Chapter 4

Oaklee ended up dragging me back to her place.

Or rather, she pulled me into that penthouse with a nightscape view of a river in the city.

Standing there in my cheap pajamas from some bargain site, my feet sinking into the plush wool carpet, I stared out at the glittering city lights. It felt like I was dreaming.

It was a dream so surreal.

Oaklee came out of the shower and tossed me a set of silk pajamas. "Put these on. Your lousy clothes are so embarrassing."

I cradled the smooth fabric in my hands and asked carefully, "Am I supposed to hand-wash this?"

Oaklee rolled her eyes at me. "Just throw it away if you want to change it. I'll have a hundred new sets delivered tomorrow."

I stared at her, speechless.

Damn, capitalist.

When I slipped into those silk pajamas, it felt like I'd leveled up.

"Oaklee, so are you really the heiress of some super-rich family?" I couldn't help but gossip.

"Sort of," Oaklee replied, barely paying attention as she dried her hair and scrolled through her phone.

"Then why did you act so broke before? Why were you eating canned spaghetti with me?"

"Living for the experience. You wouldn't get it."

Alright then.

I'd never understand the world of the rich.

I lay on a bed so huge that it could fit five of me, tossing and turning, totally unable to sleep.

This was all so unreal.

The next morning, I was jolted awake by the sound of the doorbell.

When I opened the door, there was a whole line of people in crisp uniforms standing outside.

The manager at the front bowed respectfully. "Good morning, Ms. Newton. We're from a luxury couture brand, and per Ms. Warren's instructions, we are here to bring you every new item from this season."

Then they started hauling in racks of clothes, shoes, and bags.

Before I knew it, my walk-in closet was overflowing.

I stared at all that designer stuff I'd only ever seen in glossy magazines, feeling like I could barely breathe.

Oaklee yawned as she walked out of her room, gave everything a quick look, and waved her hand. "None of this is special enough. Bring me something better."

The manager bowed repeatedly. "Yes, of course. We'll take care of it right away."

I was shocked.

She called these not special enough. Seriously?

These could buy me a bunch of apartments.

"Briella, quit acting as if you've never seen anything in your life." Oaklee gave my cheek a playful pat. "You're about to be a high-class lady, so you better start getting used to it."

Before I could even snap out of my shock, Oaklee hit me with another bombshell. "By the way, I was thinking yesterday. You can't stay single forever. I've lined up someone for you. You're meeting him tonight."

I was totally shocked. "What? No way, I'm not going."

"You're going whether you like it or not." Oaklee shut me down. "He's a real catch. A college guy, young, full of energy, and seriously handsome.

"The only thing is, his family's a bit broke, so he needs someone to back him up. Honestly, you two would balance each other out perfectly."

A college guy?

And his family is poor.

Right away, I pictured some innocent, doe-eyed boy-next-door type.

"I'm really not into younger guys," I protested, trying to wriggle out of it.

"Believe me. You two are right for each other," Oaklee shot back.

"I—"

"It's settled. Seven o'clock tonight at the Bund House." Oaklee didn't even give me a chance to refuse.

That night, I got shoved into a dress that practically screamed money, had my makeup done to perfection, and was chauffeured to the Bund House.

Oaklee texted me, [Remember, you're a big spender now. Show some attitude. Don't let that kid get the upper hand.]

I took a deep breath, psyching myself up.

It was just some broke college kid, right?

I was Briella Newton, and I was sitting on 2 million now.

I walked into the restaurant and gave the host Oaklee's name.

The waiter led me to a table by the window.

A man was sitting with his back to me. All I could see was his tall, upright figure.

When he heard my footsteps, he turned around.

The moment our eyes met, we both froze.

This was Charlie, the young heir who claimed to be the boss's son in the conference room.

What was he doing here?

Shouldn't he be interning at the company right now?

He recognized me, too, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face.

"It's you?" he said.

My brain was spinning.

Oaklee said he was a poor student.

But he was the heir of a company. Could it be...

A scary thought started creeping in.

Was he some secret child from a rich family, totally ignored at home? Maybe he was forced to intern at the bottom of the company, scraping by on a tiny allowance. Was that why Oaklee said he was broke?

That had to be it.

All those TV shows were exactly like this.

With that thought, my gaze was suddenly full of sympathy and affection.

Poor kid.

I cleared my throat, ready to play my part as the rich lady, like Oaklee wanted.

I sat down across from him, crossing my legs with practiced elegance.

"So, it's you, Charlie," I said, deliberately using a grown-up, almost elder tone.

Charlie's mouth twitched. "Do we... know each other?"

"Didn't we meet yesterday?" I gave him a small smile. "Relax, have a seat. Tonight's on me. Order whatever you want."

I snapped my fingers to get the waiter's attention. "Bring out all your priciest dishes."

The waiter paused, looking a bit unsure, and kindly reminded me, "Ms., our most expensive dish is—"

"No need to explain, bring them. Money's not an issue." I waved the black card Oaklee gave me right in front of Charlie.

I watched as Charlie was practically shaken.

He stared at the card in my hand like he'd seen a ghost.

Kid, bet you didn't expect me to be this rich, did you?

I couldn't help but feel a little smug inside.