Contract Over: Heiress Unmasked

Chapter 5: Reclaiming My Crown

The heavy scent of Oud and expensive tobacco clung to the air in the VIP lounge. Jiang Yuzhou, a man who had once offered me a look of pity over a rim of a whiskey glass, approached me with a practiced smile.

"Chloe, fancy meeting you here," he said, his eyes scanning the shopping bags in my hand. "Picking up a little something for Zander?"

I leaned against the polished marble counter, the weight of the luxury watch box in my bag feeling like a secret weapon. "Just a small token," I replied, my voice smooth and indifferent.

Yuzhou’s expression shifted, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face. "You know, that brand doesn’t come cheap. Five figures for a base model. You really don't need to spend your hard-earned salary on him. Zander, he..."

He trailed off, the unspoken words hanging in the air like smoke. *He doesn’t deserve it.* I knew what he was thinking. He had seen Zander walk out of that party hand-in-hand with his 'White Moonlight,' Seraphina. He probably knew about the hotel room they shared afterward, too. In their tight-knit circle of elite heirs, I had always been the outsider—the pretty placeholder.

"Zander has everything he needs," Yuzhou continued, his tone softening with a touch of genuine concern. "Maybe save that money for yourself."

I offered him a thin, enigmatic smile. "You're right. I’ll keep that in mind for next time."

We parted ways, but I could feel his gaze on my back. I could almost hear his sigh—the pity for the 'poor girl' who didn't know she was being played. Little did he know, the watch wasn't for Zander. And the 'poor girl' was about to vanish forever.

***

Across town, Zander was mid-meal with Seraphina when his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen. A message from Yuzhou: *Bro, your girl is too good for you. Just saw her dropping a fortune on a watch for you. That’s months of her salary. Don’t blow this.*

Zander’s grip on his fork loosened. The annoyance he’d been nursing since our morning confrontation at the jewelry store began to melt into a smug, familiar warmth. *So, she’s finally bowing down,* he thought. *Buying a gift to apologize for her little rebellion.*

He’d accept the watch, of course. Maybe he’d even offer a half-hearted apology for his tone earlier. A few sweet words, a designer trinket in return, and Chloe would be back to being his dutiful, quiet shadow.

"Zander? Who is it?" Seraphina asked, her eyes sharp.

"Nothing important," he replied, sliding the phone into his pocket.

When Zander excused himself to the restroom, Seraphina didn't hesitate. She knew his passcode—his own birthday, a classic sign of his narcissism. She bypassed my silent chat thread and found Yuzhou’s message.

Her blood ran cold, then turned to ice. *Chloe is buying him a watch? She’s still trying to claw her way back in?* Seraphina didn't delete the message. Instead, she pulled out her own phone and dialed a number she knew would end this once and for all.

"Hello, Mrs. Grant?" she purred into the receiver. "It's Seraphina. I just thought you should know... Zander’s 'friend' was at the boutique today. She was trying on engagement rings, practically demanding a proposal. It was quite embarrassing for Zander..."

***

I returned to the villa, the silence of the house a welcome relief. I pulled out my suitcase and carefully tucked the watch box—a gift for Elias, the man who actually remembered my favorite color—underneath my silk robes.

Memories of Elias flashed through my mind. We had grown up in the same gated community back in Jiang City, our families' estates only a few hundred yards apart. He was four years older, always the stoic, brilliant boy with eyes like winter frost.

I remembered the summer he tutored me in math. I had been a rebellious teenager then, grieving the loss of my mother and lashing out at the world.

"I don't need your help," I had snapped at him on the first day.

Elias had looked at me, his gaze steady and unfazed. "I'm teaching you anyway," he’d said, his voice a low, melodic hum.

He had spent two months in my living room, patient and unwavering, turning my failing grades into top marks. Back then, I saw him only as a brotherly figure. When my father first suggested the alliance—the marriage to the heir of the powerful Jiang empire—I had fled. I couldn't marry 'Big Brother Elias.'

But now, after three years of being Zander’s shadow, the memory of Elias’s quiet strength felt like an anchor.

The bedroom door creaked open. Zander stood there, leaning against the frame, his eyes trailing over my half-packed bags.

"Finished packing?" he asked, his voice carrying a forced softness.

"Almost," I replied, not looking up.

"Chloe," he said, stepping into the room. "Look, I know I was harsh at the shop. You don't have to keep acting tough. I'm sorry, okay?"

I paused, a sweater in my hands. "I'm not angry, Zander."

He scoffed, a smirk playing on his lips. "Sure. Just like you didn't buy me a watch?"

I froze. "What?"

"Yuzhou saw you," Zander said, walking closer, his confidence radiating off him in waves. "He told me about the watch. It’s okay to admit you were wrong, Chloe. You don't have to play these games. Just give me the gift, and we can put this morning behind us."

I turned to face him, a genuine laugh bubbling up in my throat. The sheer, unadulterated arrogance of the man was breathtaking.

"You think I bought that for you?" I asked, my voice laced with amusement.

Zander’s brow furrowed. "Who else would it be for? You're my girlfriend."

"Am I?" I tilted my head. "I thought you were with Seraphina."

"I told you, she’s just an old friend," he bit out, his patience thinning. "Stop being jealous. It’s beneath you."

"I'm not jealous, Zander. I'm done." I reached into my bag and pulled out the jewelry box—not the watch, but the 5-carat blue diamond ring Elias had sent to the store for me. I slid it onto my finger, letting the light catch the brilliant facets. "The watch is for my fiancé. The man I'm actually going to marry."

Zander stared at the ring, his face turning a sickly shade of gray. The silence in the room was deafening, broken only by the sound of my heart beating with a new, fierce rhythm.

"You're lying," he hissed, his voice trembling with a mix of rage and disbelief. "You're doing this to spite me. Who is he? Some broke loser you hired to play a part?"

"His name is Elias Jiang," I said, my voice cold and clear as a mountain stream. "And Zander? He’s more of a man than you’ll ever be."

I zipped my suitcase shut with a final, decisive *click*.

"Goodbye, Zander. Don't bother calling. I've already cleared my things."

I walked past him, my heels clicking sharply against the hardwood floor. I didn't look back. I had a kingdom to return to, and a real king was waiting for me.

**Hook:** *As Chloe stepped into the waiting car, her phone lit up with a notification from an unknown number. It was a photo—a blurred image of her mother’s favorite porcelain doll, smashed to pieces on the floor of the villa she had just left. The message underneath read: 'You think you can just leave? We’re only just beginning.'*