The Heiress Who Could Hear Hearts

On the first day I was brought back from the orphanage to my wealthy birth family, Lydia Hart, best friend of the fake heiress Vivian Laurent, raised her hand and splashed coffee all over my face, warning me in a low voice:

So what if you're the chairman's biological daughter? Vivian is the one everyone in our circle recognizes as the true lady of the house. If you know what's good for you, crawl back to your slum. Otherwise...

I'm a poor kid who grew up in the slums, but I can hear people's thoughts.

I immediately grabbed the entire coffee pot and dumped it over her head, screaming as I rushed toward the terrace:

"Help! Someone's trying to murder the real heiress to steal the family fortune!"

The guests erupted in shock.

Lydia's face went pale with terror as she tried to grab me.

I let myself fall to the ground, clutching her leg desperately:

"Please don't kill me!"

Security rushed over and rescued me.

Lydia was eventually taken away for questioning on charges of assault and intimidation.

That evening, Vivian found me, her teeth clenched in rage:

"Just you wait. Believe it or not, I'll make Dad marry you off to that security guard!"

I looked at the security guard, my eyes lighting up.

That would be perfect.

I'd had my eye on that six-foot-two, eight-pack-abs ex-special forces bodyguard for a while now.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there."

A glass of red wine came pouring down on my head, the dark red liquid dripping from my bangs onto the haute couture dress I'd just changed into.

Lydia covered her mouth, her eyes full of gleeful mockery, though her voice dripped with fake sweetness.

The guests around us instantly fell silent, their gazes hitting me like spotlights.

I wiped the wine from my face, staring at the woman in the pink dress before me.

She sneered:

[No matter how you dress up, you trash, you're still ugly. Vivian said today we have to humiliate you, send you crawling back to your slum.]

Lydia's thoughts blared like a speaker turned up to full volume, making my head throb.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Too scared?" When I didn't react, Lydia pushed further, leaning in closer. "Oh right, you've probably only seen occasions like this on TV before, haven't you? It's fine that you ruined your dressI can lend you a maid's uniform. You'd be more comfortable in that anyway."

Vivian stood on the edge of the crowd, champagne glass in hand, a barely noticeable sneer on her lips.

[Make a scene. The bigger the better. Best if she throws a tantrum right here, so Mom and Dad can see that poverty she can never wash off.]

I took a deep breath and smiled.

"You're right, I'm not used to it." I walked toward the long buffet table nearby.

Thinking I'd backed down, Lydia scoffed: "Smart move. Now hurry up and change..."

"I'm not used to people shitting on my head."

I grabbed the largest platter of Australian lobster sashimi from the table, spun around, took aim, and slammed it right onto Lydia's face.

"Ahhh!"

Her scream nearly blew the roof off the banquet hall.

Ice chips, still-twitching lobster antennae, plus wasabi and soy sauce instantly gave Lydia an abstract Picasso-style makeup job.

"Murder! The country girl is trying to kill me!" Lydia flailed wildly, lemon slices hanging from her carefully styled hair.

I clapped my hands, grabbed a tablecloth to wipe the oil from my fingers, then opened my mouth and started shouting: "Someone come! Catch the poisoner! This woman just tried to drug my drink, and when I discovered it, she tried to destroy the evidence by dousing me! Someone's trying to harm the real Caldwell heiress!"

The room erupted in chaos. Several guests holding phones immediately pointed their cameras at the disheveled Lydia.

"You're lying! I didn't!" Lydia lunged at me like a madwoman, trying to claw my face.

A tall dark figure suddenly blocked my path.

"Miss, please control yourself."

The man's voice was cold and hard as iron. With one hand he caught Lydia's wrist, gave a light push, and she fell to the ground like a broken rag doll.

I looked up.

Tall and powerfully built, the muscle lines beneath his black suit barely concealed. His face was cold as ice, yet so handsome I couldn't look away.

The Caldwell family's head of security, Kade Jensen.

[Did I use too much force? No, should be fine. This girlquick reflexes. Not as stupid as the rumors say.]

His thoughts were like that?

I stared at his profile, delighted inside.

That body, that faceway better than any rich playboy. If I could take him home as a husband, being recognized by this wealthy family wouldn't be a loss at all.

Vivian finally deigned to come over, looking anxious as she helped Lydia up, then turned to me with slightly reddened eyes: "Stella, how could you be so crude? Lydia just made a mistake, you..."

"A mistake?" I cut her off. "She accidentally poured wine on my head, I accidentally slammed lobster on her face. We're even. If you think it's unfair, there's a king crab platter over therewant to take a turn?"

Vivian choked.

[Damn it, why isn't this bitch following the script at all?]

"Enough, both of you stop." My mother, Diana Reed, walked over with a dark expression, glaring at me. "Making trouble the moment you get backaren't you embarrassed enough? Go upstairs and change!"

I shrugged and headed upstairs. As I passed Kade, I winked at him: "Thanks, handsome."

Kade kept his eyes straight ahead, but I clearly heard him mentally "tsk."

[Troublemaker.]

Early the next morning, just after I'd finished washing up, Vivian knocked on my door carrying an exquisite tray.

"Stella, did you sleep well last night?" She smiled innocently. "Mom said since you just got back, your skin might not be used to the water here, so she specially had me bring you this custom skincare set."

I looked at the collection of bottles and jars. Before I could reach for them, her thoughts drilled into my ears.

[I added high-concentration poison oak extract to this. The moment she uses it, her face will rot for half a month. At the socialite tea party in a few days, let's see her show her face with that ruined skin.]

Vicious.

My face broke into a touched smile: "Really? You're so sweet. I thought you'd be mad at me about last night."

"How could I be? We're family." Vivian placed the items on my vanity. "Make sure to use them morning and night, Stella. They work really well."

"Absolutely, absolutely."

The moment she left, I shut the door.

Want to ruin my face? Not a chance.

I slipped into Vivian's room. She was downstairs having breakfast with my motherher room was empty.

The same skincare set sat on her vanity.

I swiftly switched the set she'd given me with the one she was actually using.

The packaging was identicalnot even a god could tell the difference.

By dinner that evening, Vivian's face started looking wrong.

First it turned red, then broke out in dense little bumps that made your scalp crawl just looking at them.

"Oh my, Vivian, what happened to your face?" I shrieked in mock surprise, "dropping" my fork and knife.

My mother panicked too: "What's going on? You were fine this morninghow did you suddenly get such a severe allergic reaction?"

Vivian covered her face, shocked and furious: "I don't know... it itches so much..."

[How is this possible? I clearly used my own set! Unless... no, impossible. How could that trash know?]

"Did you eat something you shouldn't have?" I fanned the flames. "Oh wow, this looks like poisoning or something. So scary."

Vivian glared at me viciously, but the itching on her face prevented her from arguing. She screamed and ran back to her room.

The next day, sporting a face swollen like a pig's head, she refused to leave her room.

Naturally, she couldn't attend the socialite tea party.

My mother looked at her condition, her brow furrowed so deep it could crush a fly: "Vivian, you were so careless. This tea party is very importantMrs. Lee specifically asked to meet you."

Vivian sobbed: "Mom, I didn't mean to..."

I sat nearby munching an apple, crunching loudly.

"Mom, since she can't go, let me go instead."

My mother hesitated, looking at me: "You? Do you know anything about tea ceremony or flower arrangement?"

"I can learn if I don't knownobody's born knowing this stuff." I tossed the apple core and dusted off my hands. "Besides, I'm the real Caldwell heiress. If I don't go to occasions like this, who should?"

Before my mother could respond, my father Marcus Caldwell walked in, Kade following behind him.

"Let Stella go. Good opportunity for her to make an appearance." My father made the final decision, then pointed at Kade. "From now on, Kade will stay with Stella and handle her security."

I was thrilled inside, though my face showed reluctant acceptance: "Fine, I guess he'll do."

Kade nodded at me expressionlessly.

[What's Stella plotting now? Smiling like a cat that got the cream.]

"So you're Miss Caldwell? I heard you grew up in an orphanage?"

Tyler Shaw sat across from me, legs crossed, twirling his car keys, looking at me like I was a clearance item.

"Yeah, so what?" I cut into the steak on my plate, the knife and fork making harsh scraping sounds.

"Nothing much, just think Uncle Marcus has it rough." He sneered. "Bringing you back, then having to find you a husband. But let me be clear up frontthe Shaw family has high standards. Not just anyone can marry in."

Vivian sat beside him, gently coaxing: "Tyler, don't say that. My sister may... may lack refinement, but she's very down-to-earth."

[Hmph, keep up the act. Tyler hates vulgar women the most. Today I'll make sure you show your true colors.]

Tyler's thoughts followed immediately: [What trash, reeks of thrift store bargains. If not for the Caldwell family's sake, I wouldn't bother meeting this country bumpkin. In a bit I'll find some excuse to get rid of her. Vivian's much easier on the eyes.]

So it's a pair of scumbags who'd already hooked up.

Fine, you want to see me be vulgar? Let me open your eyes.

I dropped my knife and fork, grabbed the half-rare steak with my bare hands, and took a huge bite, grease dripping from my mouth.

"Mmm, this meat's not bad. Just too rawlike chewing on raw pork."

Tyler's face turned green as he shrank back: "What... what are you doing?"

"Eating, what else?" I grabbed my wine glass and chugged the 1982 Lafite like beer, then let out an extremely loud burp.

"BURP!"

The sound echoed through the quiet upscale restaurant.

Guests at nearby tables looked over in horror.

Vivian covered her mouth, seemingly shocked but secretly delighted: "Stella, this... this is a public place..."

"So what if it's public? Can't people burp while eating?" I grabbed my napkin and roughly wiped my mouth, then tossed the greasy napkin onto the table. "Mr. Shaw, what were you saying about high standards? How high? Higher than my family's pig pen?"

Tyler shot up from his chair, the legs scraping harshly against the floor.

"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!" He pointed at me, his finger trembling. "How could Uncle Marcus have a daughter like you! I, Tyler Shaw, would rather stay single forever than marry a savage like you!"

With that, he grabbed his coat and stormed out like dogs were chasing him.

Vivian called out "Tyler" half-heartedly, then turned to look at me, unable to suppress her smile.

[Idiot. Let's see how you explain this to Mom and Dad. The Shaw family was the best match, and you ruined it. Just wait to get chewed out.]

I leaned back in my chair, leisurely picking my teeth.

Kade stood in the corner, silent the whole time.

I glanced at him and noticed his mouth seemed to twitch slightly.

[She acted that really well. But why would she deliberately provoke Tyler? Mr. Caldwell values this marriage alliance highly.]

Oh, he saw through me? Worthy of the man I've set my sights onsharp eyes.

Though I'd driven Tyler away, he hadn't given up.

A few days later, I got a call from him asking me to meet at a hotel, saying he wanted to apologize and discuss the marriage again.

Apologize? I'd believe dogs could stop eating shit before I'd believe he'd apologize.

I arrived at the hotel room door but didn't rush in.

[Once I drug her and take some photos, she'll have to break off the engagement even if she doesn't want to. The Caldwell family will definitely marry Vivian to me to save face. Two birds with one stone.]

Tyler's sleazy thoughts came from inside the room.

I smiled coldly, pulled a mini voice recorder from my bag, turned it on, and clipped it inside my collar.

"Kade, wait outside." I gave him a look. "If I'm not out in ten minutes, kick the door down."

Kade frowned: "Miss Caldwell, if there's danger, I should go in with you now."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

I pushed the door open. Tyler sat on the sofa, two glasses of red wine on the table.

"Stella, you came." He'd changed his tune, smiling greasily. "I was out of line last time. Today I'm here to apologize properly."

He pushed one of the wine glasses toward me.

[Drink it. Once you drink, you're mine to do with as I please. This drug's importedsuper potent.]

I picked up the glass and swirled it: "Mr. Shaw being so polite, I'm almost flattered."

"As I should be, as I should be." He stared at the glass in my hand, his eyes eager.

I pretended to take a sip, but actually poured it all into an absorbent sponge hidden in my sleeve.

"This wine... I feel a bit dizzy..." I held my forehead and collapsed onto the sofa.

"Dizzy is right." Tyler stood up with a sinister grin and started unbuckling his belt. "Playing hard to get? Today I'll show you what a real man is."

He pulled out his phone and snapped a couple photos of me, then lunged forward.

Just as his filthy hands were about to touch me, the door exploded open with a "BANG!"

Kade appeared in the doorway like a death god.

Seeing the scene before him, his eyes instantly filled with towering fury.

"You're dead!"

He crossed the room in two strides, grabbed Tyler by the collar, lifted him like a chicken, then slammed a fist into his face.

"AHHH!" Tyler screamed as blood gushed from his nose.

Kade didn't stop, his fists raining down, each one accompanied by the sound of breaking bones.

"Stop! Stop! I'm the Shaw family's eldest son! You're just a bodyguard, how dare you hit me... AHH!"

I sat up from the sofa, calmly straightened my clothes, and watched Tyler getting beaten to a pulp.

"Kade, that's enough. Don't actually kill him."

Only then did Kade stop, throwing Tyler onto the ground like a dead dog. He turned around, looked me up and down, his voice tight: "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. You were here, weren't you?" I smiled at him.

The fury in his eyes hadn't completely dissipated, and the way he looked at me was extremely complex.

[Knowing there was danger and still going in aloneis this woman crazy? What if I'd been a second late...]