Three Systems Made the Fake Heiress Unstoppable

"Alright, I’m not going to say any more to you. I don’t need to prove myself, and I didn’t approach Chloe with any ulterior motives. Chloe and I are good friends, okay!"

"Is that so? Then if you’re good friends, let me ask how you two met. Who approached whom first? Isn’t that a perfectly normal question? Why won’t you answer?"

"It was me. I approached Chloe first and became friends with her. Happy now?" Wendy Winters’s tone was already tinged with exasperation. Why did she feel like a criminal being interrogated by this Zoe Roland?

At that thought, Wendy instantly flared up. She was just about to snap back, demanding to know what right Zoe had to speak to her in such a tone and doubt her, when Zoe beat her to the punch.

"Why did you take the initiative to befriend Chloe? School has only been in session for a little over a month, yet you’re already so chummy with her. Don’t you have an ulterior motive?"

Zoe narrowed her eyes, her gaze now visibly suspicious, convinced Wendy was harboring hidden intentions. Chloe was so popular and famous right now. Maybe this Wendy girl just wanted to get something out of her. Claiming she wanted to be friends and even seeking Chloe out on her own—Zoe refused to believe it wasn’t a calculated move.

"Seriously, why are you such a conspiracy theorist? Even though we’ve only known each other for a little over a month, I’d already heard about Chloe’s achievements back in high school. I really admire her. When I found out we were going to the same university, I took the initiative to reach out and become friends. Is there a problem with that?

"Besides, I imagine there are plenty of people who want to be friends with Chloe. The fact that she’s willing to be friends with me just means we’re meant to be!

"As for you, I’m the one who suspects you have an ulterior motive for getting close to Chloe. You’re not in the same year, and you’re two or three years older. Logically speaking, you two shouldn’t even run in the same circles. Why did you travel all this way just to find her? It’s hard for me not to suspect that you’re the one with a hidden agenda."

Wendy flipped the script, turning her self-defense into an accusation against Zoe. She couldn’t be blamed for saying so; Zoe was indeed highly suspicious. They weren’t in the same year, there was a noticeable age gap, yet she had traveled all this way—and now she was spouting conspiracy theories and treating Wendy like some kind of villain.

Zoe didn’t answer Wendy’s questions; she merely glared at her with hostility.

"What’s with that look? Don’t try to deflect the blame and play the innocent victim, I’m telling you."

"Deflect the blame? Who’s deflecting the blame here? Chloe and I are upperclassman and underclassman. Just like you said, you heard of Chloe’s achievements in high school—well, I went to the same high school as Chloe. I didn’t just hear about them; I witnessed them with my own eyes. We are not the same."

Upon hearing Zoe’s words, just as Wendy was on the verge of losing her temper and slamming her hands on the table, Chloe York and Evan Shaw returned.

As if by some tacit agreement, the two girls instantly dropped their hostile expressions, appearing as calm as if nothing had happened at all. However, one could still tell from Wendy’s eyes that she was fuming. Zoe, on the other hand, had a smile in her eyes, genuinely acting as if their argument had never taken place.

"Let’s go!" Chloe had no idea that a verbal war had just broken out during the short time she was away. After she spoke, the two girls stood up and flanked her on either side, whisking her away.

Evan was left to follow behind them. Looking at the retreating backs of the three girls walking together, he rubbed his nose. When it came to female friendships, he really was an outsider.

After eating their fill, all they wanted to do was rest, and they were done with shopping. The group planned to head back to campus. The only exception was Zoe, whose accommodations needed to be sorted out, as she had just arrived that day.

"Zoe, are you planning to go back, or...?" Chloe asked, unsure if Zoe intended to stay for a while or return immediately.

"Chloe, I bought a ticket back for tomorrow, but I still don’t know where I’m staying tonight!" Zoe said, sounding a bit pitiful.

In reality, she was doing this on purpose. She had already found out that Chloe was renting her own apartment and that the place had more than one bedroom. Zoe had already made up her mind to stay with Chloe for the night. She figured that given Chloe’s personality, she would definitely invite her to stay. After all, it was incredibly unsafe for a girl to stay outside in an unfamiliar place.

Surprised that Zoe had come all this way without arranging a place to stay, Chloe thought for a moment before making a decision. "I see. In that case, you can come stay at my apartment. I have a spare room."

Having achieved her goal, Zoe’s face lit up with joy. "Okay!"

Wendy grabbed Chloe’s arm, her eyes filled with doubt. Was she sure about this? Come to think of it, Wendy hadn’t even been to Chloe’s place yet!

Suddenly stopped in her tracks, Chloe caught Wendy’s gaze and quickly realized that she had never even invited Wendy over.

"Do you want to come too?" Anyway, she had plenty of rooms. The room she had saved for Stella Winters probably wouldn’t be needed anymore. Once Chloe went abroad, she would give up the lease here and rent a new place overseas.

"Sure!" Wendy agreed without a second of hesitation, shooting Zoe a subtle, triumphant look.

Just who did she think she was? Whether Zoe was plotting to murder Chloe in her sleep or pull some other dirty trick, with Wendy around, it was absolutely impossible. She would keep a close eye on Zoe until she left.

Zoe’s joy vanished in an instant upon hearing that Wendy was tagging along. She shot Wendy a look of sheer disgust. It wasn’t as if Wendy didn’t have a place to stay—why was she joining in on the fun and crashing at Chloe’s too? How annoying.

Listening to the three of them plan their sleepover, Evan actually really wanted to join in. However, the kind of joining he wanted was to live with Chloe, not to become part of their sisterhood.

"Let’s head back now! It’s getting late."

"I’ll act as your knight in shining armor and escort you all home!" Evan chimed in.

"Sure!" Wendy agreed before Chloe could speak. Having an extra person around always made her feel a bit bolder, and she noticed that Zoe’s expression had soured significantly after she agreed.

What a joke. Whether it came to friendships or romantic relationships, one shouldn’t hinder someone else from making new connections. Zoe was clearly harboring ill intentions.

Since Wendy had already agreed, Chloe didn’t voice any objections. In truth, she felt it was unnecessary for Evan to escort them. Even though they were three girls, there was strength in numbers, and she herself was quite strong. They wouldn’t be in any danger. Besides, Evan wasn’t even heading in the same direction!

The four of them walked toward Chloe’s place together. Not far away, Ethan Prescott watched the group. It seemed he no longer had the right to walk beside Chloe like that.