Chapter 1

When I got back from studying overseas, I found out that the fiancé my parents had picked for me was already engaged to someone else.

The engagement party was huge. Everyone was saying that the Barker Group's heir and the Hayes family's heiress were a match made in heaven, totally meant for each other.

I was standing at the gate of the Hayes villa when a couple of men in suits from the Barker Group stopped me, their faces icy and unwelcoming.

"You need an invitation to see Mrs. Barker!" one of them snapped.

I glanced up and realized that the woman hanging onto Vicente Barker's arm, the so-called Mrs. Barker, was actually our nanny's daughter.

"Hold up! Who do you think you are? You can't see Mrs. Barker without an invitation!" another man snapped.

I'd just gotten back to town and made a beeline for my family's mansion, only to find a bunch of random guys blocking the front gate.

I gave the muscleheads a once-over, my gaze landing on the badges clipped to their chests. I sneered as I read the words out loud.

"The Barker Group?" I scoffed.

When I got back, my parents wanted me to meet my childhood fiancé.

It was Vicente, the heir to the Barker Group.

My secretary, Naomi Brock, quickly stepped in front of me.

"What do you mean? Miss Hayes is standing right here. She's Mr. Barker's real fiancée!" Naomi shot back.

But instead of backing off, the men just looked even more annoyed.

"Mrs. Barker is, of course, the Hayes family's heiress! Mr. Barker is already engaged to her!" one of them barked.

"You people trying to pretend to be Mrs. Barker? What a joke! Get lost and quit causing trouble!" another sneered.

Just then, the gates of the old mansion opened wide.

I looked up and saw Vicente and "Mrs. Barker" walking out, arm in arm, looking all lovey-dovey.

And then it hit me that the so-called "Mrs. Barker" was actually Jemma Emerson, the daughter of Leighton Emerson, our nanny.

Seeing we had no intention of leaving, the security guys whipped out their tasers, waving them around to scare us off.

Naomi started to step forward to argue, but I quickly pulled her back.

Once we were in the car, Naomi was still fuming about what happened, venting nonstop.

"Miss Hayes, that place is yours! How could they treat you like that?" she blurted out.

"Come on, you know me better than that. I'm not someone who just lets things slide," I replied with a sly grin.

I flashed her a mischievous smile.

Once we got in the car, I started hammering away at my keyboard, silent the whole time. Naomi figured I must be fuming.

But when Naomi caught a glimpse of my screen, she was so stunned that she could barely speak.

I was logged into the Hayes Group's system, and with a few taps, I shut down every single project we had with the Barker Group.

I was the sole heir to the Hayes family fortune. My parents gave me the keys to the Hayes Group as soon as I hit eighteen.

All these years, I'd been buried in my studies and hardly ever touched the company's business, but now, those privileges were finally paying off.

Naomi counted out loud, her eyes growing wider with every number flashing on the screen.

She was completely stunned, her jaw practically hitting the floor.

Just in terms of cash flow, the Barker Group was bleeding tens of millions every single day.

Of course, the Hayes Group would take a hit too.

But with all the businesses under the Hayes Group, that kind of pocket change didn't even make me blink.

"Let's go find Orlando," I said, not missing a beat.

An invitation couldn't stop me.

While I was studying overseas, Orlando Barker, our butler, was always there for my parents, constantly bringing me up whenever he got the chance.

He had had trouble getting around these past few years, so after my parents and I moved abroad, they set him up in a cozy house to enjoy his retirement.

"Orlando, I forgot my company seal," I said, already heading for his study.

Like I'd done it a hundred times before, I opened the drawer, printed out an invitation, and slapped the Hayes Group seal on it.

Then, using my Hayes Group access, I faxed it over to all those longtime partners I'd only ever worked with online.

While I was busy, Naomi quickly filled Orlando in on what had just happened.

When I went overseas for school, the nanny who'd looked after me since I was little came along with me.

My parents hired Leighton to help out around the house. Even though I hadn't been home in years, I'd still see her and her daughter pop up in my parents' social media posts.

Since Leighton was raising Jemma on her own, my parents let Jemma move into the mansion to make things easier for them.

Later, when my parents joined me abroad, they left Leighton to take care of the old place.

But I never imagined those two would be bold enough to try and take my place.

Orlando and I made our way back to the Hayes mansion, carrying the invitation. The security guards at the gate didn't dare stop us once they saw it.

Let's see what kind of tricks Jemma could pull now.

We hadn't even settled onto the living room couch when a shrill voice cut through the air.

"Who are you? Who let you in here?" Jemma screeched, sounding like she was ready to throw us out herself.

"Is this how you greet your guests? Is that what passes for manners in the Hayes family?" I shot back.

"Do you even know who you're talking to? I'm the real Miss Hayes, Mr. Barker's fiancée. And you? You're nothing but a wannabe," Jemma said.

Just mentioning my status made Jemma's lips twitch into a smug little smile. She was clearly basking in her stolen glory, not even trying to hide how pleased she was with herself.

The staff from the inner courtyard were already hanging around, waiting for the drama to unfold.