Chapter 1

The Vance family code was absolute: the empire only passes to a male heir.

To secure my birthright, I spent ten years pretending to be a man. Even Julian, my childhood fiancé, had no idea. To him, I was just Charlie, his best friend.

But the moment I finally took complete control of the company and was ready to tell him the truth, Julian grabbed my hands, his face glowing with happiness.

"Charlie, I've been keeping a secret from you. Last month, Charlotte quietly came back to the country to find me. We've decided to get married."

"She's so much like you!"

My entire body went rigid.

The sister I had completely made up—the one supposedly recovering in a private clinic overseas?

Before I could say a word, a girl with a face seventy percent similar to mine stepped out from behind him. She shoved me aside, her expression dripping with arrogance.

"Charlie, I'm back. From now on, you're not allowed to cling to Julian using my name. Have some self-respect, you freak!"

"Otherwise, I'll tell everyone you're a creep who's obsessed with his own brother-in-law!"

Looking at this smug imposter, I almost laughed out loud.

*You're Charlotte?*

*Then who the hell am I?*

**Chapter Two**

"Charlotte, stop it!"

"Why are you jealous of your own brother?"

Julian gently cut Charlotte off. There was no real scolding in his voice, only a fond, helpless indulgence.

He turned to me and explained, "Charlotte is just being childish because you and I have been so close lately. As her brother, don't take it to heart."

But hearing this, Charlotte pouted even more.

She whined, her voice sweet yet venomous. "I haven't seen him in over a decade. I don't want him as my brother!"

"I told you to keep it a secret from him. Charlie clings to you every single day. Who knows what kind of sick fantasies he's had about you over the last ten years? It's disgusting."

She turned back to glare at me, spitting out, "You shameless slut. Trying to steal your sister's man!"

With that, she tried to pull Julian away.

But I stepped in and blocked their path.

"You're right. Charlotte and I haven't seen each other in over ten years." I said coldly.

"So, what makes you so sure you're Charlotte?"

Charlotte's face warped. Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she hissed back, "What makes me sure? Look at my face! Isn't this face enough proof that I'm Charlotte?"

I let out a dry chuckle and shook my head.

"There are plenty of doppelgangers in this world."

"Besides, if you're trying to pull off an identity theft, with today's plastic surgery, is it really that hard?"

Charlotte choked on her words.

Her face turned bright red as she pointed at me, sobbing to Julian. "Look at him! He's just obsessed with you!"

"Just because you love me, he won't even recognize his own sister now! He's just making up excuses to throw me out!"

She covered her face and ran off in tears.

Seeing this, Julian immediately turned to chase after her.

I raised my voice, stopping him in his tracks.

"Wait!"

"Julian, are you absolutely sure that *this* 'Charlotte' is the same 'Charlotte' you fell in love with over the phone all these years?"

Julian froze, but then his anger flared up even hotter. "Of course she is! We might not have met in person, but we talked for years. I know her! Charlotte is her!"

"Charlie, what you just said went way too far!"

Watching Julian run after her, the coldness in my eyes deepened.

I took out my phone. It rang three times before the call went through.

"Five million dollars. I need you to investigate someone."

"I want to know exactly where this 'Charlotte' crawled out from."