The True Heiress's Return

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Xanthe was stunned, her lips twitching as she hesitantly asked, "Madam, you can't force matters of the heart; wouldn't that be unwise?"

Eve smiled brightly. "I get that feeling can't be forced, and I don't want you to feel pressured." Then, her tone softened. "Have you ever thought about taking on a side venture?"

Xanthe blinked in confusion. "What?" Eve just smiled back. From a nearby box with the Rippling Heart set Eve pulled out a stack of checks.

With her exquisite face slightly lowered, Eve began writing. "I know my son well; dating him might be tough. So, here's my offer: thirty thousand a day, paid weekly. Ms. Sullivan, consider if this works for you."

Thirty thousand a day adds up to 900,000 a month. Xanthe thought, 'A side venture? It's basically a ticket to wealth!'

Her face lit up with excitement, but a hint of hesitation lingered. "But, Madam, why do you want me to pretend to date

Sean?".

"Because he likes you, and I want to support his feelings." Eve laid out her intentions. "If you come to like him, great! But if not, maybe it'll just be a fun memory, and he won't waste his feelings." Xanthe felt touched by Eve's words. No wonder Sean was so carefree; he grew up in such a positive environment.

But what really captivated Xanthe was that huge commission. Even if this plan felt a bit underhanded, no one could turn down 900,000 a month.

She thought, 'Besides, Sean admitted he liked me; I can't let down Eve's motherly love!*

Her eyes sparkled with determination. "I'll do whatever it takes, Madam! Just tell me how to proceed!"

Xanthe's eagerness brought a genuine smile to Eve's face. Her honest enthusiasm was refreshing in today's world.

Eve replied, "Excellent, here's to a successful partnership." "Absolutely!" Xanthe exclaimed. Working with a wealthy woman would be a joy.

Compared to that, Sean seemed tight-fisted. Xanthe felt thrilled about their new agreement.

But then a sudden worry hit her. "But how do I start this romance? It feels a bit sudden..." In her eagerness for money, she had totally overlooked that Sean didn't really like her.NôvelDrama.Org owns © this.

Eve smiled knowingly, her eyes sparkling. "That's easily fixed; I'll handle it for you."

Xanthe perked up. "Oh, great!" She felt relieved to avoid any awkwardness.

Later that night, Sean was jolted awake by a message from Eve.

Eve: [I've set everything up regarding your crush; now it's up to you to make it work.]

Sean: [?]

Eve: [I've put in a lot this time, so don't let me down!]

Sean: [??]

He wondered what she meant by "crush"..

That night, when Xanthe scuffed his shoes, it felt like she'd stomped on his pride. As he limped to his car, he decided not to

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seek her out anymore.

But now...

The next morning, barely sleeping, Sean jumped out of bed and headed straight to the Lopez Group.

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Meanwhile, Xanthe, buzzing with excitement all night, had dark circles under her eyes but radiated energy; it was clear she was in a great mood.

Even when Fiona came to see her, Xanthe greeted her with an unusually bright smile. "Here's your drive; I haven't used it, so it's back to you." Fiona accepted it. "I heard what happened yesterday; luckily, the truth came out, or I would've caused trouble."

Xanthe shrugged. "I don't really like you, but this isn't your fault. If Sophia wanted to ditch me, she'd have found someone else without you."

Fiona was speechless. Xanthe's comments weren't exactly kind.

Fiona pursed her lips before speaking again, a mix of envy and longing in her voice. "Thank goodness for Shakira; it's amazing how fiercely she defended you. I wish I had a friend like that."

Xanthe missed Fiona's sarcasm, grinning with delight. "Exactly! Not everyone is lucky enough to have a best friend like Shakira; I feel so fortunate!"

Fiona thought, 'Is Xanthe pretending to be clueless, or is she really that naive?'

Taking a deep breath, Fiona finally spoke up. "I've known Shakira for a while, but we had misunderstandings that caused issues...

"Now that I see my mistakes, I realize Shakira and I shouldn't be enemies; we'd be better as friends. Unfortunately, when I apologized, she didn't want to forgive me. If only I could change her view of me and show my true intentions."

Xanthe finally seemed to understand, looking at Fiona in surprise. "You want to be friends with Shakira?"

"Exactly," Fiona replied with a bright smile. "Xanthe, could you help me?"

Xanthe looked taken aback, feeling offended. "Why should I help you? Shakira is kind; but if you crossed her boundaries, how can you expect forgiveness?"

Fiona's smile faded. "It was a misunderstanding; I never meant to hurt her..."

"Misunderstanding or not, damage has been done. If I stab you and then apologize, would you just forgive me? If you think that's how it works, I can stab you right now," Xanthe said, reaching for a fruit knife on the table. Fiona's face turned pale as she stepped back. "Xanthe, I've helped you before; how can you treat me this way?"

Xanthe rolled her eyes. "I never asked for your help. And even if you did help me, it wouldn't be about Shakira. Treating others as you want to be treated. I won't go to Shakira for you. That would betray her." Fiona's face flushed with anger. "Didn't you also help others hurt Shakira in the past? What's the difference? How dare you criticize me!"

Xanthe replied, narrowing her eyes, "Ah, you've done your research. You say you want to be friends with Shakira, but you are with such a calculating nature. You seem well-meaning, but you're actually quite malicious!" Xanthe gathered the Rippling Heart, ready to seek out Shakira, completely ignoring Fiona, who was fuming.

As Xanthe approached the elevator, she bumped into a group of people inside.

Among them was Sean, grinning ominously, nearly blinding her with his smile.

With steely resolve, Xanthe thought, "The moment to earn some money has finally arrived!'

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