For twenty years, I lived a lie as the fake heiress.
The night the real daughter returned, Caleb claimed me. The man who never saw me, now refused to look away.
His obsession. My cage.
Then a car crash wiped his memory clean.
Now, he doesn’t know my name.
This is my only chance to escape.
Nora’s POV
A cashier’s check for five million dollars. A deed to a villa in the south of France.
My parents-or rather, Mr. and Mrs. Harrison-sat across from me, their expressions unnaturally stiff.
“Nora, take it,” Mrs. Harrison’s voice was brittle. “Chloe is back. Go abroad. And don’t come back.”
I looked down at the absurd string of zeros on the check.
Twenty years ago, a hospital mix-up swapped me, a child from nowhere, into the Harrison family as their heiress. For two decades, I lived a life of wealth that was never mine.
Then, a month ago, they found their real daughter, Chloe.
Overnight, I fell from grace. Now I was just the awkward reminder in their home, the impostor who stole a life.
This was the price of our bond.
Yet, I felt nothing.
I wanted to escape anyway.
Caleb Harrison, who had treated me like air since we were children, changed the night my identity was exposed.
He tore away his mask of indifference, unleashing a raw, possessive fury that left me sobbing and pleading for mercy, over and over.
My voice grew hoarse, but he cupped my chin, his breath searing my skin. “Nora,” he said, his voice low. “I’ve held back long enough.”
In that moment, I finally understood.
All those years of distance? A lie.
Soon after, he announced our engagement.
Mr. Harrison was so enraged he had a heart attack. Lying in his hospital bed, he cursed Caleb. But Caleb merely summoned his lawyer and forced his father to sign over his shares, effectively stripping the old man of all power in the Harrison Group.
Chloe slashed her wrists in a suicide attempt. Caleb froze all her assets.He warned that if she didn’t behave, she would be sent back to the slums. That silenced her for good.
I couldn’t breathe in this prison of a relationship and began planning my escape.
The first time, I hid in the trunk of a supply truck. It didn’t even reach the estate gates before being stopped.
The second time, I climbed down from the second-floor balcony in the dead of night, only to find a line of bodyguards waiting below, watching me in silence.
The closest I ever came to freedom was with Julian’s help. I boarded a train bound for the next state. Just as liberty seemed within reach, men in black suits cleared the entire carriage. Caleb descended like a god of wrath, his eyes glacial.
He didn’t rage that time. After bringing me back to the estate, he fastened a slender platinum chain around my ankle, its other end secured to the bedpost.
I was a bird with clipped wings.
Then, half a month ago, he left for a neighboring city to handle an urgent merger.
The negotiations dragged on for eighteen brutal hours. His team urged him to rest, but he insisted on driving back that same night.
All because I’d whispered over the phone, “It’s storming outside. I’m scared.”
He drove through torrential rain, dead with exhaustion. On the highway, his car slammed into an overturned semi-truck. The vehicle was obliterated.
When he woke, his memory was gone. The accident had erased it all-the obsession, the possession, the madness.
Now, he didn’t even know my name.
This was my only chance to escape.
“Okay.” I reached out, my fingertips brushing the check, cold as ice. “I’ll leave within a month.”
The Harrisons visibly exhaled in relief.
Just then, the front door of the villa was pushed open, and a gust of cold wind swept in.
Caleb’s imposing frame filled the doorway. Beside him stood Chloe, her eyes bright and sharp.
Mr. and Mrs. Harrison’s faces went pale.
“Caleb, Chloe,”Mrs. Harrison said, her smile strained as she gestured quickly toward me. “This is our new housekeeper. She was just about to start her duties.”
Caleb’s gaze swept over the check on the table, his brow furrowing for a second before it locked on me.
“Stop.”
One word. Cold and sharp. An invisible chain that froze me where I stood.
I lifted my head slowly and met a pair of dark, depthless eyes.
There was no trace of the old obsession or madness in them now, only a chilling indifference.
Caleb strode over to me. His long fingers caught my chin, forcing my face up to his.
“Who are you dressed like that for?” His lips thinned in disgust. “Playing the innocent angel? Who exactly are you trying to seduce?”
My body trembled.
This simple white dress had once been his favorite on me.
He used to say it made me look pure, like an angel untouched by the world.
Now, all he saw was cunning. Deceit.
Good.
Perhaps this way, I could finally get away.
“Don’t wear this again,” Caleb said, releasing me as if touching something filthy. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his fingers deliberately. “Put on a maid’s uniform.”
“Caleb, why bother with the maid?” Chloe linked her arm through his, giving me a dismissive glance. “I’ve seen her kind before, scheming to climb above their station. She’s nothing but trouble. Lock her in the basement until she learns her place.”
The bodyguards nearby hesitated.
Everyone knew that before Caleb’s amnesia, I was his untouchable obsession.
His doting on me had reached a pathological level.
“What are you waiting for? Did I say something wrong?” Chloe frowned when the bodyguards didn’t move.
Caleb lost his patience, and the disgust in his eyes deepened as he looked at me.
“Get her out of my sight.”
The bodyguards realized the situation had changed and moved forward to surround me. My last shred of hope shattered.
He really didn’t remember anything.
My arms were seized, and I was dragged towards the basement.
I’d been afraid of the dark since childhood.
A massive fear engulfed me, but I didn’t struggle. I just bit down hard on my lip, letting myself be pulled into that darkness.
The basement door opened, and a damp, chilling air assaulted me.
Chloe followed inside. The moment the bodyguards threw me onto the ground, she quickly stepped forward, raising her hand and delivering a resounding slap across my face.
SMACK!
“Liar!” Chloe’s voice was sharp. “After stealing twenty years from me, you have the gall to chase my brother? Who do you think you are?”
My cheek stung fiercely, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of my mouth, yet I felt no pain.
Chloe leaned in, her breath a cold whisper against my ear. “Oh, and Caleb’s engaged to Vanessa Vance. A perfect match. And you? You’re just the trash he threw out.”
With that, she straightened up and ordered the bodyguards, “Lock the door and turn off the lights.”
The heavy iron door slammed shut, and the last sliver of light vanished.
The world plunged into absolute darkness and cold.
I curled up on the ground, crying silently, my tears quickly soaking my dress.
I told myself to endure, just a little longer. Soon, I could leave.
Fear, cold, and hunger clawed at me without mercy. As I sank into unconsciousness, I thought I heard frantic pounding on the door and a voice calling my name.
Nora’s POV
The smell of disinfectant.
I opened my eyes to a white ceiling and a familiar, handsome face.
“Julian?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
Julian turned his head. Seeing me awake, his eyes instantly filled with joy and lingering fear. “Nora, you’re finally awake.”
He handed me a glass of warm water. “I couldn’t reach you, so I went straight to the estate. Who knew they’d lock you in the basement, knowing you’re afraid of the dark!”
I took the water and watched him sigh. “I almost went to war with the Harrisons, forcing them to let you go – you were burning with fever and unconscious.”
“Thank you, Julian.” I took a sip of water, the dryness in my throat easing slightly.
Julian looked at me, his eyes reflecting my pale face.
“Nora, come with me.” He took my hand, his gaze intensely serious. “Caleb has amnesia. This is your only chance to leave him. I’ll take you away, to a place he’ll never find.”
I gently withdrew my hand and shook my head.
“I’m already processing my visa,” I said softly. “The Harrisons gave me money and property to leave.”
Seeing Julian’s worried look, I explained, “Caleb’s background is complicated. It’s not easy for him to travel abroad. Only if I leave will he truly not find me.”
This was the safest way.
I didn’t want to trade one cage for another; I wanted complete freedom.
Julian was silent for a moment, then finally respected my decision. “Okay, I’ll help you.”
Just then, the TV screen on the hospital room wall lit up. A financial news bulletin filled the silence.
“Breaking News: The Harrison Group and Vance Enterprises announce a historic alliance, to be cemented next month by the engagement of Caleb Harrison to heiress Vanessa Vance.”
The screen showed Caleb, imposing in a tailored suit, his expression unreadable. Beside him, Vanessa stood elegant and poised in white.
They were the picture of a perfect, powerful union.
Julian grabbed the remote, trying to turn it off.
“It’s okay.” I stopped him, unusually calm. “Julian, I don’t care.”
My heart was already dead. Seeing this merely confirmed that it wouldn’t beat again.
Over the next few days, Julian used his connections to expedite my overseas travel procedures.
“The visa should be ready in two weeks at the fastest.” Coming out of the embassy, Julian handed me back my passport.
On the way back, he casually mentioned, “My company happens to have a project launching overseas. I might be going there too. Maybe… maybe we’ll even run into each other then.”
I knew he was carefully making excuses, afraid of putting any pressure on me.
I recognized his thoughtfulness and felt a warmth in my chest. I softly said, “Okay.”
The car stopped in front of the Harrison estate.
I pushed open the car door. Due to my weakness, I stumbled slightly.
Julian immediately steadied me. “Careful.”
His palm was warm and strong, conveying a comforting strength through the thin fabric of my clothes.
I instinctively looked up, intending to thank him.
But the moment I looked up, my face instantly turned ashen.
On the steps not far away, Caleb stood.
His icy gaze was fixed on our clasped hands.
His eyes held the look I once knew all too well, filled with a violent possessiveness and an impending, explosive madness.
My whole body trembled. My blood ran cold.
Hadn’t he forgotten everything?
Nora’s POV
“Julian, go! Now!”
I immediately yanked my hand away from Julian’s grasp, my voice laced with uncontrollable panic.
Julian followed my gaze and also noticed the dangerous man radiating menace on the steps.
He frowned, then warned with concern, “Call me immediately if anything happens.”
“Okay.” I urged him into the car, and only after watching his car disappear from sight did I take a deep breath and turn to face the source of my fear.
I walked up the steps one by one, my heart pounding wildly in my chest.
I was terrified, afraid that he would lose control in a fit of jealousy, as he had countless times before, drag me into a room, and punish me in the most brutal way.
However, Caleb merely looked down at me, his eyes cold, his tone filled with undisguised reprimand.
“A housekeeper standing at the employer’s door? Do you have no shame?”
With that one sentence, the tension in my chest suddenly vanished.
I exhaled in relief. It seemed… he really didn’t remember.
That familiar look from earlier was probably just my imagination.
I lowered my head and obediently replied, “I’m sorry, sir. I know my place.”
Then, I walked past him and quickly entered the living room.
Inside, the entire family and Vanessa were present.
Vanessa, in an exquisite Chanel suit, sat elegantly on the sofa. Seeing me enter, a cold smirk played on her lips.
I felt a little uneasy as I approached, greeting them as per protocol.
“Mr. Harrison, Mrs. Harrison, Chloe Harrison, Ms. Vance.”
Vanessa picked up a teacup from the table, slowly sipped it, then stood up.
As she passed me, she extended her foot, seemingly by accident.
Completely unprepared, I was tripped fiercely, falling forward uncontrollably.
Vanessa also let out a feigned gasp, tumbling to the ground, while my forehead slammed hard against the sharp corner of the marble coffee table.
A dull thud echoed, and my vision instantly blackened.
“Ah!” Chloe shrieked. She rushed over – not to help me, but to slap me again.
“Nora, you bitch! You did that on purpose! You just can’t stand seeing Caleb and Vanessa happy together, can you?”
She helped the feigning Vanessa up and immediately turned to Caleb, who had just walked in.
“Caleb! Look at her! She’s jealous of Vanessa, so she pushed her! She’s a psychopath. The other day I found some of your old things in her room – she wants to seduce you!”
Vanessa leaned weakly into Caleb’s chest, her voice trembling with a soft sob. “Caleb, it’s alright…It’s just…this housekeeper…I think she may have misunderstood me somehow.”
A perfect performance.
I clutched my bleeding forehead, a cold, mirthless laugh rising inside me.
Caleb despised nothing more than women who tried to scheme their way into his bed.
Sure enough, his face turned terrifyingly dark, and his eyes, as he looked at me, were like he was staring at a pile of repulsive garbage.
He held Vanessa in his arms, his voice utterly devoid of warmth.
“Take her away and teach her a good lesson.”
With that, he carried Vanessa directly upstairs, instructing the housekeeper to call a doctor. From start to finish, he didn’t spare me another glance, nor did he give me any chance to defend myself.
His words were like cold knives, piercing my heart.
I was dragged mercilessly by the bodyguards to the courtyard outside the villa, forced to kneel on the hard flagstones.
Chloe held a golf club, her face alight with uncontrollable excitement and malice.
This club was once Caleb’s prized possession, now it had become her tool of vengeance.
“Nora, I’ve been waiting for this moment.”
She raised the club and swung it with all her might, bringing it down hard on my back!
“This one’s for stealing twenty years of my life!”
A dull thud echoed sickeningly in the empty courtyard. I let out a choked cry of pain, almost collapsing on the spot.
But Chloe didn’t stop. A second swing followed immediately, landing on my leg.
“This one’s for shamelessly seducing Caleb!”
“This one’s for being a pathetic, ungrateful parasite!”
…
“Why aren’t you screaming? Where’s your arrogance now? No one’s going to save you this time! You imposter!”
I bit down hard on my lower lip, refusing to make a sound.
But each time that hard club came down, it felt like my bones were shattering.
The intense pain made my vision blur, and cold sweat instantly soaked my clothes.
Blood trailed down my back, my arms, my legs… dripping onto the cold concrete.
Chloe seemed determined to unleash years of resentment, hitting harder and harder. By the end, my consciousness began to fade.
All I could hear was her sharp cursing and the dull thud of the club tearing through the air.
When the final strike landed, I couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed heavily into a pool of my own blood.
Nora’s POV
When I woke up again, I found myself locked in a deserted storage room.
A thin scab had formed on the wounds on my back and legs. The slightest movement brought a tearing pain. I forced myself to get up and knocked on the iron door.
A bodyguard’s indifferent voice came from outside. “Chloe Harrison said you haven’t learned your lesson. You’ll be locked in for three more days, without food or water.”
He paused, then added, “Mr. Harrison also agreed.”
I slid down to the floor, leaning against the door, and suddenly I laughed.
Chloe hated me to the core; I knew that better than anyone.
Though not intentional, it was all my fault – I had lived her luxurious life while she suffered. When she returned, Caleb’s obsessive protection shielded me. He doted on me so much that even his “biological” daughter couldn’t touch me.
Now, Caleb had amnesia. He didn’t remember me, let alone his mad love for me.
Chloe had finally gotten her chance for revenge.
I leaned against the cold wall, no longer struggling, no longer knocking.
Anyway, it wouldn’t be long before I could leave forever.
There was no need to cause trouble at the last moment.
Let it be.
I curled up in the corner, the pain from my wounds making sleep impossible. I could only fantasize about my life after leaving, just to pass the time.
Three days later, when I was so hungry I was almost losing consciousness, the basement door finally opened.
Chloe looked down at me, as if bestowing a favor. “Get up, don’t play dead. Tonight is Vanessa’s birthday. You’re lucky – we’re letting you serve at the party. Consider it a learning opportunity.”
I was forcibly changed into a waiter’s uniform and taken to Vanessa’s birthday banquet.
The party was held in the top-floor ballroom of the Harrison Hotel, a scene of utmost luxury.
Socialites and business moguls gathered, champagne glasses clinking.
And I was just a server, humbly weaving through the crowd with a tray.
At the climax of the banquet, Caleb personally placed a blue diamond necklace around Vanessa’s neck.
The enormous heart-shaped blue diamond sparkled under the lights, worth millions of dollars.
The entire hall erupted in thunderous applause and congratulations.
I stood in the corner, watching it all numbly.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
Vanessa had found her way to my side, champagne flute in hand, a smile sickly-sweet on her lips.
I remained silent.
“Did you like my little gift earlier?” She leaned in, her voice a venomous whisper meant only for me. “I did it on purpose.”
She watched my pupils contract, and her smile deepened.
“Do you know how long I’ve waited? I loved Caleb for ten years, but he only saw you. I saw him hold you. Kiss you. Punish people just for a scratch on your skin. I swore I’d take everything from you.”
Her eyes turned venomous, crazed. “Nora, I will make you taste hell.”
My blood ran cold. Before I could react, Vanessa’s expression shifted. Her hand flew to her throat in a practiced gesture of distress.
“My necklace! It is gone!”
The room stilled. All eyes turned to us.
Vanessa feigned panic, but her gaze slid pointedly to me. “I only spoke to her just now.”
In an instant, all eyes were on me.
Nora’s POV
“It’s her! She must have stolen Vanessa’s necklace!”
Chloe was the first to rush over, followed by two burly bodyguards. She pointed at me, her face alight with undisguised malice.
“There are surveillance cameras!” I finally spoke, my voice hoarse but firm.
I knew it was a trap, but I couldn’t believe they would openly deny the truth in front of so many witnesses.
“Surveillance?” Chloe looked like she’d heard the funniest joke. “Search her! Search her thoroughly! No mercy for a thief!”
The bodyguards immediately stepped forward, disregarding my resistance, roughly searching me.
I struggled desperately. Soon, the blue diamond necklace, worth hundreds of millions, was “found” in my uniform pocket.
“Caught red-handed! What more do you have to say!” Chloe held up the necklace, announcing loudly.
Everyone looked at me with the gaze reserved for a thief, their eyes filled with scorn and disdain.
I stood there, trembling with cold, powerless to defend myself.
“Caleb, we can’t just let a dishonest servant like her get away!”
Chloe turned to Caleb, who had been watching with cold eyes, and offered an utterly vicious suggestion.
“There are some homeless people near the hotel’s back alley. Why bother with the police? Just throw her into a room and let them have some fun. Consider it… trash disposal.”
I felt as if struck by lightning, looking at Caleb in disbelief.
I couldn’t believe he would be so cruel.
“Mm,” Caleb gave an indifferent hum, swirling his glass. “Do it.”
That single order shattered my world.
I lunged forward and grabbed his sleeve, a madwoman pleading. “I didn’t steal it! Caleb, check the cameras! Please, check the surveillance!”
Caleb frowned in disgust. His hand came up, and slowly, deliberately, he pried my fingers from his sleeve.
“Disgusting.”
He coldly uttered two words, then pulled out a handkerchief and meticulously wiped the spot I had touched.
In the past year, he had held me in these hands countless times, kissed me dotingly, and done every gentle thing for me.
Those memories flashed through my mind, making the cold, disgusted Caleb before me seem like a completely different person.
Tears, finally, broke free.
The bodyguards dragged me away and flung me into a hotel room.
The lock clicked. Several ragged men reeking of filth lunged at me like wolves.
“Get away!”
Survival instinct unlocked a strength I never knew I had. I screamed, dodged, scrambling for any way out.
As one man lunged, I saw my chance. I channeled every ounce of fear into my leg and kicked him square between the legs.
Amid his agonized roar, before the others could move, I bolted. Barefoot, I yanked the door open and fled into the hall without a glance back.
Curses and pounding footsteps chased me.
In my panic, I spotted a door left slightly ajar. Without a thought, I slipped inside.
The room was pitch black. I slumped against the door, gasping, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Just then, the bathroom door opened.
A tall figure emerged, trailing the scent of alcohol and steam.
In the darkness, he couldn’t make out my face. But he smelled a familiar, comforting scent.
“Vanessa?” Caleb’s voice was slurred with drink, mistaking me for his fiance.
↓ ↓ Download the Novel Master app, Search 【 317186 】reads the whole book. ↓ ↓
NovelShort
