Stolen Gold, Live Humiliation: Exposing the Fake Heiress의 모든 챕터: 챕터 1 - 챕터 10

“A little won’t kill you. We have a family doctor.”I stared at the shrimp ball for two seconds, then picked it up and ate it.A few minutes later, my neck started to itch.Red hives spread across my skin.Chloe let out a startled little cry, then tears started spilling down her face.“I didn’t know she was really allergic... I thought she just didn’t like me...”Mrs. Bennett immediately pulled her into her arms and patted her back, soothing her. Then she turned and glared at me.“Hey you—if it was a real allergy, why didn’t you say so earlier? Were you trying to make Chloe cry?”I touched the rash on my neck and answered softly,“I did say so. You just didn’t believe me.”Then I stood up. Without looking at anyone else, I turned and went back to my room.The door had barely been shut for thirty seconds before Ethan pushed it open and came in after me. His face was cold as ice, and when he spoke, he kept his voice low.“Watch what you say. Don’t mention a single word about what happene

“They found the Bennett family’s real daughter, huh? She’s gorgeous. Very ice-queen.”The tips of my ears burned.My old social anxiety nearly kicked in on the spot. I had to grip my skirt tight just to keep myself together. Still, I kept my face composed and walked in with a cool, calm expression.Chloe immediately came over and linked her arm through mine, smiling like we were the closest sisters in the world.“There you are, Nina. Let me introduce you to a few senior members from the literary association. It’ll help when you join later—people will look out for you.”She guided me over to several men in suits, then softened her voice into something sugary and sweet.“My sister writes a little on online platforms, but she’s still pretty unknown. I hope you’ll all take care of her in the future.”A few of the board members looked me up and down, then curled their lips in faintly mocking smiles.“Getting into the association takes real talent. A pretty face won’t do it.”“Exactly. You c

5I stood in front of the airport’s floor-to-ceiling windows, staring at the patch of sky where my plane had just disappeared.My phone buzzed in my pocket for the thirty-fourth time.Ethan’s name glowed on the screen.I powered it off.Overhead, announcements alternated between French and English as I moved with the crowd toward the exit.The air in Paris was cooler than back home, carrying the mixed scent of fresh bread and coffee.I flagged down a cab and, in halting English, gave the driver the name of the hotel near the school.He was a heavyset middle-aged man who asked, in thickly accented English, whether I was here to study.I said yes.He smiled and said, “Bienvenue.”Welcome.I leaned against the window and watched streets and buildings I’d never seen before slide past me like scenes from a foreign film.After checking into the hotel, I lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a long time.My phone was completely quiet.No one was looking for me.I turned over and slept

“Nina, I—”“Go home.”I stepped around him and headed for the building entrance.As I passed him, I paused for a second.“Ethan, you never loved me. You loved Midnight Lantern—the version of me on the other side of a screen, the one who could make you laugh. The one who built you dreams at a keyboard.“You couldn’t even be bothered to really see what I was like in real life.”I didn’t wait for his answer. I swiped my key card and went inside.As the door shut behind me, I heard a quiet “I’m sorry” from outside.I went upstairs and looked out the window once.Ethan was still standing under that plane tree, head lowered, shoulders slightly slumped.I pulled the curtains closed.7He came back the next day.This time with a bouquet of red roses, left on the ground outside the building.I saw them when I went downstairs.I walked right past.On the third day, it was white roses, with a card that said "I’m sorry."I bent down, picked up the card, folded it in half, then folded it again and

Summer and Ivy were seated one row behind me, gripping each other’s hands so tightly they looked even more nervous than I was.Onstage, the presenter said a long string of words in Swedish.I didn’t understand most of it.But I heard my name.When I stood, the hem of my gown brushed against the chair. I took a deep breath. My palms were slick with sweat.The walk to the stage felt endless.The camera flashes were so bright I could barely keep my eyes open.I stopped in front of the microphone.The room quieted.Hundreds of eyes were on me.My social anxiety had never really gone away.My heart was pounding so hard it made my chest ache.But I spoke anyway.“This book is called Darkwater.”My voice carried through the microphone with the slightest tremor.“It means a river flowing quietly underground. You can’t see it, but it never stops moving.”The hall stayed silent.“When I wrote it, I had no family and no one beside me. Just a computer.”No one moved.“I want to say this to everyon