Chapter 1

Silence stretched on for two seconds before Mom spoke again.

"Winona, what the heck are you talking about?" she asked, sounding half-asleep. "Your dad's illegitimate daughter? Even if he had the time to cheat on me, he wouldn't have the guts."

My words caught in my throat as memories came rushing back.

Growing up, I'd always known my dad as Arthur Melville, the decisive, no-nonsense businessman who ran the company with an iron fist. At home, though, he was practically Mom's devoted puppy.

That was why I'd taken Mom's last name, Grant, from birth.

Even if I didn't trust Dad's self-control, I had to trust Mom's ability to keep her husband in line.

Actually, that made a lot of sense.

"But there's an intern at the company named Sandy Melville! Everyone says she's Mr. Melville's biological daughter. His actual daughter!"

I made sure to emphasize Dad's name.

"Wait."

Mom immediately hung up.

Less than three minutes later, my phone buzzed with a detailed report.

It was from Mom's all-purpose secretary, Samuel Johnson.

"Sandy Melville, 22. Both parents deceased. One of several underprivileged students secretly sponsored by Mr. Melville over the years. Graduated from Brixton University and was recommended for an internship at the company through the group's charitable foundation."

A photo was attached at the bottom. It showed Sandy standing onstage beside Dad at a charity event, representing the beneficiaries of the program.

So that was it.

She had the Melville last name, a photo of herself with Dad on her desk, and a few carefully planted hints that suggested there was more to their relationship.

Just like that, Sandy had packaged herself as the heiress of a wealthy family—a fraud who assumed everyone else was a fraud, too.

Fuming, I grabbed my phone and immediately called Dad to report what was going on.

But the person who answered was his assistant, Liam Burton.

"Ms. Grant, Mr. Melville is currently in Boroupe negotiating an important merger and acquisition deal. His meetings are scheduled back-to-back. He specifically instructed me that if you called, I was to handle everything unless the company was on fire or your life was in immediate danger."

I nearly exploded.

"I have something important to tell him!" I shouted. "Someone at the company is pretending to be his daughter! And now that I've started working here, when are you going to reinstate my credit card?"

Liam's voice remained polite, yet rigid.

"Ms. Grant, the reinstatement of your credit limit depends on whether you can secure a permanent position after your internship through your own abilities, without relying on your family name.

"Mr. Melville also requires you to keep a low profile until then. You're not to reveal your identity or use it to gain any unfair advantages."

With that, the call ended.

I stared at my darkened screen, practically picturing Dad issuing those instructions in the middle of a negotiation, wearing that smug expression.

"That's what you get for spending so recklessly," he'd say. "Time to experience a little hardship."

Ugh, this was infuriating!

Fine. I'd make it on my own, then.