Chapter 3

He raised his glass of milk like he was making a grand toast and chugged it.

Then he stood up. "Everyone, since I am sitting here, it means you’ve already accepted me as a Sterling."

"In that case, there is something I can no longer keep secret."

Tyler James took a deep breath, looking as though he were making a monumental decision.

He pointed at Paul, our butler who was serving the dishes, and then glared triumphantly at me.

"Paul, I heard you with my own ears today! You said Arthur stole two hundred thousand dollars in cash from the family safe!"

"We have a witness! Arthur, what do you have to say for yourself now?"

The platter in Paul’s hands almost slipped. He waved his hands in a panic.

"I never said such a thing! Sir, where did you hear that..."

Tyler James clapped his hands together, his eyes locking onto Paul like a hawk.

"I am the real Sterling heir! How dare you still protect this imposter?"

"Don't worry! As long as you tell the truth, I promise I won't let my parents fire you!"

Paul looked like he was about to burst into tears.

"I... I was just whispering to myself! I noticed Arthur’s allowance this month was twenty dollars more than last month, and I was just worried he didn't have enough money for something..."

"It was literally twenty dollars! Not two hundred thousand!"

Hearing this, I looked up from my plate, staring at Paul in absolute horror.

How did he know I had asked for an extra twenty dollars this month?

I was planning to use it to buy a luxury triple-cheese sandwich from a food truck before I got kicked out of the Sterling house!

Now my secret was out!

Tyler James completely misread my expression.

He thought I was paralyzed with guilt.

"Look at his face! If he didn't steal two hundred thousand dollars, why is he looking so ashamed that he can't even lift his head?"

Rachel let out a cold sneer. "Tyler, you haven't even officially joined this family, and you're already trying to run the household?"

"And stop project your own cheap, narrow-minded thoughts onto Arthur."

I nodded in agreement.

Exactly. Even though I wasn't the real heir, I knew which money was mine to take and which wasn't.

"You! Rachel! I know you haven't accepted me yet..."

"You grew up with Arthur, so of course you prefer him."

"But you have to understand, we are the ones who share actual blood!"

Tyler James could cry on command. He wrapped his arms around himself, looking tragically lonely. "The path of growth is always lonely, but I am willing to bear this cross."

I blinked, looking around the room.

What was going on? Tyler James felt like a total drama queen. He didn't seem like a Sterling at all.

"Enough!"

My dad wiped his mouth with a napkin, his voice cold. "Paul, go upstairs and flip Arthur’s mattress."

Paul looked as if he had just been handed a lifeline. He bolted up the stairs.

A few minutes later, he returned, holding a small stack of crumpled bills and coins.

"There was a total of three hundred and five dollars taped under Arthur’s mattress. Nothing else."

No one at the table looked surprised, except me. My eyes went wide.

"Wait... how did you guys know my hiding spot?"

And here I thought I was a master of stealth!

"You tape money under your mattress?! Are you a squirrel, Arthur?!"

Tyler James shrieked, completely unable to believe that my secret stash was only three hundred bucks.

"None of your business! That’s emergency money!"

My face flushed red as I scrambled to explain. "What if the family goes bankrupt one day?!"

"Bankrupt?"

My mom almost choked on her water. "Arthur, we have hundreds of billions of dollars!"

My dad slammed his fork down, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Tyler James.

"Do you see this? His risk awareness is the highest in this entire family. And you think he stole two hundred thousand?"

He offered a patronizing, calm smile. "Tyler, until the DNA results are officially back, you are not a Sterling."

"Try slandering Arthur one more time, and see what happens."

Tyler James’s mouth twitched. He wanted to say something, but ultimately shut his mouth in frustration.

Just as I thought the storm had passed...

My dad’s phone rang. It was the hospital.

"Mr. Sterling, your expedited DNA test results are ready."