Chapter 1

"Truth or dare?" my stepsister, Giselle Chatham, asked as she looked at me with a half-smile.

In my mind, the stern, aged voice that called itself the Council boomed, "Choose truth! Giselle is testing you! She's about to ask if you stole her ruby necklace. You must admit it in front of everyone! Your father values honesty above all else—confessing will prove you're a forthright young lady!"

My hands on my knees tightened. Her ruby necklace? I had never even seen it before!

Then, before my eyes, a flood of red bullet comments scrolled past frantically.

"Don't listen to the old fart! Whatever you do, don't admit it!"

"If you admit it, you'll be branded a thief!"

The voice in my head and the words before my eyes clashed, making my temples throb.

"Addy?" Giselle tilted her head and asked in a sweet and innocent voice, "Why aren't you saying anything? Are you really hiding an unspeakable secret?"

The Council in my mind grew furious. "You fool! Why are you hesitating? You've utterly disgraced the Council! Quick, pick truth!"

A sharp pain struck, and cold sweat broke out across my skin. For the past month, whenever I disobeyed the Council, I would be punished for it.

I bit down hard on my lower lip and forced the words out through trembling lips. "I choose... truth."

Giselle's smile widened. "Well, Addy, did you take my ruby necklace? If you did, just give it back. I won't blame you for it."

Every gaze in the room focused on me, filled with scrutiny and contempt.

My father, James Chatham, stood not far away, conversing with other guests, but he was clearly paying attention to what was going on over here, too.

A bullet comment flashed before my eyes, the font larger, appearing almost distraught. "Hurry up and say it wasn't you!"

But the Council in my mind roared, "Hurry up and admit it, you idiot! Just feel your handbag! That bitch already stuffed the necklace inside! If you don't admit it now, she'll demand a body search, and then you'll be caught red-handed! The only way out now is to admit it voluntarily!"

I instinctively pressed my handbag. When my fingertips touched a hard, foreign object, my heart instantly went cold. It really was inside.

The pain intensified, making it impossible for me to think, so I took a deep breath and muttered, "Yes. I took it."

The entire room erupted in uproar, and the bullet comments flashing before my eyes wailed in despair.

"It's over! Completely over! This fool is beyond saving!"

"The real heiress has become a thief! She'll never wash this off!"

Giselle covered her mouth in feigned surprise. "Addy, it really was you? If you were short on money, you could have just said so! Why did you have to steal? This was the keepsake my mom left me!"

Her eyes reddened, and her suitors around her immediately glared at me.

"She's shameless. Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"Sticky fingers. She should just go back to the countryside where she belongs."

James strode over to me, his expression dark.

I lowered my head, shaking uncontrollably from head to toe. It was over. There was no way I could still be the heiress after this.

"Dad, Addy didn't mean to..." Giselle was still pretending to plead for me.

But the very next second, James whipped out a black bank card. "Good! Good for you, Addy! You actually owned up to what you did!"

Everyone froze. James, however, smiled with approval.

"I knew it! My daughter is upright to the core! She has the courage to admit her mistakes! I've wronged you before, Addy, so I'm going to make it up to you."

He pressed the black card into my hand. "Addy, there's no spending limit on this card. Take it and spend it however you wish. You can buy whatever you want! There's no need to take other people's things!"

The smile on Giselle's face froze instantly.

"See that? I was right! Your father values character!" The Council laughed triumphantly.

I clutched the cold black card and felt the gazes around me shift to ones of envy and jealousy.

Honestly, how could I have doubted the Council? For over a month, it was entirely thanks to it that I had managed to gain a foothold in the Chatham family.

I blocked out the frantically scrolling comments and lowered my head obediently. "Thanks, Dad. I know I was wrong."

After the banquet ended and the guests dispersed, Giselle linked arms with me, as if she had never framed me. "Addy, you're really something! You've even got Dad's temper figured out! I don't even have a black card!"

Just then, the butler announced from the doorway, "Mr. Chatham, Mr. Hudson is here."

Maxwell Hudson was heir to the Hudson family, Silverlake City's top-tier elite, and the marriage prospect the Chatham family was desperate to court.

Originally, the engagement had been Giselle's, but after my return, James intended for me to take her place instead.

A man with a cold, predatory gaze walked in. His gaze swept over Giselle and me like he was appraising goods.

The Council in my mind tensed. "Quick! This is your future husband! Go bring him a pair of slippers and get on your knees to help him change into them! He falls hardest for that. He'll develop a soft spot for you."

I stared at Maxwell's leather shoes and wondered if I was really supposed to do that in front of everyone.

The warning pain struck again. "Why are you hesitating? Are you already getting cocky now that you've just got the black card? If you can't get Maxwell's affection, the entire Chatham family is done for!"

I gritted my teeth.

The bullet comments screamed, "Don't kneel! He's treating you like a lowly maid!"

Despite the comments, I walked quickly to the entryway.

With a thud, I dropped to both knees. Then, holding up the slippers, I said, "Mr. Hudson, please change into these slippers."