Chapter 1
Back in my wildest days, I was living large—supporting ten college guys all at once.
But out of all of them, James Sterling was my absolute favorite.
He was born with a weak constitution, so I scoured the globe for miracle doctors to help him get better.
He loved diving, so I bought him an island just to see him smile.
But then, my dad, Logan Shaw, was set up and sent to prison.
Overnight, our family was buried in debt, and countless enemies showed up at our doorstep.
James, who was always sickly and bedridden, suddenly stood in front of my cousin, Emily Shaw, shielding her from harm.
"Who dares harm her?" James' voice was icy and authoritative.
That was when I realized he was actually the sole heir of the Sterling family in Metropolis City, destined to inherit Sterling Holdings.
It turned out that James had been hiding his true identity all along—just so he could stay close to Emily.
And me? In the end, when my family's enemies dragged me off and tormented me until I died, he never once looked my way.
The moment I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day I was choosing my college boys for the very first time.
Locking eyes with James' cold, indifferent stare, I gave a dramatic wave of my hand.
"Everyone but him—you're all mine!"
*****
Emily insisted on keeping James with us.
After I said that, she tugged at my sleeve, tears brimming in her eyes, her voice soft and pleading as she begged me.
"Charlotte, this guy is really sick, and he has no one at home to rely on. Please, help him," Emily's voice was choked with emotion as she pleaded.
Seeing her like that, even her nanny, Grace Summers, joined in, trying to convince me.
"Ms. Shaw, show some kindness. Whether you take in one or ten, it's all the same. Just think of it as doing a good deed."
Not even bothering to hide my annoyance, I gave Grace a sharp slap.
"Do I need you telling me how to run things?" I snapped.
When you were about to die, your whole life played out in your mind like a movie reel.
It was only then that I realized I'd been way too easygoing all those years with the Shaw family.
I treated Emily like my own sister, and even went out of my way to respect Grace, her old nanny from back home.
But in the end, I'd handed my heart over to a pack of wolves.
Back in my previous life, after Logan got thrown in jail, I tried to use the properties my mom left behind to buy us a little more time.
But when I checked, the safe where the deeds were kept had already been opened up, and even the gold bars stashed in the basement had vanished without a trace.
It turned out that, somehow, Grace got wind of it and ran off with every last bit of my life-saving assets.
And Emily? The moment she found out who James really was, she cut ties with me on the spot.
The creditors dragged me away.
They tried every trick in the book to force me to pay up.
In the end, they tortured me until I died, then tossed my corpse into the ocean—I vanished without a trace.
Grace froze for a moment, then burst into loud, dramatic sobs, throwing herself on the floor and causing a huge scene like a shrew.
She kept begging Emily to stand up for her, demanding that Emily make things right.
Emily's eyes brimmed with tears as she rushed over and grabbed my hand.
"Charlotte, Grace is an elder. How is she supposed to hold her head up after this?" Emily said, her voice trembling.
She always played the angel—with just a few words, she instantly painted me as the heartless bully picking on the weak and old.
I casually avoided her hand and shot her a cool smile.
"Since you're so compassionate, why not take Grace back to your hometown and look after her yourself?" I said.
After a beat, I pointed at James, standing there with his fists clenched.
"And while you're at it, take him off my hands, too.
"Shouldn't be a problem for someone as kind as you, right?" I added, my tone dripping with sarcasm.
Now that I had a second chance, I wanted nothing to do with James anymore.
He was only here for Emily anyway.
So I'd just let them have each other.
Emily looked where I was pointing, her brow furrowing as she hesitated, clearly unsure how to respond.
This batch of college guys was actually a challenge Logan gave to both me and Emily.
We each had to pick ten students from poor families to sponsor, and after graduation, we'd choose the best one to join the Shaw Corp.
Back then, I let Emily choose her ten first, and then I just picked ten at random from whoever was left.
Now, out of all 30 candidates, the only one left was James—the guy Emily had kicked out first last time around.
James' resume was nothing to write home about.
He didn't have any stellar grades, and there wasn't a single competition win to his name.
And to top it off, he was constantly battling health issues.
Emily was practically begging, her voice barely above a whisper, "Charlotte, your dad said we're supposed to pick ten each..."
She really didn't want to spend a dime or a second on some sickly guy who had no hope of standing out.
Before I could say a word, I saw James coming up behind me, moving slowly and deliberately.
He locked eyes with me, stepping protectively in front of Emily as he spoke, his words slow and clear, "I can get Sterling Holdings to invest."
Then he turned to Emily, and his icy stare instantly softened. "Emily, don't waste your breath on her."