Chapter 43: Brooke York is Smug
"Miles York, Brooke is your biological daughter! How can you come home and immediately ask about an outsider instead of your own child? You’ll hurt her feelings." Alice Cole was fuming that the first thing he asked about upon returning was the imposter.
Alice Cole’s accusation made Miles York realize that he had indeed been paying more attention to Chloe York over the past two days, while neglecting his own biological daughter.
He knew from Alice Cole that Brooke York’s grades were now excellent. Chloe York could bring him immediate benefits, but Brooke York was a long-term investment—not to mention, she was his real daughter.
"Brooke, Dad is doing this for the company. You can understand that, right?" Miles York looked at Brooke York, his gaze pleading for her understanding.
"Yes, I understand, Dad. Chloe is a celebrity now and can bring profits to the company. We need to be nice to her so she’ll stay with the York Family. That way, our whole family will be better off."
Miles York nodded, quite pleased with Brooke York’s maturity. "Good. As expected of my daughter. A lot of reporters want to interview Chloe right now, and we have competitors to worry about. I have to watch her closely to make sure no one takes advantage of her."
Miles York said this partly to placate Alice Cole and stop her from overthinking things. No matter what, Brooke York was his daughter, and he would always be on her side. His kindness to Chloe York was purely transactional, driven by the benefits she currently offered.
"Alright, alright, I get it. You’re doing it for the company. Go ahead and focus on being nice to her. Brooke has me. Just wait until after Brooke finishes her college entrance exams. Then, they’ll all see that Brooke is the real top student, the most capable one." Alice Cole took Brooke York’s hand, her face beaming with pride.
She used to think this was her lot in life—having a daughter like Chloe York who was an embarrassment and would never make her proud. She never imagined that child wasn’t even hers, and that her real daughter was beautiful, sensible, and a brilliant student.
Seeing that he had placated the two women, Miles York asked again, "So, is Chloe back yet?"
Although the driver had already texted him that Chloe York had been dropped off, he still felt uneasy and wanted to confirm it himself.
"She just got back. She’s in her room."
"Alright! I’m heading to my study."
With that confirmation, Miles York went straight upstairs.
"Brooke, you see? Your father cares most about benefits. You have to keep your grades up, get into a good university, make everyone proud, and make your father rely on you. You will be the next to run the York Group." Alice Cole urged her daughter once he was out of earshot.
"I know, Mom. Don’t worry."
Even without Alice Cole’s prompting, Brooke York knew what she had to do. Everyone knew she was the York family’s true daughter now, but that wasn’t enough. She had to build her own achievements to prove that she was exceptional, even without being raised in a wealthy family. ’It’s an innate quality,’ she thought, ’something that imposter Chloe York could never compete with.’
Miles York entered his study. A moment later, the driver assigned to Chloe York came in.
"Sir, after I dropped the young miss at school today, I waited at the gate. She didn’t come out all day. Some reporters tried to get into the school for an interview, but they were denied entry. The young miss came out after her evening self-study session, and I brought her straight back. Nothing out of the ordinary," the driver reported.
When Miles York had first hired him, he had made it clear: the driver’s job was not just to chauffeur Chloe York, but also to keep an eye on her for anything unusual.
"Alright, I understand. Be extra vigilant. If anything unusual happens, you must tell me at once."
"Yes, sir."
"You’re dismissed."
The driver nodded and left the study.
Miles York lit a cigarette. ’I have someone watching Chloe York for two reasons. First, I’m worried my business rivals will get in touch with her.’
’Chloe York is no longer my biological daughter. Based on her lifelong personality—foolish and easily manipulated—she could be easily duped now that she’s lost her status as a York. If she were tricked into moving out and telling the public we treated her poorly, my rivals would have a perfect excuse to accuse us of mistreating her. I have to keep her from leaving my sight.’
’Second, Chloe York actually saved someone, which I never expected, and she became famous for it. I’m worried someone else is pulling the strings. But whether they are or not, I have to make this event seem completely authentic, and I have to make sure it benefits me and no one else.’
That night, Clara Bell agonized until the early hours of the morning, still unable to post the video. Though she had readily agreed to Brooke York’s request, she chickened out when it came time to actually do it.
In the end, she posted it sometime after 3 AM. After uploading it to the school’s online confession page, she quickly logged off, turned off her phone, and forced herself to go to sleep.
She drifted off, completely unaware that the post had been quietly deleted by the page admin before anyone even had a chance to see it.
The moment her alarm went off, Chloe York sat up, opened her eyes, and started getting dressed.
Once ready, she ordered a car through a ride-sharing app. Seeing it was ten minutes away—perfect timing—she began carrying her suitcases down one by one and placing them by the front door.
At this hour, not only were Miles York and his family still asleep, but even the household staff hadn’t woken up yet.
After three trips, she had all her luggage at the villa’s entrance. She glanced at the time—the driver would be there in three minutes. She went to the kitchen for a drink of water. ’I don’t need to keep track of the days; the system will notify me when the mission is complete.’
After finishing her water, she walked outside and saw the car slowly pulling up. The timing was perfect.
The driver helped load her luggage. Once she was in the car and had confirmed the ride, he started the engine and drove away from the villa.
By the time the sun had fully risen, Chloe York was in her own rented apartment, nearly finished unpacking.
She had picked a two-bedroom, one-living-room place that came fully furnished from a local landlord. The landlord had told her that the building was almost entirely occupied by students from her school and their parents. There was also a security gate at the main entrance that kept non-residents out. For now, it seemed safe enough.
Meanwhile, at the York family villa, Miles York, Alice Cole, and Brooke York sat at the dining table, waiting for Chloe York to come down for breakfast.
Normally, she would have been down long before now, but after waiting for nearly twenty minutes with no sign of her, Miles York instructed a maid, "Why isn’t Chloe down yet? Go and call her."
A nearby maid replied, "Yes, sir," and turned to head upstairs.
"She only managed to wake up early for a few days before showing her true colors again," Alice Cole muttered, tearing at a piece of bread with an I-told-you-so look on her face.
Brooke York said nothing. Seeing Chloe York come down early every morning had made her uneasy for the past few days. Now, watching her revert to her old ways brought a sense of relief.
’Clara Bell must have posted about Chloe having a sugar daddy. Chloe probably cried so hard last night she couldn’t get up,’ she thought. Come to think of it, she herself had almost overslept and hadn’t even checked her phone. ’Everyone at school must be buzzing about it right now!’