The Billion-Dollar Betrayal: The Heiress's Revenge

According to Ethan Millers family tradition, a groom had to hand-carve a piece of bridal jewelry for his bride. It was supposed to symbolize a love stronger than diamond.

The night before we were set to sign our marriage license, Ethan, my boyfriend, locked himself in his studio for three days straight just to finish this set.

Our friends and family couldn't stop praising him. They said he was so deeply in love, a brilliant rising star in the jewelry design world who was willing to lower himself for me. I truly believed I was the luckiest woman in the world.

Holding a thermos of gourmet lavender-infused honey tonic that I had spent five hours slow-brewing, I reached out to push open the frosted glass door of his studio.

But then, I heard the trembling voice of Amber Vance, his newly hired apprentice.

"Ethan, are you seriously giving this Imperial Jadeite set to me? Chloe paid a hundred thousand dollars just to get her hands on this raw stone!"

"Chloe is so petty. If she finds out, shell probably trash this entire studio."

Ethan let out a scoff. It was followed by the harsh, grating sound of a carving knife scraping against stone.

"Trash it? Please. Chloe Shen loves me so much shes completely lost her dignity. I can buy her a cheap designer knockoff bag, say a few sweet words, and shell believe anything."

"Shes just an orphan with no parents, no family, and no one to back her up. Im a genius designer with a limitless future. Its only natural that she throws herself at me."

"This stone might look like high-quality synthetic lab-grown glass to her, but the green is stunning. This necklace was tailor-made for your gorgeous, slender neck anyway. Ill give Chloe the wedding, but Im giving this set to you. It's only fair."

Using my raw gemstone to custom-make a necklace for another woman.

Despising me as a helpless orphan.

Thinking it was only natural that I desperately clung to him.

These words felt like poisoned ice needles piercing straight into my brain.

The dust kicked up by the polishing machine drifted through the crack in the door, making me feel physically sick. But I didn't push the door open.

I just stood in the cold, dimly lit hallway, pulled out my phone, and sent a text with a blank face.

"Christian, Im doing it your way. Playing poor to find true love was a joke. Im done taking this trash's disrespect."

"Ethan, do you want to drink this tonic while it's hot?"

I pushed open the half-closed glass door and slammed the empty thermos heavily onto the workbench.

The sharp clang of glass hitting metal echoed loudly in the quiet studio.

Amber flinched violently, dropping her polishing cloth onto the floor with a clatter.

"Ch-Chloe... when did you get here?"

Amber stammered, her eyes darting nervously toward the velvet-covered tray beside her.

Ethan turned around. The mockery and contempt on his face vanished instantly.

In their place was that suffocating, tender gaze that I had once believed in so blindly.

"Chloe, babe, why did you come all the way here?"

He stepped forward quickly, trying to grab my hand, then made a show of wiping his dirty hands on his apron.

"Its dusty in here. I don't want you breathing in all this grime."

I stared at his dusty hands, my heart freezing over as if I had been dumped into an arctic lake.

"I just came to see what my hundred-thousand-dollar raw stone turned into."

Ethan immediately held up his hands, showing me the tiny, bleeding cuts on his palms left by the carving tools.

"Look, Im putting my life on the line just to marry you."

"I carved every single facet of this set by hand. Three nights of no sleep, pure hand-polishing. Im practically going blind."

He sighed, his tone carrying an undisguised sense of superiority, as if he were giving me charity.

"Chloe, youre just an orphan with no background. In my elite circle, you wouldn't even be worthy of wearing a piece I personally designed."

"But I love you too much. I ignored all the gossip from my colleagues just to give you the best."

"You better appreciate this and give me everything you have in return."

I didn't lose my temper. Instead, I quietly slipped my phone out of my bag and tapped the voice recorder.

"Ethan, youre so good to me."

I sniffled, forcing my eyes to turn red as if I were deeply moved.

"But this raw stone cost me a fortune and a lot of favors to get. I trusted you to keep it safe and work on it."

"Its all going to be used for our wedding jewelry, right?"

Ethans eyes flickered, a trace of guilt flashing in his pupils before he quickly masked it.

He puffed out his chest and nodded righteously.

"Of course! This set will be your wedding ring and necklace."

"Don't worry, the stone is all here. Not a single scrap was wasted. Its all for you."

I saved the recording and slid the phone back into my pocket.

Just then, Amber slid over to his side, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.

She was wearing the exact Bvlgari luxury perfume I had just bought last week.

Noticing my gaze, she gasped dramatically, covering her mouth.

"Oh my, Chloe, have you been wearing that same coat for three years? The cuffs are practically pilling."

"I didn't think someone your age would be so sensitive to the draft in the studio."

"But then again, being an orphan with no one to look after you, your body must be weak. You should take care of yourself. We wouldn't want you falling sick at the wedding and embarrassing our star designer, Ethan."

She walked right up to Ethan, naturally wrapping her arms around his, her chest rubbing against his sleeve.

"Ethan is the sweetest. He just told me on Snapchat earlier that once the wedding rush is over, hes taking me to Paris for the fashion exhibition."

She looked at me with a smirk, her eyes filled with the smugness of a thief who had successfully stolen a treasure.

Looking at Ambers face, distorted by greed and jealousy, I found it hilarious.

In the past, I would have screamed, demanded to know who he really loved, and begged him to prove his innocence.

Now? I just saw them as two rats in a sewer. Utterly pathetic.

I ignored Ambers jab and pulled a document from my purse.

"Ethan, we haven't decided on our wedding house yet, right?"

I slid the document in front of him.

"This is a penthouse in the 'Aurelia Heights' downtown. It's worth thirty million dollars. I paid for it in full."

"Here are the keys."

Ethans eyes widened instantly. His greedy gaze locked onto the deed, his breathing turning heavy.

He snatched the contract, his hands shaking with excitement, completely forgetting his sophisticated act.

"Chloe... you... you bought this for me?"

Amber swallowed hard, the jealousy in her eyes practically boiling over.

"Wow, Chloe, you must be loaded."

She spoke with a sour tone. "An orphan with no family, yet you saved up this much cash to throw at a man? Impressive. Is this money even clean?"

I smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, my eyes turning icy as I looked at her.

"It's a wedding, after all. We need a decent place to live."

"Ill let you two get back to work. I have things to handle at the office. See you."

I turned and walked out, getting into the back of my Maybach parked around the corner. I watched the studio window in silence.

Ethan was currently grabbing Amber and planting a wet kiss on her lips, his hands sliding down her waist.

The two of them were jumping up and down with the deed, acting as if they had just won the lottery.

My phone buzzed.

It was a Snapchat message from Ethan.

"Babe, I saw the penthouse. I love it. But Ive been meeting high-end clients lately, and I need a ride that matches my status. I saw a fifteen-million-dollar limited-edition Lamborghini. Since you love me so much, why don't you get that for me too?"

He was moving fast. He wasn't even trying to hide his greed anymore.

I sneered and dialed a number that had no contact name.

"Christian, move the plan up."

"Activate the international grading certificate for that raw Imperial Jadeite."

A deep, cold chuckle came from the other end of the line.

"Already done, little sis."

"The priceless dowry of the Shen Group's heiress isn't something a street rat can touch."

"Chloe, this penthouse and the lambo have to be under my name before the wedding."

Three days before the wedding, Ethan slammed a property transfer agreement onto the coffee table.

He lounged back on the sofa, lit a cigar, and blew a cocky puff of smoke into the air.

"Youre an orphan. In my familys eyes, your bad luck already brought down your parents."

"Im a brilliant, handsome young designer with a golden future. Marrying you despite the social backlash has made my parents back home feel incredibly embarrassed. They think I'm settling."

"This thirty-million-dollar penthouse and the fifteen-million-dollar supercar are just my mental compensation."

I looked at the agreement on the table, amused by how he could dress up utter shamelessness as a noble sacrifice.

The penthouse and the Lamborghini were bought with my own cash, totaling forty-five million dollars.

With just a wave of his hand, he wanted to take it all for free while acting like he was doing me a favor.

"Ethan, I bought these in full before the wedding."

I pretended to be heartbroken, my eyes welling with tears as I looked at him with a trembling voice.

"Ive spent all my savings to buy you a home and a car. Why are you forcing me to sign them over?"

"Do you even love me? Or are you just after my money?"

Ethan frowned impatiently, snubbing his cigar out in the expensive crystal ashtray.

"What nonsense are you talking? If I didn't love you, would I have spent three sleepless nights carving that jewelry set for you?"

"That set is a hand-carved masterpiece! Priceless! Wealthy socialites beg me for custom work and get rejected!"

"Besides, you have no family. Who else is going to take care of you if not me? What's wrong with me taking some of your assets? It's your chance to show your commitment!"

"If you won't sign them over, then this wedding is off!"

He stood up abruptly, pretending to walk outa classic manipulation tactic he had mastered.

Amber, who had been sitting quietly peeling an apple, immediately stood up and grabbed his arm.

"Ethan, please don't be mad."

She turned to me, putting on her best "sweet, innocent helper" act.

"Chloe, I hate to say this, but you're being really unreasonable. Ethan is so good to you. He gave you his sweat and blood with that jewelry set."

"These are just material things. You can't take them with you when you die. If you love Ethan, you should trust him completely."

"Or does a pile of cold concrete mean more to you than Ethans love?"

Watching these two put on their little show almost made me laugh out loud.

"Fine. Ill sign."

I took a deep breath, pretending to break down and surrender.

"But before I do, you have to sign this."

I pulled a document from my bagone I had prepared long agoand handed it to Ethan.

"Whats this?"

Ethan took it warily, a flash of suspicion in his eyes.

"A prenuptial agreement regarding gifted assets."

I pointed to the detailed clauses, keeping my voice soft and submissive.

"I can transfer the penthouse and the car to you. But you must guarantee that the jadeite jewelry set you carved remains solely mine."

"You cannot gift, sell, pawn, or even lend that set to anyone else."

"If you violate this, you must pay me double the value of the penthouse and the car. That is ninety million dollars."

Ethan stared at the complex legal jargon, his brows furrowing.

He was a hack designer who built his career on plagiarism and marketing. He couldn't understand the legal traps hidden in those words.

"What is this? Are you treating me like a thief? You don't even trust me?"

He yelled angrily, trying to cover his guilt with rage.

"Ethan, I just want some security."

I lowered my head, my shoulders shaking as I let out a soft sob.

"That set was hand-carved by you for me. Its the most precious thing in my life because it represents your heart. As long as you promise its mine, Ill transfer the penthouse and the car immediately."

Ethan and Amber exchanged a quick, knowing look.

Amber gave a barely noticeable nod, a sneer of pure greed flashing in her eyes.

To them, that stone was just a hundred-thousand-dollar piece of synthetic glass. At most, the labor was worth a few thousand.

Trading a cheap stone for a forty-five-million-dollar luxury package? Only an idiot would say no.

"Fine, Ill sign! I swear, your petty, lower-class mindset is exhausting."

Ethan grabbed a pen, scrawled his signature, and stamped his thumbprint in red ink.

He held the agreement joyfully, as if he could already see himself living in the penthouse, driving the supercar, and leaving me in the dust.

That afternoon, we went to the registry office and transferred the titles.

The moment he got the papers, Ethans attitude toward me turned freezing cold.

"Alright, take an Uber back. I have some finishing touches to do at the studio."

He stuffed the papers into his pocket, didn't even look at me, and hopped into the brand-new Lamborghini, roaring away.

Standing at the curb, I watched the supercar disappear into the traffic. A cold, lethal smile spread across my face.

Back in my empty apartment, I opened my laptop.

The screen lit up with live feeds from the studio and the new penthouse.

I had hired a top-tier security team to install hidden cameras yesterday while they were out.

On screen, Ethan was proudly holding the completed Imperial Jadeite necklace, presenting it to Amber.

Amber, wearing a silk slip dress, squealed with excitement.

"Oh my god! Ethan, this is gorgeous! The green looks so deep, like its glowing!"

"Of course it is. Look who carved it. Even though the stone itself is cheap synthetic crap, under my skills, its a masterpiece."

Ethan smugly fastened the massive jadeite necklace around Ambers neck.

The brilliant green glow reflected off her greedy face.

"Ethan, are you really giving this to me? What if that dumb b*tch Chloe asks about it?"

"Who cares? Ill just throw some leftover scraps together, make a thin ring, and give it to her. What does she know about jewelry? Wearing this on her would be a waste of art anyway."

Ethan leaned in, burying his face in Ambers neck.

"Babe, lets go check out our new home."

Half an hour later, the Lamborghini parked in the underground garage of the thirty-million-dollar penthouse.

The feed switched to the living room camera.

The moment they walked through the door, Ethan pinned Amber onto the expensive, custom Italian leather sofa.

Their clothes were thrown all over the floor as they tangled together.

The Imperial Jadeite necklace around Amber's neck caught the light of the crystal chandelier, reflecting a dazzling glow that made the filthy scene look incredibly ironic.

"Ethan... this place is huge... its ours now..."

"Yes, all ours. That idiot Chloe thought she could control me. Once were married, Ill slowly drain her dry and kick her to the curb."

I watched the screen without a shred of emotion. I packaged the high-definition recordings and sent them to an encrypted email address.