Chapter 1

My dad was a well-known billionaire. But last year, out of nowhere, he lost his damn mind over romance.

He claimed he was going to transfer all his assets to his brand-new young girlfriend, insisting it was true love.

I almost laughed out loud and made a bet with him to put this "true love" to the test.

He was full of confidence—until he saw his sweet little girlfriend doing everything in her power to seduce me.

I thought he lost the bet. Little did I know, the trap was set for me all along.

"Chloe and I are real! You just don't get it!"

My sixty-something-year-old father waved his pen, about to sign the asset transfer agreement.

The second he lowered the nib, I snatched the stack of papers right out from under him.

"True love? For what? Your age? Your bald spot? Or your saggy, wrinkled skin?"

I honestly couldn't fathom it. In his prime, he was a ruthless titan of industry.

How the hell did his brain turn completely to mush last year?

My dad glared at me, lunging to grab the documents back.

"Give it back! Chloe was right—I'm not even in the grave yet, and you're already counting my money!"

"Cash is all you care about! You're just waiting for me to drop dead, but I won't let you have your way!"

Chloe this, Chloe that. The woman had completely brainwashed him.

To run circles around an old fox like my dad, she definitely had some skills.

"Do you honestly believe she loves you?"

"Of course she does!"

He answered without a heartbeat of hesitation.

"Fine. Care to make a wager?"

"If you win, go ahead and sign everything over to her. I won't say a single word."

"In fact, I'll even transfer my own company into her name as a wedding gift."

My dad went quiet, eyeing me with deep suspicion.

For a second, I felt a glimmer of hope, thinking his rusty brain was finally booting up to question her motives.

Instead, he sneered...

"Since when does a greedy jerk like you give out free gifts?"

"Hurry up! Put it in writing! We need a signed agreement so you can't back out!"

I nearly burst out laughing. Great. He genuinely believed he couldn't lose.

"Deal. But if you lose, every single cent of your fortune goes to me."

"Also, you can't tell her a single word about this wager."

"And once the agreement is signed, you do exactly as I say."

He agreed to every condition. But since he was practically clinically lovesick, I didn't trust him for a second.

So, the moment ink hit paper, I ignored his furious protests and confiscated all his phones and electronics.

At the same time, I faked his kidnapping and sent him off to a secluded private resort for a "vacation."

Once everything was set up, I sat at the dining table, cutting into a medium-rare steak, waiting patiently for the little gold-digger to come knocking.

Three days later...

"Sir, there's a Miss Chloe Vance here looking for your father."

"Send her in."

I smiled to myself. Already? I thought she’d hold out a bit longer.

"Hello, Lucas."

Chloe clutched her handbag tightly, looking timid and frail.

I casually looked her over. Early twenties, plain and innocent-looking, deliberately averting her eyes when they met mine.

Had the old man gotten tired of flashy trophy wives and decided on a simple, modest girl instead?

She was young, sure, but beyond that, she didn't interest me in the slightest.

"I came by today to ask... have you heard from Richard?"

"He's been missing for days. I just..."

"He was kidnapped."