All Chapters of The Vampire Heiress She Pretended to Be: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

In our previous life, Sylvia had done everything she could to be chosen by the Ashcrofts.She became Sylvia Ashcroft and believed a pureblood lady’s life was waiting for her. There would be expensive gowns, limitless blood allowances, and a family name that every low-ranking vampire in Greyhaven envied.Better still, Lucian, the only heir to House Ashcroft, would become her adoptive brother.An ancient pureblood heir and an orphaned girl adopted into his family, living beneath the same roof until they crossed the boundaries of their positions and fell in love.It was one of the oldest stories in vampire romance novels.What Sylvia had not expected was that Lucian would show her none of the tenderness of an older brother.On the contrary, he had despised her from the moment they met.“I hate greedy hypocrites more than anything,” he told her. “Don’t think I can’t see through you. You chose the Ashcrofts at the orphanage because you wanted our bloodline, our status, and our money.”At th

After arranging our first tutoring session, I returned to Ashcroft Manor.The enormous house was empty.Mr. Ashcroft was attending a family council meeting. Mrs. Ashcroft had gone to a private beauty clinic for her monthly blood rejuvenation treatment.Lucian, meanwhile, was probably having dinner at the Millers’ home.In my previous life, his driver had taken me home one night and the Millers happened to see him at the door. They warmly invited him to stay for dinner.Now the same story was unfolding around Sylvia.Lucian was probably sitting at the Millers’ narrow dining table. Sylvia would be wearing a faded dress and quietly urging Mrs. Miller not to serve their last packet of high-quality fortified blood to a guest.The Millers would lovingly scold her for being too considerate. They would insist that because it was Lucian’s first visit, they could not possibly offer him anything less than their best.The food would be far less refined than anything served at Ashcroft Manor, but t

The accusation spread faster than anyone expected.By the following afternoon, Night Academy’s largest conference room was packed.The principal, senior administrators, the newly appointed head of the Greyhaven Night Education Board, and representatives from both adoptive families sat at the front. Reporters crowded along the walls, broadcasting the investigation live across the city.What began as a dispute over a school performance had become a public scandal about pureblood privilege.Sylvia stood between Mr. and Mrs. Miller, wrapped in Lucian’s coat. Her eyes were red and swollen, while her adoptive parents held her protectively.Across the room, Mr. and Mrs. Ashcroft kept their distance from me.The principal asked Sylvia to explain what had happened.She lowered her head.“Tessa said girls like me belong behind the stage cleaning floors, not standing on it beside pureblood students.”The room erupted.“She reminded me that her family donated several buildings to the academy. She

Lucian's malice became quieter. At dinner, he set down a bowl of hot blood broth hard enough to splash my face. A housekeeper hurried for ice. Mrs. Ashcroft continued eating. Her husband merely told Lucian not to behave so crudely in front of staff.I pressed the ice to my cheek and studied the people around the table. Sylvia had spent years begging these parents to love her. They barely raised their own son. Why would they love a girl selected by a seer?Affection had no purchasing power here. Value did."I received my national examination results," I said. "I ranked first."Three heads lifted."St. Aldwyn University has offered me admission to its business program. Several networks want to interview my parents about education. I would also like to intern in Ashcroft Group's investment division."Mr. Ashcroft needed two seconds to calculate the benefit. Then he smiled."Of course. We should celebrate."Mrs. Ashcroft placed an arm around me for the interview. The photographs showed a p

Jewelry arrived at my university apartment. His driver waited after lectures. Desserts I had mentioned once appeared on my desk.I returned the jewelry, dismissed the car, and threw away the food.Lucian was not falling in love because Sylvia had missed a line in her performance. He was discovering that the qualities he desired had not transferred with our households. Sylvia could recreate the scenery of my old life, but not the self-possession that scenery had forced me to build.By then, he hardly mattered.I spent three years in Ashcroft Group's investment division. I learned how capital moved through Greyhaven, how executives disguised risk, and how old families protected themselves with charitable foundations.Mara entered St. Aldwyn to study computer science. She built a workforce management platform that could identify payroll fraud and unsafe staffing patterns. I secured a two-million-dollar seed investment from Ashcroft Group. Mara built the product. I found clients and negoti