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Home / Emotional Realism Short Story / Gold Digger or Heiress? / Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

All Chapters of Gold Digger or Heiress?: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

7 Chapters

Chapter 1

The moment I finished speaking, Victoria Sterling’s expression tightened.Only briefly.She had spent decades navigating the business world. Composure was second nature to her. Within a second, her usual air of superiority slipped back into place.Her gaze flicked to the black card on the table, and she gave a cold, dismissive laugh.“Ten million? At least try to make it sound believable. You think flashing some random card makes you an heiress? They hand those things out like flyers. That trick might fool someone else, but not me.”Behind her, my dear half-sister Lily Bennett burst into tears as if on cue.She clung to Victoria’s arm, her voice trembling.“Please don’t blame her, Mrs. Sterling. She… she must have had a hard time abroad. Maybe that’s why she cares so much about appearances… and says things she can’t prove. This is all my fault. If I hadn’t come back, Adrian wouldn’t have noticed me, and Claire wouldn’t hate me so much…”So fragile. So selfless. So perfectly rehearsed.

Chapter 2

I crossed my arms and leaned back against the sofa, meeting his gaze without a hint of warmth.“Adrian, what exactly did you see just now? Your mother has been waving a check in my face, telling me to disappear, while your precious Lily stood beside her adding fuel to the fire. And the moment you walk in, you blame me without asking a single question. Is this the trust you promised me when you were overseas?”His expression stiffened. For once, he had no immediate reply.Victoria stepped forward at once, placing herself in front of him.“And you have the nerve to bring that up? If you hadn’t used those cheap tricks to seduce my son overseas, he never would have lost his senses over you. I came today to clean up this mess. Apologize to me and Lily. Right now. Or don’t blame me for what happens next.”“Apologize?”I let out a short laugh. “You want me to apologize to a woman who tried to buy me off, and to an illegitimate daughter who stole my boyfriend?”“You!” Victoria raised her hand.

Chapter 3

Mr. Collins stood in front of Victoria, practically drenched in sweat, his smile strained with eagerness.“Mrs. Sterling, please don’t be upset. Grand Arcadia Mall will absolutely give you a satisfactory resolution. Would you like us to call the police?”“The police?”Victoria let out a short, cold laugh and set her teacup down with deliberate calm. Her gaze dragged slowly across my face.“That would be far too lenient. A criminal record would only invite gossip, that people saying my son once dated a thief. The Sterling family doesn’t tolerate that kind of disgrace.”She paused, her expression sharpening.“I want her searched. Her bag, and her person. Let everyone see exactly what kind of low-class liar she really is.”A body search.So this was where we were headed. Public humiliation, plain and simple.Mr. Collins hesitated. “Mrs. Sterling… that would violate store policy. We’re not authorized to conduct personal searches.”Victoria cut him off without a second thought.“Mr. Collins

Chapter 4

Adrian froze, frowning.“What’s so funny? You’re finished, and you still think this is amusing?”“I’m laughing,” I said, the smile fading from my face, “because you’re pathetic.”I met his gaze calmly.“Two women are playing you from start to finish, and you’re still standing here acting like some righteous judge. Do you have any idea how ridiculous you look?”“What nonsense,”Victoria cut in sharply.“The evidence is right there, and you’re still trying to argue your way out of it? Clearly, you won’t stop until you’re forced to. Mr. Collins, call the police.”“Wait.”I raised a hand, stopping him just as he reached for his phone.My gaze swept across the room before settling on him.“Mr. Collins. You’ve been managing this mall for five years, haven’t you?”He blinked, caught off guard, but nodded anyway.“Yes… just over five years. Why?”“Five years is a long time.”I picked up the brooch and turned it slowly between my fingers, my tone light.“Then you should know who the majority sh

Chapter 5

The moment the name Claire Bennett rang through the VIP lounge, the air seemed to lock in place.Mr. Collins reacted first.His knees buckled. The color drained from his face as he stared at me, lips trembling.“M-Miss Bennett…” he stammered. “You… you’re the Bennett Group’s heiress?”Grand Arcadia Mall was owned by the Bennett Group. Anyone at his level knew the chairman had a daughter who’d spent years abroad.And her name.Was Claire Bennett.I glanced at him.“At least you remember who signs your paycheck.”That was all it took.He dropped to his knees.Not metaphorically. Literally.He crawled forward, panic written all over his face.“Miss Bennett, I was blind. I didn’t recognize you. Please, just this once, have mercy. I swear it won’t happen again.”The entire room went silent.Victoria’s arrogance crumbled, piece by piece. She couldn’t reconcile the woman she had dismissed as a gold digger with the one who had just reduced a mall manager to begging on his knees.Adrian stood f

Chapter 6

I turned to Mr. Collins.“Call the police.“Report theft, framing, and defamation.“And notify legal. I want charges filed.”Lily’s sobs turned into panicked screams.“No! Please don’t call them. Claire, I was wrong. I really was. Please let me go. We’re sisters.”“Sisters?”I leaned down, my voice quiet enough for only her to hear.“The moment you decided to frame me, you lost the right to say that word.“Pray for mercy somewhere far less forgiving.”“Claire Bennett, you can’t do this.”Victoria rushed forward, her composure completely gone.“If this gets out, what will happen to the Sterling family? Adrian’s reputation will be ruined.”I looked at her, amused.“Now you care about reputation?”Where was that concern when she threw a check in my face?Adrian stepped forward, his voice strained.“Claire… for the sake of what we had, can you give her one more chance? If she gets a record, her life is over.”“What we had?”I smiled faintly.“Adrian, whatever we had ended the moment your f

Chapter 7

Ethan Bennett.I wasn’t surprised.“He’s always resented you,” she continued. “He believes that without you, he’d be the heir. When Lily approached him, he saw an opportunity to humiliate you and send a warning.”“Pathetic,” I said.“If he wants a stage so badly, I’ll make sure he never gets to perform again.”“Understood.”“And the Sterlings?”Cici gave a small nod.“After your father’s orders, the Sterling Group’s stock crashed in the final thirty minutes of trading and triggered a halt.“All partner banks have demanded immediate repayment.“The headlines are already out: ‘Sterling Group on the Brink of Collapse.’”I felt nothing.It was exactly what they deserved.......A few days later, I received an unexpected call.Adrian.His voice was hoarse, stripped of all the confidence he once carried.“Claire… can we meet?”I almost refused.But some endings deserved to be clean.We met at the same café.He looked like a different person, gaunt, exhausted, his suit wrinkled. The former go

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