Chapter 4The Long-Lost Daughter Returned... But I'm the Real Heiress

Mia's face instantly flushed beet red. Her eyes were a cocktail of jealousy, humiliation, and pure hatred directed at me.

The allowance my parents gave her was generous, but nowhere near enough for her to burn thirty million on cars.

Her friends tried to argue, but Mia stopped them, muttering bitterly, "Big deal. You just used my parents' money to buy those cars anyway."

Seeing her choke on her own pride put me in a fantastic mood. I ignored her and followed Mr. Davis into the showroom.

But just as I reached the custom Porsche my bio dad had ordered for me, Mia darted out from behind me and shoved me aside.

"That's the one! I'm taking it!"

My face turned to ice. I stepped between her and the car. "Who gave you permission to touch this?"

Mia blinked her eyes, playing dumb. "Sister, why are you so mad?"

"Are you saying this is your car?"

She lifted her chin, puffing up like a proud peacock. "Of course it's mine. It's a welcome-home gift from my uncle."

Her little squad immediately chimed in:

"Only the real biological niece gets that kind of treatment. Keep crying about it!"

"You're just a trashy squatter in a luxury penthouse! How dare you try to compete with Mia!"

Seeing how confident they were, I honestly had a moment of doubt. Did my bio dad actually buy her an identical car to be nice?

But this was a limited edition. There was only one in the entire state.

Mia gleefully continued her victory lap. "If you don't believe me, call the butler! He just told me the car ordered for 'the Sterling daughter' arrived, so I came down to pick it up!"

"Did you hear that? The Sterling daughter. Not the cheap knock-off!"

The meanest girl in her group spat on the floor near my shoes.

"Hear that, fake?! You shameless thief, you don't deserve to breathe the same air as Mia!"

"You're like a rat, trying to steal everything you can get your claws on."

I was trembling with rage. I pulled out my phone to call my bio dad, but it went straight to voicemail.

Mia got even more animated. "I know Mom and Dad raised you, so they love you. I won't fight you for their affection."

"But this car is a gift from my uncle to his actual blood relative. Are you really going to try and steal this from me too, Sister?"

Mia had completely redefined the concept of shamelessness.

She played the innocent victim at home, but turned into a tyrannical monster the second she stepped outside.

Just as the standoff hit a boiling point, Mr. Davis walked over, holding a leather-bound folder.

Mia's friends lit up and rushed over to intercept him.

But Mr. Davis completely bypassed them.

He walked straight to me. "Ms. Sterling, here are the keys and the final paperwork. Thank you again for your continued business."

[4]

The ownership of the car was suddenly crystal clear.

Mia stared at the keys in shock, her eyes bulging. "Impossible!"

"You must have made a mistake! I'm the real daughter of the Sterling family!"

Her dumbest friend turned on Mr. Davis. "How could you give the car to this imposter?!"

I ignored the screeching, flipping open the contract and pointing to the signature line. "Read it and weep. Client: Chloe Sterling."

Mia shook her head, still refusing to accept reality. I simply pushed past her, climbed into the driver's seat, and left nothing but the roar of the engine echoing in the showroom.

Not long after I got home, I heard muffled sobbing echoing from the living room.

I walked out to find Mia buried in Mom's chest, crying a river, acting like she had just survived a war crime.

I had to admire her acting skills. I clicked my tongue. "Give the girl an Oscar."

Mia caught sight of me out of the corner of her eye. Sniffling, with red-rimmed eyes, she choked out, "Mommy, does Sister hate me?"

"First, she had the staff at the dealership block me from entering, totally humiliating our family in public."

"And then, even though Uncle bought that car for me, his real niece, she forced them to say it was hers."

Hearing the words "real niece," Dad immediately perked up.

"Chloe, what is going on with the car?"

I calmly recounted the entire incident, leaving no detail out.

When I finished, Dad looked directly at Mia and said bluntly, "Your sister is telling the truth. Your uncle bought that car specifically for her."

"Daddy?" Mia looked at him in total disbelief.

Mom tried to smooth things over. "Mia, sweetheart, stop making a fuss. That car doesn't belong to you. When your uncle comes back from his trip, I'm sure he'll buy you a nice gift too."

Mia refused to drop it. She mumbled hesitantly, "But... that car was incredibly expensive."

"Since Sister isn't really a blood member of this family, is it really appropriate for her to accept such a lavish gift from Uncle?"

Before the words fully left her mouth, both of my parents' faces darkened. The room went dead silent.

Mom dropped her gentle tone. "Watch your mouth. Chloe will always be a member of this family."

Dad's face was ice cold. "Your uncle adores Chloe. He sends her a massive allowance every single month. Buying her a car is completely normal for him."

Mia slumped over in defeat. Her face was a chaotic painting of shock, jealousy, and bitter resentment. It twisted her pretty features into something quite ugly.

She thought that because she watched a few soap operas, she knew how rich families worked. She assumed they were cold-blooded monsters who only cared about DNA. But my parents had poured their hearts into raising me for twenty years. Plus, I literally shared their bloodline. How could a few cheap words break a bond like that?

Mia clearly thought my parents were just taking pity on me, and that she was the "bigger person" for letting me have the car. She tearfully apologized, promising she wouldn't "fight" me anymore.

Once she finally shut up, I turned to the butler standing quietly in the corner.

"Thomas. You've served the Sterling family for many years. I think it's time you retired. Go collect your severance package and enjoy your golden years."

The usually stoic butler snapped his head up in shock. "Miss, are you firing me?"

I didn't answer. I just waited for my parents to back me up.

Thomas looked desperately at them. "Ma'am! Sir!"

Mom's tone was indifferent. "If Chloe says you should leave, then go pack your things."

Dad walked over and patted my shoulder. "Chloe, don't let these people upset you."

I swept a cold gaze over the rest of the staff. Every single one of them dropped their heads, terrified to meet my eyes.

Perfect. People needed to learn how to read the room.