Chapter 2The Fake Heiress and the Empty Mansion

My boyfriend, Ethan, asked me to meet him for lunch at the dining hall.

Ethan is the president of the Student Government. He comes from an average background, but he's handsome, capable, driven, and accommodates me 100%.

We've been dating for two years. I was incredibly satisfied with him and had decided that after a little more time, I'd bring him home to meet my parents.

"Ethan, do you know about Richard Sterling's daughter?"

I was planning to slowly reveal my identity to him.

He took a bite of his food and looked at me, surprised: "You mean the freshman, Chloe?"

I choked, almost inhaling my food.

Ethan quickly patted my back, scolding me affectionately: "Why are you still eating like a kid? You always choke."

I didn't expect even Ethan to have heard this fake news...

This put me in a very passive position.

I thought for a few seconds and decided that before exposing Chloe, I shouldn't reveal that I am Richard Sterling's daughter, lest Ethan think I'm joking.

"Yeah, that Chloe."

"I haven't interacted with her, I don't know her well."

I figured as much. Ethan is a straightforward guy, why would he know anything about Chloe?

So, I dropped the subject.

Ethan was busy and left in a hurry right after eating.

I didn't have anything planned for the afternoon, so I stayed seated, eating slowly.

While I was eating, someone suddenly sat down in the seat across from me.

I thought it was Ethan coming back. I looked up, and it was Chloe.

"Aria, so President Ethan is your boyfriend?" Chloe sat down, offering a haughty smile, and said, "I've got my eye on him. You should step aside gracefully. Name your price."

My upbringing told me: keep a low profile, never show off.

As the actual daughter of a billionaire, I have never said anything this arrogant in my twenty years of life.

Today, I heard it from the mouth of a fraud.

I let out a cold laugh, full of malice: "Oh? Tell me, what kind of price can you afford?"

Chloe said haughtily: "You're a junior, right? When you graduate, I can recommend you for a job at Sterling Enterprises."

Chloe held up seven fingers. "Your annual salary will have this many figures."

"That's it?" I laughed. "So you're saying you can't offer anything tangible right now, and you just want to make empty promises?"

Chloe didn't back down. "Aria, I hope you can look at the bigger picture and not just focus on petty, short-term gains."

Her condescending attitude disgusted me.

I looked her up and down, scrutinizing her from head to toe, and then said quietly: "You say you're the heiress of the Sterling family. I don't believe you."

I saw her pupils contract sharply, but she quickly regained her composure. "Whether I'm the Sterling heiress or not, you'll see for yourself when I take you to the mansion this weekend."

"Who says having a mansion proves you're Richard Sterling's daughter?" I scoffed. "Maybe you rented it."

I stood up, walked behind her, and twirled a strand of her hair. I whispered: "Your hair was just done. You got a gloss treatment, it looks shiny, but your hair texture is actually terrible. You haven't taken care of it much in the past, have you?"

I dragged my index finger across the back of her hand: "You got a manicure, and you even put foundation on your hands to make them look refined. But your fingers are thick, like someone who does manual labor constantly. Does the Sterling heiress usually do heavy lifting?"

I pinched her shirt: "Your clothes and jewelry are designer, carefully curated, but they completely clash with your vibe. Your whole look is just awkward. Could it be... you stole these clothes?"

Chloe, who was already feeling guilty, completely snapped at the word "stole." She threw out a "You're crazy!" and fled without looking back.

I laughed. Could she really be a thief?