Sophie stood at the grand entrance of the Rosette estate as the delivery man handed her a series of elegantly wrapped packages.
Each one was adorned with silk ribbons and sealed with the distinctive emblem of one of the most exclusive jewelers in the country.
She signed the receipt, her fingers trembling slightly, knowing the sender was none other than Cole Fay himself.
Her heart raced as she glanced at the names on the tags
—[To Eve Rosette].
The thought that Cole had showered Eve with such expensive presents only fueled her jealousy. But then, a wicked smile crept across her lips.
Of course, the gifts were for the heiress of the Rosette family. But in Sophie's mind, she had long believed that the title of "
real
heiress
" belonged to her.
Sophie hesitated for a moment, glancing around to ensure no one was watching, and then quickly decided to take the packages upstairs to her room.
Her mind spun with thoughts of how unfair it was—
Why should Eve get everything when I'm the true heir?—
especially when she was convinced that
she
was the one who truly deserved Cole's affection.
Once inside her room, Sophie locked the door behind her and tossed the packages onto her bed. The thrill of secrecy rushed through her as she sat on the edge, eyeing the first box with eager anticipation.
She pulled the ribbon loose and opened the lid with a sharp, breathless motion.
Inside, nestled in a bed of velvet, was a dazzling necklace. Diamonds and sapphires twinkled like stars under the soft glow of her lamp.
Sophie gasped, her breath catching in her throat. The piece was magnificent, shimmering with an elegance that made her heart ache with longing.
Her fingers traced over the stones, and a sharp pang of jealousy shot through her.
This should be mine
The diamonds, emeralds, and amethysts shimmered on her skin, and for a moment, she imagined herself as the rightful recipient of Cole's affections, the one he truly admired.
In her twisted own way, Sophie convinced herself that Cole's gifts were meant for her—
how could they not be?—
and Eve was nothing more than an obstacle in her way.
As she admired her reflection, draped in jewels, the deep-rooted jealousy in her heart festered into something darker.
=== ???? ===
Staring at my laptop, my head spun in chaos. The glaring zero balance in my account felt like a punch to the gut, so jarring it nearly made me sick.
I tried to tell myself it wasn't the end of the world.
It's just money,
I thought, clinging to a fragile sense of control.
But the truth gnawed at me, relentless and sharp. They had taken everything—siphoned away what I had worked so hard to earn. As I sat there, my hands trembling, I forced myself to breathe, to think logically.
If I could earn that kind of money once, I could do it again.
That thought echoed in my mind, over and over, like a lifeline I had to hold onto.
They might have my money now, but they didn't have the source.
I am the source.
They couldn't touch that. My income streams, my investments—those were mine, still intact. The stock market holdings I hadn't liquidated, the land deals that had yet to mature, the groundbreaking potential of QuantumLyfe—it was all there, waiting.
As long as I still had that, I had power. And when QuantumLyfe launched, those billions that slipped through my fingers would seem like pocket change.
My future wasn't dead—it was just delayed.
But the truth was, I felt like I was drowning. I inhaled a deep, shaky breath. The weight of it all pressed down on me, suffocating. I couldn't let this break me. Stealing a billion might ruin most people—but not me. I wasn't most people.
This setback was nothing more than a detour, a temporary inconvenience on my way to something far greater. My original goal was still there, waiting at the end of this hellish tunnel. I just had to get through this favor for old man Sinclair for a year. That was all. A few more months and I'd be free. Gone from here, from all of this.
I clenched my fists, the determination surging through me like fire. This wasn't the end. It couldn't be. Not for someone like me.
I wouldn't let it be.