suite hanging splintered from its hinges. She swaggered inside. I rushed after her, planting myself in her path. “Chloe! You touch one more thing, and I swear to God, you will be out of this house tonight!” She shoved me hard, sending me stumbling backward, and raised the hammer as if to strike. A deep, authoritative voice boomed from behind us. “Chloe! That’s enough! Pick another room!” Arthur strode toward us, his face a mask of stern disapproval. Chloe dropped the hammer, her entire demeanor shifting back to that of a wounded animal. “Dad, I slept in a pigsty in the countryside. Now that I’m home, all I want is a room of my own. Is that too much to ask?” I saw the resolve in Arthur’s face begin to crumble, replaced by that familiar, gut-wrenching pity. I knew he was about to give in. I let out a cold laugh, ready to blow the whole charade wide open. But Arthur caught my eye, his expression pleading, begging me not to expose his true role as steward. I understood. He couldn’t bear to lose face in front of the daughter he had just reclaimed. I wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of my lip where I’d bitten it. My voice was ice. “Arthur. This is the second time.” He sighed, a sound of profound defeat. “Chloe, I’ll take you to a hotel. We can find our own place.” Chloe looked at him in disbelief. “Dad! This is our home! Why should we be the ones to leave?” Her voice rose to a shriek. “I knew it! She is your love child! Why else would you treat her like this?” Arthur raised his hand, and for a second, I thought he would strike her. But it fell, limp, to his side. “Chloe, how many times do I have to tell you she is not my daughter!” It was like talking to a brick wall. Arthur’s shoulders slumped, the weight of the last decade suddenly crashing down on him. Seeing that I wasn’t going to stop him, he nodded grimly and took Chloe’s arm to lead her away. That finally broke her. Chloe panicked, dropping to her knees in front of me, her sobs wracking her body. “I’m sorry, Ava, I’m so sorry! I was wrong! I was just being stupid and jealous, fighting with you over my own father.” Her words were slick with false sincerity. “I know Dad worries about you, that he favors you because… because of your situation. I’m willing to be your sister, your real sister. Please, don’t make us leave.” I ignored her completely. My gaze was fixed on the new strands of gray at Arthur’s temples, and I thought of all the years he had protected me, cared for me. My resolve softened, again. Thankfully, a quick check of my parents’ room showed that nothing inside had been damaged. “Fine, Arthur,” I said, my voice weary. “My parents asked you to look after me until I come of age. That time isn’t up yet. Just make sure this doesn’t happen again.” The light returned to his tired eyes. “Thank you, Ava,” he whispered, his own eyes glistening. “Thank you.” To avoid Chloe, I left for school early the next morning. I figured she would lay low for a while. I was wrong. She was in my homeroom. When our teacher, Mrs. Davison, introduced her, Chloe stood before the class, looking shy and vulnerable. “Hi, everyone. My name is Chloe Pierce. I was… I was kidnapped ten years ago and grew up in a rural community. I was just found a few days ago.” Ignoring all social norms, she launched into a harrowing, detailed account of the abuse she had supposedly suffered. The other students were captivated, their faces a mixture of horror and pity. Even Mrs. Davison’s eyes were red. Chloe basked in the sympathy, then her gaze landed on me, sitting at my desk, trying to focus on a calculus problem. Her voice dripped with insinuation. “Of course, for all these years, I have to thank Ava Sinclair. She’s been a great comfort to my father… like a real daughter.” She deliberately left it vague, planting seeds of pity for herself and suspicion about my role in her family. It was another miscalculation. I looked up from my notebook and smiled brightly. “It’s true! Arthur has been more of a father to me than I could have ever wished for.” My classmates nodded in agreement. “Totally! Remember last year when Ava just scraped her knee in gym class, and Mr. Pierce drove through that insane thunderstorm just to take her to the ER himself?” one girl said. “And when she won the state debate championship, he was so proud he bought the entire class new iPhones,” another added. Chloe thought my being an orphan was a shameful secret, that Arthur’s affection for me was some dark taboo. In reality, everyone at Northgate Prep knew my story, and I’d never cared what they thought. Seeing that her attempt to isolate me had backfired, and hearing about the kindness Arthur had shown me, Chloe finally snapped. Her face contorted with rage, and her voice was shrill. “You’re his illegitimate daughter! Do you really think just because my dad bought you a few nice things, you’re entitled to his fortune?” 3 Her words hung in the air. Every eye in the classroom swiveled toward me. “So Ava is his love child? No wonder Mr. Pierce spoils her so much.” “Wait, so is she trying to steal Chloe’s inheritance? If I were Chloe, I’d be furious.” I set down my pen. That’s three, I thought, a cold knot tightening in my stomach. I leaned back in my chair, meeting Chloe’s triumphant glare. “Chloe, I’ll say it one more time. I am not your father’s illegitimate daughter.” “If you’re not his love child, then you’re just a gold-digger who’s clawed her way in! Why else would my dad be so good to you?” Chloe preened, crossing her arms as she soaked in the judgmental stares being directed at me. She cleared her throat, preparing for her next salvo. “On the day of my eighteenth birthday party—” I’d had enough. I tossed my pen onto my desk, the plastic clattering loudly in the silent room, and stood up. My voice was clear and steady, cutting through her tirade. “Chloe and I will be having a joint coming-of-age party. I invite all of you to be there. As for who I am… Arthur will make everything clear then.” “Ava, you—!” Chloe started to protest, but Mrs. Davison intervened, restoring order. For the rest of the day, Chloe’s eyes burned holes in my back. That night, she knocked on my door again. When I opened it, she was leaning against the wall, oozing self-satisfaction. “I saw the papers on Dad’s desk. An asset transfer agreement. I guess he’s ready to hand over the company now that I’m back.” She twirled a strand of hair, her expression insufferably smug. “Ava, what does it matter if you spent ten years with him? In his heart, I’ll always be the daughter he loves most.” Her confidence was so absolute, I couldn’t be bothered to correct her. I was almost looking forward to seeing the look on her face at the party. Arthur having a daughter like this was a truly spectacular stroke of bad luck. But the real disaster struck sooner, at the Sterling Corp new product launch. Even though my identity was still a secret, as the future head of the company, I was always present at major events, seated as a guest of honor to stay informed. I never imagined Chloe’s drama would follow me here. I was holding a microphone, about to offer a few remarks from my seat, when an angry voice cut through the air. “Get out of the way. You have no right to sit in the front row.” Chloe snatched the microphone from my hand. She scanned the massive auditorium and spoke with ringing self-importance. “Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Chloe Pierce, and I am the sole heir to Sterling Corp!” A wave of shock rippled through the audience of several thousand people. “Is that her? The mysterious heir who’s supposed to take over Sterling Corp when she turns eighteen?” “This is so sudden. I didn’t hear anything about an official announcement today.” Hearing the buzz, Chloe’s certainty swelled. “That’s right! I am the mysterious heir! And on the day of my eighteenth birthday, I welcome you all to—hey!” She didn’t get to finish. I gave a subtle nod to the security detail, and two guards moved in, swiftly escorting her away. Chloe thrashed and screamed, “Let go of me! How dare you treat the heir of Sterling Corp this way! I want your names and badge numbers!” Arthur, who had been frozen in shock, finally snapped out of it, burying his face in his hands with shame. The event had descended into chaos. I suppressed my fury, stood up, and faced the press, taking control. “That was just a small, unfortunate interruption. Regardless of who the heir is, the strength of a company lies in its products. I hope we can all return our focus to the exciting innovations Sterling has to share today.” The ride home was thick with an icy silence. I scrolled through the headlines already exploding on social media. Arthur’s face was ashen. “Ava, I am so sorry. I’ve been far too lenient with her. I just thought… she’s just returned, and she’s so sensitive. Her heart is in the right place, I know it is. I’ll be stricter with her from now on.” “Mr. Pierce,” I said, my voice flat. “This was the third time. You had better pray this doesn’t turn into a PR scandal for the company. Because if it does…” He flinched. It was the first time in eight years I had called him Mr. Pierce. The look I gave him was as cold as a glacier. He nodded frantically, wiping sweat from his brow. But when we walked through the front door, the scene that greeted us made my entire body tremble with a rage I had never known. 4 The door to my parents’ suite was smashed to pieces. Inside, everything that held a memory of them—their books, their art, the furniture they’d chosen together—had been systematically destroyed. My hands shook as I picked up the shattered frame of my parents’ wedding photograph. Tears dripped from my chin onto the broken glass. “Chloe! Get down here now!” I screamed. Chloe sauntered down the grand staircase, a cosmetic face mask on, looking annoyed at being disturbed. I slapped her across the face with all the strength I had. She clutched her cheek, her eyes blazing with crimson fury. “You hit me? I’m about to be the heir to the company! And this house is mine anyway! I can do whatever I want with it!” “Lock her in her room,” I commanded the household staff. “Let her sit in there until she comes to her senses.” At my sharp command, several staff members, their faces grim, escorted a protesting Chloe upstairs. Arthur didn’t dare approach me. He stammered, “Ava—” I cut him off, my voice devoid of all warmth. “That was the fourth time. It seems you are incapable of controlling your daughter, Mr. Pierce. Don’t worry. I’m more than happy to do it for you.” Later that night, as I passed Chloe’s room, I heard voices from within. A man’s voice, flirting with her. It was disturbingly familiar. My eyes widened. No. That voice is… A cold dread washed over me. I pulled out my phone and called the one board member who knew my true identity, a man who had been my father’s closest confidant. “I need you to investigate something for me. And I need the results before my birthday.” After hearing my suspicions, his tone grew heavy. “Consider it done, Ava. You’ll have everything you need.” Chloe wasn’t let out of her room until the day of our joint eighteenth birthday party. The grand ballroom of our estate was filled to capacity. Reporters from major financial news outlets were interviewing Arthur. The entire Sterling Corp board was present, along with our most important business partners. Chloe, for once, had shed her usual belligerence. She approached me with a glass of champagne. As she raised it, she leaned in and whispered smugly in my ear, “Dad let me out today for a reason. He’s obviously going to make a big announcement. Just you wait.” I walked right past her, joining a conversation and clinking glasses with our guests. Chloe tried several times to interject herself, but each time, Arthur pulled her aside, his face stern. “Chloe, I am warning you for the last time. Do not cause a scene. Tonight is Ava’s night.” She feigned compliance, tugging at his sleeve. “Dad, that asset transfer agreement… we’re signing it today, right?” Arthur pulled his arm away, his expression unreadable. “Don’t ask questions you don’t need the answers to.” He didn’t see the look on her face as he turned away—the pure hatred, the way her nails dug into her own palm. “Once I expose everything,” she muttered to herself, “you’ll see that I’m the only one who should be signing anything.” Finally, at the pinnacle of the evening, the moment everyone was waiting for, Arthur had his assistant bring out the asset transfer agreement. He took a deep breath and looked directly at me. “As of today, I am officially announcing that all shares of Sterling Corp, along with all assets transferred to my name ten years ago for safekeeping, will be signed over in their entirety to Miss Ava Sinclair!” A spotlight instantly found me. I could feel hundreds of eyes on me, burning with curiosity and envy. A wave of applause and murmurs filled the room. I smiled, accepted the portfolio containing the documents, and was about to sign. CRASH. The champagne flute in Chloe’s hand shattered on the floor. Her body trembled, her face a mask of utter disbelief. “Dad!” she shrieked. “Why are you giving your assets to her? I’m your daughter!” For the first time, Arthur’s voice was pure steel as he roared at her. “Chloe, that is enough! One more word and you are out of here! Ava Sinclair is the one and only heir to Sterling Corp, and that is final!” Chloe’s eyes filled with a venomous hatred. She produced a sealed manila envelope and held it high in the air. “I don’t think you’ll feel that way after you see this! This document will prove that I am the only person who has the right to sign those papers!” The ballroom fell silent. Hesitantly, Arthur took the envelope. He glanced at its contents for only a second before his face went pale. He reached over and took the portfolio back from my hands. His expression was a turmoil of confusion and pain as he looked at me. “The transfer of shares and assets is postponed!”
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