Chapter 5

The man in the photo was indeed Christian.

It turned out he was the sole heir to the legendary Vance family of New York!

He was wearing a bespoke, luxury designer suit, sporting a multi-million-dollar watch, and surrounded by a flock of bodyguards.

Thinking about how this untouchable billionaire heir had actually worn rags just to eat a cheap buffet with me, I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.

Christian really went all out to test his blind date.

Terrified that Chloe would find Christian and expose the fact that I had impersonated her, I racked my brain to keep her calm.

"You’re overthinking things, Chloe. That guy took me to a dirt-cheap buffet for our first date."

"Every time we meet, he wears the same trashy clothes."

"Even his phone has a shattered screen."

"With how broke he looks, how could he possibly be the heir to the Vance family?"

Seeing Chloe look at me with deep suspicion, I quickly pulled up my Snapchat history and showed her the photos of the cheap buffets and the receipts.

Chloe scrolled through my phone for a long time.

Then she looked at my worn-out clothes, and her suspicion finally faded.

"True. If he were actually rich, there’s no way he wouldn't spend money on you. Why would he make you suffer with him?"

"Besides, a man of his status would have extremely high standards. He’d never look at a charity case like you."

Before she left, Chloe didn't miss the chance to insult me.

"Amber, you were born to be at the bottom. You deserve to be with a broke loser like him."

"Just don't tell anyone you're a Miller when you're out. We can't afford to lose face because of you."

Looking at Chloe's smug, arrogant face, I swallowed my anger.

But a tiny spark of hope flared up in my heart.

What if...

What if one day Christian proudly chose me in front of everyone as the Vance heir, completely slapping Chloe in the face?

What would her expression look like then?

But after only a few seconds of fantasizing, I shook my head to clear those thoughts.

Christian had already gotten me this amazing job. I had already used up all my luck.

How could I dare to expect a miracle like that?

After stabilizing my emotions, I kept my head down and worked peacefully for another three days.

That afternoon, my supervisor called me to join a major project launch meeting.

They said a powerful executive from the partner company was coming, and all the new hires had to be there to show respect.

Clutching my files, I walked into the conference hall, only to freeze instantly.

The figure standing on the stage looked so much like the man who had eaten cheap buffet food with me—and yet so different.

In the next second, the host spoke respectfully into the microphone:

"Now, please join me in welcoming our CEO, Mr. Christian Vance."

My brain went entirely blank. I stood there, frozen like a statue.

As soon as the meeting ended, I tried to slip away.

But Christian had already cut through the crowd, walking toward me with a gaze full of gentleness.

"Amber, why are you staring? Did you forget me after just a few days?"

All the surrounding employees began to whisper, speculating about my relationship with Christian.

My heart was pounding like crazy.

Was this real? Had the miracle actually happened?

Just as I was hesitating to respond, a sharp, screeching voice suddenly pierced the air from behind me.

"Mr. Vance! You’ve been tricked by Amber! The person you were supposed to meet that day was me!!"

My breath hitched. I turned around stiffly.

Chloe was storming through the crowd, marching straight up to Christian.

"I, Chloe Miller, am your actual blind date!"

Seeing Christian’s face instantly turn cold, I felt like I had been plunged into an ice bath.

It was over...

I had finally waited for Christian to reveal his identity to me.

But if he found out that all our sweet memories were built on a foundation of lies and deception...

Forget about being with him. I would probably lose my job and my livelihood instantly.

I desperately wanted to open my mouth and explain.

But terror gripped my throat, and I couldn't squeeze out a single word.

The mocking whispers and contemptuous glares from the crowd made me want to shrink into the floor.

"Look, this is the message the matchmaker sent me! Here is the date, time, and location of our meeting!"

"I have so much proof that Amber lied to you! You can't let this fraud get away with it!"

Under Chloe's hysterical shrieks, Christian calmly took her phone and glanced at it.

The next second, he frowned, turned his gaze to me, and spoke in a chilling voice...