After all, when I was fifteen, I’d skyrocketed to fame on YouTube under the persona of The Masked Diva.
A few reality shows later, my total fan base across all platforms had passed thirty million.
But my parents worried that if I ever revealed my face, people would discover my true identity—and with it, every detail of a top heiress’s life. It would be far too unsafe.
So they insisted I keep things this way: focus on my studies and management training to prepare for inheriting the family business, while also developing my hobby on the side. It worked out fine for me.
In freshman year, Ryan and I had competed together in several school contests. I found him clever, grounded, able to think of things that never occurred to me—so different from the boys of my own social circle.
I didn’t care that he had a gambling father, a sick mother, a younger brother in school, and a generally messy life.
To me, the money I spent on him was less than what I’d spend on a purebred dog.
But from the first time Chloe laid eyes on Ryan after enrolling, she’d been hooked on that seemingly innocent face of his—and had been targeting me ever since.
If I didn’t teach these two a lesson, I’d never swallow this anger.
I slipped the business card into my bag, and when I looked up, I caught Chloe’s smug little smile.
She pulled a diamond-encrusted lipstick from her bag and waved it in front of me.
I frowned, curious. From the way she acted, she didn’t seem to know what she was holding.
“Country bumpkin. Just proves you’re a fake socialite—don’t even recognize a Louboutin lipstick when you see one?”
“Oh… it’s a Louboutin? But isn’t this particular design a limited edition—only ninety-nine in the world, each with its own number? And aren’t they all in the hands of royalty and society elites?”
I leaned in, examining it closely.
“Let’s see… your number is… ninety-nine?! Isn’t that the one they made exclusively for the brand’s ambassador?”
I gave her a cold smile—because that ambassador was me.
And that number had been made just for me.
I’d assumed she was just flaunting some limited edition she’d managed to buy somewhere. I hadn’t expected her to walk right into the line of fire.
Chloe’s face instantly went pale. Her fingers clamped around the so-called limited edition, knuckles turning white.
Ryan noticed and quickly stepped forward, throwing an arm around her shoulders while sneering at me.
“Well, look at that. Our little fake socialite doesn’t have two nickels to rub together, but she sure knows her online gossip. Chloe’s family is loaded, obviously she got it from knowing the Masked Diva—must have been a gift from the ambassador herself.”
I nodded as if I believed him. “Oh? Chloe, you really know the Masked Diva?”
It was like tossing her a lifeline—her expression lit up with smug confidence again.
“Yes, the Masked Diva is my best friend. She gave me this lipstick herself!”
I let my face fill with admiration. “Wow. In that case, since you’re really close, asking her to be a guest at our campus singer competition should be no problem, right?”
Chloe, of course, had no idea of the Diva’s true identity. She just wanted to brush me off, biting her lip and keeping up her haughty act.
“You don’t get it. Her schedule is packed—it’s not like she can just come whenever she’s called. Not everyone’s like your construction-working mom, available on demand.”
I blinked innocently. “I was just curious. I mean, if such a precious lipstick was a gift from a true friend, getting her to show up shouldn’t be too hard, right?”
Seeing Chloe cornered, Ryan jumped in to change the subject.
“Vanessa, stop pretending you’re somebody. You can’t even afford a real bag—who are you to comment on anyone else?”
