The Bankrupt Heiress

After my family went bankrupt, I set my sights on the wealthy circle of childhood friends.

Brandon was the first to take the bait.

After stringing him along for three months, I happened to overhear a conversation he had with his friends:

A down-and-out socialite, and you're still showering her with attention? Don't tell me you two are actually in love?

Brandon let out a dismissive laugh. "True love? Please. Her family went bankrupt, so I can have some fun with her. If I were really going to marry, I'd have to choose a proper heiress."

My heart shattered.

That very night, I cleared out his place.

Without a moment's hesitation, I texted the next wealthy childhood friend on my list: "I broke up with him. Come get me."

The VIP room door hadn't been fully shut.

As Brandon spoke, I could even see him idly twirling his lighter, his narrow, almond-shaped eyes filled with a chilling indifference.

"Just a bit of fun, that's all. My family is already setting up arranged meetings for me."

"Aren't you worried about Rachel getting angry? She used to be quite the social queen, famously headstrong!"

Brandon let out a light laugh. "Used to be, you said it yourself. She's living off my money now. Even if she knew I was going on dates, what right does she have to cause a scene?"

I froze in place.

Just a few months ago, my family had gone bankrupt.

It was Brandon who stepped forward, patiently comforting me. "Rachel, be with me. I'll take care of you for life."

And he had kept his word.

No clothes? Top luxury brands sent their stylists to my door.

No place to live? He bought me an apartment in the city.

No money to spend? Fifty thousand a month transferred directly to my card.

Now, he was openly discussing the "cost" of keeping me in a VIP room.

"How much has Brandon sunk into her these past few months?"

"Three to five hundred thousand, I'd say."

"Isn't that a bit much? No matter how 'high-class' she once was, that's ancient history now. Is she really worth that price?"

The group started to egg him on.

"The model I'm seeing only cost me five grand for three months! Don't you dare inflate the market price!"

"What if you feed this fallen socialite's ego too much, and she eventually gets too comfortable being a kept woman and tries to force a marriage?"

That last remark made Brandon thoughtful.

Before I could hear his reply, a hand clapped me on the shoulder.

"Well, well, if it isn't Miss Rachel? Why are you standing out here instead of coming in?"

I turned.

Meeting a pair of eyes that held a knowing, mocking glint.

It was Dylan.

To put our relationship in perspective, his cousin was my childhood friend.

As for him, he was, at best, my sworn rival.

When my family first went bankrupt, he was the first to call, gloating.

"Heard the Yao family went broke? So, the princess is going to be homeless, huh? If you beg me nicely, I might consider taking you in..."

My pride was still soaring back then, and I immediately blocked his number.

Months passed.

He was still as irritating as ever. As he brushed past me, he let out an abrupt chuckle.

I didn't utter a word.

Silently, I followed Dylan into the room.

"Rachel's here?"

"Quick, quick, come sit next to Brandon."

Countless gazes, eager for drama, fixated on me. I pretended not to notice, finding the empty seat beside Brandon and quietly taking it.

"Rachel, I ordered some drinks for you. Have a glass!"

Someone next to me pushed a high-proof drink my way.

I glanced at Brandon.

He wasn't looking in my direction, nor did he seem to notice my predicament.

"I don't drink."

"We're all adults here, how could you not drink? Or are you looking down on me, Rachel?"

The commotion drew the attention of everyone in the room.

Brandon finally looked over.

But not to intervene. Instead, he stared at me, a slight frown on his face. "Don't be a spoilsport."

Three dismissive words.

He seemed to have completely forgotten that in similar situations before, he would not only prevent me from drinking but also thoughtfully order a sparkling water, shielding me from all harassment.

In the end, I took the glass. "Alright, I'll drink it."

The high-proof alcohol burned its way down my throat.

Before long, my mind felt light and airy.

Brandon got up to use the restroom.

Remembering the purpose of my visit today, I pushed through the haze and followed him.

"Brandon."

"What is it?"

"I'm out of money."

Brandon frowned. "Didn't I just transfer your living expenses last month?"

I bit my lip. "It's all gone."

"You're not some heiress anymore, what kind of expenses do you have?"

Brandon lit a cigarette, and in the flickering light, he gently exhaled a puff of smoke.

"Rachel, I hope you're smart enough to know your place. Don't be too greedy."

Brandon left.

Leaving me alone in front of the mirror, the corners of my eyes, reddened by alcohol, showing nothing but hurt.

"Hmph."

A snicker came from around the corner.

It was Dylan again.

From his angle, he could clearly see me in the mirror. "Looks like Miss Rachel's judgment isn't so good after all. You went to all that trouble to hook up with Brandon, and now he doesn't even want to give you living expenses. That's quite humiliating."

"Are you enjoying my misfortune?"

Dylan admitted it directly. "Of course."

"Then you've had your fill. You can leave now."

Dylan stopped talking.

But he didn't leave.

Since he wasn't going, I wiped the corner of my eye and walked away.

As we brushed past each other, I suddenly heard Dylan's voice. "How much do you want?"

"A hundred thousand."

A few seconds later.

Five hundred thousand landed in my bank account.

Dylan's voice seemed to echo right beside my ear. "Rachel, five hundred thousand in three months, what's that? If you want it, I can give it to you in a second."

I looked up.

Just in time to see him shift his gaze uncomfortably.

"Can you unblock me now?"

With five hundred thousand in my account, I finally, as Brandon wished, stopped asking him for money.

He clearly thought I had succumbed to reality, forced to learn obedience.

He didn't even bother to hide his arranged dates from me anymore.

"This week, I'm going back to the family estate to meet Charlotte from the Lin family. Don't bother me unless it's urgent."

As Brandon said this, his assistant happened to mention a gift:

"Mr. Brandon, the auction is next Monday. Eight million has already been transferred to your private account. Barring any surprises, we should be able to secure that jewelry set."

The invitation had arrived half a month ago.

The jewelry set the assistant mentioned was the most dazzling piece in the collection.

The starting bid alone was five million.

Assistant: "You can take Miss Charlotte, and then you'll have the perfect welcome gift for her."

I listened quietly for a while before speaking. "Next week is my birthday."

Brandon paused.

He seemed to have just remembered.

But quickly made his decision. "Go pick out a bag for yourself tomorrow. Fifty thousand budget."

A fifty thousand bag.

An eight million jewelry set.

The disparity was so immense, I couldn't help but ask directly, "Can't you give me that jewelry set?"

"Give it to you?"

Brandon laughed aloud.

"Rachel, Charlotte from the Lin family is different from you. She has expensive tastes. A mere fifty thousand bag, she wouldn't even look at it."

"Different people deserve different things. Do you think you're worth an eight million jewelry set?"

Why not?

Before my family went bankrupt, my most expensive jewelry sets were in the tens of millions, and my gowns for galas were often royal heirlooms.

My standards were several times higher than Charlotte's.

It was just that after the family's upheaval, outsiders saw me as worthless.

I lowered my gaze and said softly:

"Brandon, let's break up."

When I suggested breaking up, Brandon looked as if he'd heard a joke.

Even his assistant's eyes held a hint of disdain.

"Rachel, I advise you not to make such impulsive decisions. Break up with me, and can you really handle living in poverty?"

"Then, forget an eight million jewelry set, you won't even be able to afford a fifty thousand bag."

"Go cool off. Come talk to me when you've thought things through."

Brandon simply left the apartment.

When I called again, only his assistant answered, his tone exceptionally casual. "Miss Rachel, have you thought it through?"

"Yes, I have."

I looked at the various luxury items I'd gathered, and said softly, "Please send over that fifty thousand bag."

Over these past three months, the luxury items Brandon had given me fetched a total of eighty thousand.

I didn't even spare the furniture, selling everything to whoever was closest.

Piece by piece, I scraped together a hundred thousand.

On my birthday, Brandon's social media updated with a photo of him and Charlotte from the Lin family. In the picture, she was holding his arm, their gestures intimately familiar.

All our mutual friends in the comments section were sending congratulations.

I quietly closed the app.

And dialed the number I had long since unblocked.

Beep

After a few rings, a lazy voice answered on the other end.

"Miss Rachel finally deigned to call me. Don't tell me Brandon dumped you?"

"Dylan, I broke up with him."

There was a long silence on the other end.

So long that I wondered if Dylan had hung up, before he let out a scoff. "Why are you telling me this? Don't tell me you thought just because I was nice enough to transfer you some money, I'd be willing to pick up his scraps?"

I pressed my lips together and said softly, "I'm sorry, I misunderstood. Just pretend I never said anything."

After hanging up, I counted to three.

The phone rang sharply.

Dylan's voice on the other end was exasperated. "Send me your address, I'm coming to get you!"

My move was quiet, almost unnoticed.

Dylan didn't put me up in an outside apartment like Brandon had.

Instead, he brought me directly to his family's estate.

But as soon as we entered, we bumped into someone I hadn't expected

Landon.

Dylan's cousin.

My childhood friend whom I hadn't seen in over a decade.

His sudden appearance made me feel awkward, and it also ignited a certain hostility in Dylan.

"Cousin? What brings you back to the estate so suddenly?"

"Just checking in." Landon put down his newspaper, his gaze naturally falling on me.

Dylan instinctively grabbed my hand. "Cousin, you probably don't recognize Rachel anymore. Let me introduce you..."

"No need."

Landon averted his gaze, as if I were just an irrelevant stranger.

"I know her. Brandon's mistress."

Those words.

Made me nervously drop my head, a wave of unease washing over me.

Dylan, however, breathed a sigh of relief, then retorted, "They've already broken up."

"So you just bring her back to the estate? I don't care if Brandon keeps a mistress, but as a member of the Song family, you shouldn't be involved in such things."

Dylan immediately shot back, "What business is it of yours!"

He led me to the room next to his own.

"You can stay here from now on. My cousin has been abroad for so many years, his personality has become cold and aloof, and his words are harsh. Just try to avoid him."

To be honest, both brothers had sharp tongues.

Dylan was verbally toxic.

Landon was brutally honest, tearing down pretenses.

I nodded obediently. "Okay."

Even if he hadn't said anything, I would have kept my distance.

After all, among the younger generation of the Song family, the one I truly grew up with, the one who was truly my childhood friend, was Landon.

From childhood, I'd always trailed after this brilliant older boy next door, chasing him and declaring I'd be his bride.

Until the Song family's eldest branch lost their struggle for power.

Landon, then just fourteen, had even climbed into my backyard before leaving the country. "Little Rachel, will you wait for me to come back?"

"Yes, yes!"

But I was too young back then, and Dylan soon entered my life, making me quickly forget my dearest childhood friend.

To outsiders, Dylan, with whom I constantly bickered, seemed like my closest childhood friend.

Back then, no one could have imagined.

That Landon would return years later, powerfully taking over as CEO.

When I was being kept by Brandon, I'd heard rumors of Landon's ruthless tactics, but I'd dismissed them as mere gossip.

After all, the bond between us had long faded with time.

Now, we were practically strangers.

In my direst moments, I thought of Brandon, I thought of Dylan, but I never once considered seeking out my old 'Brother Landon'.

But being under the same roof, avoiding him wasn't entirely up to me.

"Let's not even mention the five million you transferred out a while ago. Now you're bringing people back to the house?"

Simply going downstairs for some milk in the evening, I found myself walking in on Landon and Dylan's confrontation.

"What does it have to do with you?" Dylan crossed his arms. "Cousin, don't think that just because your position is higher than mine now, you can order me around. My dividends don't come from your hands."

Unlike Dylan's defiance, Landon's expression was calm.

"I have no intention of ordering you around."

"But Rachel was Brandon's girlfriend. If you rashly bring her back, what happens if it causes a huge scandal?"

"Girlfriend, my foot! They've already broken up! Brandon is getting into an arranged marriage, what does he have to do with her anymore?"

Landon chuckled softly.

"Dylan, should I, as your cousin, remind you?"

"Your aunt and uncle are also preparing to arrange a marriage for you to regain their standing."

"What will you do then with the person you've brought back?"

Dylan's expression froze.

Before he could answer, the sound of ceramic hitting the floor echoed from the second story.

I had accidentally knocked over a vase.

By the time the two brothers looked up, I had already fled back to my room, only a glimpse of my skirt hem remaining in their line of sight.

10

That night, Dylan rushed to my room.

He shed his usual sharp tongue and arrogance, explaining anxiously, "Don't believe what my cousin said just now."

I asked, "Can you guarantee you won't enter an arranged marriage?"

Dylan hesitated, his words caught in his throat.

He knew his parents' personalities too well to make such a promise.

I blinked, my voice almost a whisper

"Dylan, then how are you any different from Brandon?"

Dylan was speechless.

"..."

He desperately wanted to promise something.

But any words, at that moment, felt so hollow.

Before the door closed completely, a hint of melancholy touched my eyes.

"I must have been foolish to believe your words that day. After all, you're just like Brandon, only slightly more free."

"You should go."

Each word landed like a heavy blow in Dylan's heart. Just before the door completely shut him out, he suddenly raised his voice.

"Rachel, I will do what I promise!

"Just give me a little more time!"

11

Dylan left the next day.

His whereabouts unknown.

Instead, a large sum of money, a full ten million, landed in my bank account.

It was all of Dylan's personal savings.

And the only guarantee he could give me.

"I don't understand."

"What methods did you use to charm both Brandon and Dylan so completely?"

When I stepped out, Landon was already seated on the sofa. Having studied at old aristocratic schools for years, he exuded an aura of nobility.

Not to mention he was now the CEO.

As he approached, his presence was completely different from the scions I usually interacted with, full of an almost oppressive power.

I dared not speak much.

I simply lowered my head, meekly saying, "Can you move please? I need to go out."

"Look up."

I didn't dare.

Landon said, "If you treat me with that attitude, I can have the money Dylan transferred to you reclaimed in the company's name."

At those words, I immediately snapped my head up.

The corners of my eyes were already red-rimmed from the strain.

"What exactly do you want?"

Landon stared at me for a long time, his gaze lingering on the outer corners of my eyes.

For a moment, I felt an almost aggressive presence wash over me.

"I've looked into you."

"The things Brandon gave you, you just sold them for cash."

"Dylan was even more foolish, giving you fifteen million after only a few days of seeing you."

"But your personal expenses are minimal. All the money quickly transferred out of your account."

"I'm guessing you're paying off your family's debts."

"Am I right, little Rachel?"

12

My family's bankruptcy wasn't unfair.

It started when my father blindly expanded the company, leading to a break in the capital chain.

He couldn't bear the blow and jumped to his death.

Soon after, the family properties were foreclosed, and all assets, including luxury items, were frozen.

My sister, Nadia, rushed to another province, scrambling to raise funds.

I was left penniless and homeless.

The future for us two sisters seemed laid out before usworking to pay off debts.

I refused to live that life.

Since I didn't have the same ability to maneuver as my sister, I decided to leverage the resources at hand

To extract a fortune from the rich crowd of childhood friends.

Brandon was the first to fall for it.

Initially, he was very generous with living expenses.

Until later.

Perhaps as we spent more time together, my value in his eyes slowly diminished.

Gradually, I became indistinguishable from any other gold digger.

And the treatment I received shouldn't be special.

Once I realized that.

I decisively broke up with him and promptly latched onto Dylan.

This wasn't a last resort.

It was because I knew from the start that this perpetually sharp-tongued rival had, in our school days, secretly kissed the top of my head while I was asleep.

He liked me.

To test how much he was willing to give, I had deliberately drunk that night in the VIP room.

The facts proved.

Dylan was far more generous than Brandon.

Unfortunately

There was also a much smarter Landon in the Song family.

He was now the true power holder.

13

"That's none of your business, is it?" I finally stopped hiding, just tilted my head and smiled. "You're not even direct brothers, do you really need to be so meddlesome?"

Landon fell silent.

I walked past him, and just as I stepped out of the lobby doors, a voice suddenly came from behind me.

"Rachel, at this rate, when do you think your family's two hundred million debt will be paid off?"

"Brandon is stingy, Dylan has other considerations. How much can you really get from them?"

"And pushing it further, how much longer can your sister hold out?"

That last sentence made my outgoing steps halt.

My sister had been gone for three months.

She was seeking out old connections, pleading for commercial support. Besides checking in to say she was safe, there had been no other news.

But I knew it wouldn't be easy.

It required asking for favors, attending endless dinners and drinks, lowering all pride.

So even though I knew Brandon was with me only to enjoy the sense of control over a fallen socialite, I pretended to be completely oblivious.

The more I could extract here.

The easier it would be for my sister.

The silence lasted for several minutes.

Finally, I turned around and slowly walked back, getting closer and closer to Landon.

The once refined young man had long since grown into a broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted figure.

I stood before him.

As if to be completely enveloped by his presence.

I stepped closer.

He didn't retreat.

It wasn't until I fully leaned in that I tilted my head back, my slender fingers gently gripping his shirt.

"Brother Landon, can you help me then?"

14

Landon didn't give me money.

But under other names, he privately injected five hundred million into my sister's company.

The price was

I moved from Dylan's adjacent room into his.

Landon at twenty-eight.

And my 'Brother Landon' at fourteen. They were truly different.

There was no tenderness.

When he gripped my waist, I was almost brought to tears.

"Bastard"

Landon's breath caressed the back of my neck, not soft as usual, but laced with a fierce possessiveness.

"Rachel."

"Look at me."

"Why didn't you come to me? I was waiting for you all along."

My eyes couldn't focus at all.

Even as he held me up, I was as soft as water, completely unable to make out what he was saying.

"?"

Landon stared at me for a long time.

Finally, as if in punishment, he bit my shoulder.

"You like jewelry, do you?"

"I'll take you to the auction tomorrow." His breathing was exceptionally sensual as he spoke. "Eight million? That hardly does you justice."

His words jolted me fully awake.

There, for a fleeting moment.

I had a chilling realization

Landon knew everything.

He had planned this all along.