I had lived by my mother’s final words for fifteen years. Until I turned twenty, I was never to show my beauty or my talents. So I made myself plain, acted like I knew nothing, and blended into the background of the Jones family home like a piece of furniture no one noticed. Today was my twentieth birthday.
And I was done hiding. But before I could celebrate, I was yanked back into the shadows. Miss Jones—my stepmother’s daughter, Paige—was getting married, and I was ordered to the front hall. “Alana, what are you sneaking around in here for?
If you don’t show up, people will start whispering and potentially tarnish the Jones family’s image. ”
That maid, Melody Ahmed, had never been polite to me. Since my mother died, I had been locked away in a side room, ignored by my father, my stepmother Kira, and her illegitimate daughter Paige. They had taken everything.
I went to change. Melody sneered. “What’s the point? With that ugly face of yours, no dress can save you.
”
The Evans family was already there. Cole Evans, the heir, was a business genius. Paige was the city’s favorite socialite. Their engagement was all over the news, a perfect couple, a match made in heaven.
I didn’t care. I just wanted to get through the day. But then the wedding registration hit a snag. “Mr.
Evans, the system says you’re already married. Your wife is listed as Ms. Alana Marsh. ”
The screen showed Cole and me as husband and wife.
The date went back two years. Cole was as confused as everyone else. But the Evans family had strict traditions. A man could only remarry if his wife had passed away.
So the one walking down the aisle today had to be me. Paige was furious. “Everyone in Ublanto knows I’m the one meant to marry him. And now you’re swapping me out for Alana?
”
Kira tried to intervene. “That pathetic brat doesn’t belong anywhere near him. ”
But it was decided. I walked down the aisle in the 100 million-dollar dress strung with over 400,000 diamonds and pearls—the dress Paige had dreamed of wearing.
Kiara and Darren had scraped together 500 million just to keep up appearances, to marry their daughter off in a way the whole city would talk about. In the end, it all became mine. As Cole’s reputation promised—dangerous, decisive, impossible to predict—I knew better than to get careless. I had no idea why I became his wife.
I had to find out the truth as soon as possible. Kiara, Darren, and Paige could only watch as everything they’d sacrificed sparkled on the wrong girl. Cole ignored the commotion and took me away on his private jet. On the jet, he watched me closely.
“You’re not as clumsy as you pretend. When Paige lunged at you, you moved like a trained fighter, not a scared girl. ”
“That was just instinct. ”
“We’ll see.
I’m just waiting to see how long you can keep up the charade. ”
That night, he stripped down and called me to bed. I suggested we talk instead. He mocked me, then offered a deal: he’d keep my admirers away, I wouldn’t interfere in his life, and once this was sorted, I’d disappear.
I agreed. But the next morning, I woke up in his bed. “You climbed in yourself,” he said. “You even whispered sweet nothings, calling me darling.
”
“You’re a disgusting liar. ”
“I took some videos. ”
He showed me. I had sleepwalked right into his bed, wrapped my limbs around him, and called him names while he spanked me playfully.
My stomach twisted. I tore off the covers and sprinted into the bathroom, slamming the door. The Evans family was waiting for us at breakfast. They were cold and sharp.
Irene, Cole’s aunt, wasted no time. “Alana, do you realize the entire city is practically counting down the days until Cole ends up a widower? ”
I didn’t take the bait. “I haven’t really kept up with the news.
”
She got to the point. Cole was supposed to marry Paige. I was a last-minute replacement, and it was dragging down the Evans Group’s stock price. As Cole’s wife, it fell on me to protect the family’s reputation.
“What makes her qualified to be the matriarch? ” Irene’s son Jeff sneered. “This family is packed with scholars and high achievers. ”
“If my wife doesn’t deserve your respect,” Cole said, “then maybe I don’t, either.
”
I was surprised he stood up for me. But I decided to take charge anyway. “Iren’s right. As the family matriarch, I should handle the online mess myself.
”
Old man Ruben, Cole’s grandfather, had a different challenge for me. “Because of your education gap, I’m giving you one year to catch up. I’ll enroll you in the best school, and by next summer, you’ll take the SATs and earn a place at a university. ”
I surprised everyone.
“Ruben, I may not have attended school recently, but I’ve been studying on my own. I want to sit for this year’s SATs. ”
Ruben agreed. Cole had me registered to take the SATs at Kent High School.
Before that, though, I wanted to visit my family. Cole drove me. My stepsister Paige confronted me, furious. “What sick game did you play to hook Cole?
”
“Paige, you must have forgotten. I didn’t lift a finger, and then Cole became my husband. ”
Then I twisted the knife. “Oh, and just so you know, Cole and I slept together last night.
What can I say? That body, that strength, those skills. It’s a shame you’ll never get to experience that. ”
I was there for another reason, too.
My mother, Rita, was a medical prodigy. She had been sensible, never one to cause drama. Even when she discovered Darren’s affair and his illegitimate daughter, she chose to focus on her research. Then one night, a fire tore through the Jones family home.
She dragged me to safety, whispered a few final words, and ran back into the flames, never to return. But I knew she was still out there. I was determined to find her. Kira and Paige were plotting something.
“Once we capture those compromising photos of Alana and spread them online, let’s see how long the Evans family holds on to those absurd traditions. ”
Kira invited me to a family dinner at the Royal Club. I knew it was a trap, but I went. She spiked my coffee.
I swapped the cups. She drank it and started feeling woozy. Her plan backfired. Instead of me being sent upstairs with a few guys to snap photos, she stumbled onto the dance floor, making a spectacle of herself.
A man approached her. “You must be starving for attention, ma’am. No man at home to keep you warm? ”
“I have a husband,” she slurred, “an impotent loser I’ve put up with for far too long.
”
The whole club saw it. The chaos was mine to watch from a hidden corner. Kira’s disgrace was exploding across every screen in the city. Paige tried to spin it, calling me a jealous snake.
But Cole’s friend Manley saw through it. “You turned their own smear campaign back on them. ”
I had used one disaster to distract the public from another. Cole even joked about handing over the company’s PR department to me.
Later, Paige cornered Cole at a party, crying about how she missed him. She blamed me for everything—spiking her mom’s drink, ruining her family’s reputation. Cole pulled me away from her grasp. I made it clear.
“The Evans family has standards, Paige, and Cole doesn’t trade loyalty for your drama. ”
The game had changed. I was finally ready to play. A few days later, I found a stray cat outside.
Cole, surprisingly, drove me to the vet. While he waited in the car, I sent a picture of him to my friend. “They say Cole’s a total heartthrob. Is it true?
”
“Yep. Apparently, he’s into ugly women. ”
Cole caught me. “I see you snapping secret pictures.
Who are you chatting with? ”
I wouldn’t show him. “Give me a kiss and I’ll tell you. ”
When I brought the cat into the Evans mansion, Jeff started a fight.
“No furry critters allowed. Get that cat out of here this instant. ”
I called his bluff. “So, animals with fur are banned?
Wait. Are you calling me names? ”
But then Reuben slammed his mug on the table. “Get on your knees.
”
Jeff protested, but Reuben was furious. “Disrespecting her isn’t just rude, it’s disgraceful. If I don’t rein you in now, this family will look like a circus. ”
So Jeff kneeled, and Irene was grounded for three days.
As a thank-you to Cole for letting me keep the cat, I gave him a delicate incense pouch I had made, filled with herbs to help with his allergies. Cole told me he was heading to Valant to find Dr. Milena Atkinson, a legendary healer who might be able to save the Henderson’s paralyzed daughter. He didn’t know it, but I was Milena Atkinson.
I kept that secret. The next few days were quiet. I buried myself in SAT study. Paige’s mother’s scandal had blown over, and Paige was making a comeback.
She got engaged to Rayland Hudson, the man who once called me ugly. Paige invited me to her engagement party, trying to humiliate me. I told her I’d be there. But first, Cole’s assistant brought me jewelry—Endless Love, a one-of-a-kind piece worth 10 billion.
Cole wanted me to wear it. At the party, everyone mocked my plain dress. Paige shamelessly paraded her 30 million in jewelry. Then I took the stage.
“Raylan and I have actually been engaged for quite some time. ”
The crowd gasped. But I wasn’t there to claim him. “I stand before you today to announce my intention to dissolve any past connection with Rayland Hudson.
” I was a married woman, and my husband was far superior in every measure. The crowd’s opinion shifted. Then they noticed my dress was a genuine Rosa—worth around 8 million. And my jewelry was Endless Love, worth 10 billion.
Paige’s 500,000 dress suddenly looked cheap. Paige cracked, accusing me of stealing everything. Then Cole walked in. “I’m here for my wife.
”
He shut down the rumors. “The marriage agreement never said which Jones daughter would marry into the Evans family. We chose Alana, that was our right. ”
I left with Cole, leaving Paige humiliated.
She screamed and smashed her hair accessories on the floor. Then the hotel manager arrived and banned her from all Ublento Hotel properties worldwide. “This comes directly from Lexi herself. ”
Paige was stunned.
She had never even met Lexi, the mysterious owner of the hotel. Kira tried to comfort her with a surprise—a fancy dinner at the same hotel. Cole was there, meeting with Matthew Santos, the head of the Star Society, a powerful organization. Cole was offering 500 million to find Milena Atkinson—me.
I had silently messaged Matthew to pretend he didn’t know me. Cole was oblivious that the person he sought was sitting right beside him. It was hilarious. I declined the offer through Matthew, telling Cole that Lexi had refused the mission.
The family was disappointed, but I had other things to focus on. The SATs. Trinity, my cousin by marriage, was sitting for them too. She was the family’s pride, groomed for success.
I was the surprise nobody believed in. But I had been studying on my own for years. The night before the exam, Cole came to my room. “I’m heading out on a business trip.
Not sure when I’ll be back. If anything gets too much, just call me. ”
I wished him safe travels. I didn’t tell him who I really was.
The SATs came and went. I was confident, but I didn’t reveal my score. Trinity was celebrated as the next genius. I remained quiet.
Then Paige got a new ally. Merit Carmen, a legendary figure with connections to the darker corners of the world. She posted a photo with him, calling him her godfather. Her comeback was calculated.
She messaged me: “I can tell you everything about the fire, but only if you agree to my terms. I want you on the cast of my new reality show, The Highest Graduation Trip. ”
I knew it was a trap. But she dangled the truth about the fire that killed my mother.
I agreed. On set, I was cast as the fool. Paige and her allies mocked me. But I had my own plan.
I was there to uncover the truth. During a live segment, I looked straight into the camera. “My motto is this—I’m here to uncover the truth behind that fire. The real culprit should be the one trembling right now.
”
Paige panicked. She tried to shut me down. But I hit a nerve. “You’re three years my senior.
Isn’t that intriguing, half sister? ”
The audience went silent. I had exposed the secret. Paige was my half-sister, the product of my father’s affair.
And she knew something about the fire. Later, I found the evidence I needed. Matthew sent me footage of Luciano Scott, the famous painter, meeting with Merit and Paige. They were colluding to make Paige the star of the show through a scripted artistic victory.
Luciano’s loyalty was for sale. I also noticed an ordinary girl on the show, Haley, who was being bullied by the others. She reminded me of myself. I defended her.
Later, she whispered, “I saw it. The flick of your fingers, the needle. I want to tell you a secret. I overheard Haley and Paige—they’re planning to sabotage you.
”
I wasn’t surprised. I had expected it. During the final segment, Luciano Scott presented a painting—Spring Goddess, by the artist Rosa. He praised it as a masterpiece from his idol.
But I had painted Spring Goddess. He was praising my work, calling him his idol. Paige gave a rehearsed interpretation, moving Luciano to tears. He announced he would mentor her.
Then he turned to me with icy contempt. “Since Paige requested I mentor you, I’ll extend one opportunity. Share your interpretation of this globally acclaimed masterpiece. ”
The eyes of the world were on me, waiting for me to crumble.
But I just asked a question. “Do either of you actually understand oil painting? ”
The crowd gasped. Luciano was furious.
“Alana, since you claim I lack understanding, you must be a virtuoso. Enlighten us. Critique Spring Goddess for the millions watching. ”
I refused.
“You’re not qualified to request my commentary. ”
Paige stepped in, apologizing on my behalf. “She’s been indulged since she was a child. I offer my deepest apologies.
”
They dismissed me like trash. But I just pulled out my phone to watch the comments. They were mocking me. But I knew the higher they lifted Paige now, the more spectacular her fall would be.
It was time for the final segment—a live painting demonstration. I walked to my easel and picked up my materials, giving them both a loaded glance. Today, I would dismantle the financial empire supporting this charade.
It was time to paint.
