Alaric crossed his arms, his expression hard and unyielding. “We’re your parents. Do you think you’d have anything without us? Your mother and I have given you everything, and now, all we’re asking is for you to step aside and let Cathy take your place as the richest man’s wife. We’re not asking you to die or anything dramatic, so what’s with all this complaining?”
Isabella scoffed, her glare sharp. “And you expect us to believe you’d be good to us after you marry him? With that attitude? You’ve been holding a grudge your whole life, Cassie. Once you get your hands on all that wealth, you’ll find a way to make us regret not treating you like royalty. We’re not stupid.”
A bitter taste filled my mouth. They were standing right in front of me, acting as if they had every right to dictate my life, as if their greed was justified. But there was no use in fighting back. Not now.
Isabella's voice turned cold and final. “Your father and I have made up our minds. Cathy will meet him in your place. You can either accept it, or we’ll make you accept it. The choice is yours.”
I pressed a hand to my swollen cheek, the sting of my father’s slap still fresh. My pulse pounded, but I forced my expression to soften.
I dropped my gaze, playing the role they expected—the weak, obedient daughter. “I… I’ll do whatever you want. Just, please, don’t hit me again.”
I hesitated, adding in a careful, trembling voice, “But only if… only if Cathy agrees to give me some money after she marries him. Just enough for me to leave. I won’t tell anyone I’m the real benefactor.”
Their eyes lit up. Alaric exchanged a satisfied glance with my mother before nodding. “Now, that’s more like it.”
...
As usual, my meekness was enough to put their minds at ease. They were so blinded by their dreams of being connected to Jasper Sterling that they didn’t even hesitate to believe me. I’d played my part well.
I let out a small, relieved breath, but Cathy wasn’t so easily fooled.
Her sharp gaze pinned me in place. “You’re giving up that easily?” she asked, stepping closer. Suspicion laced her voice. “What’s your game, Cassie? What are you planning?”
I froze.
Had she figured it out already? Could this be that whole twin intuition thing people always talked about?
Before I could come up with a response, Cathy’s expression shifted, and her eyes widened as if a lightbulb had gone off in her head.
“Wait, I know!” she exclaimed. “After you saved Jasper, something happened, didn’t it? You’re making me go in your place, but you’re not telling me everything. You want him to find out I’m a fake so you can swoop in and take all the credit, don’t you?”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Cathy’s logic was sharp—far sharper than I’d expected.
When I had saved Jasper all those years ago, I was only eight.
He had been bitten by a non-venomous snake, and to calm him down, I had stayed with him, talking to him, reassuring him. Without thinking, I had mentioned my blood type.
Jasper, always dramatic, had sworn I was his savior and promised to repay me.
But after I returned home, I had completely forgotten about it. My grandmother passed away that same year, and I never went back to the countryside.
Even back then, I had found his search for me… strange. There were too many coincidences and too many unanswered questions. So, I did my own digging.
Now, though, faced with Cathy’s sharp stare, I decided to play along.
I nodded slowly. “You’re right. After I saved Jasper, something did happen. But you’re still missing part of the story.”
Her eyes gleamed with excitement, like a cat that had just trapped a mouse. “Then spill,” she demanded.
I gave her exactly what she wanted, recounting every detail—the day I had saved him, why I had been at the river catching fish, everything. I made sure to be as thorough as possible.
At first, Cathy was skeptical. She grilled me for hours, pressing me like I was some criminal on trial. She demanded I swear on my life and accused me of leaving something out. Even my parents joined in, turning the conversation into an interrogation.
But I played my part well.
By the time the sun rose, exhaustion had settled into their faces. And finally, finally, they seemed convinced.
...
The next morning, Cathy wasted no time.
Still bleary-eyed from the lack of sleep, she grabbed her phone and dialed the hotline for Jasper Sterling’s search.
From the way the conversation unfolded, I could tell plenty of people had already tried to claim to be his benefactor. The person on the other end sounded unimpressed, almost annoyed.
Cathy’s irritation flared instantly. Her face flushed red, and for a second, I thought she was about to lose it.
But then, just as quickly, she caught herself.
'She can’t afford to look anything less than perfect now.'
With a deep breath, she calmed herself and forced a sweet, practiced smile.
“I’m not trying to make a scene or get anything out of this,” she said, her voice dripping with innocence. “If I were, I wouldn’t have waited all these years to contact him. The only reason I’m calling now is to return the sapphire brooch Jasper gave me. That’s all.”
Her tone was perfect—just the right mix of sincerity and selflessness.
I watched as she pulled them into her trap, just like I had pulled her into mine.
