Chapter 3

As soon as Mr. Thorne finished speaking, the other nineteen daughters pulled out their phones and jumped into action.

“My mom’s an entrepreneur—I’ve been learning the ropes from her since I was a kid. I’ve got this!”

“I have a PhD in finance. I know exactly how to grow this money!”

They all started showing off their credentials.

Some immediately opened stock trading apps.

Others navigated to investment fund platforms.

Some used the $100,000 as seed money to draft business proposals on the spot.

Others capitalized on the moment by going live on TikTok:

“I’m at the billionaire’s mansion, live from the heir selection! Follow for exclusive updates on this crazy family inheritance showdown!”

But as I stared at the bank card the guard handed me, I felt completely helpless.

I never even finished high school—the orphanage kicked me out to sell things on the streets to survive.

These women were all educated, polished professionals. How could I possibly compete?

Valerie noticed my panic and laughed mockingly:

“Everyone else is hard at work, and you don’t even have a phone. You think you can compete for the inheritance?”

Valerie didn’t just look down on me.

She looked down on all the other illegitimate daughters too:

“I graduated top of my class from business school. When it comes to making money, none of you stand a chance.”

She then split her focus: buying stocks and drafting an investment proposal to present to Mr. Thorne in an hour.

Mom encouraged me:

“Scarlett, remember what they say: ‘Don’t fear the trust fund kids who spend money—fear the ones who think they can actually run a business.’”

“Let them play their games. This round, you win by doing absolutely nothing.”

“Even if you have to fake it, act like you’ve got everything under control!”

She added:

“You’ve been in the real world since you were a kid, facing all its hardships. When it comes to reading people, none of them can touch you.”

“Now start watching your billionaire dad closely. You never know when that might come in handy.”

Her words gave me new confidence.

After a moment’s thought, I stepped back to a corner and began studying Mr. Thorne, trying to get a read on his personality and temperament.

While the other daughters pulled out all the stops, my focus stayed solely on Mr. Thorne.

My unusual calmness caught Mr. Thorne’s attention.

He had Alfred come over to me:

“Why aren’t you doing anything?”

Following Mom’s advice, I answered without hesitation:

“Protecting an empire is far harder than building one.”

“With today’s economic uncertainty, I’d rather play it safe to protect the wealth you’ve worked so hard to build, Father.”

No sooner had I spoken than someone screamed:

“My stocks just crashed! This can’t be happening!”

Another woman kicked over a chair:

“Scammers! This investment firm is a total fraud—my money got converted to crypto and stolen!”

“Who shut down my TikTok stream? I just paid for promotion!”

In the middle of the chaos, I met Mr. Thorne’s gaze calmly.

A faint glimmer appeared in his eyes, but he said nothing.

An hour passed quickly.

My strategy of doing nothing actually landed me in fifth place, advancing me to the next round.

Mom! Thank you! I’m one step closer to that multi-billion-dollar fortune!

Valerie, meanwhile, had earned $50,000 through her own efforts.

Her written proposal also earned high praise from Mr. Thorne.

Watching her advance in first place, the other daughters were green with envy.

As we followed Alfred upstairs again, Valerie deliberately bumped into me:

“Scarlett, you just got lucky. It’s not too late to quit and leave.”

“Otherwise, once I become heir, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

I gave her a cold stare, making a silent vow.

Once I inherit those billions, she’ll pay for what she did to me as a kid!

When we reached the luxurious dining room, Alfred surprisingly pulled out a chair for me:

“Scarlett, please have a seat here.”

I didn’t think much of it at first.

But as I started toward the chair, I noticed Valerie smirking at me, like she was waiting for me to embarrass myself.